Goodbye, Michael
Encyclopedia
"Goodbye, Michael" is the twenty-second episode of the seventh season of the American comedy series The Office and the show's 148th episode overall. The episode was written by series developer and executive producer
Greg Daniels
and was directed by Paul Feig
. The episode originally aired on April 28, 2011 on NBC
. NBC later aired an extended producer's cut of the episode featuring additional footage on May 26, 2011.
It marks the final appearance of Steve Carell
as a series regular and revolves around Carell's character Michael Scott
departing Dunder Mifflin, the series' titular office. The episode aired as an extended 50-minute episode, after having originally meant to be a two-parter combined with the previous episode "Michael's Last Dundies
". Will Ferrell
guest starred as Michael's initial replacement, Deangelo Vickers
.
"Goodbye, Michael" was met with critical acclaim from critics and fans and is considered one of the best episodes of The Office. In a poll conducted by fansite OfficeTally, the episode was named the best episode of the seventh season. The episode was viewed by 8.416 million viewers and received a 4.2 rating/11% share in the 18-49 demographic, making it the third-highest-rated episode of the season among adults between ages 18 and 49. The episode was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards.
(Steve Carell
) arrives at work for what he claims is his second-to-last day before he moves to Colorado to live with his fiancee, Holly
(Amy Ryan
). As the day progresses, he tries to have an individual goodbye with each employee. A phone call with Holly reveals that this is his last day, and he is flying out to Colorado that night. After having a few mini-crises, including getting cold feet, he starts to break down, but regains his composure after speaking with Holly. Pam leaves the office to supposedly run errands, but takes a break from the workday to see The King's Speech before Michael can say his goodbye to her.
Andy Bernard
(Ed Helms
) is given Michael's client list as a going-away present, and after losing one, requests the help of Deangelo Vickers
(Will Ferrell
) to retain them. Vickers nearly ruins a relationship with a client but Andy gains enough confidence to salvage the sale. Along the way, Vickers reveals that he was not hired for his business experience, but because he helped prevent the theft of one of Sabre CEO Jo Bennett
's dogs. Meanwhile, Dwight
(Rainn Wilson
) is antagonistic towards Michael, still bitter over Michael not recommending him for a manager position, despite Michael's attempts to reconcile. He initially expresses disdain for Michael's going-away present, a recommendation letter, but appears touched as he reads further. He also discovers a card challenging him to a paintball
match, and the two play behind the building.
Gabe
(Zach Woods
) is taking Erin
's (Ellie Kemper
) public breakup
badly. He makes several threats against Andy, who had dated Erin before she dated Gabe, and follows Erin into the women's bathroom to make his case. Michael advises Erin that she does not necessarily need to choose Andy or Gabe, telling her that she is smart enough to know what to do.
Jim
(John Krasinski
) deduces over the course of the day that Michael is leaving early and confronts him about it. Michael admits his plans, and Jim in turn says how much he respects Michael, and they jokingly promise to have a proper goodbye over lunch the next day. Michael's cab to the airport then arrives, and Michael departs the office after one last look at the employees, exiting silently. His cab pulls out of the parking lot just as Pam is pulling in. At the airport, Michael asks the camera crew to inform him if the documentary ever airs, then turns over his microphone, quipping one last "That's what she said" about how good it will feel to "get this thing [the mic] off [his] chest". He begins to walk off when Pam makes it past security and runs up to him. They hug twice and say goodbye that are not heard by the camera. Pam says in an interview that Michael was not sad, that he was hopeful and excited to start his new life with Holly. Pam stands at the gate and watches Michael's plane take off.
, his 10th writing credit of the series and first of the season. It was the 14th episode directed by Paul Feig
, the most by any one person. On June 28, 2010, it was confirmed that the seventh season of The Office would be Steve Carell's last. He had previously announced this while being interviewed on BBC Radio. "I just think it's time... I want to fulfill my contract. When I first signed on I had a contract for seven seasons, and this coming year is my seventh. I just thought it was time for my character to go," Carell was quoted as saying. In January 2011, it was announced that Carell would exit the show early, four episodes before the end of the season. A few weeks after this announcement came the news that Will Ferrell
, who previously starred alongside Carell in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
, had signed on to appear in a four-episode arc as a Dunder Mifflin branch manager who temporarily takes Michael Scott's position in Scranton. To help ease the transition, Ferrell appeared in Carell's final episodes as well as one additional episode after he departs.
