“Every day when I came into work, all I wanted to do was leave. So why in the world does it feel so hard to leave right now?” On March 24th, 2005 an American mockumentary sitcom debuted on NBC and for 16 years the show has gone on to become one of the most popular television shows of all time. The Office is considered by any as the greatest television program ever and what once was a U.S adaptation of a popular U.K show has now become a pop culture phenomenon that has a huge fan base and is literally binged watched by millions of people each day. Now I made two lists for The Office on my Facebook last year so I wanted to show them off but with a twist. We all have our favorite episode of The Office and we all debate on which episode is the single greatest episode ever. It’s very hard to even decide which one is the biggest….”That’s What She Said”..Now a top 10 list cannot do justice for the greatest comedy show ever, we need to go bigger. I made two lists for the best episodes of The Office and I am merging them into one. Now I will be counting two part episodes as one episode. They will count as one episode on this list .Comment below your favorite episode of all time and let’s countdown the Top 20 The Office Episodes of All Time.
Top 20 The Office Episodes of All Time
20. Did I Stutter? (Season 4, Episode 16) – “Did I Stutter?” is one of the series more serious episodes although it still uses comedic moments and ridiculous gags throughout the episode. The episode to me is underrated but one of the best episodes in Season 4. The episode is about Michael dealing with a certain office conflict. During a conference meeting Michael asks everyone for an idea to energize the office and when he asked Stanley and Stanley said no multiple times it came to a point where Stanley yelled back at Michael and said Did I Stutter. The moment in the scene looks very uncomfortable for the employees and Michael as an employee talked back to the boss and had no right to do that. In Stanley’s mind in the episode he wasn’t wrong and that wasn’t the case here as Michael was in the right to get Stanley to be a part of the meeting. After a fake firing fired back at Michael, both Stanley and Michael have a serious talk where Michael says that he is the boss and that Stanley shouldn’t talk back to him that way. This episode’s message is about who is powerful and powerless in certain situations and we see it in multiple sub plots in the episode including Andy selling his car to Dwight and Ryan telling Jim to do a better job and perform better or he will be fired. Usually we see Michael Scott in situations like this where he is in the wrong but for once he has to be the boss and fix the problem head on before it gets worse. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUg9pL1Cqxw
19. Diversity Day (Season 1, Episode 2) –Diversity Day is the show’s second episode ever and it was the first episode with an original screenplay as the Pilot’s writing was from the U.K’s first episode. Now the episode is about a racial diversity seminar happening in the office as Michael made a imitation to a Chris Rock joke where he used the N-word, hard R N word, in the joke. Now if that’s not controversial enough then when the seminar is over, Michael decides to make his own seminar and put different races on index cards and put them on his employees and have them treat each other like they were that race. Though it seems like a good idea, the jokes in the scenes are very insensitive and stereotypical and also the index cards are very insensitive too including Michael wearing an index card that says Martin Luther King Jr, which is implying that he is being a black race. Now it seems like I am going off on this episode I actually am not as the episode has positive reviews from critics and is considered one of the shows best episodes. Do I agree with everything that went on in the episode, no, but as a fan I see what the message was in the episode, being respectful to a certain race at work and in general and I also see that there is some good use of comedy in certain scenes. Regardless how everyone feels, many call this one of the shows best episodes and that’s why it makes it on this list. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePbipufCPYw
18. The Convict (Season 3, Episode 9) – The Convict is a very hilarious episode for the show as it has a ridiculous story that becomes comedic gold from beginning to end. The episode is about Michael Scott learning that one of the new employees, Martin, was once a former criminal and in true Michael Scott fashion he tells the whole office. However the office jokes about prison being better than working for Dunder Mifflin which then causes Michael to show ways in which prison is worse than Dunder Mifflin. This episode gives birth to the greatest character ever created by Michael Scott, Prison Mike, and it also created multiple memes in the process. The episode was critically praised by critics as they enjoyed the Prison Mike scene and Ed Helms’ performance as Andy Bernard. This episode was also the first and only original screenplay written by Ricky Gervais and Stephan Merchant, the two people who created and starred in the U.K Office. Many fans of The Office love this episode and many say that Steve Carell as Prison Mike was a very high reason of why the episode was so memorable and amazing. While the episode was a ridiculous episode, it still stays connected with the sub plots going on in the season and showed how ridiculous Michael can be with certain situations. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7RoP1LKMeM
