The Office: Why Rashida Jones’ Karen Left After Season 3

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Rashida Jones’ stint as Karen Filippelli on The Office features one of the show’s most memorable storylines, though the character was quickly written out at the end of season 3. Karen was introduced in The Office season 3 as Jim Halpert’s new coworker at Dunder Mifflin’s Stamford Branch, with the two beginning a romantic relationship while John Krasinski’s character was still getting over Pam. When the Stamford and Scranton branches merged halfway through the season, it was clear that Jim’s heart was still with Pam, leaving Karen in a difficult position.

In The Office’s season 3 finale, Jim and Karen both interview for Jan’s old position at corporate, with Jim leaving mid-interview to finally ask Pam on a date. The Office’s season 4 premiere then sees Jim explain that Karen said she wouldn’t leave just because they broke up, but that she still packed up her desk shortly after. While this wasn’t the last time Rashida Jones appeared as Karen Filippelli on The Office, it marked the end of her short tenure as a regular cast member.

Related: How Parks And Rec Was Almost A Spinoff Of The Office

While The Office left Karen's role as a cliffhanger heading into season 4, the character ultimately left the series after season 3 because Rashida Jones was cast in a starring role on Parks and Recreation, another show by The Office’s creators. Rashida Jones would go on to play Ann Perkins in Parks & Rec, which also caused an issue with the creators originally intending to make the workplace sitcom a spinoff from The Office. With Jones’ casting as a major role in both The Office and Parks & Rec, the creators realized that NBC wanted the latter series to proceed as its own entity. However, Karen’s arc on The Office was coming to an end