There
was a time when it was it on, that The Office was my favorite show on TV –
probably from about 2006-2010 (roughly Season 2-6). And then, it kind of faded
for me a little – which happens with aging shows all the time. At the dentist a
few months ago – as I was waiting for my crown, they let me watch their
Netflix, and I just randomly clicked on The Office – whatever episode was next
– and hit a Season 7 episode that I know I had seen, but didn’t know as well as
I did as those first six seasons. Ever since, I’ve been meaning to go back
through the entire run, really see if the parts I loved I still loved, and
whether those last three seasons, where I was kind of checked out, were bad, good,
or somewhere in between. With this lockdown going on, I finally have the time.
So
below, what I’m going to do is rank all 188 episodes, and then below that,
ranked the 9 seasons, and then the top 50 characters. Just for clarification
purposes, I used the episode list on IMDB – which mainly counted hour episodes
as one episode (at least for the first four seasons) – which is mainly how
Netflix had it as well. I know there are other lists that have over 200
episodes – but it’s because of those hour longs. If IMDB breaks those up into
two episodes – so, do I. I did this for simplicity’s sake.
And one more thing, I’m going just to say, that
rankings are all relative. Yes, the season was never as good once Carrel left,
and this ranking reflects that, and yet, there are pretty much zero episodes of
The Office that are truly terrible, or have little to offer. No, they aren’t
all great – some are merely mediocre, or passable, but for the most part, it
was a very solid run.
Ranking Episodes
188. Pilot (Season 1, Episode 1)
– The pilot, like many, really is the show trying to
figure out what it is – and not quite getting it. The
asshole/well-meaning-but-clueless balance for Carrel’s Michael Scott was way
too much on the former, and not enough on the latter. Added to that, they are
doing a bunch of gags from the British version – and not as well – and you have
an uneven episode to say the least – and one that I don’t really enjoy. Is it
really the worst episode of The Office ever? I guess so – it’s the one I may
well skip right off the bat if I embark on another re-watch at some point.
187. The Banker (Season 6,
Episode 14) – You know what type
of episode doesn’t really work during a binge re-watch? The clip show. They
have never been popular, but you can make the case that back in the day, when
you combine of a network sitcom, they could be helpful and fun (and, yes, I
still cry every time they play THAT moment from the end of season 3, regardless
of context) – but when you’ve watch all those episodes in the span of 3 weeks
like I have, it’s just unnecessary. It’s not a horrible watch by any means, but
it’s hard to argue that it’s a good episode.
186. Gettysburg (Season 8,
Episode 8) – With Gettysburg Season 8 was a third of the
way into Season 8, and it’s here where you really start to realize the show
isn’t going to completely find its footing this year. The episode basically illustrates
everything that didn’t work in Season 8. Split into two, Andy takes half The
Office to Gettysburg, trying very hard to inspire them with tales of glory and
going into war together. Robert California, back at The Office, is fooled into
thinking Kevin is the smartest one there, when he makes everyone make a pitch –
and Kevin talks about cookies. Basically, both halves feel like repeats from
previous seasons – and not done as well. Season 8 Andy was at his worst when
the show forced him into doing something Michael would do – and not do it as
well, as what happens here. And there is a definite limit of how much Robert
California one can take. Even Gabe, being mistaken for Abraham Lincoln, then
running with it, which produces a few laughs, feels strained. Perhaps the nadir
of Season 8.
185. Get the Girl (Season 8,
Episode 19) – Andy decided last
episode he was going to drive to Florida and bring Erin back, and this is him
actually trying to convince her to do that. Meanwhile, Nellie shows up at the
Scranton branch, and simply declares herself manager – no one wants her there,
but Robert California wants to see how it will play out. The whole Erin/Andy
storyline (at least this part, about her staying in Florida) always seemed a
little silly, and this is a silly end to it. Nellie works best in small doses –
and this isn’t that, so overall, not a banner half-hour for the show.
184. Welcome Party (Season 8,
Episode 20) – Another Nellie
heavy episode – the staff is tasked with giving her a welcome party, but since
they don’t like it, they try and throw a bad one. But Dwight and Jim see what
Nellie’s life is like when they are ordered to help her move into her
apartment, and Jim wants to call off the prank. Meanwhile, Erin and Andy drive
back from Florida – but she won’t kiss him until he breaks up with his
girlfriend, which they stop off to do in the middle of the party. Some of this
makes little logical sense (who has a party like Andy’s girlfriend is in the
middle of a workday?), and it’s too much Nellie again. Still, Andy actually
breaking up with his girlfriend is wonderfully awkward.
