September 10, 2010: original post
Pick your 20 favorite episodes of The Office in OfficeTally’s All-Time Fan Favorite Poll 2010!
UPDATE: today’s the last day to vote and enter the giveaway!
Graphic: Matt Collins
Vote for your favorites (up to 20)
[Poll no longer available]
Poll starts September 10;
poll ends Wednesday, September 15, 11pm PT.
Giveaway
To make it a little more interesting, enter a comment below explaining your choice of 20th favorite (or last favorite, if you picked less than 20), and you could win a prize!
Rules
- Add a comment to this post explaining why you picked the particular episode you did for 20th favorite.
- Remember to include the name of the episode in your entry!
- Spelling, grammar, and punctuation count.
- One entry per person.
- You must provide a valid email address and live in the U.S.
Prizes
I will randomly choose three winners out of all eligible entries to win some Target goodies!
Deadline
Wednesday, September 15, 11pm PT.
Pages: 1 2
My 20th favorite, and my actual all time favorite episode(s) was Jim and Pam’s wedding. I think I cried more watching them get married than I will at my own wedding!
I just went through the list and checked off my faves, but the ultimate last one I checked off was “The Fire”. Season 2 was my absolute favorite, and I enjoyed that episode for so many reasons. Just because it was my “last” pick doesn’t mean I like it any less than the rest.
The Desert Island game was hilarious, Dwight throwing the water jug into the kitchen, Michael’s rules of business to Ryan, Dwight sitting in his car listening to “Everybody Hurts”, and “Ryan started the fiyah!” COMEDY GOLD!
I picked “Whistleblower” as my twentieth favorite due to the fact that, though it was not my favorite finale by far, it teased the return of Holly Flax. For those last ten seconds alone, it quickly made my top twenty. Who doesn’t want to see her return or see Michael happy? He deserves it.
You know what they say about a car wreck, where it’s so awful you can’t look away? The Dundees are like a car wreck that you want to look away from but you have to stare at it because your boss is making you.
My 20th favorite was Money. Most of my other favorites were from seasons 1-3 because that was when the Office was at its best (even though it is still very good). I picked this episode because it had some great Jim and Pam moments (outside of the office), some great Michael and Jan moments, and of course it made me laugh.
My 20th favorite was “Secretary’s Day” because we got to know Erin a little better, we saw Michael get weird-ed out by someone else for a change, and in the end Michael was nice to Erin.
Add to that my favorite Erin quote, “In the foster home, my hair was my room” plus the classic Michael “I’ll have what she’s having” line when Erin is losing it, and you get a great episode of The Office.
The last one I selected was “Office Olympics”. My favorite part of it was when they had the closing ceremonies. I loved Pam’s flying birds decorations. I also was amused by the national anthem being played because Michael’s condo is in America. Small details really make the show!
“I’m date Mike. Nice to meet me,” he says wide-eyed while his black Kangol hat sits backward on his head. CLASSIC. “Happy Hour” is by far the twentieth best episode ever. It would be higher up my list, but Michael Scott is so repulsive while on a date, I had to make it my ‘last’ favorite. “Read it, I own it. But no, I haven’t read it.” Oh, man was the writing on this episode killer! I watch The Office literally, every day, and it is because of genius like this. I mean come on, air guitar on a pool cue? Pure amazingness. And seriously, amazingness is totally a word so please don’t DQ me for it. The Office rules!
benihana christmas. 1 hour, christmas, hilarious comedy cant get any better
My 20th favorite was Goodbye Toby. Everything in the first four seasons was too amazing to allow anything the last two years to top it.
The last one I chose was “Gossip.” It had that “old school” Office feel to for me.
My picks are all in the first 3 seasons. It’s not that I don’t enjoy the later episodes, but my favorites are by far the earlier episodes.
My 20th pick is Beach Games. Besides being a very funny episode, it is an important episode as a turning point for Pam’s character.
My 20th favorite was “Product Recall”. The entire plot was unique to the show and I loved the side story with poor Andy trying to get back to a normal life only to discover he was dating someone in high school.
Also, that episode made it acceptable to say “Beer Me” anytime you need anything. Classic.
I picked safety training last because i loved the whole episode, my favorite part is the scene when Michael is acting depressed on top of the building.
Michael’s face when he first witnessed Stanely’s total inability to play basketball in the Basketball episode was priceless. I chose this episode at 20 because although it was from the quiet first season where everyone was trying to find their way, it still gave us a good look at each of the characters on the show and their strengths (Kevin has the sweetest shot ever seen) and their weaknesses( Michael should never step on a court again in his life).
My 20th pick was Lecture Circuit Part 1. This just barely squeezed in to my top 20 because of the amazing Jim/Dwight/Kelly interaction and the amazing duo of Pam and Michael. I love it when Karen and Pam bond in the end but my all time favorite part of the episode is when Pam throws the Mounds bars at the Utica employees. I just got so much joy scanning the list and picking my 20 faves.
20th favorite was Cafe Disco. Gotta love a Kelly/Andy dance-off.
my 20th favorite was Secret Santa. it was a fun episode, and i love christmas anyway, but my favorite moment was when dwight began his talking head and the frame included all of his elf hat. for some reason that made me laugh a lot.
My last pick was Niagara. The second half of season 6 just really wasn’t cutting it for me, but Niagara was nothing but amazing!
