there is a slim chance Steve Carrell will return for The Office series finale..

You bet he will. He is the Scranton Strangler after all.

My money is on Toby being the strangler and Michael catching him.

the best theory I have read was posted on AICN.....

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I just figured that out last week. Jim will be revealed to be really a dick who stole another man's engaged woman, bullies the mental deficient Dwight by pulling pranks on him every week, and is really the Scranton Strangler! M Night Shamalan ending!!!

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NBC is really walking a thin line here. If Steve really isn't coming back, even for a cameo, then it does them no good to let it still be a possibility. They need to come out and say he DEFINITELY won't be back. Because now all fans are going to be watching the last episode hoping for a Michael appearance, and will ultimately hate the finale if he doesn't show up.
The reverse is also true. If he makes a cameo, its best not to confirm it and just let it be a rumor. A surprise appearance in the final scene would instantly make the finale a classic if it's done right.
IMO, he comes back for the final scene. He is the one that turns the lights out in the room so the cast can watch the first episode of the new "Office".

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Because now all fans are going to be watching the last episode hoping for a Michael appearance, and will ultimately hate the finale if he doesn't show up.

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NBC only cares about the first half of this sentence.

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NBC announced long ago that he would not be back for the finale, but a suspicion lingers that a potential surprise scene may have been filmed with Michael — there is an event in the finale that would probably call for his presence.

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LINK

Spoiler alert: My post has the episode description of the finale.





From wikipedia:

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Months after the airing of the documentary, present and past employees of Dunder Mifflin gather for a wedding. In addition, everyone comes together for a final round of interviews. The episode will guest star Mindy Kaling, B.J. Novak, Rachael Harris, Dakota Johnson, Joan Cusack, Ed Begley Jr., Malcolm Barret, Matt L. Jones, Andy Buckley, and Michael Schur.[42]

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There are only 3 weddings which would make any sense:
1) Angela and Dwight (possible, as this episode takes place months after the documentary airs).
2) Ryan and Kelly (they both return for the finale, maybe they decided to tie the knot).
3) Michael and Holly (probably not, but who knows with the new-found speculation).

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"I just didn’t think it was right for the character, because that character had had an arc within the story and kind of grew and sort of evolved past the idea of the documentary," Carell told Access Hollywood earlier this year. "I’m really good friends with everybody on the cast and with [executive producer] Greg Daniels and I want to go back to say, ‘Hi,’ certainly, before it all ends. but I just thought, in terms of the character, it didn’t make sense.”

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I've never understood that. Well, I mean I understand what he/they're saying about how Michael went out pretty much perfectly, and I agree with that. But there are any number of reasons he could make a small cameo in the final episode without the character interfering with any plots or anything like that. And it would certainly be a nod to the fans and sort of a last call/encore to the character (and the actor) who made the show what it was. No harm in that IMO.

I mean why wouldn't he? Who cares if it doesn't even really make sense. You wouldn't want to be on the series finale of a show you starred in for years? If not thats a pretty douche move IMO.