The Office: What Happened To Michael?

Michael Scott was the linchpin of the entire "Office" experience. NBC's sitcom rode to glory on the character's back and then glided to a (mostly) graceful finish after Michael's actor, Steve Carell, left toward the end of Season 7. In the interim, every character on the show thrives in the professionally chaotic microcosm that was Michael's leadership style as the regional manager of the Scranton branch of the paper supply company Dunder Mifflin.

Ostensibly, Michael's reason for leaving the show is honorable and, in many ways, a perfect "happily ever after." He rides off into the sunset to marry his office sweetheart, Holly Flax (Amy Ryan). As part of the arrangement, the pair moves to Boulder, Colorado, to care for Holly's aging parents. But technically speaking, after Michael leaves, there's a multi-year gap of time in which we don't really know much about what happens. No word comes back east of the Rockies about whether or not Michael and Holly are okay ... until the series finale, two long seasons later.

When Michael surprises Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) and Angela Martin (Angela Kinsey) by showing up at their wedding and standing in as the best man, we get a few details. First, we learn that Michael has kids. In fact, in a cute homage to one of Michael's previous lines, NBC confirmed in an off-air "Where Are They Now?" update that the couple ends up with at least three kids and one more on the way. This is a fun callback to Season 6, Episode 9, "Double Date," where Michael clearly makes up a prophetic vision of his future family. He hits the nail on the head with the prescient reference to four kids, although NBC never confirmed if he got the hover car ... or hover house.

In an interesting development, it appears that Michael Scott lands on his feet work-wise, too. After leaving the only job he'd known for roughly two decades, there's initially no guarantee that Michael would find work again. However, his new pull and popularity due to the show's fictional documentary-within-a-sitcom are so powerful that Michael gets a job even before his plane even takes off for Boulder.

As Michael's final day in Dunder Mifflin approached, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper put out a press release announcing Michael's appointment as the state's new director of paper distribution for the Department of Natural Resources. The release included a quote from the governor, saying, "Scott's success in selling paper will help Colorado effectively and efficiently move the large amount of bark beetle lumber from the forest and into the marketplace, creating tons of jobs and making lots of money. This is a unique opportunity to resolve Colorado's forest health and budget issues." The announcement detailed Michael's impending move westward, his past professional accomplishments (including successfully running his own company), and even referenced his unusual approach to management and love for 'That's what she said" jokes.

Before you ask, yes, this is real. Don't believe us? Here's the link to the press release buried in the dusty archives of the Internet. Another source, the local newspaper The Colorado Independent, also picked up the story on April 1, 2011. Reporter Scot Kersgaard hesitantly passed along the news, adding the disclaimer, "The Colorado Independent received this press release this morning. Frankly, we don't believe a word of it."

Okay, so Michael Scott did pretty well for himself. But what about Steve Carell? Why did he leave? In a report from Entertainment Weekly shortly before exiting the show, Carell confirmed that his time in Scranton was running out, but it wasn't for any bad or discouraging reasons. It was simply time to move to the next thing. "I think [Season] 7 will be my last year," he said. "I want to fulfill my contract. I think it's a good time to move on."

Carell's animated film "Despicable Me" (which has since gone on to become a cult classic and spawn an entire universe of films) was just coming out at the time, and the actor's career was in full bloom. The cherry on top? When asked, Carell said that nothing could change his mind about moving on because he wanted to spend more time with his family.

While Carell has gone on to perform in many other roles and remains a household name to this day, nothing will replace his awkwardly lovable role as the regional manager of Dunder Mifflin's Scranton branch. Even if we're still getting over the collective heartbreak of his departure over a decade later, though, it's comforting knowing that Michael Scott and Steve Carell managed to get their happily ever after. They both exited on top and have continued to simultaneously achieve new things and bask in the afterglow of past achievements ever since.