The writers had gone through different scenarios on how Michael would leave with one suggestion being that he was fired due to a business mistake. They ultimately decided that ending wouldn't be "as much fun for the viewers". According to Daniels, filming on set actors being "very emotional" and would often be "sadder than their characters were supposed to be". Andy Buckley confirmed filming a scene saying goodbye to Michael as David Wallace
; however, these scenes were deleted from the network airing. When the episode re-aired three weeks later, it was split into two parts, and Wallace's scene was inserted into the first part. Steve Carell finished filming his final scenes for "Goodbye, Michael" on March 4, 2011. As a goodbye gift, Carell was given a hockey jersey with the #1 — his number on the call sheet. After Carell's departure the number was no longer used. The episode ran for an extended 50 minutes instead of the usual 30 minutes. The episode marks the first extended episode since the third season penultimate episode, "Beach Games
". Greg Daniels stated in an interview with Entertainment Weekly
that due to Ferrell's performance and Michael's goodbyes, the episode "ended up being real long". NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt
allowed Daniels to "do whatever is best [...] to give Steve [Carell] the proper goodbye.
serves as a reference to the season one episode, "Basketball" and the season three episode "Safety Training
", respectively. Michael's character Ping appears, having previously appeared in "The Dundies
" and "The Seminar
." It also featured the reforming of the Party Planning Committee after being broken up in "Moroccan Christmas
", and briefly showed Creed's continual habit of using the women's bathroom as seen in "Women's Appreciation
". Michael gives Daryl his book "Somehow I Manage", which was originally mentioned in "Happy Hour
." Two callbacks are made to the episode "Christmas Party": Phyllis' gift to Michael being homemade sewn mittens and Dwight wanting to play paintball with Michael. Michael's goodbye to Pam serves as a homage to a scene in the British version of The Office
, where Tim Canterbury
proclaims his love for Dawn Tinsley
in a meeting room, but Tim turns off his microphone first so the cameras pick up only their reactions and no sound. This scene was also referenced in the fifth season finale, "Company Picnic
".
to 9:50 p.m. ET. Nielsen ratings
were expected to be high since it was Carell's last episode and also due to the extended timeslot with 22.66% of readers of TV by the Numbers
predicting the episode would receive above a 6.0 rating in the 18-49 demographic. However, the episode was viewed by an estimated 8.416 million viewers and received a 4.2 rating/11% share among adults between the ages of 18 and 49. This means that it was seen by 4.2% of all 18–49 years olds, and 11% of all 18–49 year olds watching television at the time of the broadcast. This marked a twenty-six percent rise in the ratings. This made the episode the most-watched episode of the season and the third-highest-rated episode of the season after "Ultimatum
" and "Nepotism
" in the 18–49 demo. The episode ranked first in its timeslot beating Grey's Anatomy
, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
and Bones
. "Goodbye, Michael" was the most-watched scripted show for the week of broadcast among adults aged 18–49 and the second highest rated NBC
program after The Voice. Added with DVR
viewers, "Goodbye, Michael" received a 5.9 rating marking a 37 percent rise from the original viewership. The first half-hour of the producer's cut received a 2.76 million viewers, and a 1.1 rating/3% share in the 18-49 demographic, while the second half-hour attained 2 million viewers and a 0.9 rating/3% share in the 18-49 demographic.
said that overall the episode was "one of those historic television moments". She went on to praise the character's awareness of the camera crew along with Michael saying his goodbyes to the staff. She ultimately gave the episode a 9 out of 10. The A.V. Club
writer Myles McNutt considered the episode to be a classic and praised Greg Daniels choice of showing "their [fans] Michael Scott". He ultimately gave the episode an A. TV Squad writer Joel Keller wrote the episode felt like the series finale and that "As final episodes go, this one was a mixed bag". Entertainment Weekly
s Hillary Busis praised Carell's performance.
HitFix
writer Daniel Feinberg wrote that while the episode "wasn't flawless" it was "an appropriate disentanglement". Despite this, he criticized the episode for proving the point that the show could not survive without Michael. Despite this he complemented the performance of the supporting actors. New York
writer Phoebe Reilly slightly criticized Pam's silent goodbye to Michael. Despite this, she said, Dwight's tears in his talking head and Jim's goodbye to Michael "achieved the bearable level of poignancy". Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone
praised the ending of the episode and the reference to the original British version of The Office. BuddyTV
writer Meghan Carlson called Oscar's scarecrow gift scene the best moment of the episode. HitFix
reviewer Alan Sepinwall called the episode "a pretty fantastic tribute to that man on his way out the door."
Will Ferrell
's performance received mixed reviews from critics. Rob Sheffield called his performance "pure magic", while Miles McNutt said that his scenes were a "momentum killer". Cindy White criticized the writers for waiting for Ferrell's second-to last episode to give his character a "juicy quirk". Soon after the episode's airdate, the series received publicity for a possible storyline featuring Phyllis as Erin
's birth mother. The rumor was started during an interview with executive producer Greg Daniels
with Entertainment Weekly in which he stated "A tiny mystery story – which I'm not sure anyone’s going to catch and will come out a few episodes from now – is being set up here". This was further explored in the seventh season finale, "Search Committee
", where it turned out to be false.