17. Branch Wars (Season 4, Ep. 10) – Of all the episodes in Season 4 I think this one is the most random one to be in the season but it also is one of the funniest episodes in the season. Branch Wars was written by Mindy Kaling and directed by Joss Whedon, the man who co-wrote Toy Story and directed the first two Avengers films. The episode is about Stanley getting a call from Karen, the former Scranton employee who now is the manager of Dunder Mifflin Utica, to leave Dunder Mifflin Scranton and work for her branch for more benefits. This episode also includes the short introduction of the Finer Things Clubs and it also holds some of the funniest gags in the series. We see the side in Michael Scott in this episode where he will do anything for his employees because they mean the world to him. He doesn’t want to lose Stanley and he decides to go to the Utica branch to steal their industrial copier in a way to get back at Karen. This episode has some funny gags with Jim, Dwight and Michael and let’s them create some funny moments in certain scenes.. This episode is like I said a random episode that has funny jokes, great dialogue and great directing and is one of the shows best episodes when it comes to comedic moments. It also showed a side of Jim where he is defenseless throughout the whole episode including when he was tricked to going with Dwight and Michael to the Utica branch and when he and Karen are face to face and she tells him off. In case you are wondering Karen and Jim dated in season 3 and he broke up with her to date Pam. This episode is not the most perfect episode but it is a very great episode. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5Zi9dCbi-s
16. Broke (Season 5, Ep. 25) – “Well, Well, Well, How the Turntables”. Season 5 has one of the best stories in the series history as in the middle of the season Michael Scott quit Dunder Mifflin and went on to create his own paper company, The Michael Scott Paper Company. Pam and Ryan also worked with him and it also showed a serious side of Michael that still had his childish characteristics but also his caring and hard working characteristics. Broke was the strongest episode of this mini story and it showed how much Michael cared about the people that work for him and not only his company but Dunder Mifflin. This episode has some of the best dialogue and writing in the show’s history. The Negotiation scenes between the CFO David Wallace and Michael is some of the greatest performances in the show’s history as well. I think this episode shows the true nature of Michael Scott. Many people see him an idiot or a childish asshole but deep down he helped make Dunder Mifflin Scranton the most profitable branch and he constantly brought in money for the company with great sale numbers. Every time he had something comes in his way he went right through it and this one is one of those moments. Michael’s company was going to be broke soon and he was in negotiations with David Wallace for a buyout and instead of wanting money he wanted him and his fellow employees to have jobs at Dunder Mifflin, including getting his old job back as Manager and he wasn’t doing it to get back at Wallace but he was doing it to prove that he could make 100 paper companies and all of them wouldn’t mean anything to him, the only thing that matters was that he was doing right for his employees and proving he isn’t a failure. This was a perfect episode to end the storyline of the Michael Scott Paper Company and it is without a doubt the best episode of the storyline. Season 5 was a very great season and I believe this episode is one of those great episodes where you could hate the character but respect how hard he will work to do something. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-GFmH0EK9Y
15. Dunder Miffin Infinity (Season 4, Ep. 3 and 4) – I know I just mentioned about how Michael will do anything for Dunder Mifflin and doesn’t want to be a failure, but what if he failed at something but still proved a point and at the same time didn’t fail. Yeah it seems confusing at first but bare with me on this one. Dunder Mifflin Infinity is about the new V.P and former temp for Scranton’s Dunder Mifflin, Ryan, wanting to bring technology to Dunder Mifflin. At the same time Michael and Dwight want to prove that technology is not as better as personal touch. This episode has some ridiculous gags and moments which includes Michael driving into a lake. The episode is also where Jim and Pam finally reveal that they are a couple to the office and where Kelly tries to win back Ryan by lying about being pregnant. This episode plays with the idea of getting rid of the old and adding in something young and new hence the reason of why Ryan wants to bring technology into the company. Michael likes the old way of business so he wants to prove that the older way is a much better approach than the new, technological way. Michael decides to create gift baskets and he wants to give them to former clients of Dunder Mifflin to possibly win them back. He fails at that and we get an hilarious scene of Michael driving into a lake after his new GPS says to turn right, which he misinterprets into driving into a lake. While Michael may have failed, he once again misinterprets the GPS aka technology and says technology failed him. Ironically the technology part of the episode and the future website would bite Ryan in the ass as the website was used for a scheme to make more money in the company or in this case FRAUD and Ryan was quickly arrested and fired later in the season but the company was doing well doing it the old fashion way, thus making Michael not a failure. It’s a silly episode but it’s one of those episodes you can love as a fan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22ciiIdyG2w
