Office It premiered in 2005, but its storylines, pace, and comedy allow it to continue to win over new viewers today. Although it ended its broadcasts ten years ago, the series is more alive than ever, especially thanks to streaming platforms. And its timeliness is such, that there are still people trying to reveal some of the storylines.
Stories like that of Jim and Pam, the romantic legacy of Michael Scott or the humanization of Dwight Schrute were perfectly closed; although there is one that has never been resolved: The one with the Scranton Strangler. From the earliest seasons, it was discovered that boredom wasn’t the only thing plaguing the town that was home to Dunder Mifflin’s Pennsylvania branch, but there was also a serial killer on the loose.
He was known to be a strangler, and they eventually caught him. But no other details about him were ever known, and it could even have been called anecdotal, were it not for the fact that the writers repeated this resource in different parts of the plot. Because of this, fans haven’t stopped investigating until they come up with a theory that makes it clear who the strangler is: Toby Flanderson.
The character of Toby in a scene from “The Office”. / Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank
Paul Liberstein He played Toby from the first to the last season of the series, being the head of the human resources department that Michael Scott can’t stand. Most of his appearances are based on comic gags in which he is despised, although he is also the one most closely related to the Scranton Strangler.
Clues to his identity
The plot of the serial killer is present in many chapters, and in fact, he is one of the links in the criminal at many points in the series. One of the most shocking occurs when the police chase the strangler, which the office workers see from Toby’s computer. There is no trace of him, except his car: the pursued leads the same.
After that, Toby is selected to serve on the popular jury that might convict the criminal, which he is most excited for. Of course, some time later, he confesses to having condemned an innocent… Something that could indicate that he knows perfectly well that the prisoner is not the murderer.
On Tik Tok, there are dozens of videos about him, and they all agree that he is the murderer. The most daring go a little further in all these tests and dare to include in their hypotheses the love that Toby feels for Pam, something that does not hide during the series. The receptionist may be totally in love with Jim, although Toby keeps showing he has feelings for her.
Therefore, they also connect this plot to the Strangler’s crimes: Many of the Strangler murders are said to have taken place after some of the more notable stages of Jim and Pam’s relationship. For example, when Andy proudly displays the front page of the newspaper from the day Cece —their daughter— was born, the news that occupies the most space is the return of the crimes.
The creators of the series have yet to comment on this, but whether on purpose or not, everything indicates that his continuous gags were more than intended to make him understand. And whether this is the case or not, it is clear that the series has already managed to be a timeless classic that intends to continue to conquer new generations of viewers.
Office is available on Netflix and Prime Video.