While Dwight Schrute might not be the main character on The Office, he’s one of the most memorable. While he started out being mostly just weird and unlikable, he had a lot of different storylines over the series, and fans started to even like him at certain points.
Some of the stories and narrative arcs that Dwight was given were great for various reasons. But, others really fell flat and ended up hurting the story and doing a disservice to the character.
Worst: Trying to get Jim fired as a manager
When Jim and Micahel become co-managers of the Scranton branch, it doesn't make a lot of sense. However, that aside, another annoying part of this storyline was Dwight’s part in it.
Dwight spent a lot of time trying to get Jim fired and frame him for various things. He teamed up with Ryan to do so, and while there were some funny moments, this kind of schtick was starting to get old.
Best: Trying to take over Michael’s job
On the other hand, Dwight’s earlier storyline of trying to take over the job of Regional Manager was iconic. This happened in the early seasons of the show when the series was really starting to pick up steam.
This was when Dwight was at his most eccentric and ridiculous, but he was extremely funny. The Assistant to the Regional Manager bit was great, and seeing Dwight try and fail to take over was well-written.
Worst: Trying to prove that Phillip was his son
This storyline was an annoying one all around, and it didn’t make any sense. While Dwight had good reason to believe that Phillip was his son, both he and Angela acted ridiculous about it.
The most ridiculous thing about this though was that the show told us that Dwight wasn’t the father. He even got a paternity test that he paid for himself. But, then, later on, somehow Dwight is actually the father.
Best: The love triangle/affair with Angela
While not all of the storylines involving Angela were good ones for Dwight, some of them were. The affair storyline when Anglea was engaged to Dwight was one of the more memorable ones from the middle of the series.
Both Dwight and Anglea acted horribly in this stanchion, but it did make for some funny scenarios. It was a major plot point, and it ended up causing some big drama in the office.
Worst: Dwight becoming acting manager and then losing the job
The series really struggled after Steve Carrell left the show. They needed to find a replacement for Michael Scott as manager, but those were big shoes to fill. Various guest stars took over the job, and then there was a time when some of the other characters acted as acting manager.
It was annoying that Dwight was briefly made manager only to have it taken away. He acted super irresponsibly, and he should have straight up been fired after the gun incident.
Best: Letting himself be fired for Angela
One of the best Dwight storylines also happened early in the series. This story showed a different side to Dwight that viewers hadn’t seen before.
This narrative gave new depth to Dwight and Angela’s relationship, and it showed that he could care about people deeply. He was willing to get fired from the job he loved because he cared that much about Angela, and it was somewhat endearing.
Worst: His relationship with Esther
The series really messed up when they tried to introduce a completely new love interest for Dwight in the form of Esther, a woman he knew growing up from a neighboring farm. Fans really just wanted Anglea and Dwight together, for one thing.
Also, the relationship just felt very forced and inauthentic. They didn’t really have chemistry, and Esther was clearly not right for him.
Best: Recyclops
While some of Dwight’s best storylines were more serious or over a long arc of multiple-episodes, the Recyclops story, while very brief, was super iconic.
It’s a funny joke that fans will remember for years to come. It also showed in just a short sequence how Dwight acted as a character overall. It showed his imaginative side and also how he would take things too far and go from caring about safety to being destructive.
Worst: Buying the farm with his siblings
The worst Dwight storyline is definitely from the final season. The episode, “The Farm,” was a backdoor pilot that was supposed to center on Dwight and his siblings taking over their aunt’s farm.
Introducing these siblings out of nowhere wasn’t interesting, and truthfully, most fans didn’t really care. While Dwight’s beet farm and family history were great for jokes, all of that intrigue and ridiculousness went away when it was the focus.
Best: Becoming a decent manager finally
While Dwight becoming acting manager only to completely screw it all up was frustrating, the show did something right when it ended the series with Dwight as the manager.
The reason this storyline worked is that Dwight had finally reached enough maturity to not lord over others in this position. He had finally chilled out enough to possibly deserve the job.