The Senator Detail From The Office That Makes No Sense

Angela Martin (Angela Kinsey) and Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) may have had a secret fling since the early episodes of "The Office," but in Season 7, she unexpectedly falls for state Senator Robert Lipton (Jack Coleman) at Dwight's Hay Festival.

The story arc of Angela and Robert is short-lived, but his time on the show makes a massive impact as several love triangles emerge. Robert, who is a closeted member of the LGBTQ+ community, cheats on Angela with Dunder Mifflin co-worker Oscar Martinez (Oscar Nunez). Angela is furious when she discovers this betrayal and even hires a friend of Dwight's to attack Oscar. Meanwhile, Angela is far from perfect. She gives birth to baby Phillip while married to the senator, yet the father is actually Dwight instead of her husband.

In Season 9, both Angela and Oscar cut the acclaimed senator from their lives and form a friendship when they learn he's cheating on both of them with a third lover. All of this is pretty entertaining and straightforward. However, there's one major detail about the senator that fans of "The Office" feel makes no sense.

Robert and Angela first cross paths in Season 7, Episode 9 ("WUPHF.com") when Dwight excitedly hosts a hay festival in the Dunder Mifflin parking lot. Dwight wants to share his lifelong love of hay with the next generation by building Hay Place -– A Place for Hay. Despite Angela requesting a "roll in the hay" with Dwight, with whom she shares a relationship contract, she hits it off with Senator Robert Lipton.

At Hay Place, Robert isn't alone. He's in attendance with what appears to be his young son, who can be seen enjoying a candied apple. It's a sweet moment, but the little boy is never talked about or shown again, not even when Angela and Robert are married. One would think she'd mention what it's like to be a stepmother, right?

Some fans believe the child isn't actually Robert's son, but rather a child posing as his kid so he can hide his true LGBTQ+ identity. On Reddit, u/thegovernment0usa wrote, "Probably a nephew or something he uses to appear heterosexual. Like what he did to Angela." u/lowfreq33 added, "He must be one of those 'Everybody Loves Raymond' kids that only exist when they're needed as a plot device."

Other fans believe the boy is Robert's son –- he's just left with a babysitter or other caretaker while his dad completes his political duties. A user remarked, "He was probably still around just not with Robert most of the time we saw him (press conference at home, dog society benefit etc). They're all things kids would be bored to tears with."