. Steve Carell also submitted the episode for Outstanding Lead in a Comedy Series. 11 entertainment website writers polled by Gold Derby agreed that Carell would win the category. Daniels eventually lost to Modern Family
s Steven Levitan
and Jeffrey Richman
for their work on "Caught in the Act
" while Carell lost to Jim Parsons
of The Big Bang Theory
. Office star Rainn Wilson
expressed anger for the snub on Twitter
saying "The world of TV should be ashamed of itself that Steve Carell never won an Emmy for Michael Gary Scott. Goodnight". Former Office writer Michael Schur
and director Paul Feig
also criticized this choice with Schur calling it a "goddamn fucking embarrassment".
to the cast. Despite this, the series critical and ratings status started falling. The following season received major criticicm with Alan Sepinwall writing that "The Office now is a pale, listless shadow of what it used to be". Andy Bernard
was also criticized as the new manager for being a "softer version of Michael Scott", while Myles McNutt mainly criticized the series for repeating ideas with specifically the cold open to the eighth season episode, "Pam's Replacement
" which "shamelessly ripped off" the cold open to the fourth season episode "The Deposition
". Ratings also reached series lows following Carell's departure with "Spooked
" ranking as the lowest rated episode of the series to air on Thursday.
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
Greg Daniels
Greg Daniels
Gregory Martin "Greg" Daniels is an American television comedy writer, producer, and director.-Life and career:...
and was directed by Paul Feig
Paul Feig
Paul S. Feig is an American director, actor and author. Feig is known for playing Mr. Eugene Pool, Sabrina's science teacher, on the first season of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch as well as Tim a camp counselor on the hit kids movie Heavyweights...
. The episode originally aired on April 28, 2011 on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
. NBC later aired an extended producer's cut of the episode featuring additional footage on May 26, 2011.
It marks the final appearance of Steve Carell
Steve Carell
Steven John "Steve" Carell is an American comedian, actor, voice artist, producer, writer, and director. Although Carell is notable for his role on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, he found greater fame in the late 2000s for playing Michael Scott on The Office...
as a series regular and revolves around Carell's character Michael Scott
Michael Scott (The Office)
Michael Gary Scott is a fictional character on NBC's The Office, portrayed by Steve Carell, and based on David Brent from the original British version. Michael, the central character of the series, was the manager of the Scranton branch of paper and printer distribution company Dunder Mifflin Inc...
departing Dunder Mifflin, the series' titular office. The episode aired as an extended 50-minute episode, after having originally meant to be a two-parter combined with the previous episode "Michael's Last Dundies
Michael's Last Dundies
"Michael's Last Dundies" is the twenty-first episode of the seventh season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's 147th episode overall. Written and directed by Mindy Kaling, the episode aired on April 21, 2011, on NBC. The episode revolves around Michael training his...
". Will Ferrell
Will Ferrell
John William "Will" Ferrell is an American comedian, impressionist, actor, and writer. Ferrell first established himself in the late 1990s as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, and has subsequently starred in the comedy films Old School, Elf, Anchorman, Talladega...
guest starred as Michael's initial replacement, Deangelo Vickers
Deangelo Vickers
Deangelo Jeremitrius Vickers is a fictional character in the television series The Office. Played by actor Will Ferrell, Vickers was Michael Scott's replacement as Branch Manager during the end of Season 7, since Michael was moving to Colorado with his fiancee Holly...
.
"Goodbye, Michael" was met with critical acclaim from critics and fans and is considered one of the best episodes of The Office. In a poll conducted by fansite OfficeTally, the episode was named the best episode of the seventh season. The episode was viewed by 8.416 million viewers and received a 4.2 rating/11% share in the 18-49 demographic, making it the third-highest-rated episode of the season among adults between ages 18 and 49. The episode was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards.
Synopsis
MichaelMichael Scott (The Office)
Michael Gary Scott is a fictional character on NBC's The Office, portrayed by Steve Carell, and based on David Brent from the original British version. Michael, the central character of the series, was the manager of the Scranton branch of paper and printer distribution company Dunder Mifflin Inc...
(Steve Carell
Steve Carell
Steven John "Steve" Carell is an American comedian, actor, voice artist, producer, writer, and director. Although Carell is notable for his role on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, he found greater fame in the late 2000s for playing Michael Scott on The Office...
