Jim and Pam. However, its popularity doesn’t mean that The Office was never without fault. In fact, many characters and storylines were riddled with inconsistencies.
From sudden personality shifts to complete character rewrites, there is no shortage of head-scratching errors in everybody’s favorite workplace sitcom and binge-worthy TV show. So, let’s take a look back at the top 10 character inconsistencies in The Office:
Meredith
As the office drunk, Meredith is a goldmine for inappropriate behavior and laugh-out-loud moments. However, it seems that the writers weren’t always sure how they wanted to develop Meredith’s character. More specifically, her job title inexplicably changed over the course of the series.
In the first season, Jim refers to Meredith as one of the ants. As any diehard office knows, there are only three s at the Scranton branch — Oscar, Kevin, and Angela. A few seasons later, an entire episode is centered around Meredith’s inappropriate behavior as the residing customer-service representative. Let’s just say that she gets a little too friendly with some of the company’s suppliers…
Kelly
Characters take a while to come into their own in every television series. However, Kelly’s transition was particularly strange. In the first few episodes of season 1, Kelly is a quiet, reserved employee who wears clothing befitting a schoolmarm.
By season 2, she has already become the ditzy, talkative, celebrity-obsessed woman audiences know and love. What made her come out of her shell so quickly.
Andy
Much like Kelly, Andy became a drastically different character as time went on. To be fair, he was always an over-the-top goofball, but he began as a foil to Dwight. Due to an unfortunate wall-punching incident, Andy was forced to attend anger management, but this did little to tone down his slightly-malevolent ambition.
As time goes by, Andy becomes much less annoying and much more loveable. He loses his bloodthirsty desire to defeat Dwight, but thankfully he never loses his love for singing in falsetto.
Ryan
Ryan was one of the most inconsistent characters in the entire series. He starts off as the wet-behind-the-ears intern, somehow becomes the CEO of the company, before eventually landing himself in jail. Once out of jail, he eventually returns to Dunder Mifflin as a strange, desperate, and frankly pathetic reflection of his former self.
Nick the IT Guy
Many viewers may not Nick the IT Guy, as he only appears in a handful of episodes. However, he doesn’t always appear as the same person. In season 4, actor Nelson Franklin plays a graphic designer who encourages Pam to enroll in art classes while working a booth at a job fair.
Just two seasons later, Nelson Franklin is back, but he has inexplicably ditched his graphic designer roots. Now, he is Nick the IT Guy. Could he have had a career change? Possibly. Is Nick a renaissance man? Could be. But more than likely, the writers and casting department just bungled this one.
Andy’s Father
It’s difficult to put a name to Andy’s father because he has more than one! The first time the character is introduced in season 4, his name is Andrew. However, in two later episodes, the character is referenced as Walter. Perhaps Andy’s dad has an alter ego?
Pam’s Mother
Speaking of inconsistencies with parents, there’s none more obvious than Pam’s mom, Helene. Pam’s coworkers first meet Pam’s mom when she is played by actress Shannon Cochran. A few seasons later, the writers decided to replace Cochran with Linda Purl. Not only do the two actresses look completely different, but they act differently as well.
Cochran is portrayed as a fun, easy-going version of Pam. She is surprised but also entertained to see Michael drag a sex doll out of his office. When the character returns (played by Purl), she is much more prim and proper, though she still shows a very soft spot for Michael when they start dating.
Michael
Michael is lovably ridiculous, which makes it hard to point out any inconsistencies that can’t be explained by his sheer love for doing things in the strangest way possible. However, memory loss seems to be his greatest issue.
More specifically, Michael is shown riding a bike around the office in season 3. Just 4 seasons later, Michael’s already forgotten how to ride a bike and must be retaught. In the words of Pam Beasley, “Oh, Michael.”
Erin
When Erin first enters Dunder Mifflin, she introduces herself as Kelly. Naturally, since the office already has someone named Kelly, everyone foresees a problem. Fortunately, the new receptionist agrees to go by her middle name, Erin, to avoid any confusion.
Strangely, this change is never mentioned again. She goes by Erin throughout the rest of the series. In fact, even her foster brother calls her Erin!
David Wallace
In the first few seasons, David Wallace represented the corporate division of Dunder Mifflin. He was calm, professional, and always focused on keeping the business running smoothly.
However, when he is later ousted from the company, he loses almost all of his previous qualities. He becomes a weird stay-at-home dad with a seemingly terrible business idea (that somehow pays off in the end).