It's Michael's second to last day at Dunder-Mifflin and everyone in the office is preparing for his departure and goodbye party the next day. However, unknown to the staff, it's actually his last day before he leaves for Colorado that night, so he secretly makes his goodbyes to everyone in the office. Meanwhile, Andy tries to keep hold of one of Michael's long lasting clients.
Episode Tropes:
- Better the Devil You Know: The episode ends with the office workers looking horrified as Deangelo starts to have an emotional breakdown at Michael's going away party. This is further emphasized based on how, earlier in the episode, it's plainly established that Deangelo unlike Michael is a terrible salesman.
- Bittersweet Ending: Michael leaves Dunder-Mifflin and Scranton for good, much to the sadness of Dwight, Jim, and Pam. But everyone knows he's finally going to have the life he's always wanted with Holly in Colorado.
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: This is the first episode in which the characters acknowledge the filming crew (aside from the Confession Cam scenes). As Michael runs to catch his flight, he takes off his microphone and tells the crew "Tell me when this is going to air."
- Call-Back: Before leaving the warehouse for the last time, Michael asks Darryl if he can use the baler, which he tried to do in "Safety Training." Darryl once again says no.
- Character Development:
- Michael reacts graciously when Phyllis gives him a pair of hand-made mittens as a farewell gift. In "Christmas Party" way back in Season 2, a whole heap of trouble was caused by his ungrateful response to a similarly hand-made gift from her.
- Michael's plan of not telling his coworkers about leaving later that day as opposed to the day after comes from not wanting to make a big deal out of his last day, showing that his Attention Whore days are truly gone.
- Everyone Has Standards: Even Creed is disgusted by Gabe's stalking of Erin.
- Fauxshadow: Hints are planted throughout the episode that Phyllis might be Erin's birth mother. This possibility is explored and ultimately discarded in the season finale, and Erin gets to finally meet her real parents in the series finale.
- Long Last Look: Michael does two of these. The first is when he looks around at the office and everyone working before leaving. The second is when he looks at the building before getting in his taxi to the airport.
- Manly Tears: Jim figures out that this is actually Michael's last day, and they both fight back tears when they agree to "go to lunch tomorrow." (those tears were genuine, too- John Krasinski has described that scene as "two grown men holding each other in an emotional breakdown.")
- Missed Him by That Much: Pam returns to the office just seconds after Michael's airport taxi leaves. Fortunately, she makes it to the airport to say goodbye.
- Never Say Goodbye: The whole point of Michael concealing the fact that this is his last day. Jim is the only one to realize what's going on and confront him. Michael then tries to say a proper goodbye to him, only to quickly begin tearing up and Jim cuts him off to say they should just say their goodbyes at lunch tomorrow.
- No Sense of Personal Space: Gabe barges into bathrooms twice in this episode, into the men's room to threaten Andy not to date Erin, and then into the women's room to try to make his case to Erin. Lampshaded by Jim when he notices the camera crew filming this.Jim: So you guys are filming people when they go to the bathroom now?
- Nothing Is the Same Anymore: With Steve Carell's departure (and Michael being Put on a Bus), this episode marks a major overhaul in the status quo for the remaining episodes.
- Put on a Bus: Effectively, this is Michael's last appearance until the series finale.
- The Reveal: Michael initially claims that he's coming in on his second last day of work. However, a phone conversation with Holly reveals that he's actually leaving for Colorado that night.
- Shout-Out: The ending, with Pam and Michael having one final conversation, but it's off-mic and we can't hear what they're saying (Jenna Fischer has stated that she and Steve Carell were, in fact, saying goodbye to one another out of character), is an obvious nod to the ending of Lost in Translation.
- This Is Gonna Suck: As Deangelo begins to have an emotional breakdown while cutting Michael's goodbye cake, Dwight mutters an alarmed "Uh oh" to Jim, who nods in agreement.
- Train-Station Goodbye: Pam makes it to the airport to say goodbye to Michael.
- Weight Woe: Deangelo reveals that he used to be overweight and has been carefully monitoring his food intake since then. However, it's clear throughout the episode that he's only barely fighting the urge to snack on sweets throughout the office, and at the end of the episode he practically has a breakdown as he keeps tearing off pieces of Michael's goodbye cake and screaming at it, leaving the rest of his new subordinates horrified.
- Wham Line: During Michael's phone call with Holly, she tells him she'll see him later that night at the baggage claim in Colorado, revealing to the viewers that this day is actually Michael's last day and he's kept it a secret from the staff.