One of my all time favorites is the booze cruise. So many good moments in that episode between jim and pam and jim and michael. My favorite season has to be season 3 i have watched that dvd set more than any of them and i have them all.
All of your entries are so heartfelt and amazing!
Despite the ups and the downs, The Office is one incredible show.
The cast, the writing, the chemistry, the magic. We’ll never see anything like it again.
The last episode I picked was “The Fire!” Although this episode isn’t my favorite episode, it made my top 20 because I think it was an overall great episode for all characters. The games they played were very funny, the whole Michael/Ryan/Dwight storyline was awesome. But, the main reason, is that we finally get to see Pam jealous, into side for Jim. We know from the first episode that Jim is into Pam, and I think underneath everything we all know Pam must have a thing for Jim, but this episode very clearly shows this. And although seasons 1-3 were hard for me because Jim and Pam were not together, now going back, re-watching these episode, I like to watch these before times to see just how much Jim and Pam wanted each other, and I think this episode was a clear episode of just that!!!!
The pilot has to be my favortie i mean it was the start of the greatest show ever, and it showed everything about Jim and Pam and you know sometings going to happen there and it does and Jim and Pam are the best. And then Michael and Dwight i mean a show starts off and it has those two characters it is obviously goning to be nuts and amazing=)
Narrowing it down to 20 was hard enough but, the reason Moroccan Christmas made my list is because it isn’t a typical Christmas episode. Besides being a dark episode, (those are some of my favorites) it was a pivotal point in the season. Dwight and Angela’s secret affair was revealed to the Office (sans Andy) and I thought it was placed perfectly. Sympathizing with Andy, the whole season up to that point was pretty painful to watch and so it was kind of an odd Christmas present for me knowing that that charade of a relationship was finally going to be over soon.
My last pick was Dwight’s Speech – it was just one of those wonderful “little” episodes and I remember by the time Dwight was done his speech there were tears rolling down my cheeks. I’ve had to sit through a lot of those boring corporate events and I can only think they would be so much better if Dwight was presenting.
P.S. I picked as many episodes from Season 6 as from Season 2. I loved last season and think the show has “grown up” a lot since it started.
My 20th was Niagra… not because it’s my 20th favorite, but because it was the 20th on the list for me! There are so many great episodes, but Niagra was pitch-perfect! I’m still in awe of how they pulled off the wedding episode I’ve been looking forward to for 6 seasons!
I picked “The Alliance” from season 1 as my 20th favorite Office episode. The other 19 were from seasons 2-6, so I wanted one to represent that abbreviated first season when the cast and writers were just getting their feet wet.
Instead of picking the probably more popular “Diversity Day”, I went with “The Alliance” because it contains one of my all-time favorite pranks- Jim’s formation of an alliance with Dwight and the shenanigans that ensue. The chemistry between John and Rainn, as well as between John and Jenna, really started to come through in that episode.
My 20th favorite was ‘Two Weeks’ because Michael Finally started to win… and that was kind of the end of the golden-age of The Office.
My 20th pick was Lecture Circuit Part 2. I recently rediscovered this episode while watching my DVDs, and the Dwight/Jim storyline about planning Kelly’s birthday party was classic. The theme (or lack thereof), the brown and grey balloons, and of course “It Is Your Birthday.”
The last episode I selected from the list was “Goodbye, Toby.” Amy Ryan was immediately a great addition to the cast, Steve Carell gave perhaps his best performance of the series, Dwight’s reaction to Angela’s engagement was heartbreaking, and Jim & Pam’s failure to get engaged was well-played. The final scene, Phyllis walking in on Angela and Dwight, created fantastic future storylines.
My 20th pick was “Gossip.” I enjoy episodes that involve the entire cast, and this one had many funny lines by many cast members.
My 20th favorite was Niagra. I feel like after this episode, they should have stopped airing the show, but that’s just me. I agree with Drew Hamilton; I think the golden age of The Office is definitely over. It was over after Season 4 in my opinion (writers’ strike, etc).
My 20th was Happy Hour. I like this episode because it really focuses on the ensemble and it’s nice to see everyone out of the office, interacting with each other in ways we don’t normally see. Also, Kevin’s “Wahhhhh” is just too funny.
I would have to say my 20th favorite was the Dundies, which is probably one of my all time favorite episodes. You get drunk Pam, awkward/racist Michael, half naked Dwight, mortified Ryan, gleeful Jim and an afternoon of watching Kevin’s back since he sat in front of the camera… classic.
2,500 votes cast so far. Yowsah!
My 20th episode was The Negotiation. Every character had their moments and it had some of my favorite one-on-one scenes from the show, including Michael practicing his Wikipedia tactics on Jim. Also, the ending where Jim secretly seeing Dwight and Angela making out and deciding that not saying anything would finally make him and Dwight even was one of the best resolutions the show has ever done.
I want to single out Business School to everyone. I HOPE it made everyone’s list. This to me was classic Office. It of course had the lines, (dwight was asked what the best advice Michael gave him, and it was DON’T BE AN IDIOT) So, therefore the classic whenever Dwight is ready to do something he thinks “Would an idiot do that”, if they would, I would not do that thing!” It had the BAT in the break room. It had Michael making an idiot of himself in that classroom, and having the nerve to blame Ryan and tell him to clean out his desk when he gets back. Typical Michael, BUT THEN, the office writers bring Michael to Pam’s art display. And he totally redeems himself by buying Pam’s drawing, (which a copy from NBC store is hanging on my wall as well) and it shows the Chunky compassionate side of Michael. BRILLIANT EPISODE KOWALSKI!
