After nine seasons, fans have become well-acquainted with the characters fromThe Office. They’ve watchedthe employees of Dunder Mifflin’s Scrantonbranch grow, change, fall in love, pursue their dreams, and experience the highs and lows that come with life. However, thanks to new scenes,the series' Superfans episodesexplore these characters even further. These extended episodes, released on Peacock, provide new footage that enhances the story, highlighting facts that may not have been so obvious before. One such moment in a previously deleted Season 7 scene reveals the one character Michael Scott (Steve Carell) is arguably closest to.
Michael may not be particularly productive at work, but despite his more questionable moments, he makes many friends at Dunder Mifflin. He and Dwight (Rainn Wilson) share a rare bond as he mentors the eager salesman. Michael also constantly seeks to impress his other employees, particularlyJim (John Krasinski), Ryan (B. J. Novak), and anyone else he considers cool. Then there is his long-time friendship with Todd Packer (David Koechner), who he’s known far longer than the others. However, a seemingly small detail in the Season 7 Superfans episodes proves thatMichael’s most important office friend is the unassuming office receptionist Pam Beesley (Jenna Fischer).
What Does ‘The Office’s Superfan Episode Add to Michael and Pam’s Friendship?
This scene stands out because, although it adds a new layer to Michael Scott, this major reveal only happensafter he leaves the show. In Season 7, Michael quits his job to move away with his fiancée, Holly (Amy Ryan), which is a blow forThe Officebut an exciting development for his character. With Michael gone,the role of Regional Managergoes to Deangelo Vickers (Will Ferrell), whose favoritism causes a stir in the office, especially for Pam, who cannot get on his good side no matter how hard she tries. Season 7, Episode 23, “The Inner Circle,” explores the new office dynamic asthe characters and audience alike adjust to Michael’s absence. Deangelo picks a select few to join him in private meetings in his office, much to the frustration of those left out.
The Superfans version of the episode hasn’t been greatly changed from the original, yet there is a new talking head withJim and Pamas they set up the issue, as Jim insists Pam is being paranoid in comparing Deangelo’s treatment of her to Michael’s. While Michaell also played favorites, trying to get in with the popular crowd, it was not so divisive. Still, Pam didn’t feel like a favorite of Michael’s, but she reveals that after moving away,Michael got a beagle puppy and named it after her, calling it Pamela Beagsley.Not only does this provide the hilarious image of Michael being responsible for a puppy, but it also reveals how much he misses the workplace where he spent so much time — and more specifically, his friend.
‘The Office’ Planned a Pet-Focused Episode That Never Happened
That’s what she barked.
Michael Naming His Dog After Pam Is Another Sweet Moment Between Their Characters
It’s interesting that of all the people Michael could have given this honor, he chose Pam. The joke could have also fit Dwight, who followed Michael around with a dog-like loyalty, or maybe Ryan, who Michael was essentially obsessed with. Yet it is Pam that he chooses to remember in this way. Not only does Pam’s name provide a pun, it feels right. Pam may not have always felt particularly close to Michael, butthe name of his dog recontextualizes their friendship, proving that she is the Dunder Mifflin friend he cannot live without.
Pam may have often reined Michael in, butthey shared an important relationship.Michael and Pam also become close throughout the series, to the point that Pam is one of the few who truly understands Michael. She is patient with him despite his tendency tocross boundaries with inappropriate comments, and they support each other; in a particularly notable scene, Michael is the only coworker who attends Pam’s art show.Their friendship culminates in one of the most emotional farewells of the serieswhen Michael leaves, and the reveal in the next episode that Michael named his dog after Pam is a cute detail that emphasizes how significant she is to him.
The Office: Superfan Episodes
The Officeis available to stream in the U.S. on Peacock.
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