‘The Office’ Subtly Acknowledged 1 Special Friendship in ‘Goodbye Michael’
When it became public knowledge that The Office‘s sometimes adequate, mostly bumbling manager Michael Scott (Steve Carell) was leaving the show, it felt like a gut punch to fans. Many of the cast members felt it, too. Phyllis Smith, who portrayed Phyllis Lapin Vance, recalls feeling “really nervous” about what would come next.
Michael and Phyllis were often at odds in the script, with Michael attempting to pass as much younger than the saleswoman despite the fact they were cast as the same age. However, over the seasons the two created touching storylines as well, leading to some sweet scenes. Among other poignant moments, it was the friendship between Michael and Phyllis that The Office writers chose to highlight in one final scene from Carell’s last episode as a regular cast member, “Goodbye Michael.” However, the way they did so was so subtle, you might have missed it.
Michael Scott and Phyllis Lapin Vance went to high school together
Throughout nine seasons of The Office, we get a fair amount of backstory on Phyllis and Michael. We learn early on that the two went to high school together. But Michael often pretends that Phyllis is the grandmother of their workplace. At one point when the team is picking sales partners, for example, Michael refers to Phyllis as their “resident senior,” at which point Phyllis reminds him they’re the same age.
Michael often makes jokes at the expense of Phyllis’ appearance. When Phyllis volunteers to be a cheerleader for the company basketball game in Season 1, Michael tells her, “Oh, yuck, that’s worse than you playing.” When Phyllis gets married several seasons later, Michael comes to wish her well — but overrides any sweet moments by asking the bride if she passed gas.
Smith said that she didn’t build a mental backstory for her character at first. She was originally a casting associate on the show and had given up on acting until the opportunity opened up to play Phyllis. However, her scenes with Michael had built-in history, which she enjoyed working into her acting. “I always loved my interactions with Michael because we were so competitive in high school,” Smith told Brian Baumgartner (Kevin Malone) on his podcast.
When Michael leaves, Phyllis gifts him half-knitted mittens
Over time, Michael and Phyllis built a special rapport. When it came time for Michael to move to Colorado, he gave Phyllis chattering teeth as a gag gift, only to follow it up with the sweet advice to voice her opinion more. He also brings the bits about her appearance full circle, showing a newer level of maturity. “Attention everyone, before I leave tomorrow, I would like to reveal a secret that I’ve kept for over 20 years, a secret about Phyllis,” Michael says in his goodbye episode. “When Phyllis was in high school, she was so cute. And she still is.”
Phyllis is knitting red mittens for Michael for his move to Colorado. But she isn’t finished by the time he secretly leaves for the airport. It’s clear the project means a lot to Michael, as he asks several times throughout the episode if she’s finished. Finally, he can’t wait any longer to leave and takes them, half-finished, and sticks them in his pocket. In later scenes in the episode, Buzzfeed points out that a bright red thread of yarn trails out of Michael’s jacket pocket in the airport — proof he’s tucked them away for safekeeping.
Several fans pointed out the stark difference between this interaction and one in the Season 2 episode “Yankee Swap.” Phyllis knitted Michael another red item then — a homemade oven mitt. But he scorns it and tries to trade it for a better gift. To several fans, this stuck out as noteworthy. “Because the second one was a going away present and it’s proof Michael had grown,” one Reddit user wrote.
Phyllis Smith was surprised Steve Carell came back for ‘The Office’ finale
In the podcast with Baumgartner, Smith said she was “very sad” about Carell’s departure. “Oh man, it was like somebody punched you in the stomach,” she said. “I liked him so much as a person, I respected him so much as an actor. I thought he had brought so much heart to The Office.”
She also said she was hesitant about what to expect in the next chapters of filming the show. “I was really nervous about how that void was going to be filled. Not only as his acting abilities, but also, he was just a good guy.”
When they filmed the series finale, Smith told Baumgartner she — like everyone else — was shocked Carell came back. His appearance in the finale was kept so secret that his lines weren’t even in the scripts. “I didn’t know Steve was going to come back,” Smith said. She added, “I was just so thrilled to even see him, let alone have him in the finale. I saw him in the middle of the night getting out of my car, and there he was.”
