Ranking the top 50 Office Characters

Okay, just so everyone knows how I got here – I originally was only to rank the characters who appeared in over 10 episodes – but that would leave off characters like Jo Bennett and Charles Miner, and that felt strange – so in order to accommodate that, I dropped it down to 7 episode. That took me to 43 people, and that felt odd, so I then just found 7 other characters who were important to the show, but less than 7 episode (I think the least is 3). The ranking criteria is a mixture of character and performance – but is basically the characters I liked to watch the most to the least – but really, most of them are pretty great.

 

50. Jordan Garfield (Cody Horn) (3 Episodes, Season 7) – Poor Jordan, never stood a chance. She came in late in Season 7 – after Michael left – and was gone in just three episodes, as they clearly didn’t think they needed her once Robert California took over. Horn was fine in the role – her highlight may be bonding with Pam as they had to protect all the clients from having to talk to Creed. I cannot help but wonder if perhaps she was designed to be what Cathy was in Season 8 – and the just decided to go in another direction. Whatever happened, Horn and Jordan were never really given a chance to become a real character, and is one of the most forgettable characters in the run of The Office.

 

49. Hannah Smotridge-Barr (Ursula Burton) – (6 Episodes, Season 3) – Other than Karen and Andy, Hannah was the last of the Stanford employees to last in Scranton. But Hannah never really was given a chance to be much of a character – she is clearly miserable from the beginning of her time to the end, she looks with disdain on everyone in the branch – and even if some of that is deserved (they do stare at her breastfeeding) – she also never really tried to fit in. It isn’t Burton’s fault that you basically forget Hannah – she seems designed to just be there for the first half of the season so they can slowly pick off the Stanford people one at a time. In the end, she does what she is there to do – but it’s hard to think of too many more forgettable Office characters who appeared in this many episodes).

 

48. Esther (Nora Kirkpatrick) (5 Episodes, Season 9) – Esther shows up in Season 9 for a brief run as Dwight’s girlfriend, and perhaps even fiancé - I wonder if the purposed spinoff about Dwight’s beet farm had of taken off had they ended up together. As it stands now, she’s basically there to infuriate Angela – and provide that brief speedbump in their relationship down the stretch before the ending we were hoping for. She is a lot of fun – but there comes a point where they are clearly done with her, and it just kind of ends.

 

47. Rolf (James Urbaniak) (4 Episodes, Seasons 5-6, 9) – Okay, so Rolf is barely a character on The Office – he shows up in just four episodes, and for the most part, it’s basically bit parts. But he’s always funny when he does show up – as he is basically playing a more extreme version of Dwight – which Dwight cannot help but admire, even as everyone else cannot stand him.

 

46. A.J. (Rob Huebel) (3 Episodes, Seasons 5,7) – Holly’s boyfriend during her time in Nashua doesn’t really get much to do. The show basically establishes him as a nice guy – he’s kind, he treats Holly well, they seem reasonably happy together – but without the love that Michael and Holly have. It’s hard to hate him, because he’s so inoffensive – but it’s hard to really like him either.

 

45. Bob Vance (Robert R. Shafer) – (25 Episodes, Season 2-7, 9) – Poor Bob Vance, he just isn’t that interesting a character. They basically wrote him as a one joke character – as he introduces him as “Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration”, over and over again, and even as he hangs around, and even marries Phyllis fairly early in its run, doesn’t really get any other personality other than that through 25 episodes - other than he clearly hates Michael, Dwight and Andy, and his and Phyllis’ sex life is apparently very healthy. Everyone who knows The Office knows immediately who Bob Vance is – but I doubt they can tell you much other than that one line.

 

44. Brian (Chris Diamantopoulos) (5 Episodes, Season 9) – The final season of the show made the decision to give us a peak behind the curtain – address the documentary and its crew in a way it had never done before – leading up to the airing itself. Brian representing that peak – the sound guy who we see stepping into comfort Pam when Jim yells at her about the recital, or protecting her from the warehouse guy who comes to attack her. It is hinted that he loves her, without ever quite following through on it. I do love how the show gave us that peak in Season 9 – but it’s more of an all-encompassing love, rather than Brian specific.

 

43. Val Johnson (Ameenah Kaplan) (14 Episodes, Seasons 8-9) – I cannot help but wonder that had The Office been able to find a way to be in a post-Michael world, and continue for years, if they would have done more with Val. They basically fired the entire warehouse staff in Season 8 to get her into her role as foreperson, and then worked hard to bring her and Darryl together – but once Season 9 begins, and it’s the ending, they pretty much abandon her – she shows up once in a while, but there’s not much there. It’s a shame because there was some promise here – and I liked Kaplan’s performance. But she basically ends up being kind of forgettable.

 

42. Cathy Simms (Lindsay Broad) (12 Episodes, Season 8) – I feel bad for Cathy, who never really got a chance on the show. She was brought in for the After Hours episode – where she tries to seduce Jim, and gets rejected again and again, and she is great in that. But she’s there for 11 other episodes, where quite frankly, she is more often than not lost in the background. I also understand that they cut a scene where we would have found out she just got out of an abusive relationship, which wouldn’t excuse what she did, but would make it more understandable. So Lindsay Broad never really had a chance to do much with this character – who is essentially an object for 11 out of 12 episodes, and then mocked in the 12^th one (and it’s not her last one) – and doesn’t even get any sort of send-off at all – she just never returns from Florida, and is never mentioned again. For someone who is such a key part of one of Season’s 8 best episodes, she deserved better.

 

41. Helene Beasley (Linda Purl) (9 Episodes, Season 6-7, 9) – Pam’s mom shows up several times during the latter half of the season – but her highlight episode is clearly Season 6’s Double Date – when Michael takes her, Jim and Pam out for Helene’s birthday, and then dumps her when he finds out how old she is. She is wonderful there – even if it still basically remains the Michael, Jim and Pam show for that episode. Her other highlight is Season 7’s Sex Ed, her last scene with Michael. Other than that, she’s mainly a background character at Halpert/Beasley family functions. Her character is great – but oddly, probably the best when she isn’t there, and Pam and Michael argue about her.

 

40. Donna Newton (Amy Pietz) (5 Episode, Seasons 6-7) – Donna shows up late in Season 6 to give Michael a final girlfriend before he gets back together with Holly. She is the manager of the bar they go to for happy hour, and she and Michael hit it off there, and get together soon after – only for him to discover that she is married, and he is the other man when he suspects she is cheating. Her best episode is Body Language, when she comes into the office for a sales pitch, and everyone debates with Michael if she’s into him or not (although, he’s quite amusing in a quick phone call in Sex Ed in Season 7). To be honest, I always think this storyline is rushed, and is basically filler – but Pietz is still very good in the role.

 

39. Dangelo Vickers (Will Ferrell) (4 Episode Season 7) – Ferrell was clearly brought in to add some star power in the the run-up, and immediate aftermath of Carrel’s departure. You cannot deny them comic chemistry together – and they have moments where it works. But he’s only around for 4 episodes – Training Day is a bit of a letdown after the engagement the previous episode (the bar cold open is Ferrell’s best in the episode), his best overall episode is probably Michael’s Last Dundies, and still he isn’t what you remember about that episode, he’s a third wheel in Goodbye Michael, and then he gets one stand-alone episode, and ends up with brain damage. Ferrell is, of course, a great comedic actor – but part of me wonders if the writers didn’t come up with this character, and cast Ferrell, to show the direction The Office wasn’t going to go in post Carrel, because the character never really works (seriously, if you don’t like a season of Robert California, imagine a whole season with Vickers – it’s a nightmare scenario).

 

38. Katy Moore (Amy Adams) (3 Episodes, Seasons 1-2) – Seriously, if Amy Adams didn’t get nominated for multiple Oscars – her first, around the time she was on the show, we’d probably remember Katy a little less than we do. She shows up in the Season 1 finale, selling purses, with all the guys in the office wanting to ask her out – and Jim “winning”. She shows up, barely, in The Fire, basically to show how bad she is for Jim, and then on Booze Cruise, where he cruelly dumps her. Seriously, two of her three episodes are all time Office classics – and yet her character is more of a prop than a character. Adams plays it well, but there’s only so much you can do with it.

