The Office - Why Toby's Life Went So Wrong

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The Office’s Toby Flenderson is a fun sponge: a bit boring, kind of sad, and sometimes a little creepy. Despite rumors that he was the Scranton Strangler, he’s calm, kind and (unlike most of the other characters) the sort of stable, competent co-worker many of us would appreciate in a real-life professional setting.
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[@thetake]

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[@morningstar216]

What about Creed Bratton?????

[@mankytoes]

I never really thought the audience hated Toby, the joke was that Michael hated him irrationally. Maybe that changed a bit towards the end.

[@eileen_a_b]

Yeah, they really started taking that, Toby is a creepy wierdo, turn in the last few seasons.

[@bobthedopeman7327]

Toby sucks

[@YowaneHakuu]

came to write this same comment like, you know script did him dirty on last seasons but he was never someone to hate on, actually I really liked michael except when he was hating on toby. I think the brits do it better when it comes to hating on someone uncomfortably

[@istilldontknowmyname7324]

Yeah exactly! Michael was the one I disliked, forse this exact reason

[@mananexus]

@@bobthedopeman7327 okay Michael

[@mbanerjee5889]

I feel like Toby was fairly likable early on. But they pushed him to be creepy to justify Micheal's hate.

[@Helenurrrr]

Yea his crush on Pam and later in season 9 were used to make the audience find Toby weird

[@marijeta1110]

@@Helenurrrr yea but i never saw the problem with his crush on pam i mean jim basically acted the same way and everyone still loves him

[@Fatkiller22]

@@marijeta1110 Jim and Pam were mutual in their feelings, Toby's is one sided.

[@ariadneblue2201]

@@Fatkiller22 It wasn't one sided. Pam said, when he was leaving for Costa Rica, that she's always liked him. They didn't need to make him creepy.

[@Bingo_the_Pug]

@@ariadneblue2201 she said “don’t tell him I said this but I used to think he was kinda cute”

[@trinaq]

In many sitcoms, there's always that one character who's the butt of EVERY joke. In "Parks and Rec", to compensate for making Gerry the office punching bag, the writers decided to make him have the happiest home life, with a loving wife and beautiful daughters.

[@Choshako]

And a huge penis. Remember that time a doctor gave Jerry a physical and he said "That man...has the biggest penis I've ever seen. I didn't even examine him, I was too stunned by that giant penis." 🤣🤣

[@robert1200]

To be fair, Parks and Rec always had a much more upbeat theme than The Office

[@jessicav931]

I will like The take to work in this subject, I never understood the obsession to have a character who is so unhappy, bully and sometimes pathethic, even if the character is one of the main characters, like the case of Alan Harper. I don't get what it add to the show or from where it comes. For adding to the conversation: The anime Psycho Pass did a interesting episode with this kind of character in the center of the plot: the machine that controls everyone lifes put a vulnerable pasive guy in a job where, for security reasons, it was not possible to have TV or internet so employees where very bored and frustrated. So, the idea it was that the employees can have fun bullying this weak person; spoiler alert: the dude goes killing everyone and then is send to jail even when the police knows all the details.

[@sean8190]

I think you mean Jerry.

[@sean8190]

I think you mean Larry.

[@Cat-tastrophee]

I've always liked Toby. Yes, he is Eeyore personified, but there was a quiet dignity in his melancholy wisdom, that he could take the brunt of an entire office's vitriol but still quietly state the truth. His main obstacle is being unable to get out of his own way.

[@francescafrancesca3554]

That's quite profound. I haven't seen the show, but I like your take on it. Thanks for sharing it :)

[@jordanloux3883]

I've also heard theories that part of Michael's hate for Toby is that he is a divorced father, and Michael is venting his abandonment issues out onto Toby as a result.

[@timy9197]

That makes a lot of sense considering their counseling session episode

Michael is just so insufferable.

[@hassunkhan9448]

@ yeah i have some questions. number 1: how dare you

[@tabathaalshalhoub1653]

Except he wasn’t divorced until later, after Michael had hated him for a while

[@martino5742]

@@tabathaalshalhoub1653 wasn't he divorced before the show started?

[@morsh1130]

I think a huge reason for Michael's disdain towards Toby for the bulk of the show was his own insecurities over being alone. His biggest dream was to get married young and have children, but that obviously didn't happen. Toby, though divorced, still had a wife for a time and that relationship resulted in his daughter. By the time we reach the series finale, Michael no longer feels the need to go out of his way to insult Toby because he finally has the family he's always wanted.

