The Todd Packer Scene In The Office That Went Too Far
Dunder Mifflin's Scranton office, headed by Regional Manager Michael Scott (Steve Carrell), is home to a host of oddballs and hilarious hijinks. From the top down, there isn't a character on the payroll that doesn't possess some serious quirks. For the most part, though, those quirks are endearing. Yes, Angela (Angela Kinsey) is disturbingly close with her many cats. And Dwight's (Rainn Wilson) overzealousness nearly results in burning down the office. But, their idiosyncrasies were tempered by their better qualities. There is, however, one member of "The Office" who possesses zero redeeming qualities: Todd Packer.
Introduced in Season 1, Packer (David Koechner) is the branch's traveling salesman and is the middle-aged equivalent of a "frat bro." Among his many "qualities," Packer is vulgar, homophobic, and misogynistic. Whenever he checks in with the branch, he brings a bevy of off-color jokes and tales of alleged sexual conquests. He is rude to every member of the team, including Michael, who considers the Pack-Man his best friend. But of all the horrible things Packer said or did, one act rises to the level of being purely reprehensible.
Todd Packer's potty humor crossed the line
In the Season 2 episode "The Carpet," Michael arrives at work to find a mysterious and offensive-smelling substance on the carpet in his office. After attempts to clean the substance fail, Michael has the entire carpet removed. He then spends the rest of the workday trying to determine which employee is responsible for the mess. As the hours pass, Michael mistakenly comes to view himself as the victim of a hate crime because, well, he hated the crime. Just as trust in his colleagues hits rock bottom, Packer calls to ask if Michael enjoyed the "package" Packer left him. Upon learning Packer was behind it, Michael laughs it off and even praises the man for his advanced sense of humor.
While the exact substance is never named, the audience is led to assume that Packer defecated on Michael's carpet. Yes, that's right: a middle-aged father snuck into his co-worker's office at night and pooped on the floor. Packer's crudeness and sexual braggadocio are barely tolerable, but his actions in "The Carpet" crossed several lines. Not only did his fecal humor interrupt an entire workday and require the expense of replacing the carpet, but the act was also disgusting, vile, and mean-spirited. For a character who manages to surprise with each new low he hits, defecating on his friend and co-worker's carpet went too far.