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The 20 Best ‘The Office’ Episodes, from ‘Casino Night’ to ‘Beach Games’
Starring Michael Scott, John Krasinski, Mindy Kaling, and more, 'The Office' changed the game for sitcoms. 20 must-see episodes: Guide.

The 20 Best ‘The Office’ Episodes, from ‘Casino Night’ to ‘Beach Games’

It took network TV audiences more than a full season to pick up on the burning brilliance of Greg Daniels’ “The Office”: the history-making NBC sitcom that seemed at first like little more than a bastardization of the popular U.K. series from Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. But for audiences lucky enough to binge the show in the streaming age, already knowing what it would become: The lovable goofs of Dunder Mifflin had us at jello.

On March 25, 2005, the pilot episode of a mockumentary series about a paper company in Scranton, Pennsylvania (which, for the uninitiated, features a deeply funny prank involving a stapler submerged in jello) debuted to just over 11 million viewers in the United States. The show wasn’t immediately acclaimed, with numerous TV critics arguing the so-called remake failed to adequately justify itself in Season 1.

But over the next eight years and a total of nine seasons, “The Office” would become an endearing, astute, laugh-out-loud comedy that redefined success for the contemporary sitcom. It earned 42 Emmy nominations and clinched five wins, including the statuette for Outstanding Comedy Series of 2006.

For many years and for most shows (particularly half-hour comedies), these accomplishments would have been the pinnacle of primetime success. But since the advent of binge-viewing, staple series have enjoyed the benefit of younger generations experiencing art on an independent timeline.

From Michael Scott’s greatest hits on TikTok to the unceasing Jim, Pam, and Dwight memes, new viewers have celebrated the show’s all-time great cast of now-retired characters in endlessly energizing ways. Heck, a sound from the show is even sampled in a 2019 song from Gen-Z pop icon Billie Eilish, titled “my strange addiction.”

The best “The Office” episodes endure because they capture what has made the series so generally rewatchable: its unmistakable blend of sweetness and smarts, rewarding long-haul fans with a charming through-line and some of the best one-liners ever written. (See “I’m not superstitious; I’m just a little stitious…” and “Identity theft is not a joke, Jim!” for starters.)

From first kisses and stolen glances to outrageous pranks and surprise promotions, here are the 15 best episodes of “The Office.” (Note: For the purposes of this ranking, two-part episodes have been considered as single installments.)