History Characters / OfficeSpace

* PaperTiger: As much he uses his position to bully and micromanage others, when someone like Peter stands up to him or starts brushing him off he doesn't seem to know how to react. [[OhCrap Then there's his reaction]] to being grilled by the Bobs.

* SelfFulfillingProphecy: As Michael puts it, Tom worries that he's going to lose his job every week. Since he apparently spent more time being scared it would happen instead of getting ready for the interview he ''knew'' was coming, he's a nervous, sweating wreck by the time he's in front of the Bobs and completely falls apart after a few questions that really shouldn't have been that hard to answer. Needless to say, the Bobs aren't the least bit impressed by what he has to say.

!!!Tropes that apply to Peter:

!!!Tropes applying to Michael

!!!Tropes applying to Samir:

!!!Tropes applying to Lumbergh:

!!!Tropes applying to Joanna:

!!!Tropes applying to Milton:

!!!Tropes applying to Lawrence
* {{Catchphrase}}: Seems to be "Fuckin' A."

!!!Tropes applying to Tom:

!!!Tropes applying to the Bobs:

* HatedByAll: None of his employees particularly care for him. Even the Bobs come to the realization he is a poor manager and [[KickTheSonOfABitch start grilling him on his job]].

* InsufferableGenius: In a FreezeFrameBonus, according to his employee records, he has a [[JustForPun BS]] in Physics from MIT.

->Played by {{Creator/Ron Livingston}}

->Played by {{Creator/David Herman}}

->Played by {{Creator/Ajay Naidu}}

->Played by Creator/GaryCole

* FatalFlaw: His need to bully and push people around. Trying to do this to a hypnotized Peter not only fails but draws the ire of the Bobs who look into his poor record as a manager. His mistreatment of Milton [[spoiler: drives the guy to burn the building down]].

* HateSink: As evidenced by many of the tropes on this very page, Lumbergh is a passive-aggressive asshole, constantly using buzzwords and measured tones to bully people. The viewers will have a very strong inclination to punch him in the face. Is it any wonder that three of his employees [[spoiler: embezzled the company]], and another one [[spoiler: burned it down]]?

* KilledOffScreen: [[spoiler: A deleted scene reveals that he died in the fire Milton started. However, it's unknown if this is still considered canon]].

* KickTheDog: Whenever you might start to think that Lumbergh is just a guy trying to do his job in a company that [[IncompetenceInc happens to be bogged down with stupid and inane policies]], he starts kicking Milton around for no apparent reason other than [[ForTheEvulz because he can]]. When he finds out that Milton technically doesn't have a job at Initech, he gets even worse, seemingly going out of his way to think of new ways to demean the guy [[spoiler: while deliberately withholding the information that Milton's "missing" paycheck doesn't exist and never will again]], cementing for the audience that he's every bit the soulless monster Peter and his friends claim he is.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: [[spoiler: No mention of him is made after Initech burns down, but in a deleted scene, Peter asks Samir and Michael if they're going to Lumbergh's funeral, revealing that he died in the fire.]]

->Played by Creator/JenniferAniston

->Played by {{Creator/Stephen Root}}

* ChekhovsGunman: [[spoiler: Ends up fixing things for Peter and the boys when he burns the office building to the ground, destroying any evidence of their crime]].

* ExtremeDoormat: Endures bullying and mistreatment from basically every aspect of his job. [[spoiler: And tropical resorts too.]]

->Played by {{Creator/Diedrich Bader}}

-->'''Lawrence:''' I always wanted to do that, man. And I think if I were a millionaire I could hook that up, too; 'cause chicks dig dudes with money.
-->'''Peter:''' Well, not ''all'' chicks.
-->'''Lawrence:''' Well, the type of chicks that'd double up on a dude like me do.
-->'''Peter:''' Good point.

-->'''Peter:''' When you come in on Monday and you're not feeling real well, does anyone ever say to you, "Sounds like someone has a case of the Mondays"?
-->'''Lawrence:''' No. No, man. ''Shit'', no, man! I believe you'd get your ass kicked saying something like that, man.

->Played by {{Creator/Richard Riehle}}

[[folder: The Bobs]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/9cvug3zqxxkmgdctzwychra1c_9el_qfjfmfwyjlgte.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"What would you say you do here?"'']]
->Played By {{Creator/John C McGinley}} (Slydell) and {{Creator/Paul Willson}} (Porter)

* {{Jerkass}}: While not as bad as [[BadBoss Lumbergh]], they can also be quite callous. They even gave Lumbergh the advice of [[spoiler: [[UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom not telling Milton about his lack of employment]]]].
* LackOfEmpathy: If you don't meet their standards, they will have no problem firing you and mocking you behind your back. [[spoiler: They actively encourage Lumbergh to gaslight Milton instead of simply firing him]].

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: The Bobs are a downplayed version of this. They do go about firing people in a heartless matter, [[spoiler: even advising Lumbergh to passive-aggressively torment Milton instead of confronting him about his lack of employment]]. But they are willing to give the employees a chance to explain their jobs, and when Peter speaks candidly with them about Initech's problems, they not only push for Peter's promotion, they start grilling Lumbergh about his incompetence.

[[/folder]]

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: His interview with the Bobs starts off well when he lies and says he likes the singer's music. Then he says they can call him "Mike" instead of "Michael" ([[UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom something Samir suggested he could do]]), and judging from the Bobs' expressions, this is implied to be [[DisproportionateRetribution the only reason they fire him]].
** Their reasoning for firing him goes a little deeper than that, actually: When Michael asks that they call him "Mike," he inadvertently reveals to The Bobs that he feigned "fandom" for Michael Bolton's music as a way to suck up to them. They quickly decide that he's a ProfessionalButtKisser (a trait they clearly do not favor, given how much they admire Peter for his brutal honesty) and have him fired as a result.

* EveryoneHasStandards: The two aren't exactly nice, but they do genuinely dislike office mismanagment. They are astonished when Peter tells them about how bloated and sclerotic the hierarchy at the company is. And they also look down at [[PointyHairedBoss Lumbergh]] for his poor management, even giving HIM their usual treatment.

* PunchClockVillain: Ultimately they are just doing their jobs. Though this lapses into AffablyEvil when you consider their lack of any empathy towards people who they lay off. To their credit, they do scrutinize Lumbergh when they get a taste of how rotten of a manager he is, showing they take their jobs seriously.