Michael Scott’s best friends and family were at Dunder Mifflin, so why didn’t The Office include (or mention) his wedding to Holly after season 7?
One question above all has bothered The Office fans for nearly a decade—namely why Michael Scott and Holly Flax’s wedding wasn’t included or, at the very least, mentioned. The Office was known for featuring the extravagant events in the lives of Dunder Mifflin’s employees, mostly because they became each others’ reluctant best friends and family. Whether it be Phyllis and Bob Vance’s nuptials, Pam and Jim’s Niagra Falls wedding, Andy’s Garden Party, or Angela and Dwight’s wedding in The Office’s season 9 finale, Dunder Mifflin’s employees were always there for each other at the biggest moments—so what happened to Michael’s wedding?
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Michael Scott actor Steve Carell notably exited The Office in season 7, and while it initially seemed that he left to pursue a film career, certain behind-the-scenes revelations suggested NBC chose not to renew his contract. As such, lead character Michael Scott had his final episode in season 7’s “Goodbye Michael,” which came after the Regional Manager got engaged to Holly Flax, chose a successor, said his heartfelt goodbyes, and headed off to Colorado where The Office’s deleted scene revealed Michael’s job prospect was with a movie ticket paper company. Michael then vanished during The Office’s final two seasons, with only a few mentions here and there before his surprise cameo in the series finale.
While The Office season 7 clearly wrapped up Michael’s story for Dunder Mifflin, it always seemed odd that the series left him without showing one of the most anticipated moments in his entire life. It was heartfelt and beautiful to see Michael propose to Holly, but The Office left out the actual wedding that he was so excited about, even calling Jim and Pam’s season 6 marriage the biggest office wedding until his own. Considering Michael Scott reiterated that The Office’s Dunder Mifflin’s workers were more than just his friends and colleagues, specifically that he was closer with them than his own family, it’s strange that the series didn’t once mention the characters attending, getting an invite to, or referencing Michael Scott’s wedding. Surprisingly, there’s no explicit answer from the cast or crew as to why Dunder Mifflin’s employees didn’t attend Michael and Holly’s wedding, as it has more to do with the direction that the series was heading after Carell’s exit.
Part of why The Office’s last seasons hardly mentioned Michael Scott was because the writers wanted to focus on the cast and characters that still remained while being able to move past the legacy of Carell’s character. The Office needed to prove that it could stand on its own two feet without Regional Manager Michael Scott, and the best way to accomplish this was by keeping him in the past. When new managers and executives join Dunder Mifflin in the later seasons, Michael is hardly ever mentioned by name, as they typically refer to him as “the last boss.” It also makes sense storywise, as The Office is a mockumentary, and it wouldn’t make sense for the doc crew to take time out of the present story to dwell on a past employee and his wedding, no matter how important the character once was.
It’s extremely possible that The Office’s characters did get invited to the wedding, attend it, and discuss it, but the documentary chose not to include it. Also, Michael and Holly easily could have eloped when they got to Colorado. Just because The Office season 8 and 9 didn’t mention Michael often doesn’t mean he was no longer present in their lives, it was just more logical to leave Michael and Holly’s wedding to the imagination of the viewers instead of including it in the series or its fictional documentary. In retrospect, it still feels like a character disservice to not mention Michael and Holly’s wedding when considering how important The Office‘s characters were to him, but it makes sense in regards to the show’s attempt to distance itself from the Michael Scott era and a documentary choosing not focusing on past employees.
About The Author
Jordan Williams
(594 Articles Published)
Jordan Williams is a Movie/TV Feature Senior Staff Writer for Screen Rant. She graduated from the University of Oregon in 2020 with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Media Studies.
Jordan is based in Seattle, Washington and enjoys exploring the natural beauty the PNW has to offer. She runs on coffee and classic movies, taking pride in having watched every film on AFI’s 100 Greatest Films list and every Best Picture Oscar winner.
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