Every season of The Office, ranked by review
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It’s rare for a TV show to have the kind of longevity that The office he had. A decade after it went off the air, the workplace documentary remains one of the most-watched programs in broadcast. Fans can’t get enough of Michael Scott and his employees at the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin.
But some of the show’s nine seasons, like Season 5 with Jim and Pam’s engagement and the Michael Scott Paper Company, warrant more revisiting than others, like the last two seasons without Michael.
9 Season 9
In the ninth and final season of The office, the writers were scraping the bottom of the barrel for episode ideas. There’s an entire episode near the end about Dwight trying to drag an unconscious Stanley to a sales call.
Andy’s arc fades as he disappears on a sailboat to accommodate Ed Helms’ hectic movie star schedule. Fortunately, Season 9 redeems itself with a very satisfying series finale.
8 Season 1
Before the American remake found its own voice, it emulated the British original a little too closely in its first season. The script for the pilot episode is almost word for word the same script as the British pilot.
Steve Carell is much more suited to the naive idiot that Michael evolved into than the simple translation of David Brent’s character seen in season 1. But since it’s only six episodes long, the first season is a pretty cool review.
7 Season 2
The show started to find its feet in the second season. Season 2 kicks off with “The Dundies,” the show’s first truly iconic installment, and then follows it up with a slew of classic episodes, including “Olympic Offices,” “Email Surveillance,” and “Take Your Daughter to the work”. ” Season 2 has one of the best episodes of the entire series: “The Injury”.
Immediately following season 1, The office it was still too focused on the creepiness that worked best in the original series. The scene where Jim picks Pam up at Dwight’s dojo is painful to watch. The seasons before Jim and Pam get together are less watchable than the seasons after it all worked out. Reviews refer to the comfort of familiar stories and characters, but there isn’t much comfort that Jim is sad and lonely and Pam is trapped in a toxic commitment.
6 Season 8
Season 8 was the first season after Michael left, and the show just wasn’t the same without him. Still, season eight is much better than most fans remember. It has many great episodes, such as “The Incentive”, “Garden Party” and “Doomsday”.
This season begins to drag when half the office is sent to Tallahassee to work on a new Saber project. This arc has too much Todd Packer and the controversial story of Cathy trying to break up Jim and Pam’s marriage.
5 Season 3
Jim moves to Stamford at the start of Season 3, which introduces Andy to the set. Andy was initially characterized as a hothead. The rage didn’t have comedic longevity (hence the anger management course), but there are some early laughs when Jim’s attempts to turn him into the Stamford Dwight backfire, and of course when he makes a hole in the wall
Jim’s relationship with Karen created an interesting conflict for his will-it-or-won’t-it? story with Pam. Season 3 has some of the show’s creepiest episodes, like the back-to-back double whammy of “Phyllis’ Wedding” and “Business School,” but it also has some timeless gems, like “Diwali” and “Beach Games.”
4 Season 6
The sixth season of The office rewarded fans’ patience with a couple of long-awaited milestones in Jim and Pam’s relationship. Their wedding (“Niagara”) and the birth of their daughter (“The Delivery”) make for two solid episodes with a good balance of humor and heart.
The season is less compelling when it focuses on the Saber acquisition and the baffling decision to make Jim a co-regional manager. Season 6 review depends heavily on a viewer’s tolerance for the awkward awkwardness of “Scott’s Tots.”
3 Season 7
Season 7 was Michael’s last season. It’s always sad to see him go, but he came away with a number of the show’s funniest episodes, including the seminal “Threat Level Midnight.” The character got the perfect send-off in the tear-filled two-parter “Goodbye Michael.”
Even the last couple of Michael-less episodes about the search for Michael’s replacement are worth watching a few times, because they’re full of A-list cameos (Jim Carrey, Ray Romano, Warren Buffett, even all Ricky Gervais as David Brent) and fans get a brief glimpse of an office run by Dwight.
2 Season 5
By Season 5, right about halfway through the series, the actors were more settled into their roles than ever and the writers had a strong command of their show’s world long before they ran out of ideas. This season has two major romantic arcs: Jim and Pam’s long-distance engagement and Michael and Holly’s short-lived but passionate relationship.
The finale has one of the most beloved story arcs in the show’s history: the brief but unforgettable reign of the Michael Scott Paper Company.
1 Season 4
The fourth season of The office it’s a perfect season of television. Every episode of Season 4 is a knockout. It starts with Michael accidentally hitting Meredith with his car and it only gets crazier and funnier from there. Season 4 kicks off with a series of extended two-part episodes: “Fun Run,” “Dunder Mifflin Infinity,” “Launch Party” and “Money,” but none of them feel stretched; they just provide twice the laughs.
Also, the crowning achievement of the season, the masterpiece that is “Dinner Party,” is widely regarded as the greatest episode of the entire series.
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