183. Here Comes Treble (Season 9,
Episode 5) – The final Halloween episode of The Office –
and they usually do these very well. This is the weakest one they’ve done, as
it gets sidetracked with Andy bringing in the Cornell Acapella group into the
office, and getting angry that they seem to love his old buddy Broccoli Rob more
than him, leading to pettiness all around. Dwight and Nellie team up to find
who is taking anxiety pills (it’s Nellie) – and Jim invests a lot of money in
Athlead, without Pam’s express consent. It’s an okay episode – but it’s
basically setting up Jim and Pam’s marriage issues, and Andy’s boat trip, more
than being a great episode unto itself.
182. Mafia (Season 6, Episode 6)
– If you wanted to argue
that the most important characters to The Office are actually Jim & Pam,
and not Michael – Mafia could be exhibit A. The only episode that has Jim &
Pam on their honeymoon, and hence not in the episode beyond their voices as
they get called often throughout the episode, the episode just seems adrift for
most of it. Mike Starr guests as an insurance salesman, and Dwight and Andy
convince Michael that he’s part of the Mafia. The episode is just kind of
drifts, and is kind of goofy, and I’m not sure if really consistent with any of
those three characters. The episode isn’t horrible by any means, but you’d be hard
pressed to find a more completely forgettable Office episode during its prime.
181. Jury Duty (Season 8, Episode
13) – Jim returns from Jury Duty, without telling anyone
that he was dismissed by noon on the first day, and took the rest of the week off
– and Dwight is determined to prove Jim lied. Meanwhile, Angela has her baby –
a month early, and it’s the largest premature baby in history – and Dwight
becomes convinces the baby is his. The Angela baby half is pretty good – it
does set up a long running storyline for Dwight and Angela as well. Everything
to do with Jury Duty storyline really doesn’t really work.
180. Roy’s Wedding (Season 9,
Episode 2) – Jim and Pam are invited to Roy’s wedding (for
some reason) and go there to discover that Roy has really gotten his life
together – he’s got a successful business, and has become a kinder, gentler
person – so much so that he even wrote a song for his new wife. This gives Jim
and Pam a slight crisis – do they know everything about each other, is the mystery
gone, and for Jim, is he wasting his life. The B-plot involves Clark trying an
elaborate scheme to get Erin to his apartment so he can seduce her – which
ends, really, with the start of Pete and Erin. I don’t mind see Roy happy – but
he’s basically a different character here, and I would have like to see some
kind of line between them. And the B-plot is silly – a way to get Pete and Erin
started, but there had to be a better way.
179.
The Inner Circle (Season 7, Episode 22) – This episode perhaps never had a chance –
particularly in a binge situation – as it is the one right after Michael
leaves, which is the culmination of multiple episodes that probably made you
cry a few times. Still, it isn’t very good – the one episode with Will
Ferrell’s Dangelo as solo manager, shows that managers can be less self-aware,
than Michael – and way more insufferable. It’s also has a lot of narrative in
it for one episode – especially since it’s all going to be discarded, as soon
as Dangelo leaves.
178. Lice (Season 9, Episode 10)
– Cece gets lice, and Pam
brings it into the office – infecting almost everyone, who blame Meredith for
the outbreak who shaves her head in response. Erin steps in and takes control,
while Dwight overreacts to it all. Meanwhile, those without lice conspires to
get Darryl and Val back together – much to Darryl chagrin. And Jim has a
business meeting with Dr. J. – which is basically them playing one-on-one. The
point here really seems to be to set up the very different lives Pam and Jim
are living with him in Philly – and to also set up a running joke with Meredith
in different wigs for weeks ahead.
177. Spooked (Season 8, Episode
5) – Robert California is coming to The Office
Halloween party with his son, putting Andy on edge. He wants to approve
everyone’s costumes, and makes Erin nervous when she thinks he doesn’t like the
party she planned. Robert California slowly tries to get into his workers heads
to tell a spooky story. A fine ensemble episode, with just a little too much
Robert California – and not to mention his son, who I don’t think really works.
