Dunder Mifflin was a lot different without the world's best boss.

After Steve Carell said goodbye to Michael Scott and Scranton, PA, in season seven of The Office, the series had difficulty navigating his departure.

"It was a little bit chaotic of trying to figure out the tone of the show," Rainn Wilson explained during the June 22 episode of The Good Guys podcast. "Who's the lead? And, how are we telling these stories without the comic engine of the show, which is Michael Scott, and without one of the greatest comic actors in American history at the center of our show?"

Although Rainn—who played Dwight Schrute on the NBC show for its nine-season run—admitted that the show struggled to find its footing without Steve, his exit in 2011 wasn't a surprise.

"We knew it was coming for a long time," Rainn recalled to podcast hosts Josh Peck and Ben Soffer. "He was such a big movie star at the time … Of course, he was going to leave The Office when he could, so we were prepared for it."

In the final two seasons, the employees at the Scranton-based paper supply company worked under a number of eccentric bosses, including Deangelo Vickers (Will Ferrell), Robert California (James Spader), Andy Bernard (Ed Helms) and Nellie Bertram (Catherine Tate). However, Dwight, who ultimately proved he's able to take on the task in season nine.

Reflecting on the evolution of The Office—which starred John Krasinski, Mindy Kaling, B.J. Novak and more—Rainn explained that it was especially difficult because the series "fell into gear" as Michael became a more beloved character.

"The show became a little more warmer and a little more human and I think Michael Scott became a little bit more likable," the 59-year-old said. "Michael Scott's got a big heart. He's a doofus and he always says the wrong thing, but he's a lovable guy. More of that was brought in as the show went along."

For Steve, bidding farewell to his character was a difficult decision, but that "the timing was right."

"It was time for other characters to step to the forefront and other storylines to be pursued," he told former costars Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinseyon their Office Ladies podcast in March 2023. "There was just a sense of joy for me that we had experienced all of this and we were getting—I was getting a chance to take a lap with everybody." 

"The way those last two episodes were structured," he said of the episodes, in which he says goodbye to the office, "it felt very rich to me to simultaneously be saying goodbye as Michael and us as friends in this moment of work together. It was a lot, it was a very emotional thing."

What's better than beets, bears and Battlestar Galactica? Michael Scott's best moments. Keep reading for a look back at Dunder Mifflin's favorite regional manager.

"The worst thing about prison was the Dementors. They were flying all over the place and they were scary and they sucked the soul out of your body and it hurt!"

Warning: do not attempt to make bacon in the morning if you do not have a butler!

"Most nights before I go to bed, I will lay six strips of bacon on my grill. Then I go to sleep. When I wake up I plug in the grill and I go back to sleep again," Michael explained of his grill-related foot injury. "Today I got up, I stepped onto the grill and it clamped down on my foot. That's it. I don't see what's so hard to believe."

What better way to let women on an online dating site know how serious you are about wanting kids someday than with that username? 

When it doubt, do chest compressions to the beat of the Bee Gee's "Stayin Alive," OK? 

"Hi, I'm Date Mike. Nice to meet me. How do you like your eggs in the morning?" 

"If I had a gun with two bullets and I was in a room with Hitler, Bin Laden and Toby, I would shoot Toby twice."

"This is going to hurt like a motherf--ker." Have truer words ever been spoken than when Michael realized just how hard leaving Dundler Mifflin was going to be for him after his team sang this to him? 

"Lazy Scranton the Electric City, they call it that 'cause of the electricity." 

In what was supposed to be the highlight of Phyllis' wedding, Michael called "bulls--t" when her father was able to get up from his wheelchair to finish walking her down the aisle. 

"I can't believe I pushed that guy's lazy ass around all day until he was ready to stand up and steal the show," Michael said.

We dare you not to get emotional over Michael leading a flash mob dance at Jim and Pam's wedding!

"Dwight, you ignorant slut."

"WHERE ARE THE TURTLES?!"

Hardcore! Parkour!

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