Andy Bernard: The Ruined Character -- Feat: Mulverine Films

Andy Bernard is a weird character. Some seasons he's one of the best parts and others he's utterly detestable. Let's look at Andy's character in detail and see if he's actually been ruined or not.
Mulverine Films: / @mulverine
Photo by Couleur from Pexels
www.pexels.com...
Music by lukrembo
Me on the web
-
Twitter: / 10kbill
Support us: / 10k

[@10KProductions]

What should I talk about next? Comment it here!

[@JeremyKang8]

Office, Star Wars, or marvel

[@dwightshrute2548]

Office def

[@pablothestoner9716]

Dorohedoro, nobody else is making videos on it, take over it, it's gonna blow up

[@JeremyKang8]

@@pablothestoner9716 no anime, anime is cringe trash

[@pablothestoner9716]

@@JeremyKang8 you don't speak for the whole channel

[@ClicheOriginals]

FINALLY someone made a video on this. Andy’s arc is a rollercoaster. He went from most hated, to annoying, to liked, to really liked, and then back to hated.

[@kohlcooke8789]

basically he went from Dwight to Jim to Robert California in terms of how fans viewed him. I'm just now watching seasons 8 & 9 for the first time, (I usually skip them both because I've heard how bad they are), and idc how bad he gets, Andy will be my favorite character until the end. When he becomes an a-hole ill just blame it on a parasite that got inside of him

[@ClicheOriginals]

@@kohlcooke8789 for me, season 8-9 are only bad because people say they’re bad. I think season 8 doesn’t lose a beat in quality. 9 is definitely the weakest, but still better than most shows

[@kohlcooke8789]

@@ClicheOriginals yeah I gotta admit so far in season 8 ive missed Michael Scott, and im less eager to watch the show, but it hasn't been as terrible as people say it is, I still laugh a lot. Thanks for that, ill have a more open mind as I watch

[@Dunk24]

@@kohlcooke8789 yeah it’s not the same without Michael but still super funny and entertaining. Overhated seasons even if they are not as “good” as the first 7 they still have some great parts. Season 9 is also very patchy with the sound guy and a lot of random stuff thrown in but I find it to be very wholesome

[@razkable]

i liked andy when he did his own thing..when he always tried to steal stuff like the job role and girls from dwight i got kinda mad at him

[@dylan7870]

Nard dog got done dirty in the end, which was just so frustrating for a character that had so much screen time and won many people's hearts before the last season.

[@nont18411]

Just like the entirety of Game of Thrones characters

[@billa107]

I really felt for Andy in The Office. He tried so hard to make Angela happy, just for her to cheat on him. He became very sympathetic.

[@jackieestes5703]

@@billa107 When Andy enters the office after his interaction with Dwight in the parking lot,my heart aches for him…

[@benderbendingrodriguez420]

Why Andy's character was ruined? Simple answer: *the writers were mad at Ed Helms for leaving to do the Hangover films*

[@crazypvpHow]

bite my shiny metal ass

[@gavintucker3928]

@Max tf?

[@crazypvpHow]

@@gavintucker3928 bender from futurama lol

[@ayushmeena780]

That doesn't make any sense, or it does?

[@Lucia-tq6bx]

The Hangover was a good movie tho

[@stevenjohnson6962]

Andy was poorly handed. Hated him at first until his anger management then he comes back and he was such a fun character then by the end of the series I was sad to see how they handled him. He was never the same after he left on that boat trip.

[@SolarMechanic]

"Put on a Boat" should be the trope name for re-ruining a character.

[@razkable]

as school days fans know: nice boat

[@maryy2077]

@@mayehoffman4253 that reference is streets ahead

[@morter4596]

In the scene where Andy talks about the good old days and stuff, when he says “someone should write a song about that” makes me think he’s matured more than the audience thinks. Pre manager Andy would’ve jumped at the opportunity to make up a song about it, but those simple lines prove to me that he grew up.

[@5xwrldchmp]

Underrated comment

[@nunny5070]

What he said sort of resonated with me - I left high school in May and even though it’s only been two months I already think of it as the good days. Thankfully I’ve finally realised I’ll look back on now in the same way so I’m trying to make the most of it, but I’m still afraid to grow up and leave these teenage days behind lmao

[@currencypodcast244]

Maturity isn’t the same thing as getting older

[@trashbrainnn]

But the point of him saying that is that there IS a song like that, and it is very famous. It’s a joke

[@icerickle4306]

The issue with humanity is that its not "grown up" to enjoy life. Society wants misery.

[@lessalazar9068]

Seriously, Andy became my favorite character and then they ruined him.

[@YDBricks]

Yeah I hate how they make you hate him, then like him, then hate him again

[@krystalhaug1957]

@@YDBricks you have no idea how that does to a man

[@Albatross0913]

@@krystalhaug1957 SNIP SNAP SNIP SNAP

[@tylerwood5019]

"I wish there was a way to know you're in the good old days before you've actually left them..." Is the most memorable line from the entire series for me. The writers did Andy no favors in the last season except for this line, and it's a shame. Andy was a loveable guy (mostly) and deserved a better ending. But that's life.

