Fans of The Office were devastated at the beginning of the year when NBCUniversal dragged their favorite mockumentary series kicking and screaming off of Netflix and started holding it for ransom on their own much less popular streaming platform, Peacock. But it’s a testament to the power of this show that it’s still reporting strong viewership figures on its new streaming home.
For a few seasons in the middle of The Office’s run, it was one of the greatest TV shows ever made. But not all of its 201 episodes were great. The show took a while to find its own voice after emulating the British original in its first couple of seasons and there are plenty of lazy, phoned-in episodes after Steve Carell left the cast. As a result, the series’ IMDb ratings are a mixed bag.
10 Best: A.A.R.M. (9.5)
In the penultimate episode of The Office, newly appointed regional manager Dwight and his assistant Jim go through a series of trials to determine who will be the assistant to the assistant to the regional manager, or “A.A.R.M.”
The episode ends with everybody heading down to Poor Richard’s to watch the premiere of the in-universe documentary starring themselves on PBS.
9 Worst: Angry Andy (7.0)
When he was first introduced, Andy’s anger issues were a large part of his characterization. As he became a mainstay, the writers softened his edges and dialed up the Cornell stuff. “Angry Andy” sought to explore what happened to Andy’s rage, but came off as razor-thin.
It makes sense that finding Nellie had taken his job would send Andy over the edge, but “Angry Andy” just uses it as an excuse to lazily rehash one of the show’s classic moments: Andy punching the wall.
8 Best: Dinner Party (9.5)
Possibly the most uncomfortable episode of the entire series, season 4’s “Dinner Party” sees Michael and Jan having Jim, Pam, Andy, Angela, and later Dwight and his old babysitter over at the condo for dinner. Everything that can go wrong does go wrong.
The problems in Michael and Jan’s toxic relationship begins to unravel as they’re contrasted with other couples. Many fans consider “Dinner Party” to be a personal favorite.
7 Worst: Welcome Party (7.0)
The office reluctantly throws a welcome party for Nellie, who they despise, while Andy tries to break up with his girlfriend after getting back together with Erin, which made him needlessly unlikable.
This is one of several episodes from the aftermath of the Tallahassee storyline that rank among The Office’s worst all-time shows on IMDb.
6 Best: Stress Relief (9.7)
The first half of the season 5 two-parter “Stress Relief” has one of The Office’s greatest cold opens: Dwight’s hands-on fire drill, which is so effectively stress-inducing that it gives Stanley a heart attack.
In the second half, Michael realizes he is the source of his employees’ stress and tries to fix that by putting on a roast in his own honor. After they go too far, Michael takes some time to himself before returning to the office for the iconic “Boom, roasted!” scene.
5 Worst: Gettysburg (6.8)
Andy tries to inspire his staff by taking them to a Civil War battlefield in “Gettysburg,” but finds that none of them appreciate the hard work he’s putting into motivating them.
It’s a pretty thin premise for an episode – another one the writers scraped from the bottom of the barrel – but Gabe impersonating Abraham Lincoln for tourists is a lot of fun.
4 Best: Goodbye, Michael (9.8)
The show was never the same after Michael Scott left for Colorado. He was the glue holding the ensemble together, and the reason most viewers tuned in, so his absence was really felt after he left. But his departure was pretty perfect.
Season 7’s “Goodbye, Michael” is one of The Office’s saddest episodes, with heartbreaking moments ranging from Jim calling Michael the “best boss I ever had” to Pam’s silent last-minute farewell at the airport.
3 Worst: The Banker (6.8)
Like any sitcom that goes on long enough for the writers to get lazy, The Office featured a clip show in its sixth season called “The Banker.” Guest star David Costabile was squandered with a role that only exists to set up clips.
The idea is that a banker representing a company considering buying out Dunder Mifflin comes to the Scranton branch to assess its value.
2 Best: Finale (9.8)
After the final two seasons were filled with disappointing moments that made it clear that the show should’ve ended when Michael left, The Office somehow managed to pull a massively satisfying series finale out of the bag.
From Michael’s surprise return to Dwight and Angela’s wedding to Erin’s reunion with her birth parents to Pam’s Jim-style romantic gesture, “Finale” was a pitch-perfect conclusion to the series.
1 Worst: Get The Girl (6.5)
Nellie established herself as one of The Office’s worst characters when she tried to take Andy’s job in “Get the Girl,” while Andy turned himself into one of the worst with one of the many weird out-of-office storylines the writers created to accommodate Ed Helms’ Hangover schedule. He drives to Florida to try to win Erin back.
This is the episode with that terrible greenscreen shot of Erin standing on a lawn that is actually only a couple of blocks away from the office’s exterior set.