Nellie Bertram came on to The Office hot and heavy. She took the world by storm and didn't take no for an answer. As a close friend of Jo Bennett's, Nellie interviewed for the regional manager position in Scranton. However, when she didn't get it, she took a role near Sabre's headquarters in Tallahassee.
When things in Tallahassee didn't work out, Nellie traveled to Scranton for an open position but she was not greeted with open arms. Nellie tried too hard to make her mark on the company and ruffled too many feathers. It's not until Andy took his position back that her coworkers saw a softer side to Nellie. Nevertheless, it seemed that even that wasn't enough to win fans over.
When She Thought She Could Take A Managing Position
Was there anything bolder than Nellie taking a job from another person simply because they weren’t in the office? While Andy was in Florida trying to bring Erin home, Nellie decided that the only job that made the most sense for her was that of the regional manager.
With Andy away, she saw no problem in doing his job for him. Her addition to the office caused chaos. No one knew whether or not to take her seriously or what kind of power she actually had. Scranton had already been through a lot in the managing department, haven't they been through enough?
She's Allowed To Be Late But No One Else Is
For someone brazen enough to take another man’s job, it adds up that she thinks she’s invincible in the office. In one scene, Nellie showed up late to work and ran into Robert California. Robert was already annoyed at the disappearance of his manager and receptionist but his mood changed when he saw a late Nellie.
He expected her to have some kind of excuse for her tardiness but the only excuse she had was she couldn’t get out of bed. Nellie acted like she was untouched, which was unfair for those who actually showed up to work on time.
She Was Lucky To Be Given A Job
The only reason Nellie started working for Sabre was because of her relationship with Jo Bennett. Her interview for regional manager went horribly and yet she still found herself employed with the company.
Transferring to Scranton was a huge mistake because there wasn’t a need for her there. Due to her smug attitude and lack of position, Nellie’s entire presence in Scranton was unnecessary. Her job as Special Projects Manager meant she did nothing with her time. She just made it up.
She Led Toby On
Toby gets excited whenever there’s a new woman in the office because it’s another attempt at love. He longed for Pam from afar but she had her eyes on Jim since day one. With Nellie, Toby decided to shoot his shot and hope for the best, and it kind of worked (for some time).
He was smooth at first but then he came on too strong with the Scranton Strangler nonsense. Nellie eventually kissed him just to shut him up but once again, he took it too far. He assumed Nellie liked him after the kiss and was most likely heartbroken when she ghosted him.
Her Character Was Unnecessary
Was Nellie needed to make The Office a better show? Furthering that point, did the Scranton branch need Nellie to become more successful? All roads lead to no. When Nellie was the manager, she didn’t do anything that made the Scranton branch go above and beyond other branches. She also didn’t have the same kind of energy that Michael Scott brought to the show. So, at the end of the day, her character (and her position) was pointless.
She Would Do Anything For Power
Nellie is a ladder climber. She will do anything to come out on top or be a person of power. When the gang was down in Tallahassee, Nellie loved that everyone was trying to impress (and seduce) her.
She was a powerful female and she wasn’t taking no for an answer. She flirted with Dwight and Packer and put them against each other. She used sex as a way to get promoted, which is highly unethical and can be seen as very predatory too (especially when one considers the power dynamics). How she managed to keep a job at Scranton is anyone's guess.
She Didn't Last Long
It’s not known how many weeks Nellie was an interim regional manager but it was long enough to have Angela’s complete trust. The two teamed up against Andy when she threatened to deduct money from his paycheck.
If she really was a good fit for the Scranton branch, she would have done some incredible things to improve it. The problem for Nellie is that Andy had more experience with the work Dunder Mifflin and Sabre did. She was always just a filler.
Her Meeting On Impotence
When Andy and Nellie were going head-to-head over power, he was just starting a relationship with Erin. After years of playing cat and mouse, they finally decided to make it official when Erin threatened to move. However, when they tried consummating their relationship, Andy wasn’t able to perform.
A rumor soon spread around the office about Andy’s impotence. Nellie—for whatever reason—took it upon herself to have a meeting on impotence, which was a total Michael Scott move. The meeting was highly inappropriate in an office setting, and it was embarrassing for Andy.
Encouraging Violence
When Nellie started a new position as a Special Projects Manager, Dwight refused to give her a charity name for her initiative. The only thing he would come up with was the Taliban. Nellie entertained his Taliban shtick for a little bit but things got even darker quickly.
She encouraged him to act out his life in the office under Taliban Law, which required him to chop off her hand for stealing a pen. She literally placed her hand on the chopping block and gave him a clever in the middle of the workday. There's was far more productive things she could have been doing than encouraging Dwight's antics.
She Tries Too Hard To Fit In
Let’s face it, Nellie became more likable when she wasn’t a person of power. Her co-workers got to know her on a humane level when she started working with them instead of above them. But sadly, Nellie missed the mark with most of her co-workers.
She came off like she was trying too hard. A great example of this was with Darryl. She tried so hard to be on Darryl’s good side that it came off desperate and embarrassing. It wasn’t authentic like the rest of the friendships.