[@nethermanstudios]

Sucks what they did to him for the majority of season 9. Especially since his character was an at all time high in season 8 imo. Atleast he got better towards the end

[@alimohmmed9004]

Like i liked his attitude go hard or go home i wish he have a moment where he stand up to his family and just cut ties with them like know he and erin (if she found het parents they were psycho ) only needed each other and i dont like leave the management my his own choice and pursue a career in Hollywood and actually make like all ed accomplishment be andy like that will be actually cool and epic

[@conniethesconnie]

I wasn't an Andy fan. . If you liked Andy 2.0 it means for some reason you were able to completely forget Andy 1.0. The entire Scranton branch was never well developed due to their limited time. However the complete change after anger management left you scratching your head. It would have been so much better if they could have found a way to make his existing character a better fit for the show long term rather than derailing him, so they could send him to anger management, and come back as someone else altogether.

[@nethermanstudios]

@@conniethesconnie to each their own I guess

[@patmustard8795]

You’re such an idiot

[@robmeagher2443]

Yeah rewatching season 9 now and he's really unlikable

[@someguy2393]

I've had farts that lasted longer than Andy and Erin's relationship. Biggest let down after all the build-up

[@suryaaramesh]

Something’s wrong with your stomach lol but I get it I really wanted Nard dog and Erin as a couple rather than plop and Erin

[@badgasaurus4211]

They screwed the pooch when they made erin leave andy for gabe in season 7. Then after erin dumps andy she becomes a complete non entity in the office and a waste of time

[@flaviuscountry]

That’s impressive. The fart thing that is.

[@Beefsneeze9]

Prove it

[@planescaped]

@@badgasaurus4211 The Andy/Erin will they or won't they was more annoying than compelling. An example of how to do it wrong.

[@kohlcooke8789]

I swear, that anger management class must involve some sort of magic to change such an a-hole into an awesome, lovable dude. And that godforsaken boat trip and road trip must've also involved alchemy to turn him back into an a-hole

[@dev1ldestiny]

No. His character before anger managment was like after, but just with angerness. He wanted to be second hand of Manager, didn't catch any jokes and was complexed. After anger managment, he still was that Andy, but hard-trying to not be angry and be better, than before. His anger easily can relate to how his family treat him, so he was very stressful. After anger managment, he started trying to be better, have more friends and also be loved. He started to friend with Pam, Jim, Michael and also Dwight, he so tried to apologize to Dwight and just started being friend with him, and after being manager, ge felt bad for Dwight and gave Dwight not just "made-up" name, he really gave him second-hand-of-manager. Dwight actually was controlling 50-60% of Manager's job. We don't forget how he tried so hard to get Angela as a girlfriend, the girl he didn't love, but feel good about her, he gave her many presents, like a boyfriend and married her, just to be happy. The Andy-Erin thing was working out, and Andy would never go to boat-trip and break up with her Girlfriend for that, c'mon, the guy married to girl, who he didn't love, just because she was his girlfriend...

[@dev1ldestiny]

And also, I think Andy-Erin would work-out, if Michael never left. Imagine The Office, where Michael never left, where Michael and Holly married and have kids together, where Michael would invite Pam's daughter to work, just to show things around and be like an uncle. Andy would never be douchebag, there won't be new characters, of season 8-9, that we all hate, and there will not be fire of Kevin. Michael will make happy everyone, Erin will see him as a father, and Michael could help Andy with his family thing, because Michael was on that situation too, and would tell Andy how to grow up and probably become Andy's "father", there would be Erin-Andy marriage and Michael will lift Erin to Andy in the church and keep eye on them, like he did to Pam. There wouldn't be Pam and Jim beef, no Dwight maniacal ways of being manager. (Love Dwight, but he's way of manager is just lol, Michael would teach him). The Office lost his essential after Steve Carrell leave. (Also, Steve Carrell was one of the writers.)

[@end-zerf6481]

@@dev1ldestiny i wish....

[@legendlalo]

I will always find it funny how the writers loved Ed Helms so much they redeemed Andy, turned him into the 2nd best character in The Office, and then undid his character just because they were mad he was successful and making a movie

[@majorpeepo]

Sad they did that

[@shady_the_one]

Just makes you wonder, why didn't they ruin Michael while they were at it if people leaving to make movies pissed them off so much

[@legendlalo]

@@shady_the_one well Steve was never a main character in a massive franchise in which he had to simultaneously film on both the show and the movies with other big named very requested actors, Steve was part of some big movies but never franchises like ed helms so I’m guessing it was easier for him to ask the movies to be made in between seasons of the office as opposed to Helms who was part of the hangover but wasn’t the main character or the biggest actor in those movies so he had less pull on scheduling and shit

[@shady_the_one]

@@legendlalo fair. Still, why didn't they just... You know... NOT ruin Andy? Maybe make him his own character?

[@chrisgrudge6964]

@@shady_the_one the 40 year old virgin was a large part why the office became popular, season 1 wasn’t very successful.

[@Mulverine]

Andy's weird for me. His final line in the finale blew me away. Mostly, because it was insightful, and I was wondering where this guy came from (Cornell obvi). It's like all of his character growth took place after the doc ended/he moved away (and maybe also from hitting rock bottom after Baby Wahwah). It also blew me away, because I don't think I really connected with his character throughout the entire series. It made me wonder if I missed his significance on my first watch through.

