NBC’s The Office, based on Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s BBC series and adapted by Greg Daniels, has gone down in history as one of the greatest shows in TV history. Despite having been off the air for almost seven years now, new and old viewers continue to binge its greatness on Netflix. It’s undeniable that part of what draws fans in is the heart and soul of the show—its many heartwarming relationships, including Dwight and Angela, Michael and Holly, and TV’s cutest couple, Jim and Pam. But what were the couples we didn’t get to enjoy during the series’ nine-season run? The potential was there for several great relationships—here are my top five.
Kevin & Lynn
"Lynn, I'm just going to say to you everything that I'm thinking…I think you have the best smile. I'd like to take you out to dinner and a movie." -Kevin, "Golden Ticket"
For the majority of The Office’s first four seasons, Kevin is engaged to the rarely-seen Stacy. We hear of her on occasion, and Kevin even brings her daughter Abby to Dunder-Mifflin in “Bring Your Daughter to Work Day”. However, in “Chair Model,” we learn that Stacy has dumped the gentle giant, to his quiet dismay. Even though we witness a touch of sorrow in a talking head at the end of that episode, Kevin is more-or-less indifferent about his love life from that point on. At the end of season five’s “Blood Drive”, Kevin meets Lynn, a mousy middle-aged woman who also works at the office park. Kevin sheepishly courts her over the next few episodes, and by the end of “Café Disco”, she’s fiercely making out with him! But strangely, from that point on, Lynne is never heard from again. A deleted “Café Disco” scene apparently reveals that she friendzoned Kevin, but since this scene is missing from the episodic canon, her disappearance is disappointing. She and Kevin share some great moments during their short-lived romance, including his “Nice…boobs” compliment, which begs for a longstanding relationship. But on the bright side, if they had stayed together, we never would’ve seen the gold that was Kevin and Erin’s date in “Delivery” a season later.
Dwight & Isabelle
Despite his robotic manner and condescending attitude, Dwight apparently has a way with the ladies. We first see this in “Night Out,” when Dwight manages to woo at least one of the Jersey State women’s basketball players. It happens again at Jim and Pam’s wedding, where he meets and wins the affection of Isabelle, Pam’s cousin. The pairing is so unlikely that it shocks Pam into accidentally tearing her veil, but even so, every moment the two are onscreen together is pure gold. Isabelle returns for more mutual allure a couple more times: once Jim and Pam have their baby in “Delivery” and once Dwight has entered into his child conception contract with Angela in “Happy Hour.” In the latter episode, Dwight even considers nullifying the contract and entering into a relationship with Isabelle on account of her advantageous “child-bearing years” and “birthing hips.” However, despite their brief yet passionate make-out sesh at the end of the episode, their affair is never heard of again. Too bad—would’ve loved to have seen their “big family.”
Meredith & Packer
Perhaps this is the biggest stretch, since these two hardly show any affection towards each other on screen (save a brief but manic humping session in “Saint Patrick’s Day”), but Meredith and Packer’s shared interests in sleaze would probably make them a good couple. Think about it—they’re by far the most disturbingly horny characters on the show. Perhaps getting together would’ve scratched both of their itches. They also probably lead similar lifestyles considering they’re both divorcées, they’re both parents, and they’re both anything but chaste. I can only imagine that, if they had gotten together, they would’ve been the best pair of swingers in TV history. Unfortunately though, while Packer probably would’ve been willing, Meredith seems turned off, evidenced by her condescending remarks in the episode “Todd Packer”.
Andy & Kelly
"I guess Andy likes me. I never thought of him in that way. But, I guess in most romantic comedies the guy you're supposed to be with is never the one you never thought of in that way." -Kelly, "The Manager and the Salesman"
In “The Convict”, Andy calls Jim from ten feet away to inform him that he’s “so horny” and wanting to start an office romance. While he ultimately decides to pursue Angela, his first interest is “that Indian chick Kelly,” a proposition Jim promptly shoots down by informing him that she’s with Ryan. Andy suffers the rockiest romantic history of the series, and Kelly’s relationship with Ryan can’t be described as healthy. But considering their shared interests in the performing arts, obsessions with the superficial, similar taste in movies, and overall adolescent lifestyles, these two probably could’ve been just what the other was looking for. After all, Kelly certainly was excited when she mistakenly received an exceptionally romantic card from Andy in “The Manager and the Salesman.”
Michael & Ryan
“Mr. Scott, who is this other woman, 'Ryan,' whom you refer to here as, ‘Just as hot as Jan, but in a different way’?” -Diane Kelly, “The Deposition”
If there’s one person Michael Scott adores more than anyone else, it’s Ryan Howard. Considering how he incessantly calls him with impressions and apparently awards him the “Hottest in the Office” Dundie on the regular, it’s obvious that Michael longs to be more than just “best friends slash mentor” with Ryan. Too bad this admiration only went one way—a reality Ryan frequently suggests, but one that Michael just can’t seem to accept. From when he stares at him through the blinds in the cold open of “The Carpet” to his admission that Ryan’s proposal to Holly in “Garage Sale” was “the only one [he] was worried about,” this is adoration at its finest.
So, do you agree? What would-be couples were your favorites? Let me know in a comment, and be sure to check back soon for more fun articles here at NicholasCoker.com.