My 20th favorite was Diwali. For some reason the one thing that sticks out in my mind is Angela asking if the food’s vegetarian and the guy responds that it’s all vegetarian…but she doesn’t believe him and only eats naan. Always makes me giggle. Also, drunk Jim biking into a bush!
20th pick was The Carpet. It was the first episode I ever saw. I caught it in reruns the summer before Season 3 and I immediately fell in love the moment Creed said, “Is somebody making soup?”
my 20th favorite is The Job, because Jan’s insanity, and Michael’s reaction to Jan’s insanity, is so hilarious! And, Jim finally asking Pam out just made me so happy, it was a great way to end the season.
My top 20th was “Baby Shower”. I love love this episode. It was so sad to see how much it hurt Jim and Pam to be seperated (their last phone call was supersweet). However, the show belonged to Michael and Holly. I wanted to pull my hair out of anger when Michael was trying to please Jan by being mean to Holly, but that ending when he took her into his arms. Oh, those tears ran down like a waterfall.
3,000 votes cast!
I went with “Money” for my 20th favorite for one reason only: the whomever/whoever conversation they have during Ryan’s meeting.
The rest of the episode is cute, but that scene was one of the rare, classic times they utilized most of the cast to good effect. It never gets old for me.
My 20th favorite was “Broke”. The negotiation scene where Michael out-smarted David Wallace was fabulously written and acted. Michael is usually a bumbling fool, and when he surprises you with an occasional moment of brilliance, it makes for great TV.
My 20th favorite was Stress Relief because you see the deep love Jim and Pam have for each other. No matter what happens they will be there for one another. Their kids will known that Jim and Pam are soul mates.
I chose Broke as my 20th choice because I love it when Michael explains that David will not have to wait for the MSPC to fold, but that Michael will have to wait out the company for a change in CFO. Also it’s always terrific when Michael steps up to the plate and you can see that he is a good manager. Plus I love the look on Pam’s face when Michael says she should comeback as a salesman, she is so touched.
my 20th pick was Drug Test.. The Jim and Pam moments were amazing, even though there wasnt much said between them, sometimes you don’t need words. Also I just loved dwight. Finding that joint in the parking lot was nothing short of christmas for him..
20th pick: Happy Hour. I love Dwight and Isabel together. “O-negative. Universal donor.” And, of course, her whacking Angela! hahaha!
“Diwali” is my 20th favorite. There are so many great episodes, but “Diwali” has that weird “Jim is in Stamford” vibe, plus it took us out of the office, without being weird. Highlights: Toby taking away the Kama Sutras and “1-2-3-Shot!”
My 20th pick was “Grief Counseling.” It had that memorable conference room scene where they described deaths of loved ones by ripping off movie plots, and Michael was so clueless!
My 20th favorite episode is Branch Wars. I unsterstand this isn’t one of the most popular episodes but I just love it and every aspect of it was hilarious.
4,000 votes cast!
“Boys and Girls” cos it’s the first, and thus far only, episode to air on my birthday.
My 20th episode was “Michael’s Birthday”. It was the first episode I saw and I laughed so hard at the Night Swept cologne! It will always hold a special place for me, because it was when I discovered this incredible show!
My 20th pick was “The Injury”. Which is higher on my list than number 20, but I forgot to mark it on my original pass-through.
The last one I selected was Michael’s Birthday. Classic Office but Michael was not too over the crazy. Who knew negative was a good thing in medicine?!
I love Lecture Circuit part I. I have sent the Hallmark e-card of Jim and Dwight’s Party Planning Committee hi-jinks to more people than I care to admit. I still laugh so hard that awesome blossom comes out my nose! “Are you trying to hurt my feelings?” classic.
Something else to get people to weigh in on is how much of the Top 20 will be from Seasons One and Two. I’m thinking around 15, easy.
5,000 votes cast!
(Am I a geek for watching the vote count? Yes. Yes I am.)
Here’s a bit of trivia: every single episode now has at least one vote!
Maybe there could be a poll for favorite moments like the fake fire in stress relief, Jim putting Dwight’s stuff in the vending machine in Booze Cruise, or the Bill Buttlicker scene in Customer survey.
For my 20th pick I had already gone down the list one by one checking boxes as I went and I had one more left so I did a quick scan and my eyes landed on Customer Survey. I checked that episode as my 20th because I remember talking to my friend after watching it and saying that I really liked it because it felt like a season 2 episode.
I picked “The Chump” for one reason. “If I had a gun with two bullets, and was in a room with Hitler, Bin Laden, and Toby, I would shoot Toby twice.”
I chose Conflict Resolution as my 20th favorite, because it’s packed with hilarious moments that aren’t necessarily obvious. Jim’s pranks on Dwight! Suggestion box! It’s a win win. Win.
My last pick was “Murder.” It was the last one of my favorites on the list, and an amazing episode. It was definitely my all time favorite for Season 6.
Arrrggh, the 20 episode limit really makes it harder! (Cue Michael.)
“Money” is my 20th episode although it was tough. It was the first of the season 4 hour longs that worked from start to finish and gave us a glimpse of what the season could have been without the strike.
