# The Office - 5/16/2013 - Retrospective, Finale
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-16-2013-retrospective-finale/658564
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [May 16, 2013, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-16-2013-retrospective-finale/658564 "2013-05-16T23:36:11Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2013, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-16-2013-retrospective-finale/658564/41 "2013-05-17T15:23:57Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#):
>
> It was Daryl, not Dwight, and Andy is just the kind of ex-coworker you’re fine never hanging out with again. Add to that Andy’s embarrassing viral video fame, and it’s not difficult to see why he’d want to avoid Andy.
The fundamental truth of reunions is that people generally like the idea of hanging out with people from their past more than the reality. I thought the finale did a good job of capturing that.
> [@CJJ](#):
>
> And the sappy final 15 minutes really dragged–like a party where a few guests are still hanging around after most have left–but like I said last week I’ll give the cast a break in prolonging their final bows.
I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. IMHO it gave it a kind of reunion feel. You know, like when you go home for a high school reunion or something, but then spend a couple of extra days in town taking care of other stuff and keep running into other people who either still live there or are likewise lingering around. People don’t just show up to a reunion then all jump on a plane back to their lives at the end of the night.
> [@hajario](#):
>
> One cute touch/call back was that Dwight hired back Devin, the guy who Michael had to lay off in the first or second season’s Halloween episode. He even got his old desk back.
Which didn’t make any sense to me. I mean wouldn’t the guy have moved on in his career in the past seven or eight years?
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### Author:  [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2013, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-16-2013-retrospective-finale/658564/42 "2013-05-17T15:26:27Z")
> [@Shoeless](#):
>
> I haven’t really been watching regularly for the last few years but I watched the finale and thought it was a nice wrap-up to the series.
>
> One thing I found a bit unbelievable was how easily Dwight was able to fire Toby. I thought the reason Toby was such a thorn in Michael’s side for so many years was that Toby was part of HR and didn’t report to Michael, so Michael was essentially powerless to get rid of him. So if Michael was never able to fire him, why was Dwight able to?
Because when Michael was in charge they were part of a big corporation, now it’s just their one branch with nobody to report to. I imagine David Wallace had a say, but as long as things were going well i can’t see him objecting to Dwight running things as he saw fit. And things were apparently going extremely well.
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### Author:  [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2013, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-16-2013-retrospective-finale/658564/43 "2013-05-17T15:27:34Z")
Was there resolution to the Scranton Strangler storyline? Wasn’t it supposed to be one of the Office people, or did I miss something? I didn’t catch every episode this season. I mean, I guess Creed was hauled off by cops at the end there, but was that supposed to be about that?
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### Author:  [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2013, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-16-2013-retrospective-finale/658564/44 "2013-05-17T15:32:29Z")
Yes. Toby was on the jury that convicted a guy of being the strangler but after, he doubted the verdict. So Toby visited the guy in prison. During his visit, the guy tried to strangle him, confirming that he was in fact the Scranton Strangler. So they resolved it, but I thought unsatisfactorily.
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### Author:  [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2013, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-16-2013-retrospective-finale/658564/45 "2013-05-17T15:32:58Z")
> [@pulykamell](#):
>
> Was there resolution to the Scranton Strangler storyline?
He’s in jail, Toby went to visit him, to make sure it was really him and he [the Strangler] strangled Toby. He came back to work with red marks on his neck.
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### Author:  [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2013, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-16-2013-retrospective-finale/658564/46 "2013-05-17T15:35:08Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#):
>
> He’s in jail, Toby went to visit him, to make sure it was really him and he [the Strangler] strangled Toby. He came back to work with red marks on his neck.
Ah, I missed that. For some reason, I thought they were hinting that it would be one of the office characters (with Toby, Creed, and Gabe being the usual suspects.)
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### Author:  [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2013, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-16-2013-retrospective-finale/658564/47 "2013-05-17T15:41:01Z")
> [@pulykamell](#):
>
> Ah, I missed that. For some reason, I thought they were hinting that it would be one of the office characters (with Toby, Creed, and Gabe being the usual suspects.)
They weren’t, but for some reason the idea was floated around here an awful lot. I assume the internet as a whole had that idea in mind which is why they had Toby go down to the jail and get strangled (to put it to rest). OTOH for quite a while they were dragging out the “I think we put the wrong person in jail” storyline, so they were clearly going _somewhere_ with it and then probably scrapping the idea when they used that resolution.
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### Author:  [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2013, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-16-2013-retrospective-finale/658564/48 "2013-05-17T15:49:20Z")
> [@phreesh](#):
>
> Andy’s story was a pretty decent way to tie together the reality show, which I didn’t feel worked last episode, but in retrospect kinda worked. They should have included the love interest in the finale, though.
I agree, after Angela and Erin, I would have liked to see Andy with someone. Especially because Jim promised him he would after the Angela breakup.
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### Author:  [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2013, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-16-2013-retrospective-finale/658564/49 "2013-05-17T15:51:18Z")
> [@pulykamell](#):
>
> I mean, I guess Creed was hauled off by cops at the end there, but was that supposed to be about that?
