The Office has been off the air for over a decade now, but its legacy continues to grow with its timeless humor and lovable characters. Thanks to NBC’s streaming platform, Peacock, the extended Superfan Episodes of The Office give fans of the show scenes they’ve never experienced before. The fresh clips that are sprinkled throughout episodes contain crucial storylines that the original version didn’t get to flesh out. As a result, many intriguing plot lines never got a chance to reach their full potential. The most interesting one? Toby’s (Paul Lieberstein) place and relationship among the office staff.
‘The Office’s Toby Flenderson Never Quite Fit in With His Co-Workers
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The office recluse, Human Resources representative Toby Flenderson, is often strongly disliked by his colleagues, especially Michael Scott (Steve Carell). As the corporate go-between for Dunder Mifflin, he’s the voice of reason in the workplace. This is quite the tricky position to be in anywhere, but especially at Dunder Mifflin. Interestingly enough, a deleted scene from the Superfan Episodes reveals a glimpse into a completely different life Toby could have had.
Regularly seen butting in to ruin Michael’s day (though that was never his intention), Toby is the soft-spoken Human Resources representative for Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. Because of the nature of his career, he frequently represents the antithesis of Michael’s carefree personality and management style. In Season 4, Episode 14, “Goodbye, Toby,” Scott completely lets his disdain for the employee loose. Before Toby leaves Scranton, Pennsylvania to switch up his career and move to Costa Rica, he introduces the staff to his replacement, Holly Flax (Amy Ryan).
In the scene, Toby introduces Holly to Michael for the first time. Michael is extremely bummed, calling her the “female Toby” as a dig towards her. During the introduction, Michael makes it clear what he believes is HR’s role within the office: “My job is to make the office fun. Your job is to make the office lame.” With that, Toby’s departure is an incredibly exciting event for Michael. Because of this, he spares no expense and throws him an extravagant going-away party. However, his leave is short-lived as he eventually returns in Season 5, Episode 9, “Frame Toby.” Michael, of course, does not take this news well, literally screaming “no” in his face.
Though his scenes are infrequent, Toby’s relationship with the rest of the staff is continuously poor. It’s in that same episode that Michael enlists Dwight’s (Rainn Wilson) help to frame him for drug use in an attempt to get him fired. His scheme obviously doesn’t go as planned and Toby stays employed at the company. In another example of his poor relationship with his colleagues, Season 4, Episode 15, “Night Out,” he has one of the most infamous moments of his time at Dunder Mifflin. After getting stuck with the rest of the staff after hours at the office, in a moment of levity, Toby places his hand on Pam’s knee. It’s in the awkward moment that Toby announces he’s moving to Costa Rica. His character is defined by his unique ability to make every altercation he is involved in incredibly uncomfortable or just simply a bummer.
A Deleted Scene in ‘The Office’ Reveals Toby’s Untapped Potential
In the Superfan Episode of The Office Season 2, Episode 4, titled “Fire,” the Dunder Mifflin staff are quickly evacuated from the building. While waiting in the parking lot for permission to go back inside, Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam (Jenna Fischer) are chatting to the documentary crew while leaning against a fire truck. Surprisingly, Jim reveals to Pam he and Toby actually used to sit next to each other in the office. However, most likely fueled by his hate towards Toby, Michael Scott separated them because they were too chatty. Michael desperately seeks Jim’s approval throughout the series, which makes this theory all the more probable. This is made clear in Season 2, Episode 13, “The Secret,” where Jim reveals a major secret to Michael. The new trust Jim shows him makes him insufferable, as he begins to imitate his every move in an attempt to prove they’re buddies.
As mentioned above, it’s a well known fact that Michael despises Toby. So, it’s no wonder why he wanted to make him unhappy by separating the friends. Other than joining the rest of the staff for a conference meeting here or there, the Human Resources representative is often found isolated in the back annex. Sitting away from the majority of the staff, the only other employee in the back is customer service representative for the Scranton branch, Kelly Kapoor (Mindy Kaling).
However, if Toby had stayed at his first desk, he could have had a larger arc on the show. This could have led to a drastically different life, far from his drab existence at the paper company. This is especially true when it comes to his friendship with paper salesman, Jim. He is one of the most popular people in the workplace and generally gets along with everyone. With his help, Toby might have found his place in the office among the rest of the staff. This could have even potentially helped him reach a point where he and Michael had a more tolerable relationship. (Hard to even imagine, I know!)
Not only that, it could have also opened up opportunities for a better love life. Apart from the aforementioned awkward moment between Toby and Pam, it’s obvious he had feelings for the receptionist. Season 4, Episode 19, gave audiences a glimpse at what Toby’s relationship could have been with her. In the episode, the office is throwing Toby a goodbye party. It’s then, Pam admits she always found him cute, which is a pretty surprising admission. The deleted scene offers a glimpse of a completely different Toby, one who would have come out of his shell if given the chance. Doing this would have helped him avoid awkward moments and form genuine, lasting friendships with his co-workers.
