The Office has been off the air since 2013, but fans can’t help but wonder how their favorite Dunder Mifflin employees would navigate present-day life.
For example, as the world panics about the new coronavirus, which results in the disease known as COVID-19, how do you think the fictional paper people in Scranton, Pennsylvania, would be coping?
Would Dwight have a safety drill prepared? Would Michael be in a fetal position under his desk? Would Creed be coughing hysterically? The possibilities are endless, but Twitter user @the_real_bnell tried to imagine what a coronavirus-themed episode of the show might look like.
The first tweet in the hilariously on-point “The Office: Coronavirus” thread now has more than 200,000 likes. It imagines Michael ignoring any “work from home” memo in favor of being with his work fam, Dwight claiming immunity to the virus, Angela donning a full-on hazmat suit, and Kevin casually saying he already has the virus.
The Office: Coronavirus
Michael ignores the “work from home” memo because he thinks that everyone should be together at a time like this
Dwight acts completely normal & claims genetic immunity
Angela wears a hazmat suit
Kevin says that he’s had it for weeks & feels fine447K5:25 AM – Mar 10, 2020Twitter Ads info and privacy97.9K people are talking about this
SEE ALSO: John Krasinski couldn’t stop laughing when filming this episode of ‘The Office’ with Steve Carell
The thread goes on to imagine Creed as “Patient Zero,” outlines Stanley using his remote work opportunity to go on vacation, and Andy heavily panicking after reading a WebMD page.
“The episode ends with Michael shopping alone at Costco on a Saturday. He’s excited because he usually ‘can’t even get in the door,'” the tweet concludes.
Daniel Burnell@the_real_bnellReplying to @the_real_bnell
Creed is somehow Patient Zero
Stanley is on a beach with a margarita as a video conference begins
Andy looked at WebMD & is now losing his mind
The episode ends with Michael shopping alone at Costco on a Saturday. He’s excited because he usually “can’t even get in the door”
8,301 people are talking about this
@the_real_bnell then went on to share a link to an r/DunderMifflin post on Reddit, where you can see a bunch of other brilliant fan predictions about how characters would react into the coronavirus.
Daniel Burnell@the_real_bnellReplying to @the_real_bnell
You can go to @reddit r/DunderMifflin and see what others have added to this “episode”. So good.@theofficenbc #TheOffice #Coranovirus #DunderMifflin @jennafischer https://www.reddit.com/r/DunderMifflin/comments/fg5wbt/i_would_watch_this/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf …I would watch this. Posted in r/DunderMifflin by u/throwthenachos
• 5,173 points and 96 commentsreddit.com
648 people are talking about this
One fan imagined a scenario in which Michael would “insist that everyone comes into work” amidst coronavirus fears, but after learning there have been thousands of coronavirus-related deaths around the world he’d quarantine himself in his office and refuse to leave. Meanwhile, Jim and Pam would try to convince Dwight that Jim had contracted COVID-19 as a prank.
Other fans thought that Meredith would drink the office’s remaining hand sanitizer, Stanley would leave work after hearing a single cough, and if Oscar tried to escape quarantine through the ceiling Angela would ask him to save her cat. All very believable!
At the very least we know Michael’s aware that it’s “polite” to wash your hands, and Dwight once wished for a new plague, so maybe the gang would do alright. But I imagine the episode would be absolute chaos.
At the end of the day, the coronavirus is a serious matter, and you should be frequently washing your hands, refraining from touching your faces, and staying informed on updates and guidelines. But when you need a lighthearted break from all the coronavirus concerns, we highly suggest thinking about The Office.