No, it was mentioned earlier in the episode that Creed was wanted for various crimes dating back to his (real life) rock band days in the '60s. That’s why he was in “disguise” with the big beard.
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### Author:  [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2013, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-16-2013-retrospective-finale/658564/50 "2013-05-17T15:51:53Z")
> [@msmith537](#):
>
> Which didn’t make any sense to me. I mean wouldn’t the guy have moved on in his career in the past seven or eight years?
I don’t know. Ask Angela, Oscar, Phyllis, Meredith or Stanley.
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### Author:  [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2013, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-16-2013-retrospective-finale/658564/51 "2013-05-17T15:55:55Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#):
>
> No, it was mentioned earlier in the episode that Creed was wanted for various crimes dating back to his (real life) rock band days in the '60s. That’s why he was in “disguise” with the big beard.
Remember the episode where they played “Murder Mystery” or something? Creed walks into the office, Pam yells, “You’re wanted for murder” and then Creed takes off running.
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### Author:  [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2013, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-16-2013-retrospective-finale/658564/52 "2013-05-17T16:09:51Z")
I really enjoyed the “Guten Pranken,” especially the bazooka. It looked like Rainn Wilson really got to fire that thing off. Must have been fun as hell to film that scene.
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### Author:  [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2013, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-16-2013-retrospective-finale/658564/53 "2013-05-17T16:35:34Z")
> [@Nawth\_Chucka](#):
>
> I loved Phyllis carrying Angela, the characters have had their bates over the parties, etc, so that was a nice hatchet burying. And Phyllis creating another Stanley is wonderful.
I’m an acquaitance of Phyllis’ stunt doubl–yes, surprisingly Phyllis has needed a stunt double more than a few times on the show…Carrying Angela down the aisle was the last time. I’ve seen pictures of them side by side in costume and it is freaky.
> [@Nawth\_Chucka](#):
>
> I felt they left Oscar hanging a bit, would have liked to see his ending fleshed out a bit. They could only squeeze so much in the panel scenes, but NO questions to him about carrying on w/ the Senator at all?? It was far more blatantly unethical than the Pam/Jim marriage issues.
I’d have liked for him to have tried to turn the panel into a campaign event. I do like that he’s running for state senate…against his old lover.
> [@DigitalC](#):
>
> Speaking of the son stripper, was that actually the same kid who played Merediths bratty son years ago?
That’s what I thought, but I’m not sure. It seems like the kind of detail they would have gone for.
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### Author:  [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2013, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-16-2013-retrospective-finale/658564/54 "2013-05-17T16:49:36Z")
Was what on stripper son’s face? If look like he had a neck tattoo, and if they stopped there I would have dismissed it as a generic white trash neck tattoo, but IIRC he a “47” on his cheek that looked like magic marker. If it was supposed to be a tattoo, they didn’t do a very good job with it and he didn’t like like the face/neck tattoo type.
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### Author:  [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2013, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-16-2013-retrospective-finale/658564/55 "2013-05-17T16:57:03Z")
Dwight’s stripper was the girl giving over the giant check in “Fun Run” and was also giving lap dances in “Ben Franklin.” Not sure if she was Bob Vance’s stripper, unless his was in one of those two episodes.
Also, did everyone notice that the Realtor was Michael’s ex, Carol, who’s played by Steve Carell’s real life wife?
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### Author:  [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2013, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-16-2013-retrospective-finale/658564/56 "2013-05-17T16:59:01Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#):
>
> Also, did everyone notice that the Realtor was Michael’s ex, Carol, who’s played by Steve Carell’s real life wife?
And they met because she was his realtor when he bought his condo.
Good catch.
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### Author:  [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2013, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-16-2013-retrospective-finale/658564/57 "2013-05-17T17:04:06Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#):
>
> Dwight’s stripper was the girl giving over the giant check in “Fun Run” and was also giving lap dances in “Ben Franklin.” Not sure if she was Bob Vance’s stripper, unless his was in one of those two episodes.
“Ben Franklin” was the episode about Phyllis’s bridal shower and Bob Vance’s bachelor party, so that’s her.
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### Author:  [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2013, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-16-2013-retrospective-finale/658564/58 "2013-05-17T17:08:25Z")
> [@Lamia](#):
>
> “Ben Franklin” was the episode about Phyllis’s bridal shower and Bob Vance’s bachelor party, so that’s her.
Thanks, I was just cribbing info from Sepinwall’s review and it only had the episode titles.
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### Author:  [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2013, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-16-2013-retrospective-finale/658564/59 "2013-05-17T17:12:48Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#):
>
> No, it was mentioned earlier in the episode that Creed was wanted for various crimes dating back to his (real life) rock band days in the '60s. That’s why he was in “disguise” with the big beard.
Ah! I was wondering what the beard was about. Gotta rewatch the ep.
---
### Author:  [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2013, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-16-2013-retrospective-finale/658564/60 "2013-05-17T17:47:22Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#):
>
> No, it was mentioned earlier in the episode that Creed was wanted for various crimes dating back to his (real life) rock band days in the '60s. That’s why he was in “disguise” with the big beard.
Yep, and after the documentary was released he faked his own death!
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