Helena Frye
In the sixth episode of the ninth season of the American comedy television series The Office, Andy Bernard, played by Ed Helms, decides to go on a boat trip to the Caribbean. This decision is made due to Helms' involvement in other projects, including The Hangover Part III. The episode, titled The Boat, received mostly positive reviews from television critics and aired on November 8, 2012, attracting 4.83 million viewers. In the episode, Andy must deal with his family's financial crisis after his father loses all their money. Meanwhile, the office pranks Dwight with a fake radio interview, and Kevin discovers a secret about Oscar's affair with Angela's husband. Andy's boat trip is seen as a way to separate the character from the office for a period of time, allowing for the exploration of other storylines and character development.
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What You'll Learn
Andy's family boat was called Aspire II
In the sixth episode of the ninth season of the American comedy television series The Office, titled "The Boat", Andy Bernard, played by Ed Helms, must help his family when his father, Walter Bernard Sr., loses all their money and runs away to Argentina with a younger woman. Andy's younger brother, Walter Bernard Jr., locks himself in the wine cellar and decides to go to rehab in New Mexico.
Andy, along with Darryl, Erin, and Oscar, figures out the family's budget and realizes that the only way to regain most of their money is to sell the family boat, Aspire II. Andy is reluctant to sell the boat as it has become a symbol of his family's pride. He decides to take the boat on a sunset cruise before it is sold. While showing Erin around the boat, he discovers a drunk Walter Jr. in the liquor cabinet and asks him if he would like to join his crew.
Andy's three-month boat trip to the Caribbean was written into the show to accommodate Ed Helms' filming schedule for The Hangover Part III. This resulted in Andy's absence from seven consecutive episodes in season 9. Some viewers found the plotline strained and contrived, and Andy's character became increasingly unlikeable due to his lack of regard for his job and his arrogant behaviour upon his return.
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Andy's dad lost all the family money
In the episode "The Boat" of the ninth season of the American comedy television series The Office, Andy Bernard (played by Ed Helms) goes on a three-month boat trip to the Caribbean. This plotline was written to accommodate actor Ed Helms' filming schedule for The Hangover Part III.
In the episode, Andy must step up and help his family when his father, Walter Bernard Sr., loses all of their money. Andy's father runs away to Argentina with a younger woman, leaving the family bankrupt. Andy's younger brother, Walter Bernard Jr., locks himself in the wine cellar and decides to go to rehab in New Mexico. Andy, along with Darryl, Erin, and Oscar, works to figure out the family's budget and they realize that the only way to regain most of their money is to sell the family boat, Aspire II. Andy is reluctant to sell the boat as it is a symbol of pride for the family. Despite his reluctance, Andy decides to take the boat on a sunset cruise before it is sold. He is joined by Erin, and they are later joined by a drunk Walter Jr., who Andy invites to join his crew.
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$28.3
Andy's brother went to rehab
Andy's brother, Walter Bernard Jr., went to rehab in New Mexico after their father blew through all the family's money and ran away to Argentina with a younger woman. Walter Jr. locked himself in the wine cellar before going to rehab. Andy's calm and competent handling of the situation surprises Jim and Pam.
Andy's father, Walter Bernard Sr., blew through all the family's money, leaving Andy to figure out the family's budget with Darryl, Erin, and Oscar. They determine that the only way to regain most of their money is to sell the family boat, the Aspire II. Andy is reluctant to sell the boat as it is a symbol of family pride. However, he eventually agrees and takes the boat on a sunset cruise before it is sold.
Andy's boat trip is used as a plot device to separate Andy from the office for three months, coinciding with actor Ed Helms' absence during filming for The Hangover Part III. Andy's character becomes increasingly unlikeable throughout the series, and his departure to the Caribbean is seen as an odd and strained choice by the writers. Despite his incompetence as a salesman and manager, Andy is let off the hook for his actions and faces minimal consequences upon his return.