 

37. Gabe Lewis (Zach Woods) - (51 Episodes, Season 6-9) – Poor Gabe, they never really figured out what to do with him. He was probably at his best in Season 6 – as the go-between for Jo and the Scranton office, and always being on the outside looking in, never quite being included. Season 7 had him date Erin – in a storyline that never really made much sense, and just showed him to increasingly be an asshole, but a meek one – probably one of those guys who would go online and complain that women don’t like “nice guys”. He probably should have left when Jo did at the end of Season 7 – but they extended him into Season 8, even though he really didn’t have much of a point that season. Woods is a talented comedic actor to be sure – but The Office never cracked Gabe – and at some point, just seems like they stopped even trying to.

 

36. Todd Packer (David Koechner) (16 Episodes, Seasons 2-3, 6-9) – Todd Packer is an hard character for lists like this – I never really enjoyed him as a character, but then again, that is precisely the point of him – Todd Packer is insufferable for everyone not named Michael Scott, and Koechner plays that perfectly. He needed to be used sparingly however – and they mainly understood that, as he never appeared in more than 4 episodes in a single season. His best episode probably is the one called Todd Packer – where it becomes clear even to Michael sees through him as he becomes insufferable even for him.

 

35. Carol Stills (Nancy Carrel) (8 Episodes, Seasons 2-3, 7, 9) – Carrel’s talented real-life wife played his first real love interest, aside from Jan, starting as Michael’s real estate agent selling him his condo. Out of all his love interests, she seems the most normal – a regular divorced mom, looking for love, who thinks Michael is normal – until she gets to know him, and he takes things from 0-60 real fast. Still, she remains calm with Michael throughout all their interactions, if increasingly irritated with him. She’s not in A Benihana Christmas much – but her scene dumping Michael is her best moment on the show. It was always welcome to see her back – even if she was stuck playing the straight-man throughout.

 

34. Hank Tate (Hugh Dane) (23 Episodes, Seasons 2-9) – The security guard at the office park, Hank showed up a few times every season, basically just to giving withering looks to the crazies at Dunder Mifflin, or give a sarcastic comment. This isn’t a deep character by any means, but he is incredibly funny almost every time he shows up – perfectly played by Dane. It’s hard to pick the best Hank episode, because he essentially does the same thing every time – but it’s always so amusing it’s impossible to complain.

 

33. Josh Porter (Charles Esten) (8 Episodes, Seasons 2-3) -  Josh was used basically as a counterpoint to Michael during the first third of Season 3 – with Jim at Stamford, working for manager Josh. Josh was the more normal boss, who did what he was supposed to, and looked down on Michael, without ever doing so vocally in front of everyone. But ultimately, he revealed himself to be the type of person that Michael isn’t – one that would hang all his employees out to dry in order to improve his own position. It’s not a particularly deep performance – but I think Esten captures something more universal in why so many hate their bosses – because we know that, deep down, they don’t care about us at all.

 

32. State Senator Rob Lipton (Jack Coleman) (14 Episodes, Seasons 7-9) – The State Senator is clearly a very important character in the last three seasons – so much tension in the office revolves around him – but Jack Coleman doesn’t quite get as many opportunities to shine in the role as you may think. Still, it is a pitch perfect performance as the closeted Republican hypocrite, leading to a perfect send-off for him in his final appearance, as seen on TV, which is just downright funny.

 

31. Hidetoshi Hasagawa/ Madge Madsen/ Calvin aka Glenn – and ALL Warehouse Workers (Hidetoshi Imura/Karly Rothenberg/Calvin Tenner) - (30 episodes combined, Seasons 1-9) – Basically, these three represent all the warehouse workers who showed up throughout the run of the series. They are often in the background – occasionally getting a good line, or do something good in the background. The highlight of these three is probably when Hidetoshi gets a monologue at the end of Happy Hour to explain why he left Japan. The fact that Calvin aka Glenn aka Lester appeared in 15 episodes over 6 seasons, but had three different names, show how much attention they got from the writes. Still, as a group, the warehouse workers could often be quite funny – so as a group, they deserve some respect.

 

30. Robert California (James Spader) (25 Episodes, Seasons 7-8) – It’s hard to fault James Spader for Robert California not quite working – they basically hired him to be the creepy guy he specializes in, play it completely straight, but have it be funny because of what he says, and the context. And Spader does that. And in episodes when Robert California is a supporting character – one who shows up for a few minutes and episode, he can actually work the way they want him to – being an agent of chaos, the type of rich guy who isn’t good at his job, but who floats through life without consequences. Had he been utilized like say David Wallace – a few times of seasons, he could have lasted it years. As a regular he was just too much.

 

29. Jo Bennett (Kathy Bates) (8 Episodes, Seasons 6-7) – Bates, unfortunately suffered a little bit from coming in during the second half of Season 6, which is when The Office was trying to figure out what to do with itself, and I’m not quite sure they ever figured out what she should be. Because Bates is a brilliant actress of course, Jo is an interesting character – and a fun one, with her accent, her sayings, her dogs, etc. – but given just how good of an actress she is, this feels like a missed opportunity for there to be a truly great character.

 

28. Nellie Bertram (Catherine Tate) (34 Episodes, Seasons 7-9) – I’m not sure they ever quite figured out how to use Tate, and her unique comic talents on the show. In the Season 7 finale where she interviews for Michael’s job, and throughout most of Season 8, where she leads the team in Florida, then conspires to take Andy’s job, they seem to want her to be as insufferable as possible – and Tate is more than up to the challenge. In Season 9, they tried to soften her a little – tried to get her to bond with Pam a little, and become exasperated with Toby, and it works – kind of – but she also becomes less memorable as a result.

 

27. Clark Green (Clark Duke) (19 Episodes, Season 9) – There are two things true about Clark – one, is that I don’t really think he was necessary, Season 9 could have been fine without him, and two, I kind of wish we got to see more of him, because grew on me throughout the middle of the season, before he was basically left behind for the more major characters. Still, when paired with Dwight, Clark could be hilarious. Had this show gone on a few more seasons, Clark could have climbed his way up this list.

 

26. Pete Miller (Jake Lacy) (21 Episodes, Season 9) – Most of what I just said about Clark can apply to Pete as well – although I think he established himself earlier, and you really can see him becoming the new Jim of The Office – at least in the few opportunities he was given to do that. He fits with Erin – and he handled Andy well, and overall, is just a likable presence. Was he necessary? Not really – but I enjoyed him anyway.

 

25. Nate Nickerson (Mark Proksch) (19 Episodes, Seasons 7-9) – Mark Proksch’s Nate is one of my favorite background characters in the Office – showing up here and there throughout the last three seasons of the show, always being a pathetic, deadpan delight. He starts as Dwight’s worker at the building then graduates to warehouse worker. The show knew just how to use his character -briefly, a scene or two here and there, and he was always hilarious.

 

24. Charles Miner (Idris Elba) (7 Episodes, Season 5) – The ever charming Elba had to turn that natural charisma way down to play Charles Miner – a man who is a deliberately boring character, which explains why he takes an immediate dislike to not just Michael, but Jim as well. He made a good opponent for Michael – someone Charles really should have been able to beat, but Michael still got the best of him, and gradually, Elba shows just how petty Charles really was. It’s odd he never really got a send-off – presumably, he was fired along with everyone else at corporate in season 6 – but we don’t get any word of it. Elba played him well – and it was nice to see someone not charmed by Jim, but it’s hard to be a top tier character when you are deliberately designed to be a stick in the mud.

 

23. David Wallace (Andy Buckley) (37 Episodes, Seasons 2-6, 8-9) – Andy Buckley is wonderful as David Wallace in Seasons 2-6, when he is the CFO of Dunder Mifflin, and basically has to oversee Michael – as the trio of Jan/Ryan/Charles who are supposed to, can never quite do it. He creates a portrait of basically a good businessman, exasperated by what he has to go through, but not seeing another option. I also enjoyed him playing the drums after he lost his job. They brought him back near the end of Season 8, and then through Season 9, and he’s fine – without quite getting the same opportunity to be great. Still, his staying power is impressive.

