A Reddit theory offers an explanation as to why The Office characters change appearances and personalities as the show progresses. The American version of The Office, based on Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's original British sitcom, ran for 9 wildly popular seasons on NBC and has enjoyed continued success on streaming services. Such a high-caliber comedy impacts pop culture for years to come and The Office has inspired countless memes and theories. Let's take a look at one of them now.
The Office is a mockumentary-style show, following the employees at the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, Inc. Hilariously inept boss Michael Scott (Steve Carell) bumbles around the office instead of doing actual work, frustrating the more seasoned salespeople and involving others in absurd plot lines. Over the course of 9 seasons, many of the employees begin to transform how they appear and act on camera. While this could be a natural progression of character development, it may also signal how they perceive being recorded by a camera crew.
Dwight (Rainn Wilson) or Meredith (Kate Flannery) hardly change appearance or behavior – they simply do not care how they're portrayed on film. While this theory does work with some characters' transformations, Pam and Jim's glow-ups, for example, could be due to the fact that they are moving up in the corporate world and are dressing to match their new roles in the company, not necessarily how they're seen by audiences. Jim gets a haircut at Karen's (Rashida Jones) recommendation and takes a job interview for a higher position at Dunder Mifflin. Similarly, Pam dresses more professionally and is more assertive when she is promoted from receptionist to salesperson and office .
A second part of the Reddit theory addresses the hijinks which ensue in later seasons, chalking it up to the characters' boredom with everyday life. This would explain why characters like Kevin (Brian Baumgartner) or Andy (Ed Helms) perform for the camera and may act a little more erratically and potentially fake stupidity in front of the film crew. Kevin is set up as one of the dumbest employees, but in the talking heads segment of the show, when he's addressing the camera directly, for instance, he does seem to have sound reasoning behind his thought process. Additionally, after Michael moves on to settle down in Colorado, Andy seeks to boost office morale and reward the highest performing sales team by offering to get a tattoo of the employees' choice on his rear end. A decision like that tracks with the theory that everyday work life has turned sour, especially with the greatest instigator that is Michael gone, so the characters felt the need to entertain themselves and the audience even more.
The Office is not without other theories, like Pam's connection to Meredith or the suggestion that Kevin was embezzling corporate funds. The Reddit theory regarding character appearances and behavior also tracks with their need to impress on television, though Pam and Jim's professionalism seems to lend more to their career development. All of these what-ifs are testament to The Office's endurance and its legacy on the small screen.