14. Frame Toby (Season 5, Ep. 9) –The opening to this episode is one of the show’s greatest openings as we learn that Toby has returned to work for Dunder Mifflin and Michael, the man who hates Toby, has no clue about it. Once he goes to the annex and finally sees him up close we get the greatest reaction and internet meme of all time. Frame Toby is a great episode for more than just that reason as it is one of the funniest episodes in the series. For starters it uses ridiculous humor to bring in the laughs and the gags in this episode are just beyond stupidity. In this episode Michael is trying to make Toby fired from Dunder Mifflin as all he wants to do is get rid of him because of how much he hates him. Toby is an HR Rep who works more for corporate, so for Michael he is not a part of the Scranton family, which is pretty much why he hates him. There is also the fact that Michael just doesn’t get along with him but this episode defiantly shows how far Michael will go to get rid of him. A funny gag I find ridiculous is when he tries to buy drugs from two workers from Vance Refrigeration and they give him a bag of salad and Michael pays 500 dollars for it thinking it was marijuana. The episode is a very hilarious episode with silly gags and moments in the show that have lived on for a long time, mostly the opening scene but many other moments. There are other great moments in the episode like Jim buying his parents house secretly for Pam and it shows a huge step in the couple’s relationship. While that moment is kind of the backbone of the episode as the episode is more towards Michael’s angry tirade towards Toby being back, I still think it’s a cute moment for the couple. Like I said the episode is mostly remembered for that amazing reaction turned internet meme from Michael but it still is a very hilarious episode with great humor and surprisingly some great gags. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQ_eDE0OMds
13. Scott’s Tots (Season 6, Ep. 12) – This episode is up there with Dinner Party as one of the most awkward and uncomfortable episodes of all time. Scott’s Tots is an Office classic episode that critics and fans praise as it is one of the most iconic episodes of all time. However due to its uncomfortable moments it is an episode that many fans feel uncomfortable to watch. The episode is about Michael making a promise to a group of kid’s ten years earlier saying that he was going to pay for each of the kid’s college tuition. What comes next is the most awkward moments in the show’s history. Now while it is not as bad as Dinner Party, the reason why this is uncomfortable is because there is not a joke in the moments to come that you can make while there is dry humor and funny uncomfortable moments used in Dinner Party to ease the attention. You know the moment leading up to Michael telling his Tots that he will not be able to pay their tuition is intense as we can literally see the moment coming and getting worse and worse as they are praising Michael and then when it happens you know there is going to be all hell breaking loose. Scott’s Tots does however have a heart to heart moment between Michael and Erin as they never really had a moment to bond and be able to reach out to each other and in this moment Erin tells Michael that even though he didn’t do what he said he was doing he did give them motivation to get themselves into college. Michael then gives her a motivational speech that says that she does a great job and that is why she is still the receptionist and in a way someone he can go to in times like this. The episode is a great episode and while it has an awkward nature and it could be hard to watch it is still a very great episode that has high praise from critics and fans of the show. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvTvpg1I1JM
12. Casino Night (Season 2, Episode 22) – The Season 2 Finale holds a special part in The Office fans as the episode is truly one of the best episodes story wise, comedic wise and it also ends with a cliffhanger. Casino Night was written by Steve Carell and the episode is about a Casino Night happening in the warehouse of the workplace and the whole night is a charity event. Now the episode is more of a Jim and Pam episode, although it’s not really noticeable until the middle of the episode. The episode is full of funny moments including Michael inviting two women to be his date, Dwight falling for another Jim prank and Michael believing that he is learning slang from Daryll. While the episode has its funny moments, many consider this episode one of the best because of the final few minutes of the episode. Jim is upset about the fact that Pam is marrying Roy in a month as a date was set back in the episode “Booze Cruise”. It is mentioned that he is transferring to a new branch in Stamford and before he could make that final decision he needs to tell Pam his feelings. Now what happens next is heartbreaking and trust me I know the feeling of getting my heart broken by a certain girl who I really liked but got very close to. The episode shows great character development from a good portion of the characters, it has some laugh out loud moments and it keeps us thinking and waiting for the next season as we all want to know what happened after the last scene of the episode. It’s one of those episodes where everyone involved knew what they were doing and how to make a great idea come to life in a 28 minute long episode. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zsqr-K9Kats