 

22. Mose Schrute (Michael Schur) (13 Episodes, Seasons 3-9) – Pretty much the only acting role of Michael Schur’s great career – this Office writer who went on to create Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn 99 and The Good Place is wonderful each and every time he shows up as Dwight’s very special cousin Mose. There isn’t much to the character really – but eventually in every episode he will break into a run, and that’s worth it. Deep character? No. But is he one you will ever forget? No.

 

21. Roy Anderson (David Denman) (32 Episodes, Seasons 1-3, 5-7, 9) – I always felt a little bad for Roy, who was set up immediately as an antagonist, because we want Jim and Pam together, and Roy is in the way. But Roy isn’t really a bad guy – he’s a little clueless, he takes Pam for granted a little, but without Jim there, then they probably would been like many people – get married, have a couple of kids, then get divorced, etc. Even when he gets violent, he does have a reason to be upset with both Jim and Pam (although he handled it very poorly to be sure). I particularly liked him in Season 3, when he wants Pam back, and is just kind of sad, and says things that aren’t true (my favorite about how he thinks Pam’s art is sexy). He is played well by Denman, a sympathetic character, who will still root against. It’s nice to see him back in Season 9 – happy and successful, and hopefully, a better person.

 

20. Karen Filippelli (27 Episodes, Seasons 3-7) – Like Roy, you do feel kind of bad for Karen, even if you don’t want her to end up with Jim. Still, she and Jim work well together in Stamford, and perhaps had the branches not merged, they could have been happy together. But once they’re all back in the same office, things get awkward. Jones plays the character well – funny, sarcastic, and smart, basically a good person, who is just in the way of the love story we want. Like Roy, it’s nice to see her end up happy, because she deserved that. You liked her, but you wanted her to go away.

 

19. Holly Flax (Amy Ryan) (17 Episodes, Seasons 4-5, 7) – Amy Ryan is, of course, a brilliant actress – most often in heavy projects like Gone Baby Gone, so it’s great to see her not just in a comedy, but allowed to be goofy in a comedy. The show does a great job of showing us just how perfect for Michael Holly is- which was necessary – but I do kind of wish they had done more to define her as a character unto herself, which they never really do. Her first run of episodes is designed to break Michael’s heart, and her second run is to get them together, so she never quite becomes a full person. Still, she was always a delight to watch – and it takes something special to make you think she is perfect for Michael Scott.

 

18. Erin Hannan (Ellie Kemper) (102 Episodes, Seasons 5-9) – I enjoyed Kemper’s Erin quite a bit during her time on the show – she is always so chipper, friendly and happy – but it masks a deeply unhappy upbringing, and longing for something more (I have to think this is why they cast her in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt). It’ odd though that while I like her in the show, and think she became an integral part of it, she never quite like a member of the group inside the office itself – that she was outside the core, looking in, and I cannot figure out if it was intentional or not  - it could also be that for the most part, she wasn’t part of the show at its absolute peak).

 

17. Ryan Howard (B.J. Novak) (168 Episodes, Seasons 1-9) – I’m torn on Ryan in many ways – because on one hand, I never really liked him, I found him obnoxious in a way that was never really made sympathetic or understandable, unlike both Michael and Andy. But on the other hand, that is exactly the way his character is supposed to be – the show sees him much the way Pam does, as a prick who she doesn’t like very much. And the show seemed to know how to best utilize him as well – as a supporting character, someone who showed up for a few moments in each episode, but very rarely had episodes built around. Novak was always wonderful in the role, and he could be funny. But he was a character I liked more, the less he was utilized.

 

16. Meredith Palmer (Kate Flannery) (187 Episodes, Seasons 1-9) – Meredith is perhaps a notch below the most of the other office mates, if only because there was never much depth there. She was an alcoholic the whole time, and made fun of for how many men she slept with – the refreshing part being that she didn’t care, and fully embraced those roles – and her son, who we saw once as a child, who may be psychotic, and later as a teenager with a lot of tattoos. I don’t know if there was much there to Meredith – and she didn’t often get the one-liners that elevated other swallower characters. Yet, it is still a great performance by Kate Flannery, marked by her willingness to do just about anything for a laugh.

 

15. Kelly Kapoor (Mindy Kaling) (161 Episodes, Seasons 1-9) – Mindy Kaling looked to be having an absolute blast playing Kelly Kapoor during her run on the office. She didn’t often get whole storylines built around her, but she often got great moments, great one-liners – ones that continue to be memes to this day. Her on-again, off-again romance with Ryan was something that ran through her entire run, and often brought out the best in both of them – their pettiness, their self-absorption, etc. – although it was great to see her finally able to break free of him in season 9. There was never much depth to Kelly – she played a character obsessed with superficial things – but she played it to absolute perfection.

 

14. Phyllis Vance (Phyllis Smith) (188 Episodes, Seasons 1-9) – Phyllis always felt like a little bit of a mystery to me – and I mean that in a good way. She was the one female salesman who lasted the whole series, and she never seemed to play the cutthroat games of the others, but just quietly went along, always making her sales. There was also the little peaks inside her relationship with Bob Vance – elevated by the fact that for the most part, Bob Vance was dull onscreen, but then Phyllis would make a comment that gave you a peek inside a more perverse relationship. Smith was able to use her stereotypical mom-like exterior to great use throughout the run of the show – her best comments almost always being made quietly. She was a fine character, to have play out in the background.

 

13. Andy Bernard (Ed Helms) (152 Episodes, Seasons 3-9) – Honestly, it took a little while for Helms’ Andy to grow on me. He was deliberately made to be off-putting when his role began in Stamford as Jim’s co-worker, and when he gets to Scranton, and has to deal with his anger issues. Still, he is a different kind of person lacking in self-awareness from Michael, and they often played off each well – and eventually, he does grow on you. In Season 8, he really is able to hold everything together, even as Robert California threatened to detail things that year. I’m not a huge fan of how they portray him throughout Season 9 (his abrupt shift in attitude towards Nellie sometime between the Season 8 finale and Season 9 premier is the first strange thing about him) which is probably what keeps him out of the top 10. They land it well, but most of that season he is insufferable.

 

12. Darryl Philbin (Craig Robinson) (120 Episodes, Seasons 1-9) – Robinson’s Darryl was at somewhat of a disadvantage, because while he was there from the beginning of the series, he didn’t really get to be a regular until later on in the run – when he moved from the warehouse into the office in Season 6, when the show started to become uneven. Still, it’s hard not to love Darryl, who knew precisely how to play Michael to get what he wanted, and their scenes often brought out the best in Robinson. In later seasons, they seemed to like to pair him with Andy – for a similar type of dynamic. Robinson had a great, easy going presence to him – but they complicated him as he went along – with his daughter, with his disappointments, etc. Robinson’s talents were evident – and they eventually figured out how to use him, so he became one of the best characters in the later years.

 

11. Toby Flenderson (Paul Lieberstein) (141 Episodes, Seasons 1-9) – Poor Toby. You couldn’t help but feel bad for him when Michael picked on him mercilessly – sometimes cruelly – because even though you liked Michael, you knew Toby didn’t deserve it. I’m not sure poor Toby ever caught a break – he had a crush on Pam, but that kept going nowhere, his dream of moving to Costa Rica went nowhere, he was stuck in the annex with Kelly and Ryan and even if the rest of the office was never as mean to him as Michael was, they didn’t really include him either. As played by Paul Lieberstein though, Toby was often hilarious – the sad sack Eeyore of the bunch, who often had hilarious, sad one-liners. Poor Toby.

 

10. Oscar Martinez (Oscar Nunez) (177 Episodes, Seasons 1-9) – As an accountant, I always had a soft spot for the Dunder Mifflin accounting department – and although Oscar ranks the third of three here, I still loved him. He was always a great foil for Michael – who picked on him for both being Mexican and, later, gay. Nunez perfectly played Oscar as the frustrated smartest guy in the room – he knows more than anyone else, but never really got to be in control, for other reasons (even when given the chance, he cannot quite bring himself to say it – like in Shareholder’s Meeting). He was uptight, but still somehow lovable – often cast in the role of straight man, but also capable of being quite funny.