[@wvu05]

I finally finished watching the series yesterday, and the character was little more than mildly amusing for most of the series. I thought the best Andy episodes were when his parents came to visit and the finale. I don't remember who said, but someone in another video said that there was a hypothesis that Andy had such abrupt character switches because changing his name from Walter Jr. because he wasn't worthy of the name led to a destruction of his sense of self. It's as good an explanation as any I've heard.

[@Jackson-mi3dr]

@@wvu05I agree the whole Walter Jr thing is a reason for his self esteem and identity issues, but I’m not sure how that correlates to his identity changing on the Office. I think he was just a character whose identity was changed willy-nilly by the producers. Once Michael left they had to make significant adjustments, etc. Factors outside of their control forced them to change how Andy acted, not a long term plan to alter his identity multiple times

[@mythicaldreams5711]

Andy was a good character/boss until the stupid boat trip. No one can tell me otherwise

[@Gemnist98]

I would say until Season 9. It was that “leadership retreat” that really turned him into a douchebag.

[@Metropolitan-Dreams]

I really like watching him as the boss, until after the whole Florida trip, after That I didn’t like him

[@AndyYu642]

the writers must have held a grudge against him for going to work on the hangover. otherwise why would they ruin his character like that?

[@Gab-br-z3d]

Yac. He always sucked.

[@bryanwhite5114]

Don't blame Andy, blame the writers

[@dr_akiipedia]

By the end, Andy’s character was twisted into a caricature. That breaks my heart. Andy is one of my favourites.

[@jamessmith6123]

They really ruined his character the last season. He grew as a character as the show went on and then they turn him into this me me me me me character

[@badgasaurus4211]

They tried turning him into Michael Scott it was dumb

[@end-zerf6481]

@@badgasaurus4211 please don’t compare him to Micheal , Micheal was MUCH better then season 9 andy

[@Edgeofdark-]

I was so pissed that they turned Andy back into an asshole after he went on that boat trip. It was so frustrating, seeing all that character development go down the drain just like that. I liked him so much as the manager, because he seemed like he actually cared about everyone in the office. But then the boat trip happens for some reason, and he comes back just as arrogant as he was at the beginning. It also made me so mad to have so much development and build up to Andy and Erin getting together, only for them to be together for what? Like 10 episodes before they're splitting up because she fell in love with someone else? A character that we were introduced to not even that long ago and is one of the most dull characters in the show. I did not care for Plop, so the fact that he was the one who ended up with Erin was SO annoying.

[@trueblade3636]

They did a 360 with him, twice They ruined his character

[@wvu05]

A 360 is a full circle.

[@Gemnist98]

It was more a 540, when you factor in the end.

[@bViiiRaL]

They didn’t give him a terrible end.

[@Gemnist98]

@@bViiiRaL I agree, but they did go back and make his character likable again in the end. So that adds another 180 to the established 360.

[@bViiiRaL]

@@Gemnist98 I agree, I felt they ruined Erins character more toward the end. I liked Erin and Andy together

[@daffyfable1983]

I may just be biased since Andy Bernard is my favorite character of all time, but what the writers did was absolutely inexcusable. It felt like they wanted to make him worse so people wouldn't complain as much when Dwight became Manager. Or you know, they were salty that Ed Helms wanted to be in the Third Hangover Movie. While the previous reason may make sense, it proves that Andy Bernard was a really loved character. Character arcs are things cannot be treated like that, let alone a beloved character like Andy Bernard.

[@ryeinc]

I think without a doubt Andy is the most interesting character on the show. He's entertaining from the viewers perspective, has tons of storylines revolving around him, and we get those hints of family history that make us realize why he is the way he is. ...and then they ruined all that in season 9.

[@razkable]

i think michael dwight andy were all interesting...jim is good enough..stanley was solid same for darryl...ryan was a trip creed was fun...kevin was a cartoon and oscar..was awesome when he became gay..i kinda hated him until then

[@christopherramsey7027]

I think Andy not announcing his engagement shows his character growth throughout the series. He doesn't need to have a big, flamboyant, public relationship; and he's comfortable being in love privately.

[@danforever1]

I really didn’t like when erin left Andy for plop

[@catchingzs2121]

Why?

[@sheharyarkhan1531]

@@catchingzs2121 2 seasons of build up for it to end and for her to go after the most boring character in the show.

[@catchingzs2121]

@@sheharyarkhan1531 yeah but Andy kinda deserved it, I mean I get what your saying because it kinda feels like they chickened out of making a real relationship

[@theflyguy2133]

@@catchingzs2121 to be honest who cared about the rip off of jim he deserved it but this wasn't the andy we new cause he cared about erin so much then for some reason he leaves her and time he is gone they ruin his character and make him seem like a total asshole out of nowhere is was so messed up of what they did to him

[@lisamorrison214]

Andy should have went for Kelly.

