Erin Hannon (Ellie Kemper)fit into the cast ofThe Officeso seamlessly that it's hard to remember she wasn't always a Dunder Mifflin staple. The bubbly, energetic receptionist made fast friends with her coworkers and eventually dated Andy Bernard (Ed Helms), sparking a fan-favorite relationship.
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Revisit Erin's most memorable relationships and storylines from her time onThe Office.
When did Erin first appear on The Office?
In Season 5, Michael Scott (Steve Carell) decided to quit his job at Dunder Mifflin and instead begin his own business. Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer) and Ryan Howard (B.J. Novak) joined him, leaving an open slot for a receptionist at the Dunder Mifflin Scranton branch.
In came Erin, who took over Pam's job in Episode 23 ("The Michael Scott Paper Company"). Audiences originally met her as "Kelly," her actual first name. But every time the new boss, Charles Miner (Idris Elba) called for her, Kelly Kapoor (Mindy Kaling) would run into his office and say, "Yes, you wanted me?" so he decided they needed to differentiate between the two Kellys.
Hannon volunteered to go by her middle name, Erin, and continued to use the name for the rest of the series.
Erin Hannon (Ellie Kemper) appears in a scene from The Office, Season 9 Episode 18. Photo: Tyler Golden/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank
When did Erin and Andy Bernard start dating?
Andy began flirting with Erin at the very beginning of her Dunder Mifflin tenure, and he told Pam in Season 6, Episode 8 ("Koi Pond") that he was lonely and interested in her. Pam took it upon herself to attempt to set them up, and asked Erin how she felt about Andy. "He's like the coolest person I've ever met," Erin told Pam.
In Episode 10 ("Murder"), Andy and Erin were playing characters in Michael's murder mystery game when he asked her on a date, but neither of them could tell if the other wanted it to be a real date or simply part of the game. "Where are you takin' me?" Erin asked in her character's southern accent. "The finest steakhouse in all of Savannah," Andy said back.
"I thought it was for real," Erin told the cameras later, upset. "But it was part of the game."
They scheduled a real date together in Season 6 Episode 19 ("St. Patrick's Day"), but Erin was sent home from work that day because she was sick. Andy instead went over to her house, where he watched television with her and her foster brother, and Erin kissed him on the cheek when he left.
In Episode 20 ("New Leads") Erin and Andy were searching for new leads in the landfill together and they shared their first real kiss, after Andy told her, "You're the nicest person I've ever met."
Andy Bernard (Ed Helms) and Erin Hannon (Ellie Kemper) appear in a scene from The Office. Photo: Chris Haston/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank
Erin's Familial Dynamic with Michael
It took Michael quite a while to warm up to Erin: in Season 6, Episode 22 ("Secretary's Day"), Andy convinced Michael to take Erin out for lunch to celebrate her job as their receptionist, but Michael was unengaged and said to the cameras, "Erin is weird." During that lunch, he also told Erin that Andy had been engaged to Angela Martin (Angela Kinsey), which led to her taking some time away from her new boyfriend.
As the show went on, though, the two developed a close dynamic, culminating in Erin's attempt to get Michael's approval of her new relationship with Gabe Lewis (Zach Woods). In Season 7, Episode 8 ("Viewing Party"), Gabe hosted a party for the entire office and Erin hoped it would be a chance for him to bond with Michael.
Upset about Gabe's seniority in the Scranton branch, Michael refused to be friendly, and even stormed outside to turn off the cable so that the party would end. Erin found him and confronted him, saying that Michael's opinion of Gabe mattered to her. "Why? I'm not your father," he said. Her face dropped, and he comforted her and then told Gabe, "If you break that girl's heart, I will kill you."
Erin's Love Triangle with Gabe and Andy
Throughout Erin's relationship with Gabe, it was clear that she and Andy were not past their feelings for each other. During Gabe's aforementioned Gleeparty, Andy was upset and asked fellow coworkers why Erin chose Gabe over him. He thenbegan dating another woman, who came to the office Christmas party in Season 8, Episode 10 ("Christmas Wishes"), and Erin drunkenly confessed that she still had feelings for him.
In Season 8, Episode 19 ("Get the Girl"), Andy went down to Florida to try to win Erin back. She had chosen to stay in Tallahassee after a Dunder Mifflin conference brought her and some other Scranton employees to town, and was working as a maid when Andy found her. They ended up leaving Florida together and dated for another chunk of time until Season 9, Episode 6 ("The Boat"), when Andy left town to go on a months-long sailing trip with his brother.
How did Erin's storyline end on The Office?
Throughout her time on the show, Erin regularly referenced her childhood, which was spent in foster care after her birth parents put her up for adoption. At the very end of the series, the years-long documentary finally aired and helped Erin's family find her.
In Season 9, Episode 26 ("Finale Part 1 and 2"), the entire cast went to a question-and-answer session with fans who had watched the show, and Erin's birth mother (played by Joan Cusack) came up to the microphone to ask a question. They shared a tear-jerking reunion in front of the whole cast and audience of fans.
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