[@ginao6810]

He’s also competent at his job in a way Michael is not.

[@atinh2412]

oh I agree with your cmt so much

[@atinh2412]

I think Toby's life triggers Michael's own insecurites in the way that he is afraid he would end up like Toby.

[@jovanym2931]

He never stopped being a dick to Toby lol

[@Rob-gp6yb]

The show doesn't ever suggest this, I think it is purely about Michael hating on corporate. I can't quite get the word.

[@josefk7437]

Toby is a good study of how a hostile work environment will break down its victims for a long term. His low self worth keeps him from looking for a better job. His Eeyoreness is also a symptom of being bullied for so long. Stanley was also an Eeyore.

[@laureljohnson5948]

I agree with your statement except for the last sentence...Stanley was not an Eeyore/Toby because Stanley did not do the self-loathing...in fact, Stanley loves himself so much that is why he is able to stand up to/confront Michael, have multiple affairs, and even tolerate the job for the sake of his retirement.

[@josefk7437]

@@laureljohnson5948 Tolerating the job for the sake of retirement may be a factor in keeping Stanley in an abusive work environment for too long. Like Toby, Stanley was also a guy who remained in a toxic work environment for to long and is suffering the long term effects. He will retire as a broken depressed shadow of his former self because he sold most of his life for a late retirement and some free pretzels.

[@darkgames3477]

@@josefk7437 Actually in the last episode he’s shown to be much better off after his retirement(He even smiled a few times and gave a present to Phylis)

[@otakusamsay1953]

@@josefk7437 did you watch the end? Haha Stanley thrived and was happy to retire 🤣

[@eliben4066]

I wouldn’t say Stanley has the same personality as Toby. Toby hates his life and Stanley hates his job

[@ginao6810]

My favourite Toby moment is him teaching Pam how to throw a punch when she has the chance to punch Michael. Delightful

[@nickpoenisch4563]

I really disagree with the take that Toby in a sense brings the bullying on himself through expressing self-pity and feeling like life is punishing him (especially when most of Toby's "self-pitying" statements are either in private or in the confessional zone away from his colleagues). That isn't healthy and yes, people find it annoying, but that speaks more to the cruelty of the people around him , because that kind of self-loathing is an absolutely typical response to literally everyone in his life treating him like his mere presence is a burden. (I won't defend his creepy moments though, that is his own choices. But I will say it's ironic that the show expects us to think less of him for it when basically every man in this show is wildly inappropriate toward women) This man has no support system, not even therapy, and the arguments for how he brings this torture on himself ring really hollow and border on victim-blaming. The real difference between Toby and Eeyore isn't some inherent quality that makes people sympathize with Eeyore, it's that the people in his life are genuinely loving and support him and work to build up his self-esteem because they can see his good qualities like being the voice of reason and willingness to help his friends (ironically, the same good traits that Toby has) Wow, didn't mean for this comment to be so long, I guess I just have seen the kind of abuse that Toby faces too often in real life. But I am glad that the video at least still gives the sense that none of Toby's behavior is enough to justify everyone's treatment of him.

[@Parasolhyena]

Finale season Toby was very flanderized, I assume that might be what they were talking about, to the put he'd drone to people about his problems and wasn't relatable. To be fair by that time it happened to every character.

[@nickpoenisch4563]

@@Parasolhyena You might be right, season 9 is an absolute blur to me. Even though I've watched it twice, I can't remember anything except boredom and television static

[@smithfoxe]

I agree. Toby is not anywhere near my favorite character, but I can’t stand the way he’s treated. Same with Meg in Family Guy, or Cyril in Archer. That tragic punching bag character trope upsets me, BUT I see the value in it because it draws our attention to the dark side of human relationships and what we could do better.

[@rishabhanand4973]

i mean he seemed pretty normal early on. i feel like the writers made him into a creep in order to somewhat justify michael's treatment of him as later on they were trying to make michael more likeable.

[@wajowski]

@@Parasolhyena FLENDERized, if you will.

[@anafernandez6724]

The more I rewatch The Office, the more I realize that Toby deserved better.

[@dmidkif]

I remember hating him a lot more on the first watch. Yeah, he is a bit of a buzzkill, because that is his job, but he also likes to have fun when appropriate. The only thing he did that is inexcusable was sabotaging Jim in Season 4.

[@atinh2412]

but at the same time it's also kinda his own fault to not stand for himself. Dont get me wrong I find myself identify so much with Toby. But even I know that something is not right and I must be the person to do something about it. Toby just kinda let his life slide away.