 

9. Creed Bratton (Creed Bratton (180 Episodes, Seasons 1-9) – Creed was never designed to be a deep character – 9 seasons, 180 appearances, and he is still basically a comic enigma. He basically shows up to make a quick quip in his one-to-one interviews to the camera, or do something hilarious in the background. We basically know nothing about Creed – and that helps to make him as funny as he is, and also as interesting as he is. There is hardly a moment when Creed speaks that isn’t hilarious. Strangely, the first appearance you remember him for – in Season 2’s Halloween, where he talks Michael out of firing him, is one of the episodes he talks the most in. He is the perfect example of a character who when used sparingly is wonderful – and the writers knew it.

 

8. Stanley Hudson (Leslie David Baker) (188 Episodes, Seasons 1-9) – Something that struck me as I re-watched the show this time is that Stanley may well be an older version of Jim – a few decades longer doing a job he’s good at, but doesn’t love, and resigned to see it through. Aside from Jim, no one had more, amazing side-eye looks at the camera when something stupid was going on, and he could also always be counted on for a great one-liner. Perhaps it shows the importance of Dwight to Jim – as this is Jim’s future without someone to prank. That’s just a theory of course – overall, Stanley is, of course, a great character – always in the background, with his crossword puzzle, the guy in the office who just wants to get in and get out as quickly as possible. Leslie David Baker is a deadpan genius.

 

7. Angela Martin (Angela Kinsey) (188 Episodes, Seasons 1-9) – It takes some skill to play a character who is essentially a stick in the mud, and yet make her both insufferable, lovable, and very funny at the same time. Angela is the most judgmental of all the Office characters – she looks down at everyone from the start, pretty much to the end (she is so proud of her husband, the Senator). Yet, as much as you sometimes dislike Angela – you always feel sympathy for her as well. Her chemistry with Rainn Wilson is great, and it’s always great to see her and Jenna Fischer play off each other as well. Angela took a long, roundabout way to get where she should be – but I’m happy that in the finale, she ended up there.

 

6. Kevin Malone (Brian Baumgartner) (188 Episodes, Seasons 1-9) – No one is more surprised than I am that out of all the officemates outside the main four that Kevin ended up being my favorite during this re-watch (my money was on Stanley). But Brian Baumgartner’s Kevin made me laugh more consistently than just about anyone on the show. I love how indignant he can get, how angry he gets over small things, and how he just doesn’t seem to understand some very basic things. He could be as wonderfully comic as anyone with his looks to the camera (that smile that creeps across his face). Also, more than just about any of the supporting office players, there seems to be a whole secret life Kevin is living – with his band, with his gambling addiction, with his fiancé, who he just isn’t engaged to at one point (he doesn’t want to talk about it). Baumgartner is an absolute riot throughout.

 

5. Jan Levinson (Melora Hardin) (43 Episodes, Seasons 1-7, 9) – Out of all the occasional characters in the show, Melora Hardin’s Jan is, to me, the clear best one. Part of it is based on her absolutely brilliant performance in the best office episode ever – Dinner Party (seriously, that episode is perhaps Carrel’s best performance in the show, and Hardin is his equal throughout – a true accomplishment). But it’s more than that. It is her journey, from when she begins and we think she is a serious, competent businesswoman (which perhaps she was at one time – and perhaps became again) – to her absolute bottoming out with Michael, to picking up the pieces again. Because she wasn’t a consistent presence always, there was always this feeling of a tornado of activity going on with her when she wasn’t around. My only complaint – I wish she were given a slightly better end point. But overall, Jan is the best character in the office who wasn’t around all the time – and Hardin’s performance is a gem.

 

4. Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) (188 Episodes, Seasons 1-9) – Jim is certainly among the most beloved characters on the show – which is why his actions throughout Season 9 cause so much distress in people, because they don’t want to think of him as an asshole. Still, from the time he and Pam get together in Season 4 through Season 8, he is basically perfect – so it’s nice to see him smudged a little. Besides, there was always something not quite perfect about him anyway – and I appreciate how they writers did that. In the role, Krasinski is just about perfect – it’s strange to me that he never got an Emmy nomination for the role. Krasinski is perfect here, and Jim is a great character. It’s hard to be one half of the perfect couple – but somehow, this works.

 

3. Dwight K. Schrute (Rainn Wilson) (188 Episodes, Seasons 1-9) – It really is a testament to Wilson’s performance that he was able to make Dwight Schrute into more than a cartoon character – which he easily could have been. You can see why Dwight can be annoying to be sure – but Wilson makes him both insufferable and lovable, gullible, and smart, competent and crazy, and somehow all of these things at the same time. He is also clearly the character who grows the most out of anyone throughout his nine seasons – his actions in the finale make complete and perfect sense – but would have been unthinkable to the Dwight of seasons 1 and 2. Yes, as the series went into the post-Michael era, the writers sometimes made Wilson go over-the-top – which he did to perfection even if you wish they didn’t push it that far. Still, Dwight is a great sitcom character - and one that becomes far more complicated then you ever would have thought.

 

2. Pam Beasley (Jenna Fischer) (188 Episodes, Seasons 1-9) – Pam Beasley is one of the most lovable characters in any TV show ever. Yes, she could be insecure and indecisive, but that just makes her even more relatable. She was always the heart of the show – the one you rooted for the most, whether it was in Season 2 when Jim was in love with her and she couldn’t see it, or season 3 when she was being rejected. Hell, I thought the show – especially in the finale – was WAY too hard on her for doubting Jim (he acted like a jerk for a while there). She is also responsible for some of the very best, most heartwarming moments in the entire show. I don’t think there is a moment that brings me more joy than the end of Season 3 when Jim asks her out, and she’s flustered – it is a truly great moment.

 

1. Michael Scott (Steve Carell) (140 Episodes, Seasons 1-7, 9) – Michael Scott is what made The Office great – really what elevated a very good sitcom to legendary status, and Carrel’s performance is perfect. That first seasons isn’t always great – they are figuring out the line between Michael being a jerk, and just being well-meaning but clueless. But from Season 2, this become one of the best performances in sitcom history -his six Emmy nominations in a row, for which he shamefully never won, were well-deserved. Carrel and Michael left a massive hole when they left – and while it was admirable how they tried to fill it, it’s also clear that they couldn’t. The Office ranks among the best network sitcoms of all time – and while the entire ensemble cast is brilliant, it’s hard to see that happening without Carrel and Michael Scott.

Ranking the Office Seasons

Now that I've ranked all 188 episodes, now it's time to rank Seasons. For the record, I think the ones ranked one to three are interchangeable - all great, number four is locked in place, five and six are back to interchangeable, seven through nine are locked into place.

9. Season #8 – Season 8 is widely, and rightly, regarded as the weakest season of The Office, and I’m not going to try and argue against that. I will say that I somewhat admire the writers attempt here – we aren’t likely to see another sitcom go through what The Office did in Season 8 – because first it would need to be a huge critical and commercial hit for 7 years, although one with its prime clearly behind it, who loses their star and most popular character, and decides to soldier on anyway. Still, The Office, could have simply become a nostalgia show – trading off the audiences affection for the characters, but with Robert California, and to a lesser extent Nellie Bertram, I think they really tried to do just that – but to add a different kind of tension to the office. Had it worked, perhaps Season 8 would have been the start of a longer, second chapter of the show. But they didn’t really work. The show got sillier, and those two just never really fit. Still, it is a decent season of a network sitcom – fun and funny, and easy to watch. But it is not The Office at its prime to be sure.

 

8. Season # 9 – If Season 8 was the writers try to see if they could make a post Michael-Office work, then Season 9 was embracing the show for what it was, and embracing the endgame for all the characters. I do believe that they stick the landing amazingly well – the finale is legitimately great, and the two episodes leading up to it are fine as well. There is a lot to celebrate about the show this season – although it is also clearly more uneven than The Office was in its prime, and it still misses Michael who elevated the entire show. Still, name a live-action network sitcom in 2020 that had as good as season as The Office did in Season 9? It would be a very short list.

 

7. Season #1 – In my memory, Season 1 was always awkward and not that good – as it struggled to find its voice, and repeated too many gags from the British version. I was surprised then when I went back and re-watched it and found that that basically describes just the Pilot episode – which is one of the worst in the series’ run. After that though, the remaining five episodes are quite strong. True, they didn’t quite figure out the larger ensemble cast yet – that would come in Season 2 – but as a six-episode initial run, it really is quite solid other than episode 1.