) arrives at work for what he claims is his second-to-last day before he moves to Colorado to live with his fiancee, Holly
Holly Flax
Hollis "Holly" Partridge Flax is a fictional character from the US television series The Office played by Amy Ryan. She was an original character, and not based on a character from the British version of the show...
(Amy Ryan
Amy Ryan
Amy Ryan is an American actress. She has been nominated for an Academy Award and Golden Globe for her performance in Gone Baby Gone and is also known for her roles in the HBO series The Wire, playing Port Authority Officer Beadie Russell; In Treatment, playing psychiatrist Adele Brousse; and The...
). As the day progresses, he tries to have an individual goodbye with each employee. A phone call with Holly reveals that this is his last day, and he is flying out to Colorado that night. After having a few mini-crises, including getting cold feet, he starts to break down, but regains his composure after speaking with Holly. Pam leaves the office to supposedly run errands, but takes a break from the workday to see The King's Speech before Michael can say his goodbye to her.
Andy Bernard
Andy Bernard
Andrew "Andy" Baines Bernard is a fictional character from the U.S. television series The Office. The character is highly insecure, yet egotistical, constantly mentioning his education at Cornell University...
(Ed Helms
Ed Helms
Edward Paul "Ed" Helms is an American actor and comedian known for his work as a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, as Andy Bernard on the US version of the sitcom/mockumentary The Office and for his role as Dr. Stu Price in The Hangover films.- Early life :Helms was born and raised...
) is given Michael's client list as a going-away present, and after losing one, requests the help of Deangelo Vickers
Deangelo Vickers
Deangelo Jeremitrius Vickers is a fictional character in the television series The Office. Played by actor Will Ferrell, Vickers was Michael Scott's replacement as Branch Manager during the end of Season 7, since Michael was moving to Colorado with his fiancee Holly...
(Will Ferrell
Will Ferrell
John William "Will" Ferrell is an American comedian, impressionist, actor, and writer. Ferrell first established himself in the late 1990s as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, and has subsequently starred in the comedy films Old School, Elf, Anchorman, Talladega...
) to retain them. Vickers nearly ruins a relationship with a client but Andy gains enough confidence to salvage the sale. Along the way, Vickers reveals that he was not hired for his business experience, but because he helped prevent the theft of one of Sabre CEO Jo Bennett
Jo Bennett
Joleen MaryAnn "Jo" Bennett is a fictional character from the US comedy television series The Office, who first appeared in Season 6. She is the CEO of Sabre, who purchased Dunder Mifflin, and is played by Kathy Bates.-Biography:...
's dogs. Meanwhile, Dwight
Dwight Schrute
Dwight Kurt Schrute III is a character on NBC's The Office portrayed by Rainn Wilson. He originally exactly resembled Gareth Keenan from the original UK version of The Office. Dwight is the top salesman and former acting manager for the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company and has won numerous awards for...
(Rainn Wilson
Rainn Wilson
Rainn Dietrich Wilson is an American actor and comedian. He is primarily known for his role as the egomaniacal Dwight Schrute on the American version of the television comedy The Office...
) is antagonistic towards Michael, still bitter over Michael not recommending him for a manager position, despite Michael's attempts to reconcile. He initially expresses disdain for Michael's going-away present, a recommendation letter, but appears touched as he reads further. He also discovers a card challenging him to a paintball
Paintball
Paintball is a sport in which players compete, in teams or individually, to eliminate opponents by tagging them with capsules containing water soluble dye and gelatin shell outside propelled from a device called a paintball marker . Paintballs have a non-toxic, biodegradable, water soluble...
match, and the two play behind the building.
Gabe
Gabe Lewis
Gabriel Stuart "Gabe" Lewis is a fictional character on NBC's The Office. He first appears in the sixth season, where he is the Coordinating Director of Emerging Regions for the Sabre Corporate headquarters in Florida...
(Zach Woods
Zach Woods
Zach Woods is an American actor and comedian. From 2010-11, he portrayed Gabe Lewis on the NBC sitcom The Office. He was promoted to a series regular beginning in Season 7....
) is taking Erin
Erin Hannon
Kelly Erin Hannon is a fictional character from the U.S. television series The Office. She is the office receptionist for the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin, a position previously held by Pam Halpert before she left the company. Erin is played by Ellie Kemper...
's (Ellie Kemper
Ellie Kemper
Elizabeth Claire "Ellie" Kemper is an American actress, comedian and writer best known for her role as Erin Hannon in NBC's The Office.-Personal life:...
) public breakup
Michael's Last Dundies
"Michael's Last Dundies" is the twenty-first episode of the seventh season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's 147th episode overall. Written and directed by Mindy Kaling, the episode aired on April 21, 2011, on NBC. The episode revolves around Michael training his...
badly. He makes several threats against Andy, who had dated Erin before she dated Gabe, and follows Erin into the women's bathroom to make his case. Michael advises Erin that she does not necessarily need to choose Andy or Gabe, telling her that she is smart enough to know what to do.
