The Office is a sitcom TV show that portrays the life of employees in Scranton, Pennsylvania. There was a plot in the show where heinous crimes were committed, and one of Sabre’s beloved colleagues might be behind them. Since many people love this sitcom, anyone would never expect a real murder mystery to be included in the plot.
In season 6, the mystery was first introduced when baby Cece was born. The newspaper on that day has a headline about the Scranton Strangler Striking Again. This is something that most parents will hesitate to put on their little one’s nursery walls, but it was the start of a plot.
The Show’s Plot Thickens
This mystery and the notorious killer were mentioned several times in passing during the series. However, the plot thickens in season 7 when one of the employees served as a juror on a case. This turned out to be the infamous Strangler’s trial.
After everything on trial concludes, the employee, Toby, mentioned that he had doubts about his decision as a juror. He even opened up to his fellow jurors that the man that they sentenced as “guilty” may not be the one that they are looking for.
Because this specific character felt guilt and remorse, he became fixated in finding out who was really behind the killings. He confided with his friend Nellie, but she said that he should dismiss his concerns about the case. Toby went to the prison to confront George Howard Skub, who received the guilty verdict. However, the former got out of jail sporting a neck brace. This might mean that Toby had an episode with the law enforcement team, and they might have found that he’s the right man after all.
For some fans, this might be pretty straightforward. However, some fans don’t agree. For those who have followed the series throughout, they were convinced that Toby was the Strangler. And honestly, most fans found that the pieces of evidence are both compelling and robust against him.
Evidence Against the Strangler
Most employees at the so-called Dunder-Mifflin office do not like Toby. Michael Scott, who was the regional manager, has a particular dislike for him. Read more why Michael Scott hates Toby here: https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/the-office-reason-michael-scott-hates-toby.html/. That dislike stopped when the manager moved to Colorado. Most of the seven seasons showed Toby being bullied, harassed, abused verbally, and explicitly targeted by Michael. These events can be more than enough for anyone to go over the edge.
Sure, Toby looks innocent and a far cry from the Stranton killer. However, he might be a little too pathetic and unassuming. The internet is filled with sleuths, and some Twitter users made prominent theories about what they thought.
Twitter users such as Spencer McClure shared a lengthy post to the public as to why he thought Toby was guilty. He said that for one, the Strangler was mentioned significantly during the birth of Jim and Pam’s elder child.
Many noticed that Toby had a long-standing and unrequited crush for Pam. The budding love was not reciprocated, and this shows when the former showed too much resentment and frustration when he sees the couple together. During the initial mention of the Strangler, it is noted that the employee in question was absent.
Another evidence many internet fans found suspicious is when Toby was not present during the chase. The O.J. Simpson’s style of chasing was a great scene until most people figured out that there’s somebody missing from the screen. The Strangler was driving a vehicle that was parking on the lot of Dunder-Mifflin. This adds to the piling evidence against the significant suspect to the case of the infamous serial killer.
Most people asked if Toby was involved in the exciting car chase, how come that he was invited to serve as a juror? This question is not yet answered clearly, but there were possible explanations. The neck brace that the suspect got from visiting the jail is an argument that Toby did not send the right man to prison.
Some viewers said that to keep up the ruse, Toby hurt himself to avoid suspicion. Another popular theory online states that he told the imprisoned and sentenced man that he was the real thing. This led to a fight resulting in the falsely accused prisoner strangling the real killer after all.
The Strangler Remains a Mystery
For many people, the theories above may be too far-fetched since the character of Toby does not match the accusations hurled to the killer. However, most fans believe that the more they are watching the series, they are getting some bits and pieces of Toby’s sinister path inside the Dunder-Mifflin Company. You can know more about Dunder-Mifflin when you click here. The show even made a parody about the idea that Toby might be the Strangler after all.
With lots of theories out there, it can be hard to confirm. Even if most fans never get a definitive answer, they might be easier to believe that Toby can be the person behind the heinous crimes. You can always re-watch the show and keep your eyes open for clues.