Why Dwight Didn't Replace Michael As Regional Manager On The Office

On April 28, 2011, Michael Scott left Scranton, PA for the Colorado Rockies, Steve Carell left "The Office," and the world was never the same. The move came seven seasons into the show, and it left the popular NBC sitcom at a crossroads. Who should take the dynamic regional manager's place? Who was worthy? In the end, the answer, of course, was Andy Bernard, but it turns out that Ed Helms' character wasn't a shoo-in for the job. On the contrary, many of the show's creators thought Dwight Schrute should have gotten the nod.

"The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s" revealed (via Uproxx) that many of the writers hinted — and some even flat out claimed — that it was the comparative box office power of Ed Helms that helped him land the highly coveted promotion. Writer Brent Forrester heavily implied as much when he said:

"The writers and the cast, generally speaking, were really excited about Dwight becoming the boss. It just felt correct, and that was our creative thrust. Mostly it was pushback from the network saying, 'Well. Is there someone more famous that we can put in here?' Of course, the creators always bristle at that and just want to do the right thing creatively. That was a big thing. But Ed Helms had this giant advantage because of course he was in The Hangover. Not to completely read the minds of the network, but that was my understanding of how that decision got made."

Writer Owen Ellickson was more direct in his critique:

"I think the Hangover calculus sort of shifted things toward Andy pretty quickly."

It's hard to argue with the numbers. "The Hangover" grossed nearly half a billion at the box office (and spawned an unwanted string of sequels). Rainn Wilson's projects have never flirted with a number that big. Still, if the implications are true, it's a shame that a reason as cold and calculating as dollars and cents was the primary motivation behind Mr. Bernard's selection.

While studio executives may have been looking for a box-office-friendly face for the manager's chair, Dwight wasn't a unanimous creative choice. Writer Aaron Shure made a compelling argument against him, saying (via LRMOnline):

"I did not think Dwight should be the boss because I think Dwight is not as benign as Michael Scott. He's like this weird amalgam of Mennonite and Star Trek nerd. There's just so many candy bags to draw from that he carries around that I was worried that if we gave him the boss position it would just be disastrous."

Shure added that Dwight's appeal partly comes from the restriction of his options, saying:

"I also didn't want Dwight to be empowered because I was afraid he wouldn't be funny anymore with power. It's funny if he sets the office on fire and blowtorches all the doorknobs. But if he did that all day long without any sort of check on his behavior, it would be terrifying."

Other writers highlighted the tension between the two characters in the context of their stories up to that point and how fans viewed them. Writer Justin Spitzer summed this up, saying:

"I remember a lot of discussion about what we should do. I did not think it should be Andy. I loved the character of Andy. I loved Ed [Helms]. I don't think I could see yet what Andy would bring to the table that felt distinct with him being the boss... I think people would have been more excited to see Dwight as the boss because he'd been wanting it for so long."

Despite being initially edged out by the Cornell graduate, Dwight ultimately has the last laugh. By the end of season 9, he assumes the role of Regional Manager and a year later (during the series finale) we find out how incredibly successful the branch has become under his leadership. This is the culmination of an up and down career arc for the beet farmer that stretches back to season 3.

In the finale of that season, Dwight mistakenly assumes he's become the Regional Manager on Michael's recommendation. When Michael doesn't get the job at corporate, Dwight finds himself back in his sales desk clump. He becomes acting manager again in season 7 after Deangelo Vickers is hospitalized, but he loses his chance at turning the temporary post into a full-time position when he fires a gun in the office.

Dwight flirts with power again when he leads the team down to Tallahassee, but that ends in disaster. Back in Scranton, he lies low until he's finally, at long last, vaulted to glory in the wake of Andy's departure as Regional Manager in the fading moments of season 9. The triumphant moment comes as several other things finally break his way, too. He finds out he's a father, marries his sweetheart, gets his black belt, inherits a massive farm, and reconnects with his beloved boss. The collective string of events finally gives Dwight his happily ever after. Perfektenschlag.