176. Lotto (Season 8, Episode 3) –
The warehouse staff wins the lotto – and then
promptly quit. This sends Darryl into a spiral of depression – he used to be in
that Lotto pool, but stopped when he moved upstairs. He is supposed to hire a
new warehouse staff – but cannot find the motivation, leaving Andy to handle
it. Meanwhile, Jim, Dwight, Kevin, and Erin have to work the warehouse and pack
boxes together – and find creative ways to do so. Andy and Darryl have a few
good moments here – but it takes too long to get there. And the warehouse
hijinks strikes me as the type of thing the office wouldn’t have done earlier.
It all passes pleasantly enough, but it isn’t particularly memorable.
175.
Couples Discount (Season 9, Episode 15) – It’s
Valentine’s Day, and Andy is finally back from his three-month vacation. Erin
wants to dump him so she can date Pete, Jim and Pam go to lunch with Brian, the
recently fired documentary crew member, and the rest of the staff pretend to be
dating, and head to the mall to get couples discount manicures. The episode is
mostly diverting and amusing when focused on the ensemble – even funnier than
the mall, is them trying to get Andy in trouble with David Wallace. The Jim and
Pam stuff are basically treading water (not sure how Jim can be mad at Pam for
crying in front of Brian when he made her cry) – and the episodes confirms that
Andy is going to continue to be a massive asshole, he’s actually become worse
in his time away.
174. New Guys (Season 9, Episode
1) – To this day, I’m not convinced that The Office
needed to add both Clark and Pete (or either) to the cast for the last season,
although it’s funny that in this episode people called them Dwight Jr. and Jim
Jr. This acts mainly as a setup episode for Season 9 – Andy trying to make
Nellie’s life miserable (doesn’t make much sense, since he agreed to keep her
on in Season 8), and confirming Oscar and the State Senator are dating, etc. As
setup episodes go, it’s fine.
173. Suit Warehouse (Season 9,
Episode 11) – Dwight enlists
Clark to pretend to be his son, to pitch a father-son suit warehouse, with his
usual partner in these situations (Jim) not available, and their pitch is a
wild ride of role playing. Darryl goes to Athlede for a job interview - and
brings Pam along, who sees what Jim is doing. Meanwhile, the office gets an
espresso machine, and everyone left decides to drink one of each of the 18
flavors – leading to craziness. You can insult the espresso storyline if you
want – it’s the kind of goofiness the office didn’t used to do, but it’s so
much fun, who cares? Dwight is the only one who really brings out much in Clark
that I like. The Athlede stuff is what it is.
172. The Boat (Season 9, Episode
6) – Andy has discovered that
his father has blown the family fortune, and it’s up to him to try and figure
out what to do. Their last big asset is a yacht – that could be sold for a lot
of money to a buyer in the Bahamas – so he decides to take the boat down there
himself, leaving Erin behind. This is the decision that has an impact on the
rest of the season. However, the B-plot – with Pam, Jim and Nellie pranking
Dwight who thinks he’s on a local radio interview is outright hilarious.
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171. Work Bus (Season 9, Episode
4) – Jim convinces Dwight that
the wiring in the building is dangerous – hoping to get a week off – but
instead Dwight provides a bus for everyone to work on, which eventually heads
upstate to buy pie with everyone on board. Again, it’s always great to see the
whole office outside the office, and this is a lot of fun. It also has some
genuine emotion between Jim and Dwight, and Nellie, Erin, and Andy. This is one
of those Season 9 episodes that, for the most part, ignores the larger
narrative arcs of the season – but is stronger for it.
170.
St. Patrick’s Day (Season 6, Episode 19) – It’s St.
Patrick’s Day, but Kathy Bates’ Jo is working late in Scranton, so that means
everyone else is also working late. Michael tries very hard to suck up to Jo,
but it doesn’t go well. This episode is fine, we get to know Jo a little bit,
but overall it’s also kind of a stagnant episode – one where, like the office
denizens, we are stuck with them in the office, wondering when it’s going to
end.
169. Fundraiser (Season 8,
Episode 22) – The State Senator
is having a fundraiser, and Robert California has purchased two tables for everyone
in the office – which including the recently fired Andy, as Erin’s date, and
things get awkward. Oscar thinks the State Senator is hitting on him. And
Dwight doesn’t know how silent auctions work. Much of this is silly – Andy
adopting all those dogs is something Michael would have done, but it would have
been funnier, but it’s fun to see the entire office out here, interaction.
Silly, but fun.