 

6. Season #6 – In my memory, The Office was in its prime from seasons 2-6 – but watching it again now, it kind of becomes clear that that really only applies to first half of season 6. The classic episodes are in the first half – the greatness of the two-part Niagara wedding episode, the most cringeworthy episode ever – in Scott’s Tots – and everything with Dunder Mifflin maybe going under is handled perfectly. But once Sabre takes over in the second half, the unevenness really sets in – with the writers just not quite sure where to go next. It kind of feels like season 1 all over again – expect now it’s not a new show figuring out what it wants to be, but now a great show figuring out how to stay great. Overall, is season 6 still better than just about any live action sitcom on network TV in 2020? Yes. But it’s also clearly a notch below the previous four seasons.

 

5. Season #7 – It may seem odd to have season 7 over season 6 – especially since I consider the first half of season 6 to still be vintage The Office – something that only a few episode in season 7 could claim. But oddly, Season 7 is the one Michael Scott season of the show that I think is better than the sum of its parts. The whole season is basically a farewell to Michael – even before you realize it is, because through the season you start to see real growth for Michael – he starts to see the way he reads too much into things, he starts to see Ryan and Todd Packer for who they really are, and is able to really share his life with someone like Holly. The individual episodes weren’t always among the very best in the shows history – but the ones that were, were great, and overall the show was more consistent than season 6, which had that uneven backend. Plus when it was finally time to say Goodbye Michael, they did it perfectly. Perhaps this season isn’t “vintage” The Office like Season 2 through the first half of Season 6 – but it’s just as essential.

 

4. Season #5 – There is absolutely no doubt that by season 5, The Office was running like a well-oiled machine. The film was dominated two storylines – Michael and Holly’s short-lived relationship in Scranton, until she is transferred back to Nashua, begins the season and Michael’s heartbreak over it continued all season, and Michael quitting Dunder Mifflin, going out on his own (with Pam and Ryan) to protest his new boss (Idris Elba). The rest of the season also just works as standalones, with one funny episode after another. I’m not sure the heights are quite as high as other seasons – but it’s tough to find too many sour notes here either.

 

3. Season #3 – This season is not quite, but is nearly as good as Season 2. For Jim and Pam, it basically flips the script – with her pining for him, and him with someone else. I will say, I was sadder for Pam in this season than I ever was for Jim – and Jim did act like a jerk towards her on more than one occasion – but it all leads up to the best, most purely joyful moment in the shows history. As for the rest, everyone is still firing on top notch – Steve Carrell deepens Michael this season, and we get to see how Michael can both be good at his job, and how he looks to other people who just joined the office. The show also handled the addition of new characters with ease. In short, even if it’s not quite as good as Season 2 in total, most sitcoms will never have a season this good.

 

2. Season #4 – This season had two things working against it – the writers’ strike which shut down production about halfway through, and NBC wanting the show to have quite a few hour long episodes – where they have to pull off the trick of the episodes working as those hour longs, but can also be split in two for syndication purposes. So it’s quite remarkable really that the quality of Season 4 didn’t flag at all from where it was the previous two seasons. The highlights – like The Deposition and Dinner Party are as good as anything the show has ever done, and I liked the trick the show pulled in the Season Finale, pulling back on a big Jim and Pam reveal, like they had the last two years. Another vintage season.

 

1.Season #2 – This isn’t just the Season where The Office truly figured out what it was – it perfected it pretty much right away. Seriously, you don’t go too long at any point in this season without hitting a classic episode – and it had some amazing runs as well (Christmas Party, Booze Cruise and The Injury are back-to-back-to-back, perhaps the greatest three episode run the series ever had). There really isn’t a weak link this season – no, The Fight isn’t my favorite, but it’s still far from a bad episode). This is the season that really deepened the emotions between Jim and Pam – and left us heartbroken – that perfected the balance between Michael being an asshole or clueless-but-well-meaning (and ever inspires genuine sympathy a few times when it gives us glimpses into his childhood). In short, it is as close to a perfect season of a network sitcom you are ever like to see – there is a reason this was the season it won the Best Comedy Emmy.

Ranking The Office Episodes: 50-1

50. Employee Transfer (Season 5, Episode 5) – Michael takes a personal day to drive Holly back to Connecticut when David Wallace transfers her back to her old branch when he discovers they are dating - alongside Darryl, in the truck, who has to awkwardly sit there as they break up. This is one of those episodes you want to look away from, but cannot – and it’s one of the episodes you feel very bad for Michael. They mainly keep the rest of the episode light – Dwight trying to piss off Andy by applying for Cornell, Pam and Jim’s brothers trying to prank Jim, and get it mostly right.

 

49. Women’s Appreciation (Season 3, Episode 21) – Phyllis gets flashed in the parking lot, and after initially thinking it was funny, Michael decides to overcompensate – by showing the women in the office how much he appreciates them by taking them to the mall. It’s a good way to get Michael to interact with just the female employees – especially when he pours his heart out about Jan, and gets conflicting advice from Karen and Pam. It is also one of the funniest Angela episodes – when she tells you where she gets her clothes. The B-plot of Dwight searching for the flasher is just really funny.

 

48. Sexual Harassment (Season 2, Episode 2) – The episode basically introduces us to Michael’s nemesis, Toby in HR, the one employee in the office he cannot control because he’s technically corporate. The whole episode is similar to Season 1’s Diversify Day – with Michael causing a problem, and making everyone take a course on something that he thinks he knows everything about. Just a really solid, hilarious episode – a way to get back into the office after episode 1 of the season mainly took place at Chili’s.

 

47. Back from Vacation (Season 3, Episode 11) – Michael returns from Sandals for the Christmas break with beads in his hair (that is lowkey hilarious) – and it quickly becomes clear that he went with Jan – and then the whole office, and the whole company, knows because Michael cannot help by trying to brag to his old friend Todd Packer – making Michael go crazy trying to contain a story that is already out. The b-plot has cracks forming between Jim and Karen – with Pam caught in between. A good way to return to the series after Benihana.

 

46. The Surplus (Season 5, Episode 9) – Oscar informs Michael that the office has a surplus of $4,800 – and they’ll have to spend it on something, today, or it goes back to corporate. Oscar wants a new copier – Pam wants everyone to get new chairs, and the office is divided. It becomes more divided when Michael finds out that if he just doesn’t spend it, he’ll get a bonus – which he can spend at Burlington Coat Factory. Dwight goes to extreme lengths with Angela, as they plan her and Andy’s wedding at the beat farm. It is a classic ensemble episode at the office about the debate, and Michael wanting to be popular, but also wanting to be selfish. More stand-alone than much of Season 5 – but a great one.

 

45. Business Ethics (Season 5, Episode 2) – As the branch’s new HR person, it’s up to Holly to give them all corporate’s ethics seminar in light of Ryan’s downfall. Michael grants immunity – leading to Meredith’s confession of serious ethical lapses, even if they benefit the company. So now Michael and Holly – who have been best friends until now – are placed in conflict. The episode is hilarious – Michael’s pettiness in trying to mess with Holly is great, and the episode really does bring out the best in Carrel and Amy Ryan, and Kate Flannery. It also has probably the most realistic resolution to this you can imagine.

 

44. Baby Shower (Season 5, Episode 3) – One of the last great awkward Jan episodes – as she shows up at the office for a baby shower, not having told Michael that she has already given birth to little Astrid (not Astird) – which devastates him, as he has begun to think of himself as the father. As always, Melora Hardin nails it as Jan – and you start to see how she is pulling herself together after the breakup with Michael – and you also see the growing bond between Michael and Holly. The seeds are also being planted for Pam’s end as a student in New York.

 

43. Fun Run (Season 4, Episode 1) – The show returned with us all wondering what happened with Jim and Pam – and took its time to show us, but I think we’re all satisfied with it. Then there is Michael hitting Meredith with his car, and eventually setting up a charity fun run for rabies. So much of this episode works wonderfully well – it is funny and well made, we see what we need with Jim and Pam, and Michael and Jan. But it’s also one of the episodes hour long episodes – and it really does kind of feel like two episodes pushed together more than the best hour-long office episodes.