11. Golden Ticket (Season 5, Ep. 19) – The Golden Ticket episode is by far one of the best episodes from the series. It felt like a filler episode before the next huge storyline episode of Michael making his own paper company but it also kept the connections of the seasons and kept the actual story going. The episode starts with a random cold open of knock knock jokes that involve the KGB, which is hilarious when it comes to Dwight and Michael budding heads and Jim getting involved in a hilarious way. The Golden Ticket episode is about Michael putting golden tickets into shipping boxes that had 10% off for an entire year. The episode is based off the film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and the whole golden ticket in the candy bar. This episode is a golden ticket idea as while critics had mixed reviews for the episode, it was by far one of the most laugh out loud episodes in the series history. The comedy comes once a client finds the golden ticket but it’s the biggest company the branch offers paper to and when it turns out that they find 5 golden tickets the comedy goes from level 1 to 10 real quick as Michael’s reaction shows how amazing the moment is. The scene uses dry humor really well just by having perfect writing and dialogue and seeing everyone’s reaction in the scene makes the moment golden, see what I did there. I also love that Michael has gone full Season 1 Michael after that scene as he puts the blame onto Dwight when David Wallace calls and he doesn’t care about anything going on but the fact that he did nothing, when in reality he did all of it. Then it blows in his face again when it is found out that Wallace loved the idea and that the huge company, Blue Cross, wants to always be provided by Dunder Mifflin paper and Dwight then gets the full credit.. Like I said this episode is comedy gold and it proves to us that the whole team working on the show knows what they are doing when it comes to creating episodes for the show. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl91NnFHTkQ
10. The Dundies (Season 2, Ep. 1) – The Dundies is considered by many as one of the best episodes of all time. The episode is about Michael hosting an award show for the employees of the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin. The episode kicked off the second season of The Office and brought in some new fans to the show as the episode was viewed by 9 million people when it first aired. Michael planned a great night for the Dundies but instead it turns to an awkward/humiliating award show that was still loved by the employees. The episode also holds some memorable moments including Ryan winning “Hottest of the Office” and an intoxicated Pam kissing Jim. Now to some people this was the episode that made The Office iconic after the first season had some questionable efforts. This also was the second of a handful of episodes that the show’s creator, Greg Daniels, would direct. This episode was a turning point for the series as the episode had a character change for Michael Scott as he was more childish and fun loving than what he was originally was like in the first season and it was also a change in the tone as the first season was more depicted to be just like the U.K’s version. After this episode aired the show became way different from the U.K Office and it really shows. The episode also brought out more for multiple supporting characters. While it was only a starting point for what was to come for the show, this episode became so loveable to many fans and many can agree that without this one episode the show would be walking on egg shells and possibly being cancelled for good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXjStnr_g3M
9. Threat Level Midnight (Season 7, Ep. 17) – We find out in the second season of The Office that Michael Scott wrote a movie called Threat Level Midnight and 5 seasons later the movie becomes an episode of The Office as we are given a gift with this episode. In this episode Michael screens the film that he worked on for 10 years to the employees. The film also includes the employees and the episode made it look like the film was actually taking years to work on as it included multiple former cast members in the episode and older looks of the characters. The film is about Agent Michael Scarn saving the NHL All-Star game as his arch nemesis Golden Face is going to blow up the stadium that is holding the NHL game. This episode is a fan favorite for many and many people love the episode because it was centered on the film that took so long to film, write, shoot, re-shoot and edit. The episode gained 6.41 million viewers when it first aired and it was critically a success as many found it enjoyable and loved the humor and continuity in the episode. The episode was so popular that The Office YouTube page posted the full 24 minute movie onto its page and it has over 8.5 million views. Threat Level Midnight is without a doubt a laugh out loud episode and consists of so much humor. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iPyz6Yqwl4
