| “ | I wish there was a way to know you’re in the "good old days" before you’ve actually left them. | „ |
| ~ Andy in the series finale |
Andrew Baines Bernard, better known as simply Andy Bernard, is one of the main characters in the US version of the workplace sitcom The Office, acting as a major antagonist in Season 3 as well as the entirety of Season 9. He serves as the rival of Dwight Schrute throughout seasons 3-5 and becomes one of the main protagonists of the show starting in Season 6.
He was played by Ed Helms, who also voiced The Once-Ler in the 2012 animated film The Lorax and Captain Underpants in the 2017 animated film adaptation of Captain Underpants.
Season 3[]
When introduced in Season 3 as a co-worker at Jim Halpert's new job at the Dunder Mifflin Stamford branch, Andy's anger issues are revealed when he finds his calculator encased in Jell-O (Jim already did a similar prank to Dwight at Dunder Mifflin Scranton) and when he performs poorly due to Jim's inexperience at Call of Duty. After the Stamford branch closes and merges with the Scranton branch, Andy also revealed himself to be an annoying salesman who constantly sucked up to his new boss Michael Scott and put Dwight down whenever he could. After having a major meltdown due to Jim and Pam Beesly hiding his phone in the ceiling and calling it from the office's phones as a prank, which causes him to punch a hole in the office wall, he is sent to anger management. Upon returning, he enters the office seemingly ready to make amends with his co-workers. However, Dwight hits him with some pepper spray he already used to save Jim from Pam's ex-boyfriend, Roy Anderson, and Andy falls to the floor in pain, which causes HR Representative Toby Flenderson to confiscate all of Dwight's weapons.
Seasons 4-8[]
In Seasons 4-8, Andy becomes a lot nicer. While he can still be annoying, he is much more friendly and likeable to everyone.
Season 4[]
During the Season 4 episode Launch Party, Andy develops a friendship with Dwight. He also develops a relationship with Angela Martin and confides his feelings for her to Dwight, unaware that Dwight and Angela used to be in a relationship together. He later asks out Angela by singing ABBA's Take a Chance on Me with his colleagues through the phone.
Additionally, after Dunder Mifflin moved their parking space, Andy and Kevin Malone team up and form The Five Families, which are the five company managers around Scranton.
In the Season 4 finale Goodbye, Toby, Andy proposes to Angela with a ring that he has carried in his wallet for six years, because "You never know when you'll meet the right girl". Angela solemnly accepts his proposal with a somewhat irritated "Okay"; shortly thereafter, though, she revived her intimate relationship with her former lover, Dwight, which is witnessed by Phyllis Vance and the camera crew, who walk in on them making love by her desk.
Season 5[]
Andy plans his wedding with Angela, although she often rejected his ideas. Unbeknownst to him is the continous affair between her and Dwight. It takes until the seventh episode of the season, Customer Survey, to convince Angela on a wedding concept, although she has manipulated Andy into having the only option to satisfy her demands being Dwight's Schrute Farms. However, Andy has already placed many non-refundable deposits on other wedding ideas and lost them to Angela's indecisiveness.
In The Duel, Michael informs Andy of Angela and Dwight's affair, and Andy responds to this by confronting Dwight and challenging him to a duel. They meet out in the parking lot, where Dwight realizes that Angela has had sex with Andy as well, despite telling Dwight that she had only been sleeping with him. Realizing that they have both been lied to, Andy cancels his wedding cake, and Dwight throws out the bobblehead in his likeness, implying the men's relationships with Angela are now over. Andy refers to Angela on his registry as "The maid of DIS-honor".
Season 6[]
Andy takes an interest in receptionist Erin Hannon, who has mutual affections for him, but due to miscommunication, there was a long period where the two waited for the other to make a move. However, Andy eventually asks Erin out on a date, and she graciously accepts.
In Secretary's Day, however, Michael reveals that Andy was engaged to Angela, which causes Erin to react badly. She throws cake at Andy's face when he tries to serenade her with one of his songs, and wants to take a break from their relationship. Michael does smooth things over a bit with Erin, but Erin does not change her mind about breaking up with Andy, causing him to remain distraught.
Season 9[]
In Season 9, Andy is sent to outdoor training to help boost his confidence, but instead he becomes cockier, meaner, and ruder to all of his co-workers, including his own girlfriend Erin.