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Our favorite shows inevitably have a plot hole or a few, and The Office is no exception. Even though the show ended in 2013, it still has a large, devoted following that could quote most of the show. However, Best Life points out a central plot hole that is never resolved, and fans may have never noticed. Michael Scott, boss of the Dunder-Mifflin Scranton branch, mentions he has brothers but, does he?

What is ‘The Office’ about?

Steve Carell as Michael Scott on 'The Office'
Steve Carell as Michael Scott on ‘The Office’ | Justin Lubin/NBCU Photo Bank

Related: ‘The Office’ Isn’t About Dunder Mifflin’s Employees — Here’s What the Docuseries Actually Celebrates

The Office first aired on NBC in 2005 and ran for nine seasons before ending in 2013. It is an American mockumentary adaptation of a British show with the same name.

It centers around the office workers of a struggling paper company, Dunder-Mifflin, in Scranton, PA. There is a variety of characters among the workers. Still, the show mostly focuses on the likable salesman Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) and his relationship with Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer), the receptionist, and Jim’s frenemy relationship with salesman Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson). Michael Scott (Steve Carell) is the office manager and boss who struggles with being an authoritative figure and everyone’s friend.

Michael tries to appear intelligent, but often it does not work out for him. The show has some cringe-worthy moments, but it has won numerous awards and nominations despite this.

Michael Scott’s siblings are a mystery

Related: John Krasinski Messed Up This Scene on ‘The Office’: Why They Kept His Mistake in the Episode

Throughout the series, a sibling or family member of one of the main characters made an appearance. Pam’s mother makes a few appearances, and when Jim and Pam get married, Pam’s sister is there. There is also an episode featuring Jim’s brothers, and later in the series, even Dwight’s siblings come for a visit.

Michael mentions having brothers a few times. For instance, in the very first episode, Michael makes a joke to Pam to put fax into the special filing cabinet for paperwork and memos from corporate. What he really means, though, is to put it in the garbage can. This backfires on Michael when he needs the fax later. He then explains his brother told him the joke.

Michael again mentions a brother in season two, in the Email Surveillance episode. He tells the camera, “when people hear the term ‘big brother,’ they immediately think it’s bad or scary. I don’t; I think ‘wow, I love my big brother.”

In season four, Michael mentions his family hosted a foreign exchange student from Yugoslavia that they referred to as Michael’s brother. Michael then explains this “fake brother” stole all his jeans, and Michael spent the winter in shorts.

The only family member of Michael’s that does make an appearance is his nephew, Luke. However, we learn that Luke is Michael’s half sister’s son. When Luke comes to intern at the paper company, Michael explains he and his half-sister are estranged ever since Michael lost Luke in a forest when he was young. After this, Michael’s siblings aren’t mentioned again.

Does Michael Scott really have brothers?

Fans will have to wonder if Michael’s brothers are real or not since the show never introduces them or gives any accurate information on them. Best Life also pointed out that the filing cabinet joke from the first episode is directly taken from The Office‘s British version. So, it is possible when Michael mentions having brothers, and it’s for throwaway jokes. Or perhaps the writers just didn’t feel these brothers needed to visit Michael at the office or an appearance in his life. 

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