The Office is Us

Why do we keep going back to The Office, a series that concluded in 2013? To relive the romance of Jim and Pam? To re-experience the schadenfreude of Michael Scott’s mishaps? To watch Dwight get pranked? Perhaps we love The Office for deeper reasons. In watching these characters transform over the years, we recognize our own need for God’s redemptive work in our lives. By drawing us into the real drama of mundane life, The Office presents us with people we recognize. We see ourselves in their redemption.

This redemption is best demonstrated in the series finale, but to appreciate the episode the viewer must watch all nine seasons. We have to see Jim’s pranks, Dwight’s “mercy killing” of Angela’s cat, Oscar’s long-suffering practicality, Andy’s longing for acceptance, and Pam’s struggle to actualize her artistic inclinations. When we trace these threads throughout The Office, we are prepared to appreciate the ways in which the characters grow and mature.

“Finale” is set a year after the previous episode, and it concludes the major story arcs. Dwight (Rainn Wilson) has at long last achieved his goal of becoming manager of Dunder Mifflin Scranton. In contrast to his brief, gun-toting stint as interim manager, Dwight has matured into a capable, wise leader who looks out for his friends (as we see when Jim and Pam are “fired” so that Dwight can guarantee a generous severance package). This mature, stable leadership reveals itself in Dwight’s marriage to Angela (Angela Kinsey). Far from the furtive, illicit encounters shown in previous episodes, Dwight’s love for Angela has grown into a dedication that allows the viewer to hear Kevin’s reading of a passage from the Song of Solomon as a sincere, authentic text, rather than ironic comedy. Dwight has become a character who both can and does love others (though he still has “subordinates,” as he tells us in one of his final asides).

Jim (John Krasinski) changes from a single man entranced with possibilities of business success to a father and husband who chooses family over career. Pam (Jenna Fischer) experiences artistic growth, culminating in the unveiling of a mural that is a personal triumph while also a gift to her community, a way of marking their many years together. In their marriage, Jim and Pam also demonstrate a commitment to mutual service: Jim’s dedication to Pam is the initial act of sacrifice, while Pam responds in gratitude by selling their house and preparing their family to move to Austin. Together, they are ready to close their years in Scranton and embrace a new life.

And then there is Michael Scott (Steve Carell). Michael too has a redemptive arc to his character. We meet him first as the office clown but quickly learn there is a hidden purpose to his silliness. While Michael’s management methods are often ridiculous (“Boom, roasted!”), at his core, there is a leader who longs to help his people see the office as their family. He knows life is boring, but also that “laughter is good medicine for the soul.” By Michael’s departure episode, the viewer can sympathize with Pam when she almost misses saying goodbye to the annoying boss who became a friend.

Throughout the series, Michael’s relationships offer a fascinating picture of maturing love. From his emotionally abusive time with Jan (Melora Hardin) to the string of short-lived affairs he embarks on in the wake of their breakup, Michael’s idea of romantic love never progresses beyond the superficial. Then he meets Holly Flax (Amy Ryan). He initially wants to pursue Holly as he has pursued other women: rush to the physical as quickly as possible. Jim counsels him against this plan: friendship first; let that friendship grow into romance; don’t ruin the relationship by skipping the slow ways of knowing another person. And indeed Michael and Holly have much in common, including a groan-inducing sense of humor. After a series of separations due to work and family obligations, Michael realizes that life without Holly will be a far emptier one. Instead of chasing bridesmaids (and Pam’s mom) at weddings, Michael dedicates himself to Holly. In “Finale” we see the fruits of his commitment, as Michael shows Pam pictures of his children. He is still the man with a “That’s what she said” always ready, but now he finds pride and joy in a stable life with his family.

I’ve watched all nine seasons of The Office at least five times, and every time I reach the finale I find my heart sad that the story has come to an end. We grow to love these characters; they become friends of a sort. We could, I suspect, each find echoes of our lives and personalities in The Office’s caricatures. In their transformation into men and women who have found happiness, we see our own hope.

It is in that sense of hope and the reality of personal transformation that The Office resembles the Christian faith. Through the death and sacrifice of Jesus, our natures can be changed. Our natural lives, Christianity declares, are flawed and incomplete without a connection to the Creator. In coming to faith in Christ, we begin a lifetime of transformation to fulfill the imago dei.

Transformation is the heart of the gospel, and the Bible uses many metaphors to describe it. Ezekiel speaks of exchanging a “heart of stone” for a “heart of flesh.” The Apostle Paul writes of moving from “slaves to sin” to “slaves to righteousness.” Once we were “God’s enemies,” but through Christ we become “sons and daughters,” heirs to an eternal kingdom. Redemption begins in the moment of regeneration and continues over a lifetime.

Jesus uses events both rare and mundane to form us more fully into his image. In that sense, our Christian discipleship resembles the slow transformation that takes place within these characters in that most mundane of modern locales: the office.

This article was originally published as part of our Theology of The Office ebook.

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At Think Christian, we encourage careful cultural discernment. We recognize and respect that many Christians choose not to engage with pop culture that contains particular content, such as abuse, sex, violence, alcohol or drug use, or that employs the use of coarse language. To that end, we suggest visiting Common Sense Media for detailed information regarding the content of the particular pieces of pop culture discussed in this article.