Office writer, executive producer and cast member (Hi, Toby!) Paul Lieberstein spilled his insider guts on the show's seventh season to Zap2It, and he's got exciting news for Holly Flax fans: She'll be back for eight (!) episodes this season.

According to Lieberstein, Sabre CEO Jo (Kathy Bates) will make good on her promise to Michael to bring back Holly, which should have everyone cheering--except Holly.

"Holly is not happy at all about coming back to Scranton." She's built a pretty good life with boyfriend A.J. (Rob Huebel--Lieberstein isn't sure yet if he'll return as well) and doesn't want to leave it."

Want more Office season 7 spoilers? Lieberstein also served some dirt on what's next for Michael, Andy, Dwight, Jim and a new Sabre character we'll meet this season:

Steve Carell really is leaving after this season--but Lieberstein sees the silver lining. "To actually get to write someone out who's a main character, it's a cool opportunity. Not that I want Steve to leave, but in the long run" it could benefit the series, he says. "No one wants to see him go. We still hope he changes his mind. But we are forced to imagine The Office without him."

Dwight really did buy the Dunder-Mifflin office building, which "Lieberstein says will result in the salesman/beet farmer becoming overworked and open up new avenues for Jim (John Krasinski) to pull pranks."

Kathy Bates will return as Jo for the season 7 premiere, but possibly not after that, due to her engagement in NBC's mid-season series Harry's Law.

Jo's son is moving to Scranton. But he hasn't been cast yet. The character will appear at Dunder-Mifflin Scranton as part of a series of "low-level" jobs he's doing at various units of Sabre.

Andy may be moving to Fleet Street. He'll appear in a community theater production, and "we think it will be 'Sweeney Todd,'" says Lieberstein.

And, last but certainly not least, Michael will get back to his awkward, ill-informed and uncomfortable antics. Says Leiberstein: "Michael gets a cold sore, and he finds out that's [a form of] herpes, so he feels the need to call every woman he's ever been with and inform them."


(Image courtesy of NBC)