I picked the Chump for my 20th favorite. It didn’t make it higher because the main story (Michael and Donna) was not all that interesting except for the beginning when Pam was trying to plan how to help him. However, it still makes the list for all the subplots, mainly Jim and Pam being tired and napping in the warehouse and the baby contract (esp Dwight trying to kill his sperm). Plus Michael would kill Toby twice and “doesn’t give an F about anything”!!
20th pick – Traveling Salesmen! It had young Jim & Dwight; Harvey; Stanley cracking up; Pretty Angela Hair & the SLAP! Also, loved all those deleted scenes with Jim driving and Dwight in the backseat.
My 20th was Drug Testing. So many funny moments with Dwight. I had a hard time limiting it to just 20! Great poll!
My #20 was The Convention. I loved Jim’s reunion with Michael and, especially, with Dwight. The end, where Dwight turns on the blacklight in the hotel room to see all the stains, remains one of my favorite office moments: “Oh God, I hope it’s urine!”
The secondary plot, where Pam goes on a double date with Ryan and Kelly, is not great, but that’s why it ended up at #20 and not higher.
My twentieth pick is “The Job”. I didn’t vote for any episode that aired after that. I love the Office, but for me, once Jim got the girl, it was game-set-match. Seasons one, two and three are amazing. Seasons after that are just very good. Special exception, and would have been my 21st pick, goes to the Dinner Party because of the wonderful interplay between Michael and Jan.
My last pick was “Drug Testing.” I can’t get enough of Dwight in his (Volunteer) Sheriff’s uniform. :)
My 20th pick was Email Surveillance. I love the fact that Dwight and Angela feel the need to make out in Jim’s backyard and I always wonder if he ever found out about that… It’s a lot of fun to see so much Michael Scarn (and Michael Scoon) when Michael goes to Improv. Michael and Jim singing a duet, Michael’s reaction to seeing the IT guy after the cold open, and Jim’s roommate finding out the Dwight is “very real” are some of my favorite moments from this episode!
I loved Survivor Man, and it was my last pick among my favorites. There was so much of Michael’s sweetness in that episode. I loved that his adventure was borne out of hurt for not being included in a camping trip, that he was watched over from afar by Dwight, and how the staff clearly seemed so happy to see him when he returned. And the end, when Jim and Michael chat, and Jim realizes he’s following in his manager’s footsteps, like it or not, was such a well acted spot on scene.
I didn’t choose my 20 in any order except for my #1 (The Dundies) so my 20th choice was Happy Hour. I love Happy Hour for so many reasons. I love episodes that envolve the entire office.
My last pick was ‘Beach Games.’ It is probably my most-viewed episode of The Office…It’s amazing. I love the out of the office episodes and this is probably my favorite!
“Check to see if there’s a conversion chart.”
Hot Girl was one of the last ones I picked because I loved Amy Adams in this episode.
I chose ‘Fun Run’ (4.01 & 4.02).
Personally, I think it’s one of the best (if not the best) episodes from the whole series because of it’s writing and directing. Moreover, it’s witty and entertaining and very original. I enjoy it each and every time that I replay it; which is something that I don’t do with most TV series’ nowadays. Also, it was the first ‘Office’ episode that I showed a friend and now he watches the show as well!
I chose “The Injury” (episode 2.12) mainly because of the hilarity that ensues in the opening scene. The best part is that even in the midst of Michael’s drama and apparent pain, he still did not want Dwight to pick him up. Of course Dwight takes off to save Michael but is delayed when he crashes his car and then vomits on the car’s hood. He manages to carry on his mission to rescue Michael anyway, which also results in him receiving a concussion.
“Take Your Daughter to Work Day” got my last vote, and here are the reasons why:
-the interactions between Michael & Sasha were just adorable
-Stanley yelling at Ryan
-“Are you Mother Goose?”
-Dwight explaining the meaning of Nazi to the kids
-littlekidlover
-the acting ability of that puppet
-young Michael
I picked “Frame Toby” as my 20th pick because of Michael’s “NOO! NOOO! NOOOOOOOOOOOO!” and also I did not read about the “write about your 20th pick” until the end.
I picked Michael’s Birthday as my 20th. Oscar doing jumps/spins on the ice was too cute!
My 20th pick I went with “Koi Pond”… I really enjoyed that episode, unlike most people, I think. And this poll just proved for me that season 3 is my favorite – I have an almost-streak of about 5-6 episodes of season 3 (from Merger to Benihana) that all rank as favorites.
My last favorite pick was Grief Counseling. It’s one of my favorite season three episodes and has one of my favorite lines of all time… “There’s such a thing as good grief. Just ask Charlie Brown.” It makes me laugh every time!
The 20th episode I chose in my my list of The Office favorites was ‘Drug Testing.’ Another brilliant episode from the brilliant and Emmy winning Season 2. Watching Dwight parade around in his officer’s uniform provides much of the humor throughout the episode, but the “jinx” subplot with Jim and Pam puts something truly genuine into an otherwise ridiculous, albeit hilarious, episode.
My 20th pick was The Michael Scott Paper Company because I thought that the concept of Michael opening a competing paper company with Ryan and Pam was just a brilliant plot idea.