 

42. Safety Training (Season 3, Episode 19) – Both the office and the warehouse have to go through safety training, and the warehouse staff mocks the office people for caring about things like season depression and eye strain, instead of more serious things – leading Michael to decide to show just how serious depression can be. The episode walks the line – there are many hilarious moments (the watermelon is the most laugh out loud one) – but it does actually deal with depression, with Michael’s symbolic gesture uncovering real issues.

 

41. The Convention (Season 3, Episode 2) – The Convention is one of those helpful reminders that The Office gives once in a while that Michael is actually pretty good at his job when he wants to be – this time, heading to a paper convention, where Jan gets mad at him for goofing off – but, of course, it ends up being Michael who closes the biggest deal. This doesn’t make Michael happy though – his party is a bust, and spends much of the time hurt by Jim, also at the convention, because he left – before it’s heartwarming ending. It’s also the start of the tables between Jim and Pam turning.

 

40. Gay Witch Hunt (Season 3, Episode 1) – Every season premiere has to re-establish the show, and in this case establish a new normal – with Jim having moved to the Stamford branch, and introducing some new characters there, and Pam revealing she called off her wedding to Roy, etc. The show smartly addresses both of these quickly, but also moves to be a standard office episode – this time with Oscar revealing he is gay, and the fallout from Michael that follows – who bends over backwards to prove he isn’t homophobic, but doing so in the absolutely worst way. A great way to start the season – one that pushes the boundary of how clueless Michael be to just about its breaking point, but not quite getting there.

 

38/39. Lecture Circuit (Season 5, Episodes 14& 15) – Michael hits the road – with his driver, Pam, - to all the other branches in the area (other than Holly’s) – because Scranton is the only branch who has increased sales in tough times. It does become clear though that Michael has no real idea why – or what to do. The highlight of the first episode is wrapping up Karen’s story, in a way that makes you feel good. This inspires Michael actually going to Holly’s branch in the second episode, to try and get similar closure that Pam got – and completely melting down. For me, it’s impossible to separate these two episodes, both complement each other perfect, both are very funny, and yet end with some heartwarming moments.

 

37. Weight Loss (Season 5, Episode 1) – The season five premiere takes place over the entire summer – during an 8-week weight loss challenge from corporate HR, which has the entire staff gather on the warehouse scale once a week to see how much they lost – all except Pam, who is leaving for New York for art school. One of the better standalone hour longs, as we really see the chemistry between Michael and Holly, the continued relationship between Dwight and Angela, and Jim and Pam finally get engaged. The episode even gives some great stand out moments to the ensemble – particularly Stanley and his personal triumphs, and Kelly, who goes to extremes. A great way to start season 5 – doing a lot of heavy lifting in terms of setup, but also just being a great, hilarious episode.

 

36. Local Ad - (Season 4, Episode 5) – Ryan and corporate has bought some local ad time – and wants to run an ad for Dunder Mifflin, with just a little input from the Scranton branch. Michael decides that he should make his own ad instead. It’s amusing throughout – with the whole office coming together to work towards a common goal – and when you see the final ad, it’s one of those periodic reminders the show gives you that Michael can be quite competent when he wants to be. The end is legitimately heartwarming.

 

35. Conflict Resolution (Season 2, Episode 21) – Michael finds out that everyone comes to HR, aka Toby, with all of their complaints about other employees, and decides to resolve everyone’s conflicts himself – reading them out loud in front of the whole office, and basically making everyone hate each other. The film has some out and out hilarious moments – Pam saying she doesn’t want anyone at her wedding who called her a hussy, Michael’s win-win-win solution to the Oscar/Angela poster conflict – and listing all of Jim’s pranks on Dwight in a row, that is hilarious, until it isn’t – and is really what makes Jim reconsider his life. And it sets up the classic season finale in a great way. I do always love it when the whole ensemble gets involved – and this is a perfect example of that.

 

34. Business School (Season 3, Episode 16) – Ryan invites Michael to speak to his business school class – but doesn’t tell him that he has insulted both him and Dunder Mifflin during his time there. Michael, of course, delivers exactly the kind of speech you would expect him too – until he is confronted with the facts, and it all goes off the rails. It is a classic Michael episode (it is, technically the episode that Michael was nominated for an Emmy for season 3 for) – and the B-plot, about a bat in the office, is just plain funny.

 

33. The Return (Season 3, Episode 13) – Dwight is working at Staples after the events of Travelling Salesman – and Andy has filled his void, driving everyone, even Michael, completely nuts (one of the great lines of the series is here – with Michael wondering aloud how anyone can have so little self-awareness). The reunification between Michael and Dwight in Staples is perfect. In a busy episode, it’s also when Oscar returns after Gay Witch Hunt, to a party that “celebrates” his Mexican roots – and Jim and Pam decide to prank Andy – leading to results that are at least a little bit scary. You worry that the episode is doing too much – but it all works well together.

 

32. Travelling Salesman (Season 3, Episode 12) – Dwight does a favor for Angela, which Andy will use to plant doubt in Michael’s minds when all the salesmen team up with each other for sales calls. It’s fun to see these pairs head out together – Jim and Dwight working well together, Stanley completely embarrassing Ryan – and finding it hilarious – Phyllis showing off some unexpected game with Karen – and Andy messing up the call with Michael. This is a companion piece to The Coup – one of the highlights from Season 3.

 

31. Goodbye Toby (Season 4, Episode 14) – Poor Toby, embarrassed over his actions in Night Out, has announced he is leaving – and moving to Costa Rica (which has mentioned a few times) – leading to Michael planning an epic party for his nemesis leaving. It also has Amy Ryan coming on board as Holly – who Michael is prepared to hate, and Dwight starts to prank, but of course, Michael falls for her. Jim spends the whole episode planning his proposal – only to be upstaged in a nice little twist. We also find out interesting news about Jan, and get news about Andy and Angela, and Angela and Dwight. This is such a plot heavy finale (is it trying to do too much, since the season got shortened because of the writer’s strike?) – and yet, it is absolutely hilarious – none more so than Holly thinking Kevin is, well, a little slow. If you have to do this much in a finale, you can only hope to carry it off this deftly.

 

30. Garage Sale (Season 7, Episode 18) – Everyone in The Office has gathered in the warehouse to sell their junk in a large garage sale. Michael is planning on proposing to Holly – but is surprised when she announces that she will be moving to Colorado to take care of her parents. This episode is doing a lot – all the stuff with Holly’s parents is heavy, the garage sale stuff is light and funny – particularly Jim seeing if he can get Dwight to want his magic legumes. The heart of it is the proposal itself – which Pam, Oscar and Ryan talk Michael through, as his first plan was a fire in the parking lot. It all leads up to a beautiful, and elaborate proposal, with Michael’s shocking announcement at the end. This was perfectly handled.

 

29. Broke (Season 5, Episode 23) – The Michael Scott Paper Company finds out that they are broke – and don’t have long to survive (apparently MBA Ryan used the wrong model, meaning they are grossly undercharging, which is, of course, they only reason they have clients). Still, they’ve stolen so many clients from Dunder Mifflin, that David and Charles agree the cheapest option will be to buy out the company. Again, an example of how good Michael can be – they worry he’s going to screw up the negotiations, but he actually plays it masterfully. It’s also probably my favorite Idris Elba episodes – as he starts to see Dwight for who he is, and continues to pick on Jim. One of the very best Season 5 episodes, leading to the resolution we know is coming, but is still great in getting there.

 

28. Phyllis’ Wedding (Season 3, Episode 15) – For some this ranking will be too high, for others too low. Whenever the most awkward Office episodes comes up, Phyllis’ wedding seems to get mentioned more often than anything other than Scott’s Tots and Dinner Party. And it’s easy to see why – it’s Michael at his most cringe-inducing, trying to make Phyllis’ wedding all about him – throwing a lowkey temper tantrum when her father stands up for his wheelchair to walk her down the aisle, instead of being pushed by Michael (him pulling that wheelchair down the aisle is painfully awkward) – and then doing everything possible to try and win back some glory in the day about him. It is all a high-wire act for Carrell and the show, and I think they pull it off wonderfully well – although I can also see why others would never want to watch it a second time.