[@erenssister.5535]

I never hated toby. But I did enjoy the jokes.

[@marijeta1110]

@@atinh2412 i mean tony is just shy especially in the beginning of the show and his bully (michael) is the complete opposite and by the time toby probably wanted to say something everyone in the office kinda hated him

[@byronrush9802]

@@dmidkif oh yeah that was the season I completely stopped feeling sorry for Toby he deserves everything that's coming to him because he f***** with Jim

[@batgurrl]

Toby didn’t deserve the hate he received, of course. Michael’s hatred of him was almost pathological. Yes, he is sort of creepy and seems to be followed around by a dark cloud🤭but still not a hateful person.

[@trinaq]

Me too, the constant jokes at Toby's expense were more mean spirited than funny.

[@batgurrl]

@@trinaq I agree. He was just awkward👍🏻

[@bobthedopeman7327]

You guys liked Toby after he filed PDA complaint on Jim and Pam? Even after he refused to give the relationship disclosure paperwork?

[@batgurrl]

@@bobthedopeman7327 I do not remember him refusing to give any paperwork over

[@abeldnite]

That's the whole point though. It's dark humor. It's funny that he gets hate even though he doesn't deserve it.

[@67LMcC]

Of all of Michael Scott's negative traits, the only one I never accepted or found the least bit amusing was his irrational hatred of Toby. It made Michael look like a bully and a jerk.

[@p.e.miranda2038]

Michael IS a bully and a jerk

[@Comrade_Jason]

I really love Toby. From the moment I first saw him I got his character 100%

[@carla6485]

Same xD I didn't know ppl hated him, I just thought he was the butt of the joke

[@JuanTorres-ke5ul]

The biggest victim of audience hatred would actually be Gabe. He is hated, not just by Michael but by everyone in the office and is therefore more vulnerable to this effect on the audience. Even though he started out as a well meaning character, eventually the show made him more desperate, unstable and needy.

[@lindsayleigh27]

I'm in HR and I can say that, without a doubt, Toby is the worst HR person ever. No one ever had any consequences for any actions. In reality, Michael would have been fired 3 episodes in to season 1 especially after Diversity Day.

[@peenoice5176]

I wished there was a temporary hr that dont take shit from michael then michael would suddenly appreciate toby

[@jayl0v3ly]

Toby can’t fire Michael though. He can only report him to corporate and make recommendations. Everyone at corporate was VERY aware that Michael was inappropriate but because his office performed so well, they ignored the issues. One can assume that Toby has reported Michael to corporate several times. It’s obvious since no one from corporate is present for majority of the inappropriate things Michael does, yet there are several episodes where someone from corporate either calls him to reprimand him or actually comes to the office (Like Jan or David Wallace). Toby is the only person that could’ve reported the incidents because the office staff report to him and not corporate. There were also episodes where Toby sat in the conference room with David Wallace across from staff members to reprimand them but we never see consequences. David Wallace let Michael and others in the office slide on waaaaaaaaay too many things. Like HOW did Dwight get his job back after firing a gun in the office? 😂 Also the worst HR person ever was definitely Holly 😂

[@agentcarter8469]

In reality all those clowns in Scranton would have been fired.

[@carson11100]

It’s implied in a few episodes that corporate is not fully aware of the shit Michael does such as “Did I Stutter” and “Goodbye Toby”….. notice how Michael threatens to kill him if he says what he would improve about the office….. he’s obviously scared Toby will rat him out!

[@Dibbz_TV]

Oh for sure. Sale rep here. Two departments I’ve been “guided” to never f*ck with in my career are legal and HR.

[@daresaryan8229]

I always felt so bad for Toby 😭

[@oishi5518]

me too, ...also for Jerry from parks and req

[@pendragon2012]

Toby is the only threat to Michael's self-perceived status as center of the Dunder-Mifflin universe. Not only does Michael represent all the stuff that any competent HR would try to stomp out, but Toby also represents a potential person that his employees could look to to solve problems and protect them while Michael can't tolerate that being anyone but him. I agree-Toby deserved way better.

[@Choshako]

I have a soft spot for meek, soft-spoken characters who get dumped on (Toby, Jerry from P&R, etc) so whenever I see either of them get bullied, I'm like "Aw, poor baby 🥺"

[@PLTFRMSYOUTUBENIVERSE]

Meg from family guy! The crab from Futurama

[@bobthedopeman7327]

@@PLTFRMSKZbinNIVERSE Dr. Zoidberg.