168. Angry Andy (Season 8,
Episode 21) – Andy returns from
Florida, and finds that Nellie will not vacate his office or his job, and
Robert California won’t make her. Kelly has started dating Ravi – after being
set up by Pam – making Ryan very jealous, who tries his best to win her back.
The Kelly/Ryan storyline is silly – but it’s also very funny, as everyone
really does let Ryan know what they think of him, and climaxes with a great
scene. The Nellie/Andy/Robert storyline also climaxes with a great scene – Andy
standing up for himself, which gets him fired, but everything leading up to
that isn’t great.
167. Mrs. California (Season 8,
Episode 9) – Robert California brings his wife (Maura
Tierney) into the office because she wants to get back to work, but right
before she arrives, he lets Andy know that under no circumstances is he to hire
her. Once they’re both in front of him though, that becomes very hard. Dwight
starts a very bad gym in the basement. An interesting episode – it at least
attempts to show a different side of Robert, and gets everyone into the act to
try and be mean to Tierney. But again, it’s a lot of Robert California.
166. Tallahassee (Season 8,
Episode 15) – The Sabre store
team gathers in Tallahassee, and Dwight is determined to win over the new boss
– Nellie – and get the V.P. position, and his competition is Todd Packer, and Dwight
won’t give up, even when he needs his appendix removed. Back at the office,
Andy fills in for Erin at reception. The Florida episodes are probably the best
run of Season 8 – but this is weaker than the rest of them, a little too over
the top, but still a fine episode.
165. Turf War (Season 8, Episode
23) – Robert gets drunk one
night, and closes the Binghamton branch of Dunder Miflin on a whim. That causes
a war between Scranton and Syracuse over their clients, creating a vacuum that
Andy thinks he can fill. Meanwhile, Robert enlists the women in the office to
try and figure out what was in the drunken voicemail he left for Nellie. This
is the kind episode you could have seen them doing in its prime, but just a
little sillier than normal, even if it still works. I do appreciate trying to
complicate Nellie, and make her sympathetic, but I’m not sure it really works.
163. The Seminar (Season 7,
Episode 13) – In an effort to improve his sales, Andy
decides to hold a seminar for small business owners – enlisting the help of the
other salesmen – all of whom drop out one at a time, for different reasons. Jim
abandoning it because of someone from his past is fun – particularly the end.
But when it’s all over, there isn’t much here – they even had to invent a silly
reason for Michael to even be involved in the episode at all, and you can feel
the strain.
162. Promos (Season 9, Episode
18) – This one kind of feels
like a filler episode as the endgame is around the corner, and they needed to
get there. The promos for the documentary have landed, and everyone is
concerned with what is going to be exposed, and just how much the crew got –
and really, that’s the only part of the episode you’ll remember. Sure, Dwight
and his farm people – here, he worries his girlfriend’s family is trying to
scam him into splitting a tractor – is fun, but the Ryan Howard storyline with
Jim and Daryl is one of those that feels like they tried to shoehorn in a
famous athlete even if it doesn’t fit. Still, the episode is funny – but
there’s not as much here as there is in many late Season 9 episodes.
161. Stairmageddon (Season 9,
Episode 19) – An incredibly goofy
episode, but one that is very fun and funny throughout. Dwight needs to repair
the elevator in the building, which Stanley hates – especially when Dwight
needs Stanley for a sales call – which long story short, ends with Stanley
getting shot with bull tranquilizer, and being dragged from the building. Jim
and Pam head to marriage counselling – and talk poor Nellie and Toby’s ears off
about it. Finally, Andy tries to find a talent agent – which leads to some very
funny cameos. Like the previous episode, it feels kind of like filler as the
endgame starts to play out, but it’s so much fun, it’s to complain.
160. Special Project (Season 8,
Episode 14) – Dwight is put in charge of a three-week work
trip to Tallahassee for a secret project for Sabre. He wants to pick his own
team, Andy wants to send him with the least valuable members of the staff –but
everyone wants to go, except for Jim, who of course it’s going to end up going.
It’s also Pam’s first day back – although for reasons, Cathy is still there (we
know the reason). In the last two years of the office, it’s always great when
the whole ensemble gets a chance to shine, and this is one of those, so overall
a solid season 8 episode.
159.
Junior Salesman (Season 9, Episode 13) – David
Wallace puts Dwight in charge of hiring a part times salesman to fill in for
Jim when he’s in Philly – and Clark wants the job, but Dwight brings in all of
his very weird friends to compete for it. Certainly, a funny episode – when
cousin Mose isn’t the weirdest one in the episode, you know you’re know you’re
in for a treat. It’s also nice to nice Pam jump in at the end to try and cheer
Dwight up. This one is a lot of fun.
