Andy Bernard became extremely unlikable in The Office season 9, and there could be a few factors explaining his bad behavior. Ed Helms played the role since the character’s introduction in the sitcom’s third season. Originally an employee at Dunder Mifflin’s Stamford branch, Andy relocated to Scranton when the two offices merged. Though he tried to make a great first impression on Manager Michael Scott (Steve Carell), Andy turned out to be a terrible salesperson. Still, Helms’ character was made manager for two seasons before the show came to an end. His increased role at the company coincided with Andy’s drastically different personality.

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When Andy first joined the Scranton branch, he was insecure and arrogant towards his peers. When it came to his new boss, Andy made an effort to fawn over Michael’s every move to become a workplace-favorite. Andy’s quirks, however, made him a target or pranking, bringing out his over-the-top anger issues. The character settled down a bit, serving as an oddball supporting character until Michael’s time as the central figure of The Office came to an end in season 7.

Shortly before Michael exited the series, a subplot surrounding a romantic relationship between Andy and receptionist Erin Hannon (Ellie Kemper) emerged. They hit a will-they-won’t-they sitcom cliché before fully entering a relationship toward the end of season 8. Upon returning from a trip to Florida, Andy learned that Nellie Bertram (Catherine Tate) took over his job as manager, setting off behavioral issues that led to his short-term firing. At the end of the season, Andy got his job back, but his attitude remained a serious problem in the perception of the character throughout the show’s ninth and final installment.

Andy Regained His Worst Qualities In The Office’s Final Season

Not only was Andy terrible to Nellie and other co-workers, but he was truly awful to Erin in The Office season 9. She stood Andy’s side during the difficult situations surrounding his career and family matters, but he never fully appreciated her. Interestingly, Andy was sent to Outward Bound for manager training ahead of the final season. When he returned, he reverted to his old ways, regaining qualities of being tone-deaf, cocky, and self-centered. It was almost as if Andy lost all of the positive character development during his trip. While one theory suggested Andy’s change of demeanor stemmed from the “alcohorse” incident, the real issues seemed to come from the writing.

Despite Andy’s job promotion, allowing the character to essentially take over Michael’s role, filming schedules became an issue for Helms as he continued to get starring movie roles. Due to his rising popularity following his work in The Hangover, Helms split time on The Office with his film projects. That resulted in Andy’s absence from the sitcom for periods of time. Rather than write him out of the show, Andy was given off-screen storylines. By popping in and out of the narrative, it was harder for viewers to accept Andy’s behavior. His poor treatment of others seemed unwarranted for someone rarely present at the workplace. It’s possible the writers didn’t know what to do with Helms by the final season, but his unlikable presence tarnished the character’s legacy.

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Kara Hedash
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Kara Hedash is a features editor and writer for Screen Rant. From time to time, she dives into the world’s most popular franchises but Kara primarily focuses on evergreen topics. The fact that she gets to write about The Office regularly is like a dream come true. Before joining Screen Rant, Kara served as a contributor for Movie Pilot and had work published on The Mary Sue and Reel Honey. After graduating college, writing began as a part-time hobby for Kara but it quickly turned into a career. She loves binging a new series and watching movies ranging from Hollywood blockbusters to hidden indie gems. She also has a soft spot for horror ever since she started watching it at too young of an age. Her favorite Avenger is Thor and her favorite Disney princess is Leia Organa. When Kara’s not busy writing, you can find her doing yoga or hanging out with Gritty.

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