[@slospop1125]

I always felt bad for Toby he was a really good guy who got stuck in toxic place and was punished for trying to fix it. I thought over time he just received so much hatred that he just started to be what Micheal saw him as, like self profiling prophecy.

[@hermionetobias1766]

Tbh, I would love to have a Toby at work. He seems to be reliable, professional, kind and fair.

[@peerrii17]

Unlike Michael 😂.

[@PHRCpvh]

Because my school life was awful, I felt a lot of sympathy for Toby, despite some of his mistakes. I saw him as a reflection of me and my mental issues, just like Eeyore; I just hope that the therapy i'm getting into fixes all the mess inside me so I can move forward. TBH, i can't laugh at the "chew-toy/butt-monkey" trope unless the target is a villain, i just think it's sad. Thanks for this great video.

[@AmaraJordanMusic]

I always felt so bad for Toby. He just needed a friend.

[@Timewarpiaman]

I think Michael hates Toby partially because he reminds him of himself. In that episode where Toby gives Michael therapy it's made clear they both have a very low opinion of themselves with Michael having a sad upbringing that had given him this view that people don't like him. Which may be why Michael is obsessed with getting others to like him, it's taken to the extreme in the episode "Did I Stutter?" where Michael calls out Stanley's disrespect to him only to break down into tears and demand "Why do you hate me?! I've never done anything wrong to you"

[@aarsiddiqui13]

I have always said this and will continue to say it: "Toby deserved better"

[@brokefrogproductions]

The way Toby meekly replied "But it's Beach Day" when Michael made him stay at the office made me want to be his friend.

[@naturalcurlbeauty6397]

I never disliked Toby. I relate to the way he feels about his job. Capitalism ruined the potential of finding purpose in work.

[@Spicie95]

I don't know if it is just me, but I could never feel myself liking Michael the way so many fans of the show seems to do. He was so annoying, childish, mean-spirited, self-centered, and entitled that every time the show tried to make him seem like a good likable person whom his employees actually cared about, it never resonated in me. Michael pushed himself onto his subordinates in such a disturbing way, it felt like most of the cast only worked at Dunder Mifflin due to bonding over Michael being a terrible boss so they commiserated and then convinced themselves that they owed Michael for their friendships. He reminds me of this girl I knew who tried to force friendships within this club I was a part of, without first doing the work of finding the people she had the most in common with. Perhaps, these are the reasons I really enjoyed Toby's character in the beginning of the show, because he was the only one who could say anything to Michael. But then after Michael left, they just decided to make Toby really weird, which made hard to watch.

[@sofiya636]

I was upset when Toby was bullied :(

[@jamesmarshall6619]

As funny as Michael was, I was always on Toby's side. Probably because I did HR for my company on top of being a data analyst and I had to deal with idiots though Toby I was not. I was openly hostile and aggressive to some of the guys on staff for how they were and they did change but we all learned, what I already knew and had told management prior to adding HR to my responsibilities, I was definitely not an HR guy.

[@stuartmcdonald5172]

Did any lover of the Office ever hate Toby? I never did.

[@ibou360_]

yes and i still hate him

[@rockicons8471]

@@ibou360_ same

[@augustinensang3109]

Toby did deserve better

[@friendlinessclaritin]

I do think he wasn't doing his job when it came to Dwight's complaints. Jim excessively picks on Dwight with no reason other than he "deserves it" because of his personality. Dwight is seen as a heavily autism-coded character by many with traits of missing social cues, being gullible, taking things literally, being straightforward, having special interests (such as his job, bobbleheads, and Battlestar Galactica), etc. The audience is drawn to side with Jim because he's seen as the most "sane" (and imo neurotypical) character in the show. However, he is constantly picking on Dwight for these traits when Dwight just wants to go to work and do a good job. While there are definitely are some other traits that make Dwight unique and at times unlikable, such as his weird misogynistic ideas, he is mostly picked on for his autistic traits to the point I would call it ableism if it were real. While the pranks are hilarious in the show, I would really hope that HR would take an employee being harrassed to the extent that Dwight is seriously. Jim shouldn't be above consequences because he is more conventionally likeable.

[@yoshikhurazi1769]

Tbf, Dwight is also the top salesman of the branch, owns the building that slim Jim lives under, and is most certainly a millionaire considering his farm, B&B business, and real estate portfolio. One could argue that Jimmy is a tad jealous of the absolute powerhouse that Dwight is, so arguably it's more punching up than punching down.

And Jim isn't likeable at all, if you are an office employee. Jim is lazy, inconvenient, barely works, and is so self-entitled, wanting promotions and advances in his career that he really doesn't deserve. He would be a very odious coworker. I'm not even talking about how lame he is as a friend and, most importantly, as a lover.