 

27. The Negotiation (Season 3, Episode 18) – Roy attacks Jim, who is saved by Dwight. All of this leads Darryl to think, not incorrectly, that he deserves a raise – all of which exposes just how little Michael makes. This is one of those perfectly constructed Office episodes where both the A and B plots work wonderfully – Darryl needling Michael is wonderful, as is the trip to corporate with Toby, for the negotiation with Jan is brilliantly handled. Jim trying to find the best way to thank Dwight also works very well. It is also the episode that, I think, has Jim’s biggest asshole moment maybe of the entire series – in his response to Pam apologizing for Roy’s attack – and I don’t say that as a criticism of the show, but praise for its willingness to go there.

 

26. Michael’s Last Dundies (Season 7, Episode 20) – Michael’s departure is coming up, but not before he hosts one last Dundies. The opening of the episode is hilarious – Michael and DeAngelo going to everyone’s house at 6 am to give them their plaques as Dundie nominees, and getting a wide variety of reactions. From there, Michael tries to ensure that DeAngelo keeps this tradition going by training him to be a Dundie host. Carrel and Ferrell work much better here than they did in Training Day – but it’s also a great ensemble episode, giving everyone a chance to express their feelings towards Michael – including Dwight’s hurt. And then there is the Rent-inspired musical climax, which is one of the moments in The Office that always makes me cry. This was a perfect way to setup Michael’s final episode.

 

25. Branch Closing (Season 3, Episode 7) – Yes, we know that Scranton is not actually going to be closing – even though Jan tells Michael that is exactly what is going to happen at the beginning of this episode, but tells him not to tell everyone else – which is precisely what he does. It is a fascinating episode – it can be funny at times, but it also gives your insight into each of the office people, and what their future plans are going to be. And Jim, looking directly into the camera, and pretty much complimenting Michael after Josh’s betrayal, is also a great moment. It sets up what is coming next – bring Jim back to Scranton, and everything that follows. And Michael and Dwight waiting for David Wallace is funny by itself as well – especially when they find out they won, but don’t know how they pulled it off.

 

24. Diversity Day (Season 1, Episode 2) – The pilot may have been uneven, but they quickly found their footing with this brilliant, awkward, hilarious episode – with Larry Wilmore having to come in to give a diversity training session, and Michael trying to take it over – even if he’s the only one who really needs it. The episode pushes the limits of good taste, knows it, and stays just this side of the line with it. You probably wouldn’t get away with it today, but it’s great.

 

23. Company Picnic (Season 5, Episode 26) – The season finale keeps it short this year – a regular half hour – and it is jammed packed, and pretty much perfect. Michael and Holly reunite for a comedy routine at the company wide picnic – and end up revealing something that no one wanted revealed, but also prove the spark is still there. Pam proves to be great at volleyball – carrying the Scranton branch into the finals against corporate – where Charles shows just how petty he can be. All of this leads to the heartwarming climax. Throughout it all, there are many great moments – Dwight as the coach, the other Dwight in the company, Andy freaking out, etc. In Season 4, they would have made this an hour – and it would have been great – but there’s something about a jam packed half hour that makes this perhaps even better.

 

22. Money (Season 4, Episode 4) – The best of the four hour longs to begin Season 4, this one concentrates on Michael, who has never been good with money, and always had debts, realizing that with Jan he has gone so deep in debt he has had to take on a second job at night, telemarketing, and considering declaring bankruptcy with Oscar’s help. This actually builds to the perhaps the sweetest moment between Michael and Jan – the one where we don’t question their relationship, and Meloria Hardin plays it perfectly. I also cannot help but love the b plot from the first half of the episode – Jim and Pam spending the right at Dwight’s Beat Farm B&B. Overall, this is how you do an hourlong.

 

21. Office Olympics (Season 2, Episode 3) – As Michael and Dwight leave the office, so Michael can finalize his purchase of a condo, the rest of the office – led by Jim – compete is office games. Everything with Michael and Dwight – and the real estate agent, played by Carrel’s real-life wife Nancy (who will return a few times) – is awkward comedy gold, even if in these strained economic times, I didn’t want to hear a lot about mortgages. Everything back at the office is lighter and more fun – showing just how committed and fun Jim can be given the right circumstances – but also the varying degrees of commitment of the players. Just a perfect example of what this show, in its top form, could do – even if it’s not quite top level. 

 

20. A Benihana Christmas (Season 3, Episode 10) – The Office does Christmas episodes rights – and A Benihana Christmas is no exception. Michael pushes girlfriend Carol too far, and she breaks up with him, leading Andy to suggest Benihana for lunch – and Jim and Dwight are brought along. Meanwhile, Karen and Pam stage a coup on the party planning committee, planning a much more fun party than Angela will allow. This is one of the seasons hour-long (really 42-minute episodes) – and it never really flags as can sometimes happen. It all builds to the Christmas party, and again a genuine moment between Michael and Jim. But basically, it’s one comic highlight after another.

 

19. The Merger (Season 3, Episode 8) – The Merger is a classic Office episode – it makes you see Michael through the eyes of the people who don’t know him – and how strange that must have been. Michael tries really, really hard to impress the new people Stamford, but he goes way too far, way too hard and ends up alienating them all. It’s also kind of a sad episode – Pam is so happy to have Jim back, but has her bubble burst almost immediately when he is stand-offish, and awkward. Poignant, funny – and when you find out Jim and Karen are actually dating, a little heartbreaking.

 

18. Scott’s Tots (Season 6, Episode 12) – I know there are die-hard Office fans who have only ever watched this episode once – and can just not handle watching it again. It’s easy to see why – it is probably the most painfully awkward episode in the entire series’ run and the worst thing Michael has ever done. 10 years ago, he told a group of underprivileged children that if they graduated high school, he’d pay for their university – and now that bill has come due, and he has absolutely no money to follow through. But he does laptop batteries for them all. This is exactly the type of thing Michael would do – but the awkwardness level is sky high, because the consequences here are real, and the victims completely innocent. It is also, however, darkly hilarious. You can argue that here they took things too far here – but you kind of have to give credit to the most cringeworthy episode in a series known for its cringeworthy episodes.

 

17. Threat Level Midnight (Season 7, Episode 16) - One of the undeniable highlights of Season 7 is finally seeing the finished product of Michael’s long-gestating movie – that we saw a table read of in Season 2. It is, of course, inspired insanity and comedy throughout – and also fun to see all the old faces that have moved on over the years returning for one last time. In many ways, this is the type of lightweight, nostalgia driven episode that The Office didn’t indulge in before now – but given it’s one of Michael’s last episodes, all is forgiven – especially when it’s this funny. It also, surprisingly, shows some real growth in Michael – realizing that it is okay if Holly doesn’t love it, or if it isn’t great. He would not have had this insight before Holly.

 

16. Finale (Season 9, Episode 23) – It is very hard for sitcoms to end things right – you have to get the balance between humor and sentiment just right, and with The Office, you have the complicating factor of Michael – who had left two years before, in what was in many ways a finale in and of itself. They split the difference well here – bringing back Carrel, but not letting him take over the episode (whether that was there choice or Carrel’s – it works). The episode gives everyone (well, except poor Toby) a happy or happy-ish ending, it sets Dwight up to be successful in the future giving him what he wants, and sends Jim and Pam off into the sunset in a fitting way. Everything works amazingly well – and then there is the final sequence with all the regulars (sans Michael) in the office for one last time. It is a fitting way to end things – and a great way. They nailed this ending about as good as I can imagine it being done – and created certainly a must-see finale.

 

14/15. Niagara: Part I & II (Season 6, Episodes 4 & 5) – I know some will probably complain that this dual episode is too sweet to be a classic Office episode – and my wife liked to complain about some of the logical flaws in the movie (mainly having to do with how wet Jim and Pam would be coming back from the boat, and why only the office people dance done the aisle, etc.). And yet, I don’t care. Loyal Office fans had been waiting six years to see Jim and Pam get married, and this episode didn’t disappoint. Yes, it is heartwarming and sweet to see our favorite couple get married. Yet, the episode still manages to have classic awkward moments – Michael and Mee-maw for example, and shows some different sides of everyone. Overall, you just have to love these episodes if you love The Office.