Jim
Jim Halpert
James Duncan "Jim" Halpert is a fictional character in the United States version of the television sitcom The Office, played by John Krasinski. The character is based on Tim Canterbury from the original version of The Office...
(John Krasinski
John Krasinski
John Burke Krasinski is an American actor, film director, and writer. He is most widely known for playing Jim Halpert on the NBC sitcom The Office...
) deduces over the course of the day that Michael is leaving early and confronts him about it. Michael admits his plans, and Jim in turn says how much he respects Michael, and they jokingly promise to have a proper goodbye over lunch the next day. Michael's cab to the airport then arrives, and Michael departs the office after one last look at the employees, exiting silently. His cab pulls out of the parking lot just as Pam is pulling in. At the airport, Michael asks the camera crew to inform him if the documentary ever airs, then turns over his microphone, quipping one last "That's what she said" about how good it will feel to "get this thing [the mic] off [his] chest". He begins to walk off when Pam makes it past security and runs up to him. They hug twice and say goodbye that are not heard by the camera. Pam says in an interview that Michael was not sad, that he was hopeful and excited to start his new life with Holly. Pam stands at the gate and watches Michael's plane take off.
Production
The episode was written by series creator and executive producer Greg DanielsGreg Daniels
Gregory Martin "Greg" Daniels is an American television comedy writer, producer, and director.-Life and career:...
, his 10th writing credit of the series and first of the season. It was the 14th episode directed by Paul Feig
Paul Feig
Paul S. Feig is an American director, actor and author. Feig is known for playing Mr. Eugene Pool, Sabrina's science teacher, on the first season of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch as well as Tim a camp counselor on the hit kids movie Heavyweights...
, the most by any one person. On June 28, 2010, it was confirmed that the seventh season of The Office would be Steve Carell's last. He had previously announced this while being interviewed on BBC Radio. "I just think it's time... I want to fulfill my contract. When I first signed on I had a contract for seven seasons, and this coming year is my seventh. I just thought it was time for my character to go," Carell was quoted as saying. In January 2011, it was announced that Carell would exit the show early, four episodes before the end of the season. A few weeks after this announcement came the news that Will Ferrell
Will Ferrell
John William "Will" Ferrell is an American comedian, impressionist, actor, and writer. Ferrell first established himself in the late 1990s as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, and has subsequently starred in the comedy films Old School, Elf, Anchorman, Talladega...
, who previously starred alongside Carell in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, or simply Anchorman, is a 2004 American comedy film, directed by Adam McKay and starring Will Ferrell. The film, which was also written by Ferrell and McKay, is a tongue-in-cheek take on the culture of the 1970s, particularly the then-new Action News format...
, had signed on to appear in a four-episode arc as a Dunder Mifflin branch manager who temporarily takes Michael Scott's position in Scranton. To help ease the transition, Ferrell appeared in Carell's final episodes as well as one additional episode after he departs.
The writers had gone through different scenarios on how Michael would leave with one suggestion being that he was fired due to a business mistake. They ultimately decided that ending wouldn't be "as much fun for the viewers". According to Daniels, filming on set actors being "very emotional" and would often be "sadder than their characters were supposed to be". Andy Buckley confirmed filming a scene saying goodbye to Michael as David Wallace
David Wallace (The Office)
David Wallace is a character in the American television show The Office and was the chief financial officer of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, before being fired in late 2009 after the company was bought by Sabre. He is portrayed by Andy Buckley.- Character history :David Wallace was...
; however, these scenes were deleted from the network airing. When the episode re-aired three weeks later, it was split into two parts, and Wallace's scene was inserted into the first part. Steve Carell finished filming his final scenes for "Goodbye, Michael" on March 4, 2011. As a goodbye gift, Carell was given a hockey jersey with the #1 — his number on the call sheet. After Carell's departure the number was no longer used. The episode ran for an extended 50 minutes instead of the usual 30 minutes. The episode marks the first extended episode since the third season penultimate episode, "Beach Games
Beach Games
"Beach Games" is the twenty-third episode of the third season of the US version of The Office, and is the 51st episode aired of the show. It was written by Jennifer Celotta and Greg Daniels and directed by film director Harold Ramis, who previously directed the episodes "A Benihana Christmas" and...
". Greg Daniels stated in an interview with Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
that due to Ferrell's performance and Michael's goodbyes, the episode "ended up being real long". NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt
Robert Greenblatt
Robert Greenblatt is an American television executive and currently the chairman of NBC Entertainment.-Career:Greenblatt began his television career at the Fox Broadcasting Company where he ran prime-time programming and developed such shows as the original Beverly Hills, 90210 and Melrose Place,...
allowed Daniels to "do whatever is best [...] to give Steve [Carell] the proper goodbye.