[@nekrataali]

Dwight is funny to watch, but he would be a complete asshole to work with. There are plenty of atypical people out there who don't hide dangerous weapons around their workplace, try to get coworkers fired for minor slights, and enable the other office psychopath's cruel behavior. I would honestly feel unsafe working in a place with Dwight because you never know when he's going to do something like start a fire or set off a gun. The only reason he was never fired is because he's the top salesman, which corporate has shown they're willing to overlook problems if it means better profits. Jim putting Dwight's stapler in Jell-O or convincing Dwight to trade for "magic" beans are all really minor in comparison. I think if Toby could have, he would have Dwight fired a long time ago. He overlooks Jim's hazing Dwight because it's the only way for the office to maintain any sort of morale because Dwight's coworkers want to see him knocked down every once in a while. I also think Dwight and Jim are better friends than what's depicted on the show. Dwight didn't just make Jim his best man on accident. Pam and Dwight have some serious heart to heart moments, and that level of vulnerability came from an established rapport.

[@tedioussugar384]

Jim isn’t pranking Dwight because ‘he deserves’ to be pranked, he pranks him to knock Dwight’s ego down a peg or two when he’s being annoying, everybody in the office gets a good kick of watching Dwight get some comeuppance for being a jerk. In reality, a guy like Dwight would a nightmare to work with. While he’s efficient and good at his job, he’s also crass and mean to people, and arrogant about his own abilities. I don’t know about you but I’d much rather work with a likeable person who does the bare minimum like Jim than a power-hungry overachiever like Dwight. And the one time Jim was arrogant about his abilities in pranking, Dwight made him regret it. Nobody in the office is pranked as the butt of a joke, they’re pranked to give them some humility.

[@bobthedopeman7327]

@ do easy going guys who A. Have a good sense of humor B. Doesn't take things so seriously C. Finds enjoyment in life D. Gets the girl he's crazy about. Or E. Doesn't use wealth as a measurement of a man, make you envious and bitter? Or all of the above? Because Jim and Dwight were ALWAYS best friends. They just didn't realize it.

[@RubeeRoja]

It actually made me extremely uncomfortable how Michael treated Toby. It was kind of funny at 1st, but it started to go way too far and ended up being one of the few things I didn't like about the show.

[@ibou360_]

nope always was and will be funny

[@RubeeRoja]

@@ibou360_ Thank you for following up my opinion with your opinion :)

[@amyadams9970]

Tobey was a good man that was beaten down to the point he became a creeper in the eyes of people he use to call friends. The creators of the show didn't even bother giving him a good ending but rather a bleek and somewhat okay ending which isn't something he shouldn't have gotten. He was a hard worker who protected people from a cruel person, he deserved better compared to most of the people in the office.

[@josefk7437]

Anyone would be so sad if they were targets of office bullies like Michael. His job is to deal with sexual harassment complaints and those are miserable for any HR rep. It is made worse that the audience keeps starting rumors that he is the Scranton Strangler and siding with the man who bullies him. Toby was trapped in a hostile work environment for too long and needed to switch jobs.

[@broookenoellee]

my family has a running joke of calling my mom toby since she works in HR, i still think it’s funny even though we’ve done it like 100 times lmao

[@rrickydanby]

“Also, her and my dad are divorced so she’s really not part of our family anymore either.”

[@UATU.]

I always liked Toby, and even more after watching interviews with Paul Lieberstein. He is really under appreciated as an actor.

[@samfilmkid]

The only time I didn’t like Toby was when he teamed up with Ryan to try and get Jim fired. That was low. Most of the time I just felt sorry for him.

Jim deserved to be fired, although Ryan was a POS.

[@p.e.miranda2038]

@ Jim probably didn’t, he changed to Stamford to better himself up and DM dragged him back so he just did enough to slide in a horrible work environment under Michael and with Dwight around (Dwight’s my favorite character, tho I do hate Mike)

[@ATRAXXUSA]

The irony is that Toby was the only HR rep and he could’ve easily used his power to get Micheal fired. He even could’ve sued him for emotional distress

[@ciaojay7025]

He can buy he knows that branch will perform worse without Micheal or a Micheal like boss

[@TititoDeBologay]

Wait did people hated Toby? My man's was being bullied and gaslight on a regular. He should have punch Michael early on.