 

13. The Fire (Season 2, Episode 4) – Everyone gets out of the office, into the parking lot, when a minor fire starts in the office. Michael really tries to become friends with Ryan – making Dwight super jealous – meanwhile Jim holds court with desert island games. All of it is funny – even when Amy Adams shows up, and we realize just how not right she is for Jim based on her answers – all leading to the glorious reunification between Michael and Dwight, and Ryan’s comeuppance – satisfying for someone like me who thinks Ryan is an insufferable jerk who needs that comeuppance more than any other character on the show.

 

12. Stress Relief (Season 5, Episode 13) – Perhaps the highlight of Season 5, is this hour-long episode. It starts with one of the out-and-out funniest scenes in Office history – Dwight’s fake fire, which terrifies everyone in the office, and causes mass panic – broken windows, Oscar climbing through the ceiling (and the cat) – all leading to Stanley’s heart attack. The first half really does overdose on Dwight’s weirdness (the hardest thing to believe is that he doesn’t get fired – for either the fire, or the CPR dummy). The second half is absolutely hilarious, as Michael makes everyone throw a roast for him – and takes it far too personally, ending with his own roast of people. Really, this is a brilliant, sustain hour that is one of the very funniest hours in Office history.

 

11. The Coup (Season 3, Episode 3) – At the behest of his own personal Lady Macbeth, Angela, Dwight arranges a secret meeting with Jan, to try and convince her to give him Michael’s job. Jan calls Michael with the news – who masterfully plays Dwight for most of the episode, making him think he got to the job to humiliate him. Again, I like when the show gives you a glimpse of the Michael that ascended to this position in the first place – and this is one (although, of course, he ends up freaking out when Dwight insults his car). In Stamford, we start to see Jim and Karen growing closer as they play Call of Duty, which he sucks at. And Pam tries to build her confidence by getting a new wardrobe – only to remember why she dresses the way she does. Overall, a wond4erful episode – and one not quite like many others.

 

10. Christmas Party (Season 2, Episode 10) – This episode is pretty much perfect. Everyone is excited for Secret Santa – until Michael goes overboard and spends way too much on his gift, and then forces everyone to do Yankee Swap instead. Jim’s incredibly sweet gift to Pam therefore maybe for naught – and the moment he takes back his card is low-key heartbreaking. For the awkwardness, it steps up when Michael admits his bonus – and everyone gets plastered because Michael brings alcohol. This is The Office at its height.

 

9. The Dundies (Season 2, Episode 1) – If there was any doubt that The Office was going to become a great show in its second season, the Season Premiere put those doubts to rest – spending almost the entire episode at Chili’s as Michael gives out his annual awards. Jim and Pam bond – as Pam gets incredibly drunk – and the awkwardness is there, given that everyone has to pay for their own food and drink. It also shows what a good guy Michael can be – backing off on giving Pam an award that he knows will hurt her, and Jim, who comes to Michael’s rescue when it looks like the whole thing will go off the rails. Certainly a classic.

 

8. The Deposition (Season 4, Episode 8) – Jan’s lawsuit has moved to the deposition stage, and it’s Michael turn. He has been coached by Jan to say what she wants – and his corporate overlords have tried to get him to tow the company line. The whole thing becomes increasingly awkward for Michael – with personal questioning, the reveal of his diary, and the feelings of his bosses being laid bare. It is a great episode for Carrel – and for Michael, who makes a surprising, but probably the correct, choice. The B-plot, about Jim and Darryl playing ping pong, and the smack talk wars escalating between Pam and Kelly, is certainly amusing (although I wish there were a different payoff to it all). It’s the deposition part that makes this a great one.

 

7. Beach Games (Season 3, Episode 22) – Season three ended with two back to back hour-long classics – beginning with this one. Michael believes he is a shoo-in for a job at corporate, and decides to use the annual beach day as a way to pit Jim, Dwight, Andy, and Stanley against each other to compete for his job, with Pam assigned to take detailed notes. This is probably Jenna Fisher at her absolute best on this show – from her exasperation with Michael throughout the episode (my favorite is when Michael asks her to check the notebook for a conversion chart) – and the brilliance of her final few moments – her building up the courage to do the coals walk, and then revealing her feelings to the whole office. It’s also just a very funny episode – with Stanley turning into an animal, and Andy floating away.

 

6. Goodbye Michael (Season 7, Episode 21) – Sitcoms have changed a lot even in the relatively short time since The Office went off the air, so I really don’t know how many more long running network sitcoms will ever have to deal with losing their main character again – but if they do, Goodbye Michael is the textbook case on how to handle the departure perfectly. Yes, the episode is deliberately emotional – it wants to get you to tear up throughout the episode, whether it’s Dwight reading his recommendation letter from Michael, Jim and Michael’s final conversation where they talk of a lunch they know will never happen, or just Pam running to Michael in the airport – no words necessary. But it’s also the perfect way to say Goodbye to Michael, showing off his individual connections with everyone in the office, showing just how much he loves it, and how much this all means to him. I’m crying right now writing this – and that’s because this is the perfect ending for Michael.

 

5. The Injury (Season 2, Episode 12) – One of the iconic moments in the entire run is Michael burning his foot on a George Foreman grill – and coming into the office anyway. Everything with him is great. And then there is Dwight getting a concussion – and becoming so much nicer for at least some of the time. And Jim is also wonderful here – the spray bottle in the van, and showing just how much he does care. The episode is hilarious, and somewhat heartfelt as well. It is more a standalone then most great Office episodes – but it is perfect for what it is.

 

4. Booze Cruise (Season 2, Episode 11) – The whole office goes on a booze cruise in the middle of January, leading to a lot of awkwardness. Michael feuding with the captain – a wonderful Rob Riggle – is wonderful, leading to him being banished. Dwight being given the task of “driving” the boat is also great. It’s also perhaps the best episode of sad Jim, watching Roy and Pam together as they finally set a date for their wedding – and then being a complete ass to Amy Adams. It all leads to one of the most genuinely great emotional moments featuring Michael – giving great advice to Jim, showing that perhaps he could be the father figure he thinks himself as. A perfect episode.

 

3. Casino Night (Season 2, Episode 22) – The best Office episodes are able to walk the line – being able to be hilarious, and still dig deeper into the characters, and give you genuine emotional content. Casino Night is a perfect example of this – allowing Michael his chance to show off at the companies charity night, running casino games, juggling two women – Carol and Jan – who don’t really get that they are in competition. The poker scenes are all gold, the extended sequence debating the proper way to say Afghani, or Toby’s loss of why they didn’t invite children, or Darryl explaining her doesn’t want a fire eater in a paper warehouse, etc. – the episode is hilarious. And then there is the reason why everyone remembers the episode – Jim finally confessing his feelings for Pam, being rejected (that one tear is heartbreaking) – and then ending the season with the two of them kissing. It is a classic Jim and Pam episode – the one that will setup everyone in Season 3 between them. I suppose if you’re one of those psychos who hate Jim in general, you wouldn’t like this episode – but screw those guys. This is a classic.

 

2. The Job (Season 3, Episode 23) – It is difficult to maintain a sitcom’s momentum for a whole hour, and yet The Job not only does that, but creates one of the very best episode in Office history. There are comic highlights throughout – in Michael and Karen’s interviews with David Wallace, with Jan’s absolute meltdown when we find out she is being replaced (I have to say, one issue I have with The Office in general is Jan’s arc – which seems rushed) – but that’s wonderful as well. Dwight, who Michael promotes even before he gets promoted, goes off the deep end at the office. The final minute – the sick joke of who gets the promotion – is also great. But we all know why this episode ranks quite this high – it’s Jim seeing Pam’s note to him in his interview with David Wallace, and realizing what he wants, and then my favorite moment of the whole show – when he pops his head in on Pam’s interview and asks her out – and her priceless reaction – one of the most pure moments of happiness I have ever seen. A stunner.

 

1.Dinner Party (Season 4, Episode 9) – This is The Office at its most brilliantly awkward – an episode that walks that razor thin line between hilarious, and so painfully you have to look away. Michael devises a scheme to finally get Jim and Pam (along with Andy and Angela) to come to his house for a Dinner Party. What they walk into is the escalating war between Michael and Jan, who seem to want to make everyone as uncomfortable as humanly possible. There isn’t a wasted moment in this episode, as the whole thing just gets more and more painful and strained. How this didn’t win every Emmy possible – for directing, for writing, for Carrel, for Hardin, is beyond me. Just an absolute perfect sitcom episode.