goodbye michael goodbye michael thirty minute episode seventh season american comedy series office episode overall originally aired nbc united_states april episode michael prepares leave colorado holly spends day office saying goodbye individually wanting drama new manager andy try michael biggest clients episode written series developer executive producer directed marks final appearance steve_carell series regular having announced leaving series near end sixth season episode aired extended minute timeslot having originally meant combined previous episode michael episode featured guest appearances appeared deleted scene goodbye michael met critical acclaim critics fans considered best episodes office later seasons followed airing received extensive criticism decline quality critics believed served potential series finale poll conducted episode named best episode seventh season episode viewed million viewers received rating share demographic making highest rated episode season adults ages later received primetime emmy award nominations daniels work episode synopsis michael steve_carell arrives work claims second day moves colorado live holly day progresses tries individual goodbye employee phone holly reveals day flying colorado night having mini crises including getting cold feet starts break regains speaking holly pam jenna_fischer leaves office supposedly run takes break king speech michael goodbye andy_bernard ed_helms given michael client list going away present shock losing requests help retain vickers nearly ruins relationship client andy gains confidence salvage sale way vickers reveals hired business experience helped prevent theft sabre ceo dogs dwight rainn_wilson antagonistic michael bitter michael recommending manager position despite michael attempts reconcile initially expresses disdain michael going away present recommendation letter appears touched reads discovers card challenging match play building taking erin ellie public breakup badly makes threats andy dated erin dated follows erin women bathroom case michael advises erin necessarily need choose andy telling smart know jim john_krasinski course day michael leaving early confronts michael admits plans begins personal goodbye breaks words jim trying hold tears turn says respects michael michael best boss jokingly promise proper goodbye lunch day michael cab airport arrives michael departs office look employees exiting cab pulls parking lot pam pulling airport michael asks camera crew inform documentary airs turns microphone said good feel thing chest begins walk pam makes past security runs twice heard camera pam says interview michael sad hopeful excited start new life holly pam stands gate watches michael plane epilogue staff share thoughts michael private interviews episode finishes scene takes place morning entire staff waiting conference room michael arrive farewell party unaware left exception jim pam michael coming begins tearing pieces michael farewell cake major subplot point episode throwing trash bizarre public internal struggle rest staff particularly jim dwight watch new boss concern production goodbye michael written series developer executive producer 10th writing credit series episode directed marking 14th credit series june confirmed seventh season office steve_carell previously announced interviewed think time want fulfill contract signed contract seven seasons coming year seventh thought time character quoted saying january announced exit early episodes end season weeks announcement came news previously starred alongside legend signed appear episode arc dunder mifflin branch manager temporarily takes michael_scott position scranton help ease transition appeared final episodes additional episode departs writers gone different scenarios michael leave suggestion fired business mistake ultimately decided ending fun viewers according daniels filming set actors emotional characters supposed confirmed filming scene saying goodbye michael scenes deleted network airing episode aired weeks later split parts wallace scene inserted steve_carell finished filming final scenes goodbye michael march goodbye gift given hockey jersey number sheet departure number longer episode ran extended minutes instead usual minutes episode marks extended episode season penultimate episode beach games stated interview entertainment_weekly performance michael episode ended real long chairman allowed daniels best steve proper goodbye cultural references goodbye michael features references previous episodes scene michael puts desk homage final shot series opening sequence michael obsession basketball wanting use serves reference season episode basketball season episode safety training respectively michael character appears having previously appeared featured reforming broken christmas briefly showed creed continual habit women bathroom seen women appreciation michael gives book manage originally mentioned happy hour episode christmas party gift michael dwight wanting play michael michael goodbye pam serves homage scene british version office love dawn meeting room tim turns microphone cameras pick reactions sound scene referenced fifth season finale company picnic reception ratings goodbye michael originally aired april minute timeslot nielsen ratings expected high episode extended timeslot readers numbers predicting episode receive rating demographic episode viewed estimated million viewers received rating share adults ages means seen year olds year olds watching television time broadcast marked percent rise ratings previous episode michael episode watched episode season highest rated episode season ultimatum demo episode ranked timeslot beating grey anatomy csi crime scene investigation bones goodbye michael watched scripted week broadcast adults aged second highest rated nbc program voice added viewers goodbye michael received rating marking percent rise original viewership half hour producer cut received million viewers rating share demographic second half hour attained million viewers rating share demographic reviews airing goodbye michael met critical acclaim considered best episodes office critics fans ign said overall episode historic television moments went praise character awareness camera crew michael saying staff ultimately gave episode writer considered episode classic praised choice showing fans michael_scott ultimately gave episode writer wrote episode felt like series finale final episodes mixed bag entertainment_weekly praised performance hitfix writer wrote episode wasn flawless appropriate despite criticized episode proving point survive michael despite complimented performance supporting actors new_york writer slightly criticized pam silent goodbye michael despite said dwight tears talking head jim goodbye michael achieved level rolling_stone praised ending episode reference original british version office buddytv writer called oscar gift scene best moment episode hitfix reviewer alan_sepinwall called episode pretty fantastic tribute man way door performance received mixed reviews critics called performance pure magic said scenes momentum killer criticized writers waiting second episode character soon episode series received publicity possible storyline featuring erin birth mother rumor started interview executive producer entertainment_weekly stated tiny mystery story sure going catch come episodes set explored seventh season finale search committee proven false episode lists time reviewer james_poniewozik named episode second best television episode calling episode pitch perfect named episode highlights wrote member ensemble gets moment sun silent airport farewell pam works best testament audience deep understanding characters named final episodes office 20th best television episodes named final episodes banner mainly praised performance switching laughs sadness guide named episode best episode compared episode humor series calling understated pitch perfect goodbye michael voted highest rated episode season according episode poll poll episode voted fourth highest rated episode series receiving votes awards recognition wrote script received nomination comedy series 63rd primetime emmy awards steve_carell submitted episode consideration nomination outstanding lead comedy series daniels eventually lost modern family episode caught act lost office star rainn_wilson expressed anger twitter saying world ashamed steve_carell won emmy office writer director criticized choice calling fucking embarrassment daniels received nomination lost
Goodbye, Michael