What to Know About Holly Flax from The Office
She went from an human resource manager for Dunder Mifflin to Michael Scott's wife.
The Office's Michael Scott (Steve Carell) had a long-running hatred toward the Human Resources department... until Holly Flax (Amy Ryan) came along.
Holly turned Dunder Mifflin upside down by proving to be the perfect match for Michael and then moving to Colorado, ultimately leading Michael to make the choice to leave his long-held job as Scranton's branch manager.
Before their big departure, however, her funny, lovable character won over the hearts of fans and Dunder Mifflin employees alike. Revisit all of Holly's most memorable storylines from her multi-season run on The Office.
When did Holly first appear in The Office?
Holly's first appearance happened in the midst of chaos as original H.R. manager Toby Flenderson (Paul Lieberstein) departed for Costa Rica, in Season 4, Episodes 18-19 ("Goodbye, Toby" Parts 1 and 2). After receiving a mundane day of training for the role, she joined the rest of the branch for a massive goodbye party for her predecessor, held in the building's parking lot.
Michael was slow to warm up to her, though. "We know Toby thinks she'll be great, so, strike one. I hate her already," he told Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson). Holly won him over by poking jabs at Toby, like saying "I nearly fell asleep when he gave me a tour of the files."
Holly and Michael's Early Office Flirtations
Once Michael realized Holly wasn't Toby 2.0, he developed a crush on her and turned to Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) for help wooing her. Jim then told him to "lay a foundation" and work from there.
Michael and Holly flirted in her first episode by doing impressions while building a new chair for her desk, and he stood up for her when Dwight hazed her by putting a raccoon in her car.
They hit some problems when Michael decided to help Jan Levinson (Melora Hardin) co-parent her child and Holly began dating other men in Scranton, but Michael didn't give up hope. "She's my friend, and ultimately my strategy is to merge this into a relationship," Michael said in Season 5, Episode 3 ("Business Ethics").
At the end of Season 5, Episode 4 ("Baby Shower"), Michael realized he wasn't bonding with Jan's child and Jan told him to never date Holly, giving him the final push to pursue her. He asked Holly on a date and, by the next episode ("Crime Aid"), their relationship was in full swing.
Why did Michael and Holly break up?
At the end of the "Crime Aid" episode, Dunder Mifflin executive David Wallace (Andy Buckley) spotted Holly and Michael kissing. In Season 5, Episode 6 ("Employee Transfer"), it was announced that corporate had decided to transfer Holly "back to her old branch in Nashua, New Hampshire," and Michael helped her move.
The two ultimately decided that they hadn't been together for long enough to sustain a long-distance relationship, and they broke up. In Episode 17 ("Lecture Circuit Part 2"), Michael visited the Nashua branch and found out that Holly was in a relationship with a salesman there named AJ (Rob Huebel).
In the Season 5 finale (Episode 28, "Company Picnic"), Michael saw Holly again, and came prepared with a list of reasons why they should be together. The two teamed up to write a sketch for the picnic, and though they shared some sweet moments, Michael chose not to profess his love for her. "I think that today was just about having today, and I think that we are one of those couples with a long story when people ask how we found each other," he said.
When did Michael and Holly get back together?
Holly was eventually transferred back to the Scranton branch in Season 7, Episodes 11-12 ("Classy Christmas" Parts 1 and 2) when Toby had to take a leave of absence to be on the jury for the Scranton Strangler case. Michael announced that the Christmas party was cancelled so that he could throw a fancier party to welcome Holly instead.
However, when she returned, she was still in a relationship with AJ, prompting Michael to get jealous and ruin a Toy Story Woody doll that AJ had given her. Holly told Pam Halpert (Jenna Fischer) that she was going to give AJ an ultimatum that if he didn't propose to her at the end of the year, she would break up with him, so once the office returned from break everyone braced to see what had happened.
In Episode 13 ("Ultimatum"), Erin Hannon (Ellie Kemper) helped Michael make a "happy" and "sad" box, one for each outcome of Holly's potential engagement or breakup. When Holly revealed her ring-less left hand, they celebrated with the "happy" box and danced and sprayed champagne.
Michael and Holly weren't immediately back together: it wasn't until Episode 15 ("The Search") that they kissed again. Michael and Jim were driving around together when Jim had to respond to a family call, so he left Michael at a gas station. The Scranton boss walked around the city, up to a rooftop, and Holly traced his steps perfectly, guessing exactly where he would want to go. When she found him on the roof, they kissed and said how much they had missed each other.
Why did Holly leave The Office?
As Michael and Holly's relationship progressed, he decided to propose, and called her dad to ask for permission (Season 7, Episode 19 "Garage Sale"). When Holly's parents called her later to tell her that Michael had reached out, it was clear that they needed some extra help. "I think I need to go home to Colorado," she told Michael in the break room. "My dad isn't doing so well... and I want you to come with me."
Holly attempted to propose to Michael, but he interrupted her. "I'm not going to be proposed to in the break room. That is not going to be our story," he told the cameras in a talking head. He later decorated the office with candles and had the entire team help him propose to Holly, and the two started their journey to Colorado.