Callbacks
"Goodbye, Michael" features several references to previous episodes. During one scene, Michael puts his Dundie on his desk, a homage to the final shot in the series opening sequence. Michael's obsession with basketball and wanting to use the bailerBailer
A bailer in hydrogeology is a hollow tube used to retrieve groundwater samples from monitoring wells. Groundwater monitoring wells are drilled in areas where there are underground storage tanks or where there is environmental remediation occurring. The wells are typically built out of PVC casing...
serves as a reference to the season one episode, "Basketball" and the season three episode "Safety Training
Safety Training
"Safety Training" is the nineteenth episode of the third season of the American comedy television series The Office. Written by B. J. Novak, who also acts in the show as sales representative Ryan Howard, and directed by Caddyshack and National Lampoon's Vacation director Harold Ramis, the episode...
", respectively. Michael's character Ping appears, having previously appeared in "The Dundies
The Dundies
"The Dundies" is the second season premiere of the American comedy television series The Office—the show's seventh episode overall. Written by Mindy Kaling and directed by Greg Daniels, who is also a producer for the show, the episode originally aired in the United States on September 20, 2005 on...
" and "The Seminar
The Seminar
"The Seminar" is the fourteenth episode of seventh season of the American comedytelevision series The Office, and the show's 140th episode overall. Written by Steve Hely and directed by B. J. Novak, the episode aired January 27, 2011 on NBC....
." It also featured the reforming of the Party Planning Committee after being broken up in "Moroccan Christmas
Moroccan Christmas
"Moroccan Christmas" is the eleventh episode of the fifth season of the television series The Office, and the show's eighty-third episode overall...
", and briefly showed Creed's continual habit of using the women's bathroom as seen in "Women's Appreciation
Women's Appreciation
"Women's Appreciation" is the twenty-second episode of the third season of the US version of The Office, and the third supersized episode of the season...
". Michael gives Daryl his book "Somehow I Manage", which was originally mentioned in "Happy Hour
Happy Hour (The Office)
"Happy Hour" is the 21st episode of the sixth season of the U.S. comedy series The Office and the show's 121st episode overall. It originally aired March 25, 2010 on NBC....
." Two callbacks are made to the episode "Christmas Party": Phyllis' gift to Michael being homemade sewn mittens and Dwight wanting to play paintball with Michael. Michael's goodbye to Pam serves as a homage to a scene in the British version of The Office
The Office (UK TV series)
The Office is a British sitcom television series that was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 9 July 2001. Created, written, and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, the programme is about the day-to-day lives of office employees in the Slough branch of the fictitious...
, where Tim Canterbury
Tim Canterbury
Tim Canterbury is a main character in the BBC sitcom The Office, played by Martin Freeman. He is a 30-year-old sales representative for paper merchants Wernham Hogg and lives with his parents. He spent one year at a university before dropping out, and one day hopes to return to get a psychology...
proclaims his love for Dawn Tinsley
Dawn Tinsley
Dawn Tinsley is a fictional character in the BBC sitcom The Office, played by Lucy Davis. She is a receptionist for paper merchants Wernham Hogg and is engaged to warehouse worker Lee. Her American The Office equivalent is Pam Beesly...
in a meeting room, but Tim turns off his microphone first so the cameras pick up only their reactions and no sound. This scene was also referenced in the fifth season finale, "Company Picnic
Company Picnic
"Company Picnic" is the fifth season finale of the American comedy television series The Office, and the 100th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on May 14, 2009...
".
Ratings
"Goodbye, Michael" originally aired on April 28, 2011 in a 50-minute timeslot from 9 p.m. ETEastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
to 9:50 p.m. ET. Nielsen ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
were expected to be high since it was Carell's last episode and also due to the extended timeslot with 22.66% of readers of TV by the Numbers
TV by the Numbers
TV by the Numbers is a website devoted to collecting and analyzing television ratings data in the United States. It is run by Bill Gorman and Robert Seidman, both of whom founded the website in 2007.-History:...
predicting the episode would receive above a 6.0 rating in the 18-49 demographic. However, the episode was viewed by an estimated 8.416 million viewers and received a 4.2 rating/11% share among adults between the ages of 18 and 49. This means that it was seen by 4.2% of all 18–49 years olds, and 11% of all 18–49 year olds watching television at the time of the broadcast. This marked a twenty-six percent rise in the ratings. This made the episode the most-watched episode of the season and the third-highest-rated episode of the season after "Ultimatum
Ultimatum (The Office)
"Ultimatum" is the thirteenth episode of the seventh season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's 139th episodes overall...