8. Niagara (Season 6, Ep.4 and 5) –Niagara is one of the most viewed episodes of the show as 9.42 million watched the episode when it first aired. The episode was written by Mindy Kaling and Greg Daniels and directed by Bridemaids director Paul Feig. The episode was centered on the wedding of everyone’s favorite couple Jim and Pam. The wedding is taking place in Niagara Falls and in The Office fashion not everything goes to plan going into the wedding day and the wedding day itself. There were many memorable moments in the episode including Jim accidentally revealing that Pam was pregnant, Andy injuring his scrotum and the Wedding itself that included a familiar viral video of a Wedding Dance. While many love the episode because of the wedding of Jim and Pam, others love it because of the humor that involved before the wedding and the tear jerking scene of Jim and Pam getting secretly married on a ferry boat right near the iconic Niagara Falls. It is one of my favorite episodes of all time and without a doubt a fan favorite episode to many Office fans. I have to defiantly include it in my list but not because it’s one of my favorites but because it is an iconic episode that holds some of the best moments of the show’s history. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryxUeWEcUqE
7. Fun Run (Season 4, Ep. 1 and 2) –Fun Run was the Season 4 premiere episode and it started off with a bang, literally. The episode opens up with a cold open of Michael talking to the documentary team about how his mornings begin until he unexpectedly hits Meredith with his car. The first part of the episode is centered on Michael hitting Meredith with his car but takes a turn when it is found out that Meredith has rabies. This then leads to Michael creating the Michael Scott’s Dunder Mifflin Scranton Meredith Palmer Memorial Celebrity Rabies Awareness Pro-Am Fun Run Race for the Cure, try saying that 5 times. While the episode was centered on both these plots it also had side plots that played a big role into the season as Jim and Pam began to secretly date and Dwight killing Angela’s dying cat. The episode had mixed reviews from critics but when it comes to the fan base of the show many fans praise the episode. Critics didn’t like how Michael behaved in the episode and praised the relationship between Jim and Pam but fans love the humor used in the episode and even though Michael’s behavior is out of line, like always, it still makes the episode hilarious and continues to keep the show’s tone intact. The episode was viewed by over 9.70 million people the day it aired and it is one of the most loved/cringed episodes of all time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYTVG6SnSLM
6. The Injury (Season 2, Ep. 12) – In what I consider to be one of the funniest Office episodes of all time, The Injury is one of those random episodes that keeps the plot of the show intact but also use continuity with certain moments in the show’s past episodes but at the same time being a random filler episode. The Injury when it first aired was viewed by 10.3 million people and at that point was the highest viewed episode in the series. The episode’s cold open literally is one of the most perfect cold opens for The Office as it tells us exactly what is going to happen in the episode as we open the show with Michael calling the office saying he hurt himself and that he needed to be pick up. We then learn that he burned his foot on a George Foreman grill and from there the comedy and randomness begins. While the episode used disability in the workspace as the main story, the side story that became the more important story was Dwight getting seriously injured. When Michael calls for help Dwight was the first person to run to get him, but by accident he hits his car into a pole in front of the workplace causing him to get a concussion. It’s not mentioned until the middle of the episode but you can tell something is off with Dwight when he starts acting friendly to Pam. This episode actually shows the beginnings of a friendly relationship between Dwight and Pam as Dwight calls Pam his best friend in a later episode in the series. However the writing, pacing and comedy used in this episode is what wins me over as while the Injury is just a random episode, it actually plays off well at being an important episode in the series. The episode had so many funny moments including Jim spraying water on Dwight and Michael in a car on their way to the hospital and of course Michael being ridiculous with a minor burn injury to his foot. This episode showed us how ridiculous the show could be but it also showed how well the cast and the production team worked to make the show amazing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0Esk8tqey4