[@djj6069]

The writers ruining Andy and Erin’s relationship really annoyed me I loved their relationship Iwas always routed for them

[@nickprime1116]

3:47 Jim didn't choose his career over love, he left Scranton because Pam rejected him; it had absolutely nothing to do with advancing his career.

[@reflex6907]

No matter what they did to his character his final line is one of the most important lines of dialogue in all of television

[@katiew6935]

True it’s so sad

[@WanquanLoot]

i think his complex is really about the building his dad donated. it's a complex complex complex.

[@TopherMullen01]

Clever!

[@kalicat6232]

I was always kind of confused about Andy’s love life. He had been to Cornell, had worked at Stamford branch for a few years, and worked his way up to Director of Marketing. And he dated Angela - so I figured he was over 40 years old - but then he dated Erin - who seemed to be very young - she talked about friends getting drivers licenses, and babysitting jobs - she seemed to be in her early 20’s - and seemed too young for Ed / Andy. They seemed to have him date whoever was the ‘free’ female in the office was - not caring about age or anything in common. ,

[@jaimekorandu11]

Not to mention his high school girlfriend lmao

[@kalicat6232]

@@jaimekorandu11 - oh yeah!!! Good point.

[@revolzyy]

He was about 25 when he was introduced and maybe 35 when the show ended

[@HB00-c3t]

@@revolzyy it was more likely his early 30s because he's older than Jim and Jim was in his mid-to-late 20s in the early seasons of the show

[@aprichman]

@@revolzyy I don’t think they ever addressed his age in the show but the actor was like early / mid 30s when the show started

[@nonuvurbeeznus795]

Poor Andy. I really liked him at Season 8. My favorite moment is when he chooses not to get "revenge" on Nellie because he's just too nice. And he's frustrated he can't get his "Sweet moment" or whatever, lol. Hilarious!! And then Nellie becomes more likeable to me. Then they ruined that in Season 9 by making him a power-tripping douchebag.

[@lightning3605]

11:33 always makes us all feel sad

[@beepthemeep12]

therapist: anti jim isnt real, he cant hurt you

[@jameshartman3630]

Andy and Erin’s relationship/chemistry was really the only reason I was invested in the show post season 7

[@NoName-pp5kr]

I didn’t care about the romance scenes or relationships in the show, but Andy and Erin not ending the show together really got me mad. Even Kelly and Ryan ended together LOL. They built up their romance from season 5, and it made complete sense up until season 9. Then Andy suddenly treats Erin like garbage when he had never done that prior. It’s completely devoid of logic. Then they completely embarrass Andy for no reason (wasn’t he in anger management a season before all his meltdowns in season 9???), yet they spent half of season 8 moulding his character into a good manager and someone the office liked. Makes 0 sense and I really liked the show up until the end of season 8. The show pretty much ends for me when Wallace comes back.

[@johnnyringo2695]

you think real life people end up together 100% Andy limp dick Bernard didnt deserve Erin

[@chriscreaturo8809]

Erin and him. They screwed the pooch on that relationship

[@laquishdanish3386]

They should have kept him like he originally was and see what would have happened. I think a lot of interesting things could have happened and if they didn’t they could just get rid of him

[@Mechanical.Flesh117]

They really did Andy dirty. I personally loved his character so much, but it is what it is. as far as I know he is still on his boat.

[@luisjesus8668]

I think Nellie's likeability is proportionally inverse to how unlikable Andy becomes

[@britneyricciardelli264]

Yeah especially in the traveling office episode when Andy wanted to ruin Nellie’s chance at adopting was really the point they made Andy an absolute jerk and feel more for Nellie

[@monovision566]

First off, it was Dwight who gave Angela Garbage the cat. Second, I’ll never forgive the writers for ruining Andy in season 9. It’s the single worst decision they made for the whole show. Making him suddenly an oblivious asshole and ruining his relationship with Erin after he’d gone through so much to grow is so stupid. They didn’t have to write him out by making him terrible. When he and Erin first get together and he tells her she’s the nicest person he’s ever met, his arc is where it needs to be. What they did screws her character too, as it dooms her to another guy being her whole plot in the final season. I would have much rather seen both of them happy together and increasingly processing their childhoods, growing in confidence, etc. He was healing of his insecurities because of Erin. It’s stupid to have him sabotage the relationship as though that wasn’t the case. They were great together.

[@bajosbajgunar3305]

Andy give her the cat, after Dwight release it

[@cherylhulting1301]

I liike your comment, especially your proposed character arcs for Andy and Erin. Just one thing- you're right that it's Dwight who first tries to give Garbage to Angela to "make up" for killing her sick cat. But Andy finds him.again in the warehouse at Vance Refrigeration and unknowingly re-gifts Garbage to Angela. That she accepts the cat this time is Angela slapping back at Dwight and indicating her acceptance of Andy.

[@atharvagangshettiwar8920]

Can we just talk about how bad Erin is as a girlfriend: 1. First she threw a cake at Andy's face and humiliated him publically for a petty reason. 2. Second she hooked up with Gabe just because he was her boss and later dumped in a brutal way. 3. When Andy finally moved on and was happy with Jessica, she constantly interfered in their relationship and made Andy break up with Jessica. 4. After Andy goes on a boat trip she forgets everything that Andy did for her. Like breaking up with his girlfriend and risking his job. 5. And if she had such a big problem with a close person abandoning her for a long time, why did she forgive her parents instantly after they abandoned her for over 20 years. 3 months is nothing as compared to that.

