Dwight from The Office should have been fired multiple times, but the show let it slide anyway

Disclaimer: This article is based on the writer's opinion. Readers' discretion is advised.

The Office features several colorful and outrageous characters, with Dwight at the top of the list. Rainn Wilson portrays Dwight K. Schrute, the assistant to the manager at the fictional paper company Dunder Mifflin in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

From his pranks with Jim (played by John Krasinski) that cross boundaries to his explicit office romance with Angela (played by Angela Kinsey), Dwight has done many things that can be deemed inappropriate despite his strict office codes. Several of his decisions are based on irrational thinking. We examine some of Dwight's most unprofessional actions as an employee at the office, which should have gotten him fired immediately.

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Multiple times Dwight should have been fired in The Office

1) Brought gun to the office

Dwight K. Schrute (Acting) Manager - Season 7, Episode 24

For Dwight, becoming the manager at Dunder Mifflin is the ultimate dream. When Michael Scott (played by Steve Carell) leaves the office, the new takeover company Sabre’s CEO Jo Bennett (played by Kathy Bates) gives Dwight the position temporarily.

An overjoyed Dwight takes his excitement and short-lived tyranny to a new level by bringing a gun to the office, wanting to impress Benett. While showing off his deadly weapon, he accidentally shoots on the floor, leaving the whole office in shock and damaging Andy’s (played by Ed Helms) eardrums. Though Dwight is taken to task for his actions, he remains at the office.

2) Engage in inappropriate relations in the office premises

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Dwight and Angela have an on-again, off-again relationship from the start of the show. In multiple episodes they are caught in intimate moments that are overlooked by others.

Dwight, who had made a child-bearing agreement with Angela prior to this, changes his mind and wants to undo the contract. He brings in a mediator to the office, where the two negotiate the contract. They go through intense negotiations, which are ill-suited for the workplace. After they reach an agreement, which would be five sessions of intercourse, Dwight finds ways to get himself sterilized by using things around the office to harm his groin vigorously.

3) Dwight betrays Michael

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Dunder Mifflin Scranton has not been able to bring in the expected profits, making the company’s Vice President Jan Levinson (played by Melora Hardin) reprimand Michael Scott. Instigated by Angela, Dwight realizes that this could be the moment when he can take over the coveted manager position at the office.

Dwight meets Jan behind Michael’s back and tells her that he should be promoted to the job. Jan in turn informs Michael about Dwight’s attempt to get his job. When Michael questions him about his whereabouts, Dwight lies that he was at a dentist appointment. But later when the truth is revealed, instead of firing him, Micheal ends up mocking Dwight in front of everyone and demands that he does his laundry as part of the punishment.

4) Creates panic and puts the office in danger

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As the safety officer, Dwight takes his role seriously. He decides to teach his fellow employees a lesson by creating a small controlled fire. Chaos and panic take over the office, and people scramble around, trying to find an exit. A cat is thrown at the ceiling, a vending machine is destroyed, and office supplies are flung around. Dwight tries to throw instructions to deaf ears.

In the end, the situation takes an even worse turn when Stanley Hudson (played by Leslie David Baker) has a heart attack. In the following episode, Dwight continues to display a lack of awareness when he cuts open a dummy used for CPR and wears a mask like in the movie The Silence of the Lambs. Dwight and Michael repeatedly get called to the CEO’s office, but the job stays intact.

5) Stored weapons around the office

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Dwight is always prepared. Maybe a little too much. He keeps several dangerous weapons around the office that are unknown to the other employees. In the episode, a distraught Michael, who was not invited to the company’s wilderness retreat, decides to venture out to the forest by himself. Dwight volunteers to help him.

When Michael says he needs a knife, suddenly Dwight appears with a stash of different types of knives that he had kept hidden in the office. He shares, ‘I keep various weaponry strategically placed around the office.’ He goes on to proudly reveal all the places he had hidden his weapons. Despite knowing this fact, everyone seem to to ignore Dwight’s obsession with lethal weapons. In a later episode Jim ends up confiscating all of it.

Emmy-nominated actor Rainn Wilson's portrayal of Dwight has been one of the more revered characters on screen. During its nine-season run, The Office, which was developed by Greg Daniels, went on to win several prestigious awards, including the Golden Globe and Emmy Awards.

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