I can’t say I picked in absolute “order” either, however, my #20 was Basketball. I LOBED Stanley’s “form” and equally LOBED Michael’s disappointed reaction – “What?!?!! You gotta be kiddin’ me!” Also, it’s pure gold when Jim aspires to impress Pam with his basketball skills! ;+) And it’s always great when more of the cast is involved…
I picked them down the list, so the last episode I picked was the most recent I loved, so it was Niagra. To me,it was the only semi classic episode of season 6, and I wanted to pick at least one episode per season.
My 20th pick was Local Ad. It came down to the sincerity of the episode and the whole office being together. The fact that Michael’s version of the commercial was a few minor problems away from being miles better than the corporate version tied the episode together. Ultimately, the unity of the office prevailed to earn the 20th spot on my list.
I’m not sure I could possibly rank them, top to bottom, other than to say “Diversity Day” is my all-time favorite.
That said, “Michael Scott Paper Company” was the last chronological episode I picked. Overall, I thought Season 6 was stronger than Season 5, but I thought Season 5’s storyline that brought Idris Elba into the picture was better than any storyline from Season 6. “Michael Scott Paper Company” was the peak of that storyline, to me. Just remember, kids…
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky – Michael Scott
Not many people liked the Season 6 episode “mafia” but I enjoyed it a lot! So it made my number 20. It takes a break from office romance and relationships and it looks at what happens if it were just Michael Andy and Dwight. I think Ed helms is hilarious in this one! So is Brian, who plays Kevin.
Too many great episodes! My favorite line, from my favorite episode this season (6) spoken by favorite Andy Bernard, “a Savannah accent is supposed to sound like “molasses spilling out of your mouth.” ~classic!
My 20th pick was “Did I Stutter?” I loved the interaction between Stanley and Michael in this episode. Also, Stanley is my one of my favorite characters, so anytime he is featured, even if only for a moment, makes my day. So, a whole Stanley episode was a-MAY-zing. :-)
My 20th favorite is “Dream Team”. I really loved the Michael Scott Paper Company arc and this episode was a great way to kick it off.
I picked Secret Santa for my last episode. I wasn’t a big fan of a lot of season six, but this episode really cracked me up.
My #1 all-time favorite is casino night. yeah, i said it! About half of my top 20 are from season 2
My all-time favorite is “Benihana Christmas”. Every joke and subplot succeeded, with Michael’s Asian girlfriends, Dwight telling Sydney how to gut a goose, Angela’s feud with Karen. And it was twice as long as an ordinary episode, which made it all the better.
Just looking over the list of episodes brought back so many funny memories, making it hard (that’s what she said) to pick just 20. My 20th pick & an episode I rewatch over & over is Take Your Daughter to Work Day. I loved the interaction between Toby’s daughter and Michael. The video of Michael on that children’s show and the questions the kids in the office asked after it ended made me cry. It really made me see why Michael is such a tragic character. I’ll really miss him when he leaves the show.
My 20th choice was Diversity Day. The reason I chose it was because that episode was the moment that I knew I loved the show – the Pilot was good, and I liked it, but something about Diversity Day showed me that the show had humor and heart. After watching that episode, I knew I had found my favorite show.
I picked Secret Santa as my 20th favorite because I laughed so hard through that episode – although it’s not my first choice, it was worthy of the top 20.
I chose Ben Franklin as my 20th pick. It really exhibits both sides of show to perfection. The great dialogue, Dwight: “No tats, tats, of course I want…” Jim: “Stop, thats disgusting”, and jokes. The surprisingly well portrayed drama, i.e. the tension between Jim and Pam, Pam’s breakdown. Just a great episode, in hindsight maybe its not number 20.
I chose The Fight as my 20th episode, mainly because I think season 2 overall is my favorite season, and it really just plays up the dynamic of Dwight and Michael, plus watching them fight at the Dojo is so ridiculously funny! Watching Dwight take the fight so seriously is just priceless. And also, what other boss would take the whole office to watch a meaningless fight during the work day?!?!?
This may sound sacrilegious, but my 20th favorite was Niagra. I guess after years of waiting for this episode, I wanted to really indulge in JAM until we were covered in syrupy sweetness, and any time there was a scene that spent too much time with the other characters, I became intensely annoyed. However, Jim’s “waiting for my wife” speech, cutting the tie, dancing down the aisle, and Andy’s torn scrotum helped it to land in my top 20 after all.
The 20th pick was Email Surveillence. While most of my favorite episodes are from season 2, I thought that this had everything in it. From the tag where Michael hides everyone from the IT guy, to the start of Dwight and Angela, this episode has it all. The ending when Jim gets up to help Michael sing karaoke may be one of the greatest scences between them. It was such a well crafted and brilliant episode.
My favorite episode is The Job, the season 3 finale. It is such a turning point for the series. Dwight becomes regional manager for the day, Pam and Jim finally get together, Ryan gets the corporate job, and Michael and Jan get back together. On top of all that, the episode is simply hilarious.
I picked Back From Vacation for my 20th slot because it has so many great Michael moments. The beads on one lock of hair is brilliant, along with the attempted “Urkelgrue” (definitely misspelled) recovery. It also has a really endearing Dwight and Pam moment that is hard to beat. I could watch this over and over again!!
While other episodes may have touched me on more emotional levels, Secret Santa was my #20 for the shear hilarity. “Hurt, petulant Jesus” still makes me laugh out loud. The idea of Dwight’s diabolical plot being thwarted by Seasonal Affective Disorder sets the tone for the whole show and it was just plain funny.