[@bryleed2198]

I remember for a moment I actually rooted for Andy and Erin??? Like I found them adorable??? And then the dumpster fire that is season 9 happened and it ruined it for me.

[@jordachejordan90]

Andy's arc and Plop just being added only for narrative purposes is what makes me avoid rewatching the final season.

[@jacinto1477]

There's various reasons why i dont consider season 9 canon ,but this one was what hurt me the most

[@lg6884]

Another thing interesting about Andy, to me, was his weird friendship with Daryl. The two had a friendship that developed kinda like Jim & Dwight’s, but where Jim & Dwight’s friendship became more open (best man usually means something) Daryl seemed to regret theirs to the point he tried to avoid him up until Andy made his speech at the same wedding.

[@jackieestes5703]

I think their friendship was like a mentor/apprentice,big brother/little brother or possibly even father/son. Darryl has more real life experiences whereas Andy had led more of a sheltered life. He gives Andy guidance on his behavior (telling Andy not to constantly text him is one example). After everyone views Andy’s Cornell commencement speech,Darryl praises him & Andy says,”Thanks Dad,uh Darryl.” A line written for laughs,but it is also very telling.

[@Mr_Man_Guy2]

I don't understand why they tried to change him in the first place. Andy's normal self would have been a really great funny character to be the manager. He already went through a great character ark, there was no need to change it.

[@jordachejordan90]

Andy's Good Old Days line is 1 of the best in the series and I still use on a regular basis.

[@prestonsoper5562]

I love how Dwight became such good friends with Pam and Jim and they all get so close

[@RedGirl006]

I always found suspicious that while Andy got ruined, characters like Kelly and Ryan got more screen time and ended "happy" together...

[@TL4uS]

Probably because the guy who plays Ryan, B.J. Novak is one of the writers and executive producers

[@TL4uS]

Same with Mindy Kaling, who plays Kelly

[@Joe_Parmesan]

Ryan was one of the main characters from the very beginning, and, probably got less screen time. Andy received way more screen time than both of them too, as did Erin

[@ManLikeMorrison]

The issue was that superior powers were being put in pretty much at random by the end. Robert California came in and replaced Jo with no explanation, and then Nellie came in and did the same thing for no reason. They just kinda, introduced new characters when there wasn't really a call for them. And then they were just doing things that were inexplicably stupid.

[@songbird6414]

My dad hadn’t seen the office in years when I first started watching it, and when I asked him who his favorite character was, he said Andy, as he stuck out the most to him.

[@xZippy]

And then it ends with Erin hooking up with a character nobody gives a flying shit about.

[@johnnyringo2695]

anyone is better than the limp dick Andy

[@ramrodnj]

He really was the best person to fill the Michael Scott roll. He’s awkward stupid, dosnt understand things sometimes, lots of similar traits that we liked about Michael Scott. But they took his character and just drove him into the dirt in the last seasons

[@jeanconde983]

Yes... they're very similar because they have a deep need of approval from other people

[@errahd4129]

After Michael left the only reason I kept watching was to see how Andy and Erin got along. Then they ruined that.

[@PatoNani18]

3:59 Why is everything what Jim does a "dick move"? Andy kept calling Jim "Tuna" until the very end of the show which is way more disrespectful than Jim keeps calling Andy by his real name instead of Drew. Andy has absolutely no right to complain about Jim especially not after his bad behavior.

[@Joe_Parmesan]

It's not even a dick move anyway, since Jim probably found it ridiculous to start calling Andy 'Drew'

[@labros9999]

Pretty sure it was because there was an actual reason for the drew name while tuna was just a joke

[@PatoNani18]

@@labros9999 Actually nobody called him Drew but only Jim gets hate for it. Nobody could take this Drew-bullshit seriously, it never made sense in the first place. Andy fucked up so before he makes any dumb claims he should've proven that he really changed. Only your actions only can proof it and not a weird change of your first name. On the other side it's much shittier to call someone after a fucking fish. Who the fuck wants that at work? Andy was never a friend of Jim so why does he felt entitled to pull out this joke every single time? It would be a whole different thing when Dwight would have done to Jim because these two have different chemistry and relationship. But Andy? Someone who wasn't even integrated in the office and mostly stood out in a negative way? The worst thing of his name-calling is that he was the only one who thought this was funny. I never saw Jim or anyone else laugh about that so it's pretty lame to act like it's only a joke when you're clearly insulting someone only for your own satisfaction. Jim was just way too calm to go against this bullshit but you could clearly see from the beginning that it wasn't funny for him.

[@alpha068]

He was such a good character. Him matching Dwight in ridiculousness in that whole "Dwight wants to go to Cornell, Andy wants to sell beet" episode was one of my favourite things. I was very sympathetic to him after angela cheated on him like the b*tch that she is( jk, I loved her role too) and that moment he had when he danced with Dwight and Darryl in the ice rink was very wholesome indeed. He was such a great friend to everybody and then after handling the downfall of Bernards maturely he left on a trip and became an ass. It was very disappointing. They did him dirty. For one of it'd have been ok had Erin also left him, but he should have found someone. (Ex)Mrs. California asked him out on a date and they never followed upon that, they could've ended together but now when I watch his character I just sit here and cry.