158. Training Day (Season 7,
Episode 19) – After a season that saw a lot of growth by
Michael, this episode – the first after he announced he was leaving – seemed
like a step back for him, as he spends the day showing his replacement – DeAngelo
Vickers (Will Ferrell) the ropes, and getting jealous of him, and protective of
what he has done over the years. It also seems kind of rushed – the last time
we saw Michael, he was announcing he was leaving, and now we’re really far down
the road. The show mainly handled Michael’s exit amazingly well – but this one
feels like a little bit of a misfire – even as it can be funny to see Carrel
and Ferrell working together.
157. The Incentive (Season 8,
Episode 2) – We really start to see where Season 8 is
going here, with Robert California pressuring Andy to increase sales, and Andy
in turn offering strange incentives to the rest of the staff to get there –
climaxing in a tattoo shop. There are many ways this could have gone, but they
basically decide to go with sweet – the whole staff coalescing around Andy,
with Robert California as the antagonist. It’s a funny, sweet, and basically
forgettable episode.
156. The Target (Season 9,
Episode 8) – At the office, Pete
starts building a tower out of all of the customer complaint cards – eventually
looping everyone in the office into the game as they go over the mistakes that
they’ve made. Meanwhile, the revelation about Oscar and the State Senator,
makes Angela go to Dwight to hire someone to kneecap Oscar. And Jim has to
convince Stanley and Phyllis to help him out, so he can spend time in Philly
with Athlede. This is the first episode where you really see the point of Pete
(and where he actually does seem like a young Jim) – and is surprising the
highlight of the episode (I love Pam getting in on the action). The other two
are more narrative driven about the show – and both work quite well as well.
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155. The Whale (Season 9, Episode
7) – The White Pages are
looking for a new paper supplier, and David Wallace reaches out to Dwight to
make the pitch – but when they find out it is a woman, the women in the office
tutor Dwight on how to deal with them. When they get there though, they realize
it’s Jan – and she hasn’t changed over the years. Meanwhile, Jim has issues on
a conference call, and Angela and Oscar follow the State Senator, trying to
figure out if he’s cheating on them. Jan has always been one of my favorite
characters – and she doesn’t disappoint here – Pam stalling for time with her
is wonderful, and the climax with Dwight bringing in Clark is great as well.
154. Trivia (Season 8, Episode
11) – The quarter is almost over, and Andy is $830
dollars away from the goal Robert California has set for the office. He comes
up with a plan, to home in on a bar trivia Oscar was doing in Philadelphia with
a $1,000 cash prize – not realizing it is a gay bar. What they have set up to
be a tired gay panic joke turns out not to be that at all, which is refreshing,
and it’s always good to get everyone out of the office, working together – and
the twist of Kevin, Erin and Kelly kicking butt.
153. Paper Airplane (Season 9,
Episode 20) – The last half-hour
episode of the series – the entire staff participates in a paper airplane
making contest, in which Dwight aligns himself with Angela. Andy gets a role in
a workplace safety video, and Jim and Pam continue to have troubles. All in all
it’s a really fun episode, that gets the whole ensemble involved which is good,
and really sets up the endgame between Dwight and Angela. Again, like the last
two episodes, it’s a little bit of filler here – but fun filler, so who cares?
152.
The Chump (Season 6, Episode 25) – Michael
has continued to date Donna, even though he now knows she is married – despite
the disapproval of everyone in the office. Andy even takes him to a baseball
game to meet her husband that she is cheating on. Dwight and Angela have
arbitration for their baby contract, and Jim and Pam keep falling asleep at the
office. I’m not much of a fan of the whole baby contract thing, and honestly,
the whole Donna storyline seemed like filler – and this episode is basically
all filler.
151. The Fight (Season 2, Episode
6) – I know that some love this episode – with Dwight
bragging about his purple belt status, and Michael believing he can beat them
up, so they go to Dwight’s dojo for a one on one fight - but it isn’t my
favorite. I like the awkwardness, the silences of this show – and this one
doesn’t have it. It does show, perhaps for the first, but not the last time,
Jim going too far with Pam, and then winning her back quietly at the end – but
it’s one of the few Season 2 episodes that I basically forget.
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