" and "Nepotism
Nepotism (The Office)
"Nepotism" is the seventh season premiere of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's 127th episode overall. Written by Daniel Chun and directed by Jeffrey Blitz, the episode aired on NBC in the United States on September 23, 2010...
" in the 18–49 demo. The episode ranked first in its timeslot beating Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
and Bones
Bones (TV series)
Bones is an American crime drama television series that premiered on the Fox Network on September 13, 2005. The show is based on forensic anthropology and forensic archaeology, with each episode focusing on an FBI case file concerning the mystery behind human remains brought by FBI Special Agent...
. "Goodbye, Michael" was the most-watched scripted show for the week of broadcast among adults aged 18–49 and the second highest rated NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
program after The Voice. Added with DVR
Digital video recorder
A digital video recorder , sometimes referred to by the merchandising term personal video recorder , is a consumer electronics device or application software that records video in a digital format to a disk drive, USB flash drive, SD memory card or other local or networked mass storage device...
viewers, "Goodbye, Michael" received a 5.9 rating marking a 37 percent rise from the original viewership. The first half-hour of the producer's cut received a 2.76 million viewers, and a 1.1 rating/3% share in the 18-49 demographic, while the second half-hour attained 2 million viewers and a 0.9 rating/3% share in the 18-49 demographic.
Reviews
The episode was met with critical acclaim since it has aired and is considered one of the best episodes of The Office by critics and fans. Cindy White of IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
said that overall the episode was "one of those historic television moments". She went on to praise the character's awareness of the camera crew along with Michael saying his goodbyes to the staff. She ultimately gave the episode a 9 out of 10. The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
writer Myles McNutt considered the episode to be a classic and praised Greg Daniels choice of showing "their [fans] Michael Scott". He ultimately gave the episode an A. TV Squad writer Joel Keller wrote the episode felt like the series finale and that "As final episodes go, this one was a mixed bag". Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
s Hillary Busis praised Carell's performance.
HitFix
HitFix
HitFix, or the HitFix.com is an entertainment news website that launched in December 2008 specializing in breaking entertainment news, insider information and providing reviews and critiques of film, music and television...
writer Daniel Feinberg wrote that while the episode "wasn't flawless" it was "an appropriate disentanglement". Despite this, he criticized the episode for proving the point that the show could not survive without Michael. Despite this he complemented the performance of the supporting actors. New York
New York (magazine)
New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New...
writer Phoebe Reilly slightly criticized Pam's silent goodbye to Michael. Despite this, she said, Dwight's tears in his talking head and Jim's goodbye to Michael "achieved the bearable level of poignancy". Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
praised the ending of the episode and the reference to the original British version of The Office. BuddyTV
BuddyTV
BuddyTV is an entertainment-based website based in Seattle, Washington, which generates content about television programs and sporting events. The website publishes information about celebrity and related entertainment news through a series of articles, entertainment profiles, actor biographies and...
writer Meghan Carlson called Oscar's scarecrow gift scene the best moment of the episode. HitFix
HitFix
HitFix, or the HitFix.com is an entertainment news website that launched in December 2008 specializing in breaking entertainment news, insider information and providing reviews and critiques of film, music and television...
reviewer Alan Sepinwall called the episode "a pretty fantastic tribute to that man on his way out the door."
Will Ferrell
Will Ferrell
John William "Will" Ferrell is an American comedian, impressionist, actor, and writer. Ferrell first established himself in the late 1990s as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, and has subsequently starred in the comedy films Old School, Elf, Anchorman, Talladega...
's performance received mixed reviews from critics. Rob Sheffield called his performance "pure magic", while Miles McNutt said that his scenes were a "momentum killer". Cindy White criticized the writers for waiting for Ferrell's second-to last episode to give his character a "juicy quirk". Soon after the episode's airdate, the series received publicity for a possible storyline featuring Phyllis as Erin
Erin Hannon
Kelly Erin Hannon is a fictional character from the U.S. television series The Office. She is the office receptionist for the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin, a position previously held by Pam Halpert before she left the company. Erin is played by Ellie Kemper...
's birth mother. The rumor was started during an interview with executive producer Greg Daniels
Greg Daniels
Gregory Martin "Greg" Daniels is an American television comedy writer, producer, and director.-Life and career:...
with Entertainment Weekly in which he stated "A tiny mystery story – which I'm not sure anyone’s going to catch and will come out a few episodes from now – is being set up here". This was further explored in the seventh season finale, "Search Committee
Search Committee
"Search Committee" is the hour-long finale of the seventh season of the American television comedy series The Office. It is the 151st and 152nd episodes of the series overall and the 25th and 26th episodes of the seventh season. It was written by show runner and executive producer Paul Lieberstein...
