TBH, This Underrated ‘The Office’ Character Had the Most Satisfying Ending of All
The Office is full of characters who manage to be both lovable and problematic. Throughout the nine seasons, several characters, like Michael Scott (Steve Carell) and Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson), show considerable growth, revealing new sides of themselves. Not only do characters evolve, but the finale provides the beloved series with a satisfying ending, bringing Michael back and completing the character arcs with an emotional sendoff. But one surprising member of the cast who doesn’t appear in the finale has an even better ending than the rest: David Denman‘s Roy.
Roy Isn’t Good for Pam in ‘The Office’
The issue with Roy is that most of the time, he is positioned between Jim and Pam, which instantly makes him a target for hate, much like Karen (Rashida Jones). Roy absolutely does deserve some of the hate, at least at first. In the beginning of the series, he’s already been engaged to Pam for a few years, but he never appreciates her. In fact, he largely ignores her and rejects her ideas and plans for their future. He refuses to go for drinks with her co-workers (whom he also works with), doesn’t support her dreams, and even worse, Pam reveals that on their first date, he left without her. Roy is a bad partner, regardless of other potential love interests Pam might have, and Pam could (and eventually does) do better. Through his behavior towards the woman he is supposed to love, it’s clear that Roy has a lot of maturing to do, and in the first three seasons, very little happens.
When Pam breaks off the engagement after eight years of being together, Roy plans to get her back, but Pam acknowledges his mistreatment of her, standing up for herself when they rekindle their relationship. Roy is willing to put in slightly more effort (at the very least, coming to her art show), though he’s clearly there because of his obligation as the boyfriend rather than genuine support. Unfortunately, as much as Pam tries to make it work, Roy is simply not invested in her the way she deserves. So, when their relationship implodes, it’s not a surprise. Roy hits rock bottom when Pam confesses that Jim kissed her before she called off their wedding at the end of Season 2. This enrages Roy, who responds by attacking Jim, which Dwight heroically prevents. After that incident, Pam ends their relationship permanently, and it’s a good choice for her, but it leaves Roy in a dark place that doesn’t reflect where he actually ends up.
‘The Office’ Brings Roy Back After a Surprising Transformation
After the fight, Roy is fired from Dunder Mifflin and is no longer a regular fixture on the show, but he reappears enough to show that he slowly becomes a better person. In Season 3, Roy has one conversation with Pam before leaving the office, and despite his initial violent reaction, he encourages her to pursue a relationship with Jim. This isn’t long after the fight, and though it doesn’t take much, it proves that he’s already matured. However, that goodbye is only the beginning. Roy reappears two seasons later when Jim runs into him at a bar. He congratulates Jim on his engagement to Pam and even offers some friendly (though bad) advice. By this time, Roy had accepted Pam’s choices and moved on in a healthy way, which he was unable to do at first. This is already a happy ending of sorts for the character, but The Office takes Roy’s character development a step further.
His most dramatic change can be seen in Season 9, Episode 2, “Roy’s Wedding,” which shows off how far Roy has come. In the time since his last appearance, Roy has not only started a successful business and become wealthy, but he also met the love of his life. At their wedding, Roy shows how much he cares for her, going out of his way to surprise her by secretly learning to play the piano and serenading her. The dedication and affection he demonstrates are far more than he ever had for Pam, whom he intended to marry. In the episode, he even thanks Jim, because if he had married Pam, he never would have met his wife. Roy and Pam were not right for each other, but the effort Roy puts into his new relationship proves that he has matured a lot since his relationship with Pam. It’s an impressive transformation from lazy and selfish fiancé to caring and devoted husband, making Roy the most changed character in the entire series.
‘The Office’ Mishandled the Way Roy Shows His Maturity
Roy may not be a main character, but in his final appearance alone, he shows more growth than the rest, becoming a good person and rebuilding his life better than before. Roy’s ending is an amusing callback to the early seasons and provides a hilariously awkward situation for Jim and Pam, but it is also a profound look at people’s ability to change. Roy’s character is almost entirely unrecognizable in his last appearance, which would have been a fascinating character arc to witness.
Because of Roy’s departure from the show, there’s very little revealed about how he became the man he is in Season 9, and it makes the character arc less impactful. Roy appears only three times, between trying to attack Jim and his wedding (one of those being his role in Michael’s movie, Threat Level Midnight, which hardly counts as character development). This leaves his evolution rushed and mysterious. Did he improve himself because of his wife, or did he have to grow on his own first? If The Office had kept Roy around longer, or even just allowed him to make more guest appearances, the wedding episode could have offered even more payoff for the crucial character.
The Office is streaming on Peacock in the U.S.