[@TheOneWhoDings]

I don't know about y'all, I never hated Toby .. I didn't love him either, he was just a character there doing his work and used for punchlines. Sometimes I felt bad for him, but never hate just because michael hated him.

[@alissaj9501]

Any take on The Office I tune in ASAP!!!! I love it!!! 💕🥰❤️ KEEP UP THE AMAZING WORK!!!

[@karanshah9354]

I was always fan of Toby. I don't know but I used to sympathise with him whenever he received unwanted hate just for stating facts and standing up against bullies.

[@officialnikkosantos7495]

Toby why are you the way you are?

[@sadie9728]

The audience hated Toby? I found him to be the only tolerable character in the whole show, tbh.

[@VioletEmerald]

I find it hard to believe people generally actually hated Toby. This is nothing like Breaking Bad's way of framing Skyler White as awful from the pilot (nagging, overly controlling, annoying wife who doesn't respect her husband) because The Office actually frames Michael as wrong and Toby as obviously right. It's a comedy and we aren't set up to be on Michael's side. The relatable characters were mostly Jim and Pam for the majority of the audience, and Jim and Pam didn't hate Toby.

[@fortune_roses]

Aww poor Toby... *devious cackle*

[@thejungwookim]

Toby deserved more character development

[@awilliams3653]

Thank you for this video. I have always wondered why everyone was so mean to Toby. Please consider making a video on why Andy’s missteps (sans his relationship with Erin) we’re judged so harshly by the office while Michael’s missteps were forgiven.

[@esbeelavallee2568]

Thank you for defending Toby and explaining how bullying works to people. ❤️

[@soumyasingh160]

I think that anyone who became manager started to hate Toby.Example Jim, Andy, Dwight and MICHAEL GARY SCOTT.😂

[@vk228]

Toby is actually my favourite character on the show...

[@SereglothIV]

I liked Toby in the earlier seasons. The moment I started disliking him was when he creeped on Pam's knee.

[@ozzier9483]

Toby is a compasinate thoughtful person who cares about his fellow Co-workers

[@sebastiang7394]

The thing is while he might be likeable, he is totally incompetent. All of his actions to stop Michael are half hearted. He doesn’t actually protect his coworkers from bad behaviour and he also doesn’t protect the company from potential lawsuits.

[@doughnuthead8757]

The Toxic Takeaways of Animal House. - The Deltas are heavy drinkers and downright chaotic, violating the rules laid out by the "evil" dean, who isn't really that villainous when you think about it. - They're racist with a confederate flag in the dorm, assuming the Black customers in a bar will kill them since they're the only White guys there, and they split the Black and White hands in the parade. - Worst of all, they're giant perverts and creeps. Molesting a thirteen year-old girl, watching a woman undress without her consent or knowledge that she's being watched and kidnapping her in the end. It's painted as justified because their rivals, the Omegas, are supposedly worse.

[@jordanloux3883]

Congrats on breaking down every 80s college movie.

[@Mibbitmaker]

Problem is, while what you say about the supposed heroes is true (National Lampoon has had racial issues I've never been comfortable with, which trickled into early SNL, too), the other side were not better people. Wormer and the Omegas were authoritarian, elitist bullies (their initiation looked downright satanic). Sometimes, there are no good guys in a confrontation.

[@thebrideofghostface]

Am I the only one who always felt that when Roy 'grows' later on in the show that it felt more like it was fake, like he was putting on a show, and hadn't grown? Cause that's always how it felt to me.

[@eugeniaagnesrombelayuk1789]

Same, somehow it didn't feel genuine to me

[@user-if3kp4vx9c]

The scene where toby started crying at pam's arms is heartbreaking. After being bullied by michael and dweit for so many years, i felt sad that he didnt get a happy ending.😥

[@mariaho8102]

I can't thank you enough for this! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@thesourpatchkidd579]

turning your employees against the one person who's supposed to protect them from you is a pretty diabolical thing to do, though that wasn't Michael's intent.

[@danderson8431]

I just NEVER find it funny when Michael picks on Toby. I guess it because I’ve been in a situation where every one hated me, and it was just miserable.

[@Mibbitmaker]

Great video, though it was unfair to compare Toby to the Godfather/Breaking Bad situations, since Michael Scott, for all his flaws, doesn't compare to a couple organized crime bosses. For me, Toby was the sympathetic one (Michael would single out the "-pathetic" part, of course) throughout the series - until his thing for Pam. Even after that, like when Toby was trying to be very sympathetic to Michael and the latter pushed the former's tray over in "The Deposition", I hated Michael's reaction. But the Pam thing was not good, not when the outcome was supposed to be "Jam". Another dark moment besides the hand on her knee was when Toby and Ryan both threatened Jim's employment for each superior's own inappropriate reasons. Toby's was jealousy over Pam, ironically something Toby would strongly caution against someone else doing. But there he was, helping Ryan in his abuse of power due to his own interest.

