There are many different romantic relationships throughout the nine seasons of The Office, and while a few of them are really endearing, most of them are a bit cringe-worthy at best and downright toxic at worst. However, because it’s an over-the-top comedy, even the worst relationships on the show are often hilarious to watch.
The truth is that most of the main characters from The Office, and the side characters as well, would make pretty terrible romantic partners. But, there are a few notable exceptions to this rule.
Roy Anderson
Roy and Pam might date for a really long time and nearly get married, but he’s one of the worst boyfriends and fiances on the show. While we are meant to believe he totally reforms himself when he eventually marries someone else, it’s a bit hard to take that seriously given how he treated Pam.
He was selfish and uncaring, and he even showed a tendency toward violence when he attacked Jim and also when he trashed the bar.
Ryan Howard
Ryan Howard and Roy might be tied for last place on this list because Ryan is really awful, too, just in different ways than Roy was. He is always using Kelly and taking money from her all while believing he can do better than her.
He objectifies women and thinks he can get almost any girl, and he’s also arrogant even though he’s not that great at his job. The only difference is that Kelly wasn’t a great girlfriend either.
Andy Bernard
Andy Bernard starts out seeming like he might be potentially a sweetheart despite having some really annoying personality traits, but his relationship with Erin goes pretty off the rails.
His character arc was rather all over the place, and while at first, he seemed to genuinely care about her, he ditched her to sail the globe. Then, when he comes back, he treats her poorly and wants her to act as if nothing happened. Also, having to hear him talk about his obnoxious hobbies would get really old.
Stanley Hudson
Stanley Hudson might have been higher up on this list, but he cheats on his wife. So, while this doesn’t mean he couldn’t ever redeem himself and relationships can be complicated, this is arguably one of the worst things you could do to a partner.
He also lies about it for a long time and wants his co-workers to live for him, too. So, he doesn’t seem that trustworthy in relationships.
Dwight Schrute
Dwight Schrute is not someone that most people would want to date especially in earlier seasons of the show. He’s weird, judgemental, and downright mean at times. Also, he is deeply sexist, especially in the first few seasons.
While he does seem to mature a lot and become more bearable, most people wouldn’t be able to stand him. However, while his relationship with Angela is toxic at times, they do seem to make it work okay.
Michael Scott
Michael Scott is another character who can be insufferable and also really problematic at times. However, because his relationship with Holly Flax seems more normal and stable than Dwight and Angela’s, he’s slightly higher on the list.
Michael wouldn’t be a good partner for most people though, but he was somehow the right match for Holly. While he does seem to chill out somewhat, he would always be a bit embarrassing and lacking in social skills.
Toby Flenderson
The biggest issue with Toby Flenderson is that he’s boring. While in the last couple of seasons the writers added a storyline with Nellie to make him seem like a bit of a creep, this wasn’t really that consistent with his more shy and boring persona from the rest of the series.
While he wasn’t really dating anyone throughout the series, he did get married and have a child, so he has the ability to be in a long-term relationship.
Darryl Philbin
Darryl Philbin has a couple of relationships throughout the show, but none of them really seem to stick. However, based on personality traits, he is definitely one of the better men who work at Dunder Mifflin.
He’s ambitious and hard-working, and he doesn’t waste a lot of time on ridiculous pranks and time-wasting like some of the more immature people around him.
Oscar Martinez
Oscar can be rather arrogant and a bit of a know-it-all and these are traits that would annoy some people. However, compared to many of the other characters, he’s a lot more normal despite his flaws.
He also is in a longer-term relationship for much of the series with his partner, Gil. So, while he might not be perfect, he’s intelligent and not as problematic as many of the other men.
Jim Halpert
For most of the series, Jim seems to be a pretty ideal partner, and this is even more so because of who he’s being compared to, too.
While Jim and Pam do have some relationship issues later on, and Jim is capable of making mistakes. He’s overall a good guy who can be loving and committed. He does care about Pam, and they try to work through their relationship together as a team.