21 Years Ago, Michael Scott's Best Scene Rewrote The Office For The Better

Published Aug 23, 2026, 9:30 AM EDT Zach Moser has been writing for ScreenRant since 2022, covering movies, classic TV, and streaming TV. His areas of expertise cover a wide range of genres with a particular interest in horror and drama, and the conversations around the TV and film industry. When he's not covering the latest film releases or chronicling the latest season of a new show, he's writing humor pieces for McSweeney's Internet Tendency, Slackjaw, and Points In Case or working on short stories and his second novel. 21 years ago, an episode of The Office ended with a scene that changed the trajectory of Steve Carell's Michael Scott and the show as a whole. The Office is one of the great comedy shows of the 21st century. It may be overstated as everyone's favorite show, but mention a joke in a group setting and watch everyone laugh. It's a series that has stood the test of time, and going back to it, it's both a comfort to watch and surprisingly daring in what it mocks and how far it's willing to go with characters and situations. A true ensemble series, nearly every character is important to the structure of the show, but Michael is the keystone. By the time Carell was cast in The Office, it was obvious he was going to be a major star. His work on The Daily Show, Bruce Almighty, and Anchorman were not flukes, and it was clear he had something few others had. NBC and The Office showrunner Greg Daniels were wise to cast him in the lead role of the series. Even with Carell's talents, the first season of The Office struggled. It wasn't until season 2, episode 5, "Halloween", that the show and Carell made it clear their version would be different than Ricky Gervais' UK original. In the episode, Michael is told that he needs to fire someone by the end of October. Actually, he was told that at the beginning of the month, but of course, he put it off, and now someone's going home instead of enjoying the Halloween party. His insecure and selfish attempts to make himself as blameless as possible result in almost the entire office walking out on him to celebrate without him. It's a sobering moment, and while Michael forces a smile for the camera, it's obvious he's embarrassed and ashamed. Sitting on his couch at the end of the episode, you think maybe there'll be one more gaffe. Instead, the doorbell rings and Michael springs up, content at least to hand out candy to the neighborhood kids. Halloween Was A Turning Point For The Michael Scott Character This is a major moment for Michael's character in The Office and an important turn for the series. The U.S. Michael is not the rude, occasionally cruel buffoon of the UK version. Michael is, at his heart, a loving, sweet man. He's a dope and often makes situations worse with his attempts to be friends with his employees, but he cares about people. The Michael we see happily handing out candy to kids, guessing what their costumes are, is the first hint in the show of who Michael really is, something we understand more and more as the show goes on. This is a lonely guy, one who's not always the best suited for managerial duties, but who ultimately wants people to be happy and be a part of their happiness. It Was Critical To The Success Of The Office That Steve Carell Play A Different Kind Of Boss One of the major issues with the first season of The Office is that it tries to emulate the UK version of The Office. Some lines are, word for word, the same as the ones in the UK The Office, and Steve Carell is doing a Gervais impression. Gervais' David Brent is a jerk. He occasionally realizes this and is a sympathetic figure, but where Michael is a fool, David is more concerned with making himself look good. Carell is much better playing the kind-hearted dope than he is the bitter stooge. The Office U.S. needs Carell to play a softer version of the boss, and the series may not have had so many seasons if it simply copied the UK version. That show only had two seasons with 14 episodes, after all. Release Date 2005 - 2013-00-00 Network NBC Showrunner Greg Daniels