[@harshpalsingh1145]

While watching season 9, I only hated the writers but not Andy. In my opinion, they didn't just kill Andy's character, they killed the spirit of the show when they planned to snitch on Andy to get him fired. That's not what the show stood for all those years. I mean Michael used to do all sorts of edgy stuff and knew that people will have his back, that was the sole of the show and the writers killed it.

[@hewohowareyou5747]

Andy really be like HoW bAaAaAaD cAn I bE

[@stickers9455]

Andy in season 9:

[@chrise1491]

His father didnt donate the building, his great grandfather did, same guy who had a song wrote about him for busting strikes. "Oh Mr. Barnard, Mr Barnard, Who have you silenced toooday."

[@sartorial2293]

Im glad you brought up Jim refusing to call Andy 'Drew', it's one of my least favorite Jim moments. You can see how happy Andy was and then Jim just sort of laughs at him for wanting to literally start a new life, as a new person, dick move lmao

[@jarjarbinks_official4815]

I have no idea why they ruined him in season 9, he was a great character and nobody liked seeing him going through that

[@mst3kanita]

I forgot that Andy couldn't get into Cornell w/out his dad. Nelly ruined the office.

[@sheeps_]

I loved Andy pre-anger management. I loved watching him be an antagonist.

[@samstarba4569]

It was hard to get a sense of Andy's character arc. I guess he was supposed to be a bit of a jerk but I think the actor (Ed Helms) is a bit too nice and sensitive in order to really pull that off - or at least pull that off in a subtle way as writers intended it. I personally liked Andy the best in the season 8 (before the boat trip) because he felt most human-like at the time. I think it would have been better to write him as an overtly sensitive and nervous person who has a rigid idea of what a successful person (and a male) is, and acts like a B class high school bully because of that. Then, after time, we notice that he is actually a genuinely nice person who just has been badly influenced by family and friends in his younger years. And, eventually, he could have become some type of spiritual, freedom loving hippie who goes against the corporate and tries to get others free themselves from the demands of modern life. In that way, they could have incorporate both drama, a believable character change, and Ed Helm's musical abilities organically in the show. Another option would have been that they would have made him a character that is totally motivated my female's attention and is always trying to hit on even the most unlikeliest options. So kinda like Packer or California but a bit more likeable and smoother version. At the same time, they could have maintained some of his "flamboyant" qualities and create confusing scenes where he is trying to charm a woman while coming off as the gayest guy in the office. In terms of sales, he could have been the unlikely underdog who usually does not succeed but has a talent of charming older women and gay male. Then, eventually, he would create a genuine friendship with one of his female colleagues (e.g. Erin) and fall in love but struggle with the idea of leaving his playboy habits. However, in the end he could find something other than motivates him and makes him feel good about himself, so that he does not look for female attention all the time. This obviously is a bit overdone character arc but I think the actor's portrayal could have made it a rather nuanced and interesting performance.

[@Breezy1_3_8]

I think most of it was him being away filming hangover 3. They had to have a reason for him to be gone so long. Sadly that ended up derailing his character.

[@wvu05]

They still could have done it in a much different way that didn't ruin the character. He could have given up the job to go to fix his family's finances, for example.

[@danieldickson4211]

I think his career taking off and him getting other gigs got in the way of the office, and made them handle his character differently.

[@sebobie]

I actually liked Nellie before she stole Andy’s office. So annoying they had to ruin her character, then ruin Andy’s, and then to top it off, add a joke of a character, known as Plop.

[@stickers9455]

I have this same exact thought

[@djslw0114]

THANK YOU! I knew I'm right about the sudden character shift. I've been binge watching the show for the first time for the past few months and I'm reaching the end. At first I wasn't too fond of Andy...because he's kinda a jerk, but then after he got cheated by Dwight, I realize he is actually a great guy. After he became regional manager, I even felt bad for him because he is trying so hard to be a good boss but usually results in becoming the butt of the joke. His relationship with Erin is pretty heart warming too and could have been Jim & Pam 2.0. But then it all went down the drain in season 9... It's just sad to see him reverting back to his old self and got even more unstable, as well as going no where with Erin. I've heard Ed Helm had a busy schedule during the shoot, but it's better write him off like Michael then to ignore years of character progression.

[@Gemnist98]

Just a little thing: I would actually combine portions of Andy’s temperament with his romantic life, specifically in regards to Angela. When Andy comes back from anger management, he’s not quite the fun-loving, brotherly character who loves to sing (as you seem to indicate in the video). He only becomes that as a result of his relationship with Angela. Their relationship is very clearly built on mutual self-interest. Andy only really goes after Angela because she’s a woman in the office, while Angela only really accepts Andy to get back at Dwight. However, while Andy tries to show his affection the only way he knows how, Angela pretty much doesn’t show anything at all. This is until they get engaged, when Andy makes even more of an effort, and even someone as severe as Angela can’t help but be touched. For me, this - coupled with Angela’s turning on both him and Dwight - sobered Andy significantly to where he becomes as romantically depressed as Oscar. And this not only to him having far more genuine interest in Erin later on, but also made him a far more amiable person. And that, to me, was the (good) transition for Andy.