", where it turned out to be false.
Awards and nominations
Greg Daniels, who wrote the script, received a nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series at the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards63rd Primetime Emmy Awards
The 63rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, honoring the best in primetime television programming from June 1, 2010 until May 31, 2011, was held on September 18, 2011, at the Nokia Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles, California. Fox televised the ceremony within the United States. Actress Jane Lynch hosted...
. Steve Carell also submitted the episode for Outstanding Lead in a Comedy Series. 11 entertainment website writers polled by Gold Derby agreed that Carell would win the category. Daniels eventually lost to Modern Family
Modern Family
Modern Family is an American television comedy series created by Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan, which debuted on ABC on September 23, 2009. Lloyd and Levitan serve as showrunner and executive producers, under their Levitan-Lloyd Productions label...
s Steven Levitan
Steven Levitan
Steven E. Levitan is an American director, screenwriter and producer of television comedies. He has created such TV series as Just Shoot Me!, Stark Raving Mad, Stacked, Back to You, and Modern Family....
and Jeffrey Richman
Jeffrey Richman
-Producer:* Stacked:* Frasier: executive producer* Charlie Lawrence : executive producer* Stark Raving Mad : co-executive producer* Wings : producer-Writer:* Stacked: 1 episode, 2005...
for their work on "Caught in the Act
Caught in the Act (Modern Family)
"Caught in the Act" is the thirteenth episode of the second season of the American television comedy series, Modern Family and the 36th overall episode of the series. Co-creator Steven Levitan and Jeffrey Richman wrote the episode, and Michael Spiller directed it. The episode originally aired on...
" while Carell lost to Jim Parsons
Jim Parsons
James Joseph "Jim" Parsons is an American television and film actor. He is best known for playing Sheldon Cooper on the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory, with his performance often cited as a significant reason for the program's success...
of The Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theory is an American sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom serve as executive producers on the show, along with Steven Molaro. All three also serve as head writers...
. Office star Rainn Wilson
Rainn Wilson
Rainn Dietrich Wilson is an American actor and comedian. He is primarily known for his role as the egomaniacal Dwight Schrute on the American version of the television comedy The Office...
expressed anger for the snub on Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
saying "The world of TV should be ashamed of itself that Steve Carell never won an Emmy for Michael Gary Scott. Goodnight". Former Office writer Michael Schur
Michael Schur
Michael Herbert Schur is an American television producer and writer, best known for his work on the NBC comedy series The Office and Parks and Recreation, the latter of which he co-created along with Greg Daniels...
and director Paul Feig
Paul Feig
Paul S. Feig is an American director, actor and author. Feig is known for playing Mr. Eugene Pool, Sabrina's science teacher, on the first season of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch as well as Tim a camp counselor on the hit kids movie Heavyweights...
also criticized this choice with Schur calling it a "goddamn fucking embarrassment".
Aftermath
Following "Goodbye, Michael", Matt Zoller Seitz said the series became more "warmer and more reflective" specifically due to the addition of James SpaderJames Spader
James Todd Spader is an American actor best known for his eccentric roles in movies such as Pretty in Pink, Less Than Zero, Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Crash, Stargate, and Secretary...
to the cast. Despite this, the series critical and ratings status started falling. The following season received major criticicm with Alan Sepinwall writing that "The Office now is a pale, listless shadow of what it used to be". Andy Bernard
Andy Bernard
Andrew "Andy" Baines Bernard is a fictional character from the U.S. television series The Office. The character is highly insecure, yet egotistical, constantly mentioning his education at Cornell University...
was also criticized as the new manager for being a "softer version of Michael Scott", while Myles McNutt mainly criticized the series for repeating ideas with specifically the cold open to the eighth season episode, "Pam's Replacement
Pam's Replacement
"Pam's Replacement" is the seventh episode of the eighth season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's 159th episode overall. The episode aired on NBC in the United States on November 10, 2011...
" which "shamelessly ripped off" the cold open to the fourth season episode "The Deposition
The Deposition (The Office)
"The Deposition" is the twelfth episode of the fourth season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's sixty-fifth episode overall. Written by consulting producer Lester Lewis and directed by Julian Farino, the episode originally aired in the United States on November 15,...
". Ratings also reached series lows following Carell's departure with "Spooked
Spooked (The Office)
"Spooked" is the fifth episode of the eighth season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's 157th episode overall. The episode originally aired on NBC in the United States on October 27, 2011. It was written by Carrie Kemper and directed by Randall Einhorn...
" ranking as the lowest rated episode of the series to air on Thursday.
External links
- "Goodbye, Michael" at NBC.comNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...