[@Youbeentagged]

If Toby was more attractive (looks and personality), his creepiness would probably come off more charming. Also the audience does not hate Toby, we pity him.

[@TheGreatMondello]

Huh. While I found Toby and his character's treatment entertaining, it was always paired with sympathy for the guy as well. It's odd to me to see that folks took to disliking/hating Toby like Michael did.

[@jordachejordan90]

Toby was 1 of my fav characters.

[@Lisa59]

The problem with Toby is that he doesn't stand up for himself. He just lets people walk all over him and talks in a mumbled voice. He sets himself up to be picked on. By the way, whatever happened to the attractive date he brought to Phyllis's wedding?

[@buffytheinternetbullyslayer]

I’m surprised nobody has talked about how creepy Jim was over Pam before they started dating. He only became “friends” with her because he liked her, dated women to make her jealous (then heartlessly dumping them), pursued her while she was engaged, stopped talking to her and moved because she wouldn’t dump her fiancé for him, barely did any work (mainly) because he was mooning over Pam

[@p.e.miranda2038]

I thought he dated the purse girl to get her out of his mind and dated Karen before even knowing he’d be back at Scranton - plus work smarter not harder, specially if the place sucks

[@Mibbitmaker]

I would love to see a comparison of The Office and early M*A*S*H. Both had an incompetent leader, a pranking protagonist, an authoritarian romantic couple, a soul-sucking workplace most would rather not be at (the stakes are much higher with surgeons in a war zone, Darrell would agree) with some toxic behaviors... and Creed could get the section 8 Klinger craves. Pam's the wild card: she's a sometimes pranking co-protagonist (more BJ than Trapper), but gender difference and romantic connection to the partner-in-crime in Pam's case make great differences, while another comparison of Pam to Radar -company clerk and receptionist similar jobs that allow slightly secretive control of the boss's weaker qualities - point out differences with similarities (including, again, gender). Pam's meekness is an earlier trait, Radar's a somewhat later trait. No comparison is exact, on the other hand, both show's are irreverent. It's be fun to have a The Take do a compare/contrast with both shows.

[@pmpvlogs4575]

I always hated the way they would treat Toby... Loved the Video!

[@richboyprado]

I love this channel oh so much. These girls don’t miss

[@josefk7437]

Instead of Roy, Toby should have been compared to Stanley. Stanley was also a sad Eeyore and a product of the Dunder Mifflin toxic workplace. Stanley was also a target of Michael bullying.

[@myjunkdrawer8014]

I really want an analysis on the show Mom and how it shows the struggles of generational trauma and making the decisions to break the cycle.

[@vilmariehernandez1189]

I've always loved Toby to be honest he makes me laugh the contrast between him being so down to earth v the rest of the chaotic cast is so funny.

[@giovonnicolantonio5852]

YASS!!!!!! I’m loving these Office videos

[@latanyam.267]

Toby was an especially different kind of tough! My favorite scenes of him include the deposition episodes where he gets his copy of Michael’s diary 🤣

[@thatfatginger]

I hated Michael and enjoyed the show more after he left, I really liked Toby until he started being creepy towards Pam and then generally weird with women

[@matthewweng8483]

I always liked Toby, It always bothered me how he got so dogged at the end. Really excellent character breakdown.

[@SPMinerva]

Toby is the classic punching bag by a bully that have the ultimate privilege which is being like by people despite their bad behavior. And you will be surprise how many people is like Toby in real life

[@clautastic9186]

Toby was such a creep with Pam..., other than that I wonder if audiences could be so dumb to hate a character just because the main character hates it.

[@abraham2172]

The way Michael and later the whole Office treated Toby was simply awful. I always cheered for Toby in such scenes, its kind of terrible that Michael always got away with this relentless bullying.

[@FerGalicia]

WTF this is all wrong, Toby wasn't hated by viewers, Holly wasn't rude to him, she just said that to empathize with Michael, she didn't mean it. Damn this video writer, talk about whoooosh!!! This is what happens when youtube disables dislikes, there's no reason to even try. This video should be in the "film theorists" channel.

[@BeccaLovesSRK]

I'm in the camp that absolutely can't stand Michael. Hats off to Steve Carell for making that character literally unwatchable for me. He is so horribly offensive, especially in the first few seasons, I basically liked Toby forever after that because he was the only one who stood up for the people being bullied.