My 20th favorite episode was “The Lover.” Aside from Michael and Jim yelling at Toby, Blind-guy McSqueezy made it for me. “The women in my improv class absolutely hate him.”
Hands down “Goodbye Toby”!!!
THE INITIATION-
Mose stealing my heart, and then:
“Ryan, you don’t have to fight him. Ryan, get in the coffin.”
I just rewatched this and couldn’t keep it together.
So many great episodes, so hard to pick just 20! For my 20th favorite I picked Café Disco. I love it! Even though it didn’t progress any storylines, and it was a little obvious that Jim and Pam weren’t going to get married that day…I love the dancing, I love Andy and Kelly’s dance off, I love when Dwight hits Michael in the head while doing the ymca. Whenever I am in a bad mood, I watch Café Disco!
My 20th pick was Diwali from Season 3. I love that episode! Something about the two different stories with Andy & Jim getting drunk and the whole Indian culture thing always makes me laugh. Not to mention, some lines that still crack me up after some many times watching it. “All they are are chocolate, graham cracker, and marshmallow. How hard would that have been?”
My 20th pick for the all-time favorite episode was “Murder” for three specific reasons:
The first is Andy not knowing the province where Swedish Chef is from as well as Kevin’s reaction:
Kevin: “Oooh, now do the Swedish chef!”
Andy: I’m not familiar, what province is he from?
Kevin: “He lives on Sesame Street, you dumb***”
The second is showing the duality of managing between Michael and Jim. This episode, although might seem like Michael was losing it, showed just how much he cared for his employees for trying to take their mind off of the possible bankruptcy of the company.
Finally, the third reason involved Creed and him “running away” when he hears that a murder has taken place. It was Creed at its best and it is those little moments that remind me why I love The Office so much.
I picked beach games. I love how Stanley shows a rare moment of drive and ambition as he attempts to win all of michael’s tasks to become the next regional manager. As he said, he would rather work for an upside broom with a bucket for a head than anyone else. game on!
Also hilarious was the samurai suits the contestants wore, as well as Andy falling into the lake and no one saving him.
Creed fishing with a spear is another priceless moment.
I love episodes where there is a scene that shows the heart of the characters, and this fulfills, in spades. Pam is the only one who walks through the coals, and then confesses her feelings for Jim in front of everyone.
Even funnier, when Michael thanks her, but says he is looking for someone with a sales background! LOL
My 20th choice was Health Care from Season 1. From Jim and Pam’s chemistry and to Michael throwing ice cream sandwiches at everyone was hilarious! The best part had to be Jim and Pam making up diseases.
“Hot dog fingers”
“Government-created killer nano robot infection”
“Count Choculitis” “Whew, sounds tough”
It is soo funny!
I picked The Delivery as #20. There was such a good combination of sweetness and humor in that episode. From Dwight trying to lead them to the hospital to Pam accidentally feeding the wrong baby, I was enthralled and delighted.
I could choose at least from the fifth season my favorite one, “Stress Relief”, specially because of Dwight’s stupid fire drill, Jim and Pam’s love story, Andy’s pirated movie and Michael’s roast sequences; and I chose almost every episode of the sixth season so far, including my favorite and very best, “Niagara”, because of Jim and Pam’s wedding, and all that’s happened during this whole adventure.
I chose “Goodbye Toby”. I love the dynamic between Michael and Toby so that episode gives me a lot of laughs!
I picked “Cocktails” as my 20th favorite. It was such a treat to see Michael in Dwight’s mustard yellow shirt. Michael’s line of “Why are we going in the bathroom? I thought this is where you liked your privacy” gets me every time. Oh yes, and who could forget the cold open with Michael in a straitjacket.
I honestly have no favorite or least favorite episode. I absolutely have fallen in love with this entire show, and love every single one of them. Picking 20 “favorites” was not easy, but one that particularily sticks out to me is “The Job.” Like all Office fans, the Jim/Pam romance is one of my favorite dynamics on the show, and Pam’s Olympic medal she slips into Jim’s papers for the interview is beautiful. I have watched this episode probably ten times, and I STILL tear up when Jim FINALLY gets the chance to ask Pam out on a date at the end of the episode. Jim interrupts Pam talking to the camera and asks, “Pam, are you free for dinner tonight? …Then it’s a date.” Pam happily tearing up saying, “What was the question again?” is one of the best memories I have from The Office.
My 20th pick was Branch Closing. I loved the part where Michael and Dwight were remenissing of their favorite moments of the office, and when they were acting out what they would do when David Wallace came back to his house. I also loved the general tension in the episode, wonderding if everybody is going to lose their jobs.
I chose “happy hour” as my 20th favorite. Since the latest dvd has come out, I’ve watched this episode probably 5 times- and it’s still funny! DATE MIKE! I love the fact that the entire office gets to interact in a setting outside the office. You just know Michael has dreamed of this happy hour taking place for years!
Honestly it’s very difficult to narrow a few episodes let alone one down as #20. If I had to pick one, then my choice would be the Dundies. The Dundies has a mixture of course Michael being Michael and the excitement he gets over something that no one else’s cares about. The reason everyone went was to get the free food, little did they know.