[@BenBernardSmith]

I just finished watching The Office for the first time, and it was wonderful, but what the writers did to Andy and Erin in Season 9 is like watching a slow-motion car crash. I couldn't believe it. After all the 'will they, won't they', it ends in such a rubbish way, and I was hoping right up to the finale that they would reconcile. Even if they broke up, they could have done it in so many satisfying ways where it made sense, but they just break up, Andy acts like a jerk and nothing else happens. What a waste of years of storyline. What was the point?

[@ichangedmyusernamebecausei2551]

The way the ruined Andy and Erin’s characters and relationship in season 9 should be considered a sin. Like wtf were they thinking? In the earlier seasons, Erin was very into Andy and was always trying to be closer with him. Same with Andy. They both tried moving on after their first break up but were mentally unhappy or unsatisfied with their new significant others. Erin was with Gabe out of all people in the world. She obviously wasn’t happy with him. Andy was with a mature and supportive woman who still somehow wasn’t the one for him. Erin literally started a new life in a new place to try to get over Andy and Andy put his whole career at risk to go and bring her back home. And then season 9 happens. It’s obvious they thought that making Andy like Michael and Erin and Pete into the new season one and two version of Pam and Jim would somehow bring the show back to its core. But they done messed up big time. Also Andy not taking Erin on the boat trip is completely understandable and ok imo. His family was falling apart and he needed some time with the only person in his family who probably genuinely loved him and cared about him (Ik his brother was the family favorite, but from the screen time he had, he always seems to get along with Andy and is always happy to see him) to get over family issues and figure out their future after their own dad screwed them over.

[@Harry-jz1dn]

I liked the character, but I thought when he returned from his three-month boat trip and you find out he's been lying about being away to Wallace, that they made him very unlikeable and more like a villain. The bit when he forces Angela to give him his bonus for how well the branch has been doing in his absence was very out of character for the show. It felt more like dark comedy and was a far cry from the lighthearted nature of the show and his character. It felt like the writers were angry with him for taking the hiatus to make The Hangover 3 so punished him by giving him a nastier demeanour.

[@richard6869]

That whole boat thing was just awful, i don't know why the producers made such decisions of putting him away, making Erin leave him for that douche (that honestly doesn't even fit the show). Erin and Plop are just not good together, at all. And then, they turn Andy into and arrogant annoying guy that just can't get anything done. For a comedy show, i was not expecting to be feel so frustrated and angered, i felt like they wasted our time making us like Andy and then ruined him for whatever reason. It was outrageous.

[@thetotaldramaking5427]

I like Andy except Season 9 Andy, at least he’s not too bad in the finale. God I can’t believe they did that to him though.

[@victoriousdemon6076]

Frr

[@rickythedrawer]

Jim didn’t call Andy: “Drew” because Jim knew as well as the audience (obviously not everyone in the audience) knew, that the name change was just Andy trying to dissociate himself from the incident.

[@cherylhulting1301]

True, and a good point.

[@revolutionrevenge]

andy is one of my fave characters and they did him so dirty at the end.

[@Fluoride_Jones]

Watching this in 2022, I feel Andy's last statement profoundly. 😢

[@BasedNation]

It’s actually very simple and his character was done once he became manager Of the Scranton branch. Because he pretty much mimicked Michael Scott behavior and just was not funny.. My opinion anyway

[@glyle2504]

The butchery of Andy Bernard is the worst character destruction I’ve ever seen. It didn’t make narrative sense, it didn’t make universe sense-it was completely unbearable. It’s one thing to revert as a character, but he became far worse than he ever was. He was worse in season 9 than he ever was in season 3-by far. Then Nellie takes his job without ever being hired and nobody sticks up for him, he abandons Erin...and he becomes the new Roy, but worse.

[@toushin1000]

I really liked you video and I realized a lot of Andy’s actions do go back to his father. Even more so then you pointed out which I think is the reason he never came off as unlikable. He was so willing to put up with angela until he found that she cheated on him because he had been going through that sort of thing his entire life. then there is the first break up with erin. There was no villain no one side that the audience took over the other. Ern had every right to be pissed and break up with him as like mike said he should of told her about angela, but considering what he went through you understand why he wouldn’t want to talk about it. The problem comes when they did try to villanize andy. I never even saw the roy connection, but it does make sense just like by redoing that dynamic Erin suffered the same annoying character tics that pam did. But what realized that the writers seemed to have forgotten exactly why andy went on that boat trip in the first place. He didn’t flip out after Nellie stole his job until after he told his father about it. the next season the man who he spent his life trying to impress single-handedly ruined the Bernard family in a single night and left him to pick up the pieces. This is why I think Andy had the break down in the final season what was everyone’s reaction to both this and Nellie. Nellie was welcomed with open arms while andy had to fight and sweat to gain their approval. He’s also treated and the bad guy for being mad at Nellie for what she did. Then their response to his emotional breakdown what to resent him for going through it also wasn’t it ever said that his families finances were settled he could still be in debt. I think that like with his father he just stopped caring what they thought.