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Andy's trip was to cover Ed Helms' absence
Andy's trip to the Caribbean was to cover Ed Helms' absence. Helms, who played Andy Bernard in the show, was busy filming for The Hangover Part III. This resulted in Andy's character being absent for around seven to eight episodes in season 9.
The writers chose to have Andy go on a boat trip, rather than writing him out of the show. In the episode titled "The Boat", Andy decides to go with Erin and take the boat on a sunset cruise before it is sold. While Andy and Erin are on the boat, Jim, Pam, Nellie, and Darryl simulate a radio talk show in the conference room, tricking Dwight. Back on the boat, Andy discovers a drunk Walter Jr. in the liquor cabinet and asks him to join his crew.
Andy's trip and neglect of Erin were seen as out of character. Andy's sudden decision to sail his family boat didn't make much sense, and his departure impacted his relationship with his coworkers, particularly his girlfriend Erin Hannon. When Andy returns, his resentment for Erin, who has moved on, gives him an attitude problem toward everyone throughout the rest of the show.
Some viewers speculated that Andy's character was intentionally written negatively to punish Ed Helms for his absence. However, others disagreed, stating that it was more likely that the writers were trying to make Andy more unlikeable as he had to replace Steve Carrell's character. Andy's character was already struggling to be liked by viewers, and his trip to the Caribbean only made matters worse.
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Andy's character became unlikable
Andy Bernard's character in the beloved mockumentary comedy series, The Office, underwent a significant transformation in the final seasons, particularly season 9, where he became increasingly unlikable to viewers. This change can be attributed to a combination of factors, including the narrative choices, the actor's commitments, and the character's arc.
Firstly, Andy's unlikability can be partly explained by the writing and narrative choices made by the showrunners. In the earlier seasons, Andy was portrayed as a relatively well-rounded character with positive attributes. However, in season 9, his character took a negative turn, becoming tone-deaf, cocky, and self-centred. This abrupt change in demeanour may have been a result of the writers struggling to balance his character with the absence of the lead, Steve Carell, and the subsequent need to fill the gap he left. With the challenge of maintaining the show's success after Carell's departure, the writers may have opted to emphasise Andy's negative traits, such as his out-of-touch behaviour and selfish pursuit of his dreams, making him less relatable and more irritating to the audience.
Secondly, Ed Helms' rising popularity and concurrent movie projects, including The Hangover franchise, resulted in scheduling conflicts and periods of absence for his character, Andy. Rather than write him out of the show, the writers incorporated off-screen storylines to explain his disappearances. This approach, however, made it harder for viewers to empathise with or justify Andy's behaviour when he was present. His poor treatment of his colleagues, particularly Erin, who stood by him through various difficulties, seemed unwarranted and out of character, further contributing to his unlikability.
Lastly, Andy's character arc played a significant role in his decreasing likeability. In the final seasons, particularly after his father's departure and the subsequent financial troubles, Andy struggled to cope with his loss and inability to reconcile with his father. This unresolved tension may have contributed to his reversion to an immature and insufferable state, as he dealt with the emotional fallout of these events. Additionally, his pursuit of unrealistic dreams, such as reliving his "glory days" as a college a cappella singer and his belief that he should be famous, further distanced him from the audience's sympathies.
While Andy's character initially had redeemable qualities, the combination of narrative choices, actor availability, and his character's arc ultimately led to his decline in likeability, particularly in the final season of The Office.
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Frequently asked questions
Andy went on a boat trip to the Bahamas/Caribbean in The Office to cover actor Ed Helms' absence due to filming for The Hangover Part III.
In the show, Andy decides to go on a boat trip to the Caribbean because his father lost all the family's money and he wanted to captain the family boat one last time before selling it.
Yes, Andy's character became unlikeable after the boat trip due to his lack of regard for his job and his arrogant behaviour upon his return.
Yes, Andy's actions in Florida before the boat trip also damaged his character. He was fired after overreacting to Nellie Bertram taking his job as manager, although he was later reinstated.
Yes, the office banded together in Andy's absence and achieved a record-setting sale.