5. The Finale (Season 9, Ep. 24 and 25) – The Finale is without a doubt one of the best finale episodes of all time. The 2 part episode shows us the employees one year after the documentary of their paper company aired and many amazing moments then happen in the episode. Dwight and Angela are getting married, there is going to be a panel about the documentary and much more. The episode in general was a bittersweet episode as the episode used the heart and soul that The Office holds into its episodes and it still found a way to use its ridiculous comedy at the same time. There were many cameos in this episode of either former cast members or one off characters and we even had the greatest Jim prank ever of the return of Michael Scott. When the episode aired it got 5.69 million viewers, making it the most viewed of the season and biggest one since the season 8 episode Pool Party. Plus we were able to say goodbye to the Dunder Mifflin family in the best way possible as the finale scene of the series was very heartbreaking and can make any fan of the show tear up. It’s hard to believe that a show about a paper company could be so amazing and loved and in this final episode it wasn’t just loved by the fans, but also the actors and everyone in the production as since the final episode many of the cast members have wanted to do a reunion. While we haven’t gotten an Reunion episode since there has been Zoom reunions from John Krasinski’s YouTube show Some Good News as the cast reunited during the pandemic to do the wedding dance for a couple’s wedding. The Finale plays a big role with the show as it shows us how much the characters grew from the Pilot to the Finale and even though the job was boring to them they somehow were going to miss it there and the people there. Take it for what it’s worth but I feel like the cast in the shots of them talking about the job were talking more about the ending of the show and how they were going to miss performing their roles. The Finale is the perfect ending for The Office and plays a key role in what makes the show amazing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dd-P5Y_7Mfg
4. Goodbye, Michael (Season 7, Ep. 22) – This episode was the final episode for Steve Carell as a series regular. After this episode aired the show lost some value as the character Michael Scott played a really big role with the show as he was the main character of the show and with him leaving it kind of put a big hole in the show that was hard to fill. Goodbye, Michael was originally supposed to be a 2 part episode with Michael’s Last Dundies but it was decided to make it its own 50 minute long episode. This episode is without a doubt a bittersweet episode as we all say goodbye to Michael Scott. The episode has some great one on one moments with Michael and his employees, but the main three that were spotlighted the most were with Dwight, Jim and Pam. Dwight and Michael had a paint ball fight, a way to show that they were best friends and that even though Dwight always got under Michael’s skin, he was always his number 2 guy and always his closest friend inside and outside the office. With Jim we got a very sad and heartbreaking moment as Jim’s goodbye in Jim Halpert fashion was him not saying goodbye but also telling Michael how he was the best boss he ever had. In a way that’s how he wanted to say goodbye but at the same time we could see it in John Krasinski’s delivery that it actually was choking him up as this was the final scene between him and Steve Carell. However the most heartbreaking and bittersweet moment was with Pam as even though she missed most of Michael’s final day at the office she still was able to say goodbye to him. Michael is about to go to his plane but before he could Pam runs to him in the airport and we get a tear jerking goodbye hug between the two characters that to this day leaves me with emotions. Michael Scott might have been a rude, asshole character throughout the show, but at the same time he was a caring character who wanted to be more of a friend with his employees than a boss, which is why it makes him a great boss as he did so much for the company and the employees in a positive way. The episode is considered by many as one of the best episodes of all time for the show. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4QWkXE9dow
3. Gay Witch Hunt (Season 3, Ep. 1) – The Office has been known to be offensive as the character of Michael Scott has been offensive in many occasions throughout the show. This episode is no exception as we see once again Michael being offensive but at the same time showing his heart in the matter of the subject. Gay Witch Hunt is about Michael’s behavior towards Oscar as Michael finds out that Oscar is gay. While we find out in an earlier episode in season 2, the whole office finds out in this episode thanks to Michael Scott. The episode also shows us what happens after the Casino Night episode, more towards what happened after Jim and Pam kissed as Jim transferred to the Stamford branch and Pam called off her engagement with Roy. But the main focus of this episode was towards Oscar coming out as a homosexual in the most horrible way. Michael accepts Oscar’s sexual orientation but at the same time is insulting the fact that Oscar is gay. The episode holds one of the greatest scenes of all time with the improvised scene of Michael kissing Oscar. Many say that this episode is one of the best episodes of the series and many critics also gave this episode positive reviews. It was another perfect way to start a season for the show and it gained 9.1 million viewers when the episode first aired. The episode is a cringe episode but at the same time a hysterical episode as while there is a lot of cringe moments in the episode there are also some funny moments as well. This episode gained Greg Daniels a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, proving that this episode is one of the greatest episodes of all time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOGenYI3cs4