I chose ‘The Dundies’ for my 20th favorite episode. I absolutely love this episode for several reasons:
1. It shows how loyal the employees really are to Michael by accepting his awards and applauding his singing. They also kind of stick up for him when the other patrons in Chilis make fun of him.
2. The song parodies are ridiculous/hilarious.
3. The awards are ridiculous/hilarious.
4. It is the true beginning of the Jim/Pam saga! It shows Pam in a different light, resulting in showing Jim’s adoration for her. The end is so nice to when she says to him “Can ask you a question?”… I think we all have an idea of what she would ask!
5. Pam gets banned from Chilis!
Great episode!! :)
I picked “Diversity Day” because it’s my favorite episode from Season 1. B.J. Novak did a great job writing it and I loved the moment between Jim and Pam at the end. Also, the bit with the racial cards on everyone’s foreheads was hilarious!
Although there are 19 episodes I like better, “Business School” is one of my absolute favorites! Michael’s college lecture is hysterical from start to finish, as is his demonstration of his Frisbee skills. The bat plotline was perfectly over the top, from Jim’s vampire prank to the culminating capture of the bat…and Meredith’s head. I even quoted this episode in my collegiate commencement address (giving credit to Michael, of course): “May your hats fly as high as your dreams!”
My 20th choice was Initiation, which was my first episode of The Office (appropriate ep title…haha). Was channel surfing and came onto the Jim/Pam phone call…immediately transfixed by the mix of effortless banter and the underlying awkwardness. The tag with Stanley’s “364 days till the next Pretzel Day” (hee!) echoed the unbearable wait till the next episode (well, it felt like 364 days to me). Decided on the spot to relocate my TV viewing to Scranton, PA, and has stayed ever since.
It is unbelievably hard to pick only 20 favorites, I am crazy about this show! I’ll admit I only caught a few episodes, out of order, until I saw Casino Night. I went immediately and watched every one from start to finish, nearly non stop, in order to catch up to what was going on. I love how they flesh out each character so well. I love seeing all of the different emotions from Jim, crying over Pam, happiness about the wedding and the baby! What can I say, I love them all; every character and every episode!
My 20th favorite episode is “The Surplus.” It made my list because of Michael’s line “explain it to me like I’m an eight year-old.” Classic.
My 20th pick was Women’s Appreciation. It has so many little moments that make it great! Who can forget Kelly jumping up and down with panties in her hands while Michael wishes that she had a brain?
The episode I keep going back to is Office Olympics. It’s the first time we really see Pam and Jim in cahoots, and Pam’s surprise at the end really made me love the show, because it showed in fifteen seconds how quirky and random and unexpected this show really could be. There are others I love, but that one is up there.
My 20th favorite episode is hand-down Café Disco. There is absolutely nothing like a dance-off to ease up on the everyday tension in any office setting. I don’t know why certain people refuse to let their hair down and join in when opportunities like this arise. Phyllis set a wonderful example, even though she had to pay for the experience with Dwight’s equine massage and then there was that stapled-together dress. Worth it? I think so!
It is difficult to pick just 20 favorites. The quality of the writing and acting makes choosing tough, but my 20th pick is “The Carpet”. It was hilariously dark but had the right mix of humor and heart. The “hate crime” was disgusting but funny while Jim’s exile in the annex proved to be comic gold. I think this is the first time we meet Kelly in her bubbly talkative mode and it play perfectly against Jim’s mininalist reactions. Jim’s series of miscues with seeing Pam all day plays out beautifully when we get to hear all 7 of her voice mails for Jim. That conveys more heart than any overt love scene would have. LOVE THIS SHOW!
I loved the whole show from Andy in the Fat Suit floating in the lake and especially Pam’s walking the coals and pronouncing her missing Jim. I have loved 95% of the shows. There have been a few. just plain mean shows, but I love all the characters, they are like family. OH! and love Michael and Holly. Together.
I have chosen “Benihana Christmas” as my 20th favorite. Season 3 is hilarious, but as a major Jim/Pam fan I like it less due to Karen’s annoying presence. However, the first episode I really watched was this one and I fell in love with the show. Jim’s discomfort of Pam & Karen teaming up and being friendly was hilarious and it’s the first time we know for sure that Jim still has feelings for Pam even though he’s with Karen. Also, I go into hysterics every time Michael marks the girls arm because he can’t decipher between the two! Brilliant.
Wow! I didn’t realize it would be SO difficult to choose! The 20th episode I ended up selecting was “Product Recall”. The main reason I chose this one was because of Creed. We get subplots involving him so infrequently, that it is a real treat when we do. I love the one in this episode where he ends up getting a woman at the paper plant fired while trying to cover up the fact that he didn’t do his job, and then brings around a card for her, but pockets the collection money! I also loved seeing all of the “musically inclined” characters get together to write the jingle.
I chose “Diwali” as my 20th favorite. The perfect combination of classic Office awkwardness (Michael’s proposal to Carol, his attempt to kiss Pam), JAM angst (the unanswered text message…ugh!), and SINGING (Jim & Andy doing the Indigo Girls…well, not literally; Michael’s Diwali song a-la Adam Sandler). I especially love that moment when Roy walks in, sees Pam dancing, happily, without him, and the way that Beyonce song is perfectly in sync with the scene…”Cuz your love got the best of me
and baby you’re making a fool of me.” Gah! A classic.
