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The Office frequently appears on lists of the most binge-worthy or rewatchable shows, despite its weaker last seasons. It's a familiar presence in many of our lives, with a big cast of characters whose combination of exaggerated flaws and realistic heart make them easy to root for.
Though the show nails its tone and comedic timing episode after episode, watching back-to-back reveals some inconsistencies that become hard to overlook once you've noticed them. We have to ask:
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Pam's mom: Two actresses, two personalities?We first meet Pam's mom Helene in S02E02-Sexual Harrassment, where she's played by Shannon Cochran.
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We don't get to know Cochran's Helene too well, but she does seem dramatically different than the future iteration (played by Linda Purl) who spends much of Pam's wedding day in S06E04-Niagra: Part 1 and S06E05-Niagra: Part 2 complaining about her ex-husband's new girlfriend
and hooking up with the boss Pam has been complaining about for years. She goes on to date him for a while despite her daughter's protests (S06E7-The Lover and S06E09-Double Date).
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The BernardsAndrew and Ellen Bernard make their first appearance in S04E14-Goodbye, Toby, where they are supportive and warm with their firstborn son.
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In future episodes, we learn a lot about them that doesn't line up with this introduction. Andy reveals in S06E17-Delivery: Part 1 that he had been given his father's name (Walter) until his younger brother Walter Jr. was born, at which point his parents changed his name to Andrew.
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In S06E22-Secretary's Day, he claims that Andrew/Walter Sr. married his secretary, despite only later leaving Andy's mom after they lose their fortune (S09E06-The Boat).
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Walter Sr. is a total dick to Andy in S08E04-Garden Party. It's clear from their interactions that their relationship has always been strained and that Walter Sr. does not support Andy's pursuit of a career in paper.
Plus, his parents are played by different actors:
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Bonus recastings: Both Pam and Jim's infant daughter Cece and Stanley's daughter Melissa are played by noticeably different actors in different episodes or seasons.
Jim started before Pam, but Pam was there on Jim's first dayIn S02E13-The Secret, Jim says that he had a crush on Pam "when she first started" at Dunder Mifflin, which implies that he was employed there at the beginning of her tenure.
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A couple of seasons later (S04E03-Launch Party), Jim and Pam are talking about when they knew they liked each other and he says that it was when Pam gave him some advice on his first day, meaning she must have been there when he started.
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Meredith is an accountant and then she's notIn S01E04-The Alliance, Michael reads out what Jim's written on Meredith's birthday card: "Meredith, I heard you're turning 46. But come on, you're an accountant. Just fudge the numbers."
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It later becomes clear that Meredith is not part of the accounting department, but is actually in supplier relations. It's first hinted at in S02E15-Boys and Girls where she and the other women of the office are asked to identify something they know they're good at.
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It's further suggested in S05E3-Business Ethics, when she admits to sleeping with a supplier for discounts.
Finally, in S07E02-Counseling, Gabe instructs Pam to get "every department head's signature" to back her claim of being hired as Office Administrator; Meredith is included in this (with the voiceover that "there are a lot of one-person departments here, so there's a lot of department heads"); plus, we already know that Angela is the head of Accounting.
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Oscar discovers hardwood floors twiceIn S07E24-Dwight K. Schrute, (Acting) Manager, Dwight accidentally shoots the floor, leaving a hole that reveals hardwood underneath.
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He seems pretty thrilled by it, so you'd think he would remember only a couple of years later, but in S09E11-Suit Warehouse, the staff tries to move the copier into the annex and accidentally tears up a section of the carpet again and Oscar exclaims: "Wait! Hardwood! I always knew it was down here."
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Fire safety trainingIn S02E4-The Fire, the office staff (other than Dwight and Michael) seem calm and collected when the break room starts to smoke. With Dwight and Angela's fire safety guidance, they get out of the building in a timely manner and orderly fashion.
![Screen Shot 2018-06-21 at 4.18.33 PM.png]( "Screen Shot 2018-06-21 at 4.18.33 PM.png")
A few years later, in S05E14-Stress Relief: Part 1, some of the same people who knew the procedure before (including Angela) now default to panic mode when faced with a similar situation.
![Screen Shot 2018-06-21 at 4.20.36 PM.png]( "Screen Shot 2018-06-21 at 4.20.36 PM.png")
![Screen Shot 2018-06-21 at 4.22.19 PM.png]( "Screen Shot 2018-06-21 at 4.22.19 PM.png")
One actor, two partsNelson Franklin plays both the graphic design firm employee Pam talks to at the job fair in S04E13-Job Fair and Nick the IT Guy at Dunder Mifflin in later episodes (S06E16-Manager and the Salesman, S06E26-Whistleblower).
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Blake Garrett Rosenthal is an extra in the crowd at Hay Place in S07E09-WUPHF.com, then in S9E17-The Farm plays Dwight's nephew whom it's implied he hasn't seen in many years (not even knowing that the kid had never met his father).
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SOURCE: Using
The Office as background noise for years.
What inconsistencies have you noticed in your favorite shows or films?
