Like many educated people, I recognize that The Office is basically the best show ever created. It has absurd comedy, heartfelt characters, and is overall a realistic portrayal of what it's like to work in an American 9-to-5 job. It's such a good show, I would say it's almost perfect.
Almost.
My one problem with the show pertains to this man:
Toby Wyatt Flenderson is the best character that gets the worst rap on The Office.
Hear me out.
1. Toby is the nicest person at Dunder Mifflin.
No employee of Dunder Mifflin Scranton can be put above Toby in terms of pure niceness. He is constantly trying to better the lives of his fellow workers, even while dealing with the constant negativity from Michael. While he does have his moments of rudeness (especially towards the end of the series), he is still nicer and more wholesome than any other character on the show.
Yes, even nicer than Pam. Sorry.
Some may argue, "Um, actually, Toby screamed obscenities at Darryl's sister in season 6, that's not very nice, right???"
That leads me to my next point:
2. Toby tries his best to be fair.
The reason why Toby screamed at Darryl's sister is because he thought she was Darryl. The reason? Darryl was faking being injured to get out of work. This completely constitutes Toby being understandably angry because he is a fair person.
Let's be honest, none of us would want Toby's job. He is constantly made the punching bag of the office by Michael, is regularly reminded of his divorce, and the woman he loves is with someone else. He has to deal with all of this while ensuring that the office doesn't implode on itself because of Dwight's violent tendencies or Michael's embarrassing personality.
Yet, though it all, he persists and takes it all in stride. He does his best to make sure the office is a safe place for everyone to work, and we have to give him credit for that.
3. Toby has morals.
Towards the end of the series, a recurring plot in the show centers on Toby's connection to the Scranton Strangler, an unseen murderer who was finally captured. Toby learns more about the case at jury duty and becomes increasingly fascinated with the trial.
After the Strangler is sent to prison, Toby realizes the man who was convicted may be innocent. He begins to do his own research and even visits the prison where he is kept. After he gets choked out by the Strangler himself, he realizes he was wrong.
Even though Toby was too naive to be correct about the Strangler's innocence, his willingness to find the real killer and exonerate the man in his place shows that Toby has a good heart.
In the end, we can all agree that the comedy of Toby's character comes from his constant status as Michael's target for hurling insults. He is to The Office what Jerry/Larry/Garry Girgich is to Parks and Recreation.
However, in many ways, he is more than that. He is, in many respects, the unsung hero of The Office. The true representation of the average middle-class working man. In some ways, he represents all of us.
Or he's just Toby. Who does suck sometimes.