[@SchruteFarms]

So glad you touched on Andy, especially talking about Jim not calling him “drew”. Not many people point out what a dick move that was. I was so unhappy with how they handled him, however it made for a great video. Ps: Andy’s parents are not only the worst characters in the show, in my opinion some of the worst characters in ANY show.

[@bentowle3478]

You don't think it's a little silly to require people who already know you to change how they address you? Jim knows that Andy is an idiot. Why would he encourage him?

[@xxkildarxx]

Andy gave a pretty good insight into his character in "The Merger" episode. Name repetition, personality mirroring, and never breaking off a handshake. Feel like he stayed fairly true to that person during his time at the office.

[@henryweetenkamp9103]

You’re very underrated!

[@therealnav214]

They really only purposefully ruined Andy to setup Dwight to be the manager. It’s so frustrating when Andy was doing a fine job before all the Nellie BS started and they made him into an unlikeable Michael.

[@revolzyy]

The thing that annoys me is that since Erin was introduced, they built it up for like 2 full seasons just for to destroy both of their characters in the end. Andy became an idiot again, and I kinda hated Erin in the last season for not helping Andy despite Andy having family issues and anger issues. Instead she cheated on him with the worst and most boring character in the show (Pete)

[@meghanphillips3495]

She didn't cheat on Andy. She got ghosted for three months by a guy who emailed her three whole times and then has the nerve to act shocked that life went on without him. He didn't prioritize her at all. I'm glad she ended up with plop.

[@planescaped]

Andy honestly was the most forgettable member of the cast, even Meredith sticks out in my memory more than him, and that is because his massive shifts in character essentially canceled themselves out and made him feel as if he had no character. His pre-anger management faux suave, cutthroat character at the start was fun and filled a unique, villainous role for the cast, but then they completely botched things by wiping it away and making him bland. Then in the end they just tried to make him Michael 2. They could have given him a redemption arc without lobotomizing and resetting his character...

[@xalxfa]

hate it that they just let Nellie take Andy's job. just Like that ... just bad writing. Same with Andy and Erin. They where perfect, the new Pam and jim. They build it up quite good. But then just out of the blue they killed that love !? how? why? just ... bad

[@H6ngman]

You think Jim stayed the same really? I feel like he changed a lot. At the beginning he was more reserved and goofy, toward the end he’s basically a typical cool guy.

[@thareelhelloagain]

He's a completely different character before and after anger management. Not a changed character, but a completely. Different. Character. Before and after. There was almost zero similarity between the two. That's what pissed me off, the insane lack of consistency from before and after anger Management.

[@jaypickett3552]

I wasn’t crazy about Andy until he and Jim went to the high school to apologize for the obscene watermark and they run into his underage girlfriend. I then became a fan of the Nard Dog.

[@DrJ-hx7wv]

Especially his talk with the principal....

[@yeoldegaymer1906]

Excellent video. Watching Andy in the last season is just so painful, I usually skip it when I rewatch it.

[@aaaaaa-gt6ib]

ill never forgive this show for what they did to andy its the only time i can think of that involves a character becoming one to of my favs to one of my least favs throughout the span of the show i dont know how it all went wrong. he was so good and then out of no where so bad. it felt like the writers were taking out some bias or anger on andys character for some reason. especially when nellie came into the scene

[@zapify6999]

I just pretend that Andy in season 9 doesn't exist.

[@Franklyyy124]

Andy was the best and he truly loved Erin and then they just completely started all over what the whole show had been building up for him

[@tacodraws5012]

I'd love to see one of these vids about Erin's evolution. She goes from a glorified background character to one of the most important characters in the show.

[@Gotham1230]

For me, Andy started as annoying, then just there, and ended doing a Michael Impression after Steve Carell left because of the massive void without him.

[@BrookeIsAnEditor]

It wasn't until I watched this video that I realized Garbage was the cat Andy found in the warehouse. Oh my God. I've seen this show four times.

[@Coolkid-nj3bi]

Has anyone here ever watched community

[@Mulverine]

I love Community!

[@PineappleLizard]

There’s only one person and their name is Mulvernie

[@kylegallo6615]

Love it

[@raspberryjuiceentertainmen719]

That’s one of my absolute favorites

[@caseydia8786]

yes it is awful

[@brara9561]

Andy still got one of the best lines in the entire show, if not the best. His last line. In the last episode, you can tell that he regrets a lot of his behaviour and admits that he didn't appreciate what he had.

[@americansun766]

When he was handling his families business affairs I was excited and thought he’d go on to be more successful in business. Then he left on the boat, and it’s all down hill from there.

[@McJibbin]

The Office I love is where it feels like a REAL office... Not when it gets turned into a sitcom with ridiculous concepts that would never happen at a real office. Seasons 1-4 are perfect, seasons 5-6 are meh, and any season after that sucks donkey balls

[@zapify6999]

Season 5 and 6 are my favourite and I laughed the most during those

[@rebekahturner4274]

Andy should have stayed with Jessica who was perfectly fine and Erin and Pete were cute together