2. Dinner Party (Season 4, Ep. 13) – I know we touched on a cringe episode but trust me Dinner Party is the most cringe episode of all time. The episode is 22 minutes of uncomfortable and awkward moments that become comedy gold and the episode is said by many to be the best episode of all time. Dinner Party sees Michael invite Jim, Pam, Andy and Angela to his house for a Dinner Party with him and his girlfriend Jan. As soon as the opening credits hit we the viewers are hit with the most amazingly shot, well written and acted and perfectly directed episode of all time. The metaphors used in the episode tell the viewers at home many stories of what is actually going on. The background and props in the background are perfect examples of that as it shows us what the real story is in this episode as the Dinner Party is the episode where Michael and Jan kind of end their relationship. But even though it has awkward moments, those awkward moments are delivered so perfectly that they are also comedic moments. For example, Michael talks about him finally buying a plasma screen T.V and in the next shot we see the smallest Plasma screen ever. What makes the moment awkward is that Michael says he stands in front of the television for hours to watch it. This then leads to us the viewer at home to be laughing uncontrollably as we know that this awkward thing is something Michael Scott would do as Michael Scott is known to do some weird things. Now for an uncomfortable moment we have the moment when Dwight and his date, a former babysitter of his, arrive to the party uninvited. Michael and Jan have a fight in front of all the guests and Michael out of rage talks about getting three vasectomies because Jan was undecided about wanting kids. Steve Carell and Melora Hardin have wonderful performances in this episode as Michael and Jan as we see have a toxic relationship and it is unfolding and breaking each second the characters are on screen. The rest of the characters in the episode play a big role as well in making the scenes feel uncomfortable and awkward with Jim starring into the camera when something uncomfortable happens, Pam being ridiculed by Jan and saying all she wants is food as the food was still being prepared when they arrived and wasn’t going to be finished for a couple of hours. The episode found so much positive reviews from critics, saying that it is one of the best episodes of the series and fans could also agree with that. Season 4 without a doubt is probably the strongest season of The Office and Dinner Party is a huge reason for the season to be so strong and incredible. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=343MhsWWMLU&t=4s
1. Stress Relief (Season 5, Episode 14 and 15) –This episode aired after the Super Bowl XLIII and was the most viewed episode in the series with 22.9 million people watching the 2 part episode. Of all the episodes to have come out after the greatest sports championship game of all time, it had to be Stress Relief. The episode’s cold open is considered the greatest cold open ever in the series. The episode starts with Dwight creating a fire drill by starting a fire in a trash can in the office. Then all hell breaks loose as Dwight’s lesson of Fire Safety becomes chaos in the office as the employees of Dunder Mifflin are trying to find a way out of the office. All the doors are locked and there is no way out so chaos begins. However once the chaos ends Stanley faints and has a heart attack. Now while the heart attack part is no joking matter it is the delivery of the cold open and camera work and directing that stands out and it is a key reason of why the episode is so amazing. The Stress Relief episode has to work in two parts as part one is about keeping Stanley’s stress levels low so the office has a CPR training lesson, which then leads to more comedy gold and Dwight once again causing Michael to try and calm the office down with yoga and meditation. This then leads to finding out that Michael causes everyone to have stress, bringing us to part 2 of the episode. Part 2 of the episode is centered on Michael as he wants to create a Roast for himself so the employees can express their feelings. However Michael becomes upset during the Roast to the point where he storms out of the warehouse where it is being held. He returns the next day and roasts everyone in the office, which leads to Stanley laughing which then caused everyone to laugh. The episode shows us what dealing with stress is like in a very ridiculous way but it is able to get to the point of its message. The episode also has a side plot of Pam’s dad possibly divorcing her mother and showing how great of a couple Jim and Pam are. Without a doubt this episode is pure comedy gold and shows how the show’s production team is amazing at their job. The dialogue and delivery from the cast is perfect, the pacing is perfect, the camera work and directing is perfect, the gags and jokes are hilarious and of course the story of both parts of the episode tying in together in a full circle was done so perfectly. The episode gained so much positive reviews from critics and Jeffery Blitz, the director of the episode, won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for the episode. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gO8N3L_aERg
Honorable Mentions
Café Disco Goodbye, Toby Booze Cruise Safety Training Murder
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