Genius The Office Theory Reveals The Real Reason Michael Hates Toby
One of the best running gags in The Office is Michael’s extreme hatred of Toby, with one major fan theory finally revealing the real reason Steve Carell’s character is so cruel to him. Ever since Toby Flenderson’s first appearance in The Office, the character has been marked by how much disdain Dunder Mifflin Scranton’s boss has for him. As the series continued, Michael’s brutal jabs at Toby only became worse, with The Office’s human resources representative being the only character whose approval Michael never wanted. While Michael’s hatred for Toby is one of the most notable gags of the series, The Office doesn’t give a complete answer for why the two have always been at odds.
Toby Flenderson, played by The Office co-writer Paul Lieberstein, wasn’t supposed to be a major role in the series, but showrunner Greg Daniels wanted the writers to have experience on the show as actors. Toby was originally meant to be a small bit to teach Lieberstein how to act, but he quickly turned into the fun-sucking character that became Michael’s worst enemy. Michael Scott actor Steve Carell noted that he sensed Michael’s festering hatred of Toby in their very first scene together, which saw Lieberstein taking an extraordinary amount of time to sign his name on Meredith’s birthday card in The Office season 1. And thus, Michael’s disdain for Toby was born, with Lieberstein himself not understanding why exactly Michael hates his character so much (via Bullz-Eye.com).
Related: The Office: The Worst Thing Michael Scott Ever Did
From saying he would shoot Toby over Hitler and Osama bin Laden to framing Toby for possession of marijuana, Michael never fails to show how much he hates Toby. Nonetheless, Toby always holds out hope that Michael will
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