“The Surplus” completed my list of top 20 episodes. I could not leave it off the list simply because this episode has exceptional and creative dialogue. One of my favorite exchanges in the series is when they are trying to explain the idea of a surplus to Michael in terms of a lemonade stand. “Why don’t you explain this to me like I’m five.”
honestly not sure which one is my “20th” favorite, but one of my all time favorites is “Traveling Salesman/The Return.” the cell phone in the ceiling is one of Jim’s best pranks ever! and I loved that Karen opted out of helping Jim, but Pam was in, creating the classic JAM chemistry that I had been missing.
“I think we broke his brain.” – Pam
“*laugh*” – Jim
*in sombreros…..* classic.
“It has a very oaky afterbirth”
-Michael; Dinner Party
I don’t want to be all sappy, but my 20th pick was “Traveling Salesmen.” While I love the humor, what always stood out to me was the character development. Dwight went from the office weirdo to a man who for once put the feelings of another above his own well being and desires; in turn we also were able to witness these great interactions between everyone that showed how much more than just office mates these people were, how Jim, Pam, Angela and Michael were so affected by Dwight’s resignation.
On another note, when Dwight said “that’s what she said” and Michael replied with “Don’t you dare,” it was classic.
Secretary’s Day would have been my lowest favorite because it wasn’t a Jim/Pam romance storyline. I liked it the best from this last season because finally it was more like the first/second seasons when all the characters were part of the storyline. We got our Season 6 DVD last week and spent all weekend rewatching the shows and they were great watching back to back!
I chose Cafe Disco because, while there were other episodes I may have enjoyed more plotwise, it was a nice all-cast showcase episode. Also, it introduced me to The Blam’s “Various Disgraces”. Dwight was right! The song is excellent.
The bottom of my favorite list here is Chair Model. There’s only one reason I checked that episode off.
“When Pam gets Michael’s old chair, I’ll get Pam’s old chair. Then I’ll have two chairs. Only one to go.”
Oh Creed. What are you up to.
My choices are not in any particular order, nor are all my favorites checked. I like bits and pieces from each episode and haven’t seen all of season 6 yet as I just started watching The Office on dvds. Jim & Pam drew me into the program and Michael…what can one say about Michael.
If there has to be a 20 on the list I’d say it would be Did I Stutter? The interaction b/w Stanley, Michael and Toby draws quite an edge. Michael, who hates confrontations, has to finally confront one of his employees and it has to be Stanley. They both learn to yield to each other.
My 20th choice was “The Job”. I’ll always love this episode because of the ending. While Pam is talking about her dreams and the situation with Jim, the camera goes to him walking out of the office in New York after turning down Wallace and driving back to Scranton. The second she gets ready to break down and cry, Jim abruptly busts in and asks what we’ve all been waiting for, “Are you free for dinner tonight?”
Beautiful television right there.
I, like many others, would agree that it was difficult to just pick 20 favorite episodes. My pick for number 20 is “Michael Scott Paper Company”. The moment where Michael stands up to David Wallace and Charles Minor is priceless. Obviously, the “idiot” ring tone takes the cake! lol
I only chose one episode and it was Stress Relief. The best part of this episode is the CPR training scene in the conference room. Dwight taking the face off the training dummy. Andy singing “Staying Alive” while Kelly dances away. And my favorite part, Creed bursting out “You were in the parking lot earlier, that’s how I know you!”
This hilarious scene, the amazing ‘fire drill’ cold open, the Michael Scott Roast, and guest star Jack Black make this the best office episode to date.
The last episode I chose as a favorite was “Women’s Appreciation”. It always makes me smile when Michael participates in a little girl talk, and I thought it was sweet how all of the ladies rallied around him with advice about “the Jan situation”. This was also an episode where some of the Pam/Jim/Karen stuff was coming to a head, I always feel so terrible for Pam while she’s watching Karen pick out sexy under-things. So wonderfully torturous.
And of course there’s Dwight and his search for a sexual predator. That looks exactly like him. Love it!
I love the episode “Office Olympics”. It’s the one I show to get my friends and family hooked on the show. Works every time :)
I’ve been nursing a bad cold this week, and took advantage of the downtime by watching all my boxed DVD sets in order. Gotta say, this show is oustanding when it comes to continuity, writing, and character development. I didn’t vote, but I agree with the rankings that all the Tallyheads did. It’s great, to me, how the writers continue to throw the viewers surprise twists and turns every season to keep things interesting. Also, the humor/drama really stands the test of time. I’m still laughing, tearing up, etc. as I watch. My all time favorite TV comedy: The Office!!
Woo! First time ever winning one of these! Thanks Tanster! :-)
The first episode I ever watched was Employee Transfer.
Based on these rankings, it would have been the second worst episode at the time it came out. I’m glad I stuck with it.
(Of course, that episode also became a lot funnier once I got to know the characters.)
The top 20 is pretty much perfect. “Nailed it!”
The only thing i’d change is switching out Cafe Disco for Money. But that one’s good too.
I was a late convert to Office fandom (thanks to Netflix & Hulu Plus) and I have to agree with almost all of this list. If I had been around to vote in this poll I think “The Job” would have been my 20th pick. I have watched it many times and I always come back to it. The last 5 minutes make me smile every time no matter how bad my day was. Great performance from Jenna there as well.
[from tanster: welcome to our addiction. :) ]
Will have to bring this back now that the series is finished!