Abby Sumner-Trade Representative to Japan

[Jimmy Todd]

So a position on the Office of Trade Representatives is quite influential and has many opportunities for someone like Abby to pursue more power. Yet, I don't believe it was mentioned when she returned in the series finale or the reunion. Should it been a part of the story involving Abby's return? I always thought it was reductive to have Abby come back to steal Greg's company (if I'm remembering the plot correctly) and then move back to the cul-de-sac. I wanted Karen ir Gary to have to seek out Abby to ask for help for.something, as she was the most influential person they knew.
Was there anything else they could have mined from keeping her in a powerful government position?

 

[Daniel Avery]

If I remember correctly, Abby had been "released" from her position as a Trade Rep due to some shady dealings that had been discovered. I think it was during one of her scenes with Treadwell that he brought up her being forced out, since he seemed to think he had some kind of hold over her that allowed him to do as he pleased despite her trying to rein him in. I was led to believe that she was asked to resign rather than charged with any crimes (maybe a plea deal or something). Greg of course would know all about her dirty dealings (for the sake of plot) but would not care what she was up to in Japan as long as it did not hurt him or his company. The minute she came back with plans to take his company, nothing would stay secret.

As soon as her plot to take over TSG was out in the open, it would also become common knowledge that she'd lost that job for a reason and that no government entity would hire her in a similar capacity. Depending on just what she'd been doing to get herself fired, she may have been forced to pay fines, etc. that could have wiped her out financially.

 

[Toni]

The Sumner Group from the latter years was more undefined than Pam´s The Store...

 

[Jimmy Todd]

I don't like that Abby got bounced from her position. It makes her look incompetent. I can't see her doing anything shady unless she was 100% sure she could get away with it, and it was worth it. It makes it seem as if she compulsively did unethical things. The Abby I remember would be too smart to risk this position and future opportunities it could hold. Abby was smart and competent enough to maneuver through the halls of power, deftly walking that fine line between legal and unethical. The writers at the end of the series, imho, did not understand Abby or Val.
I'm overanalysing, but still...

 

[Daniel Avery]

I don't like that Abby got bounced from her position. It makes her look incompetent. I can't see her doing anything shady unless she was 100% sure she could get away with it, and it was worth it.

I saw her do several shady things over the length of the series and yes, she likely thought she could get away with them....but she didn't. This was not her first turn at "flying too close to the sun".

But I see a silver lining: if she had kept the Japan job, we never would have seen her again on the series. Her loss was our gain!