It has been nearly ten years since the popular workplace comedy, The Office, ended, with talks of a potential revival underway in 2022. Given that multiple characters have become social media staples in the form of hilarious gifs and memes, fans are thrilled at the idea – especially if it can create characters who are as unique as Dwight Schrute.
In his wacky diligence, Dwight displayed some goofy behaviors and mannerisms, perfected by Rainn Wilson’s masterful performance. Notwithstanding, he wasn’t without heart. There were multiple instances throughout the sitcom’s nine-season run where Dwight exhibited warmth and compassion towards those around him.
Taking The Fall For Michael
Dwight held Scranton branch manager Michael Scott (Steve Carrell) in high regard. While he had attempted to double cross Michael in the past, Dwight has come a long way to get back into his good graces. One such occurrence would be seen in the season 5 episode “Golden Ticket.”
In this episode, Michael creates a golden ticket incentive, offering Dunder Mifflin customers ten percent off their paper order for one year. In classic Michael Scott fashion, the idea backfires and he blames Dwight, who takes the fall. Given that he could have lost his job for the risk, fans couldn’t help but admire that Dwight was willing to go along with the scheme since it proved that he was a devoted and loyal friend.
Driving To Corporate For Angela
Unbeknownst to him, Dwight was quite a ladies’ man. However, he only had his heart set on one woman, which was Angela Martin (Angela Kinney). Although Dwight and Angela have done horrible things to each other, there was a time during their first go around when he stuck his neck out for her.
When Angela forgot to send Dunder Mifflin’s tax forms in the season 3 episode “Travelling Salesman,” Dwight drove to New York to deliver them. It was seen to be a pretty significant and memorable gesture – especially as he had also been on thin ice with Michael for his previous schemes. The fact that he chose to be loyal to Angela more than Michael just goes to show how deeply he cared about the accountant.
Comforting Pam
Aside from Angela, one of the other Dunder Mifflin employees that had Dwight’s respect was quirky receptionist Pam Beesley (Jenna Fischer). Over time, they would establish a mutual consideration and care for one another, forming an unlikely friendship. However, one of their most wholesome moments was when Dwight comforted Pam in season 3’s “Back From Vacation.”
Dwight walks into Pam crying in the hallway in season three’s episode “Back From Vacation”, the latter visibly upset over the progression of Jim’s relationship with Karen. In his limited (and awkward) emotional capacity, Dwight offers her a shoulder to cry on. The comfort of Dwight’s actions truly spoke louder than words, which is exactly what Pam needed in this scene.
Rocking Cece To Sleep
Dwight Schrute had many talents. Beet farmer, volunteer firefighter, karate master, and apparently babysitter. Long before becoming a doting father to Phillip, his son with Angela, Dwight already had some familiarity with small children.
His expertise comes from a strange Schrute family tradition where the youngest child takes care of the elder children (and fans see it best in season 7’s “Viewing Party”). Although they never see eye to eye, fans thought it was quite sweet that Dwight decided to help Pam and Jim calm Cece; while he had plans with Angela, the fact that he put those on hold because someone else needed him most showed that he could be selfless when he wanted.
Helping Jim With The Customer Feedback Fiasco
Regardless of the fact that Dwight is considered one of the many office oddballs, he takes his job seriously. He prides himself on having a good rapport with clients and doing efficient work. When Jim (John Krasinski) and Dwight’s annual customer survey scores in the season 5 episode “Customer Survey” were lower than expected, Dwight got to the bottom of things.
Even though they were at odds, Dwight knew that Jim’s scores were also inaccurate. In a collaborative effort, they discovered Kelly had sabotaged the scores, who considered it payback against both of them for not attending her birthday party. Despite their intense rivalry, it was great to see Dwight put his grudge aside because he knew that Jim was a good salesman and deserved to be credited.
Giving Phyllis A Massage
Dwight almost always went out of his way to help his fellow co-worker in a crisis, with a prime example being seen in the season 5 episode “Cafe Disco.” When Phyllis pulled her back from having a little too much fun on the dance floor, Dwight came to her aid.
Dwight thought quickly on his feet to both heal Phyllis and allow the others to enjoy the dance party. He gave her a massage and used some home remedies to help alleviate the pain. While they didn’t have a close bond, he also help to ease her worries about her marriage to Bob. He may act like he doesn’t care, but deep down, he really does.
Getting Rid Of Cathy
Dwight was hands down one of the funniest characters on The Office, even being compared by fans to The Big Bang Theory’s Sheldon Cooper. From time to time, this led to a few harebrained schemes, with some of which were downright bizarre.
Despite being rebuffed by Jim countless times, new staff member Cathy Simms (Lindsey Broad) was relentless in pursuit of her office crush. This all came to an end during the Florida trip. Dwight intercepted Cathy’s advances by pulling a dramatic scene of severe bed bugs in Jim’s bed. It also made fans happy to see that Dwight was willing to share his room with Jim, particularly as he had plans with Nellie that night. It just showed how far they had come.
Dwight Helps Pam Find Who Ruined Her Mural
During her time at Dunder Mifflin, Pam always had aspirations of becoming an artist. After a failed attempt at design school, Pam was given an opportunity to paint a mural for the Dunder Mifflin warehouse. However, in the season 9 episode, “Vandalism,” Pam finds that her mural has been defaced with obscene drawings.
Left to her own devices, Dwight and Nellie (Catherine Tate) volunteer to help Pam find the culprit, who turns out to be warehouse worker Frank (Brad William Henke). Considering how estranged the pair were when the series first began, it was nice to see that Dwight refused to allow anyone to upset Pam. He knew she worked hard on that mural and didn’t deserve this harsh treatment so fans were overjoyed that he stood up for her.
Making Jim His Bestest Mensch
Dwight truly gets a happily ever after in the series finale. He is officially the manager of Dunder Mifflin and is marrying Angela, the love of his life and mother of their child Phillip. For his wedding, Dwight appoints Jim as his “Bestest Mensch” in lieu of a best man.
Once again, this gesture proved how far the two men had come from the days of Jim pulling epic pranks on Dwight. They had finally established a mutual consideration for one another. Respectfully, Jim handed the position over to somebody better suited, which was Michael Scott.
Giving The Office A Tasty Adventure
Season 9 was when Dwight really came into his own. A big part of his storyline was setting up the trajectory for Dwight finally becoming the regional manager – with a prime example being shown in “Work Bus.”
Showcasing strong his leadership skills and finding an incentive to work, Dwight (along with Jim) managed to motivate the workers into doing their jobs when they decide to go for pies. Although he initially said no, it was quite interesting that he changed his mind when Jim said he was trying to cheer up Pam. Whether it was because he knew Pam had been having a rough time with Jim in Philadelphia or because the workers had a tough day, it showed that he did care about their well-beings deep down.
