TMC
07-19-2022, 07:50 PM
https://www.looper.com/933068/the-office-fans-agree-that-this-supporting-character-deserved-way-better/
Fans think Toby had far too many hard days at The Office
Besides being a writer and showrunner for "The Office" Paul Lieberstein would be best known as Toby Flenderson, the HR rep who was everything Michael hated, and regularly got the short straw — a treatment which even fans deemed a bit too much in the long run. Over on the r/DunderMifflin page on Reddit, one fan's billionth rewatch highlighted just how harshly the character was treated on the show. "I was just watching the beach day episode and just thought how bad Michael treats him," said u/Karaman1025 (https://www.reddit.com/r/DunderMifflin/comments/ubqd9z/do_you_ever_feel_sad_for_toby/). "I remember feeling the same in some other episodes that I don't remember the names. Do you also feel like me or do you think he deserves it?"
Naturally, this led to a conference room meeting between fans, with u/SkepticalGoat (https://www.reddit.com/r/DunderMifflin/comments/ubqd9z/comment/i65l5q9/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) adding, "Toby was just doing his job and didn't deserve all the crap he got, as funny as it was, it was always mean-spirited." For some, the emotional weight was more than that, with u/Useful-Emphasis-6787 (https://www.reddit.com/r/DunderMifflin/comments/ubqd9z/comment/i669ips/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) saying, "Yes! I feel horrible! Sure, Toby has his negative things, but so does everyone else. Michael just hates him for doing his job, and no, he didn't deserve that hate."
No matter what side of the office partition you stood on, it's an impressive feat that Lieberstein stuck out being the show's comedic punching bag. Establishing that perfect balance of pitifulness and powerlessness (https://www.looper.com/369171/why-toby-flenderson-is-the-least-powerful-character-on-the-office/) wasn't easy, though, and it was only thanks to another work colleague that he successfully tapped into his inner Toby.
Fans think Toby had far too many hard days at The Office
Besides being a writer and showrunner for "The Office" Paul Lieberstein would be best known as Toby Flenderson, the HR rep who was everything Michael hated, and regularly got the short straw — a treatment which even fans deemed a bit too much in the long run. Over on the r/DunderMifflin page on Reddit, one fan's billionth rewatch highlighted just how harshly the character was treated on the show. "I was just watching the beach day episode and just thought how bad Michael treats him," said u/Karaman1025 (https://www.reddit.com/r/DunderMifflin/comments/ubqd9z/do_you_ever_feel_sad_for_toby/). "I remember feeling the same in some other episodes that I don't remember the names. Do you also feel like me or do you think he deserves it?"
Naturally, this led to a conference room meeting between fans, with u/SkepticalGoat (https://www.reddit.com/r/DunderMifflin/comments/ubqd9z/comment/i65l5q9/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) adding, "Toby was just doing his job and didn't deserve all the crap he got, as funny as it was, it was always mean-spirited." For some, the emotional weight was more than that, with u/Useful-Emphasis-6787 (https://www.reddit.com/r/DunderMifflin/comments/ubqd9z/comment/i669ips/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) saying, "Yes! I feel horrible! Sure, Toby has his negative things, but so does everyone else. Michael just hates him for doing his job, and no, he didn't deserve that hate."
No matter what side of the office partition you stood on, it's an impressive feat that Lieberstein stuck out being the show's comedic punching bag. Establishing that perfect balance of pitifulness and powerlessness (https://www.looper.com/369171/why-toby-flenderson-is-the-least-powerful-character-on-the-office/) wasn't easy, though, and it was only thanks to another work colleague that he successfully tapped into his inner Toby.