The Office's most iconic (and most meme-able) character is without a doubt Michael Scott. The often clueless yet always comionate manager was the centerpiece of everything on that show, and his impact was especially seen when it came to finding a suitable replacement.
RELATED: The Office: 10 Memes That Describe Michael Scott Perfectly
Deangelo Vickers failed spectacularly, Jo Bennett could have been better, and while Robert California was a success, his one glorious season couldn't compare to seven seasons of the brilliant Michael Scott. But that doesn't mean that the show fell flat on its face without him. Here are five reasons why the show was better with Michael and five reasons it was better without him.
With: Dwight and Michael
Dwight and Michael were such odd friends, but it made for so many excellent, genuine moments. Dwight took his role as No. 2 so seriously, and part of what made Michael so confident, despite his overwhelming insecurities, is having Dwight on his side. As long as he had Dwight, anything was possible, and Dwight wouldn't let him think anything other than that.
Without Michael, Dwight had to be completely retooled, although it's not like that was a complete failure.
Without: Dwight And Jim
With Michael out of the way as Dwight's only true ally, the dynamics between Dwight and Jim really had to change. While the show had already started to gear the Dwight and Jim relationship away from hated rivals and more towards friendly rivals, this didn't really take off until Michael was gone, and Dwight needed someone else to latch onto.
That someone was Jim, and their relationship became, in many ways, even more dynamic and entertaining than Michael and Dwight ever were.
With: It Was Him Or Andy Bernard
The hardest part about losing Michael Scott was finding a suitable replacement. Plenty came and went—Jo Bennett, Robert California, Deangelo Vickers, Creed Bratton—but what the show ended up with was Andy Bernard, who became, in many ways, like a rip-off of Michael Scott.
His personality was washed away under a blanket of being a pretty awful human being. Particularly in season nine, Andy made a lot of the mistakes that Michael made with very little of the upside that Michael provided.
Without: Everyone Else
Michael Scott's character demanded the spotlight. That's just part of who he was. And while it was entertaining and certainly genuine, it didn't allow other characters to stand out as much. Characters like Erin Hannon were secondary to Michael because everyone was. Not that this was always a bad thing. Everyone loved Michael Scott.
But when Michael left, other characters really shined. Dwight, Pam, and Jim took center stage, but the characters didn't hog the limelight. To stick with the Erin example, she really began to stand out, along with what might have been forgettable characters like Oscar, Angela and even Creed.
With: More Consistent
When Michael Scott was on the show, just about every episode was guaranteed laughs. Sure, there were a few that were so cringe-worthy that they were hard to watch, but for the most part, it was a consistent barrage of laughter and heartfelt moments derived from this character.
Compared to season nine, that can't be underestimated. Season nine was woefully inconsistent, with laughs often lost in between annoying plot points and characters that no one liked. At least with Michael, viewers knew that they were getting, and that was almost always a good thing.
Without: Less Cringey
That said, with Michael Scott and his obliviousness, there were so, so many moments of the show being so cringe-worthy that it was unwatchable. Scott's Tots takes the cake as the most unbearable episode of all, but there are plenty of instances besides just that. Phyllis' wedding, Jim and Pam's wedding, or the time Carol dressed like a cheerleader are just some examples.
Michael just had a propensity for creating cringes, and that almost entirely left the show after his departure.
With: Those Michael Scott Moments
Michael Scott's character is such an interesting one, and it created so many iconic moments that could never be replicated by anyone else, such as declaring bankruptcy, the Office Olympics, hosting the Dundies at Chili's, and of course, the infamous dinner party.
Moments like those just didn't come about in the later seasons, mostly because there wasn't a character that was as easy to get attached to as the hapless but loveable Michael Scott. Thus those iconic moments that made The Office so popular practically disappeared.
Without: Dwight Grows
As Michael's No. 2, Dwight was never going to grow much as a character, or in his position at Dunder Mifflin. He was subservient, which didn't fit his personality type, and he really didn't change much throughout the course of the seven seasons with Michael.
All that massively changed when Michael left. Suddenly Dwight's ambition comes to the forefront, he looks for advancement opportunities, and he really just shines. This could have never happened with Michael. Michael even went so far as to talk Dwight into leaving Dunder Mifflin because he had no growth potential.
With: More Heart
How many moments did Michael Scott create that were heartfelt and genuine? When he finally settled down at the Niagra Falls wedding, his father-daughter relationship with Erin, his deep love for his workplace, and everyone in it.
That was completely lost when he left the show. The closest we ever get to something similar is Robert California's speech about "fear," but while the intention was there, the heartfelt quality that Michael always brought in such situations was not.
Without: Robert California
If Michael Scott had never left The Office, Robert California would never have ed. Robert California's season eight is one of the best seasons of the show, and yet it was without the iconic Michael Scott. For further proof, observe how much season nine plummeted. Robert California kept the show afloat as the first character to truly replace Michael Scott, so once he was taken out of the picture and the ugly side of Andy Bernard came out, the show struggled to keep afloat.
If nothing else, Michael's exit gave The Office one of its most iconic characters.