[@justaname999]

The problem is, the writers didn't really make a choice and stick to it. Michael irrationally hated Toby and that was the joke. That the audience and everybody else didn't have to get it. Then to go on and "justify" that hate in such an obvious way is just weird. It might have been funny if Michael's irrational hate would be somehow justified if we found out that Toby was secretly actually awful and Michael somehow "felt" that but everybody else perceived Toby as a great guy.

[@isabellegrayson9134]

I’m so glad The Take made this video because I always like Toby and thought he was a nice guy who happens to be a creepy underdog.

[@HarryBuddhaPalm]

Holly is one of the worst characters I've ever seen in a show. She was written specifically to be Michael's Perfect Girlfriend. She didn't act like any kind of person that actually exists. It was terrible writing.

[@faerieliana]

OMG, you're so right. She really didn't have any personality, except being Michael's love interest

[@VioletEmerald]

She was brilliant writing though? It was so sweet and satisfying and amazing that they figured out a character personality type that felt genuinely like it would be compatible with Michael's brand of ridiculousness. She did have a personality and it was amazing.

[@HarryBuddhaPalm]

@@VioletEmerald That's not a real personality type, though. She's a female version of Michael Scott. She was specifically written to be Michael's Dream Girl. There's nothing real or genuine about the character. She's an artificial creation built to serve one purpose: be Michael's Soul Mate.

[@yuncreations]

Agree. I always felt bad for him

[@PrettyNerdTingz]

I always figured the hate for Toby was exclusively from Michael in the beginning and no one else including the audience or at least me shared this sentiment. If anything I couldn’t stand Michael even though he’s funny. Like I genuinely hated everything about Michael but it’s probably bc I’ve had unprofessional incompetent bosses in real life and it’s not nearly as funny as it is on TV. Like literal harassment level cases that are traumatic honestly…

[@Mathghamhan]

I think you missed a key moment - when he interrupts Andy and Dwight playing a duet of Country Roads. I can never forgive him for depriving me of that full experience.

[@broccoli919]

“Toby’s just the worst” -Michael

[@federicovicente8116]

I realize, from watching the video, that I have a lot of Toby stuff. I don't know whether to feel sad, disappointed, happy or all that together.

[@alexandrebeaudry8377]

I never identified so much to Toby. It's kind of sad but I have to say thank you for the new perspective in conclusion.

[@leopauljohnson]

I had added a comment requesting for this video! Thank you!! I

[@mariahsnow231]

Hi guys - I was hoping you could possibly do a video around the circumstances of Kaylee Bryant’s departure of CW show, Legacies. The network has a long history of racism & homophobia, and the homophobia is even more rampant on Legacies. Queer-baiting is a major issue within the show. It would be really insight to see your take on the situation, and it could bring light and help motivate the network to make some changes! Hope you’re all safe & well :) Edit: spelling

[@epyp]

I binge watched the entire show for the first time in my life one year ago. I had never seen an episode before that. Truth is, I remember feeling deeply sad about the character of Toby and even stopped watching the show multiple times because of this. I was angry at the writers for creating a comedy show in which, in every episode, some poor guy is just being bullied "dans le plus grands des calmes" as we say in french. Then I came to think that all these emotions were actually good and that it was the result of a great acting from Paul Liberstein who happens to be one of the producer of the show.

[@Andrea-hc4mm]

Thank you The Take for noticing Toby, I was always sorry for his character. Maybe you could do a whole video on Eeyore characters or these characters that are bullied in their environment and made fun of.

[@anaizabal746]

Hear me out, Toby deserved better and I hated how Michale treated him. I think that the comedy was more on his way of dealing with everyone's bullshit and not so much on everyone bullying him. Of course, there were cringy moments but come on, is The Office, cringy is essential. AND if he was the Scranton strangler, well, that would be a full circle.

[@honeycomb97]

michael swaim quote in the first 3 minutes? nice

[@hania88888]

toby was fine, but then he touched pams leg? nah. thats where i drew the line

[@silviafuentes2477]

Toby is really similar to Parks and Recreations Jery, but Jery has a family he is devoted to, when Ben gets to know him he tries to stand up for him but Jery choses this roll

[@AndrewPatterson-xq4qk]

I think the reason why Michael hates Toby is because he is able to make friends with out having to go to the extreme, and sometimes just flat out illegal lengths that Michael goes to, making Michael resent him for being someone he would think should have zero friends