The Office may have gone off the air nearly 10 years ago, but the NBC comedy following a rag-tag team of employees at the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin remains a pop culture mainstay.
Whether you were tuning in for Michael Scott’s (Steve Carell) awkward moments or the romance between Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam (Jenna Fischer), there was something for every kind of viewer through the show’s run from 2005 to 2013. And while the majority of fans can agree on noteworthy episodes, their opinions may differ when it comes to comparing seasons.
For this reason, we’re ranking all nine seasons of the stellar comedy from worst to best, offering a definitive answer to the age-old question: what’s the best season of The Office? While this may be our ranking, below, we want to hear your thoughts. Share what season of The Office is your favorite in the comments section, and catch the comedy on Peacock anytime.
9. Season 8
The Office is rarely not funny, but Season 8 had a lot to figure out in the absence of Michael Scott, who bid the series adieu partway through Season 7. It felt like the show was discovering its new rhythm and, through that process, delivered some laughs but not nearly as many as in previous seasons. A definite highlight was James Spader‘s performance as the new acting manager of the Scranton branch, Robert California.
8. Season 1
Our love for the first season of The Office is undoubtedly ever-present — why else would we be fans of the show in the first place? Looking back though, the short six-episode season doesn’t have the same magic that later seasons do. Anyone with a deeper knowledge of the show’s history understands that the American adaptation is based on the 2001 British series of the same name from co-creators Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. And in looking at the premiere episode of NBC’s iteration, it’s essentially an identical copy of the original show’s pilot. Michael Scott was also wildly offensive without the kind of lovable idiot qualities fans came to enjoy as the series progressed, ranking Season 1 on the lower side of this list.
7. Season 9
The other season without Michael Scott, this chapter featured some definite highlights such as Dwight’s (Rainn Wilson) introduction of Belsnickel in the holiday installment that left us wanting to ask relatives and friends if they’ve been “impish” or “admirable.” Then there’s the finale, which reunited the Dunder Mifflin crew with their former manager at Dwight and Angela’s (Angela Kinsey) farm wedding. However we feel about the rest of this season’s episodes, these highlights are enough to rank it above some of its predecessors.
6. Season 7
This solid season delivers some notable installments including the fan-favorite “Threat Level Midnight,” in which Michael shows off his homemade movie starring his colleagues through various years of their employment at Dunder Mifflin. Notably marking the beginning of the boss’s absence from the series, who could forget Pam’s final farewell to Michael at the airport in “Goodbye, Michael”? Those are just two memorable entries from a season filled with them.
5. Season 5
Season 5 has a strong lineup of episodes ranging from the season opener “Weight Loss,” in which Michael encourages the team to get active and lose weight as part of a company initiative, to the always hilarious “Stress Relief,” in which Dwight memorably stages a fire in the Dunder Mifflin offices, accidentally causing Stanley (Leslie David Baker) to have a heart attack. Angela’s plea to “save Bandit” still rattles in our brains. And while Jim and Dwight’s pranks were often great cold opens, “Casual Friday” served up Kevin’s (Brian Baumgartner) famous chili spill — much to our amusement and poor Kevin’s misfortune.
4. Season 6
Falling in the middle of all seasons is the one that includes not one, but two two-part episodes centering around the show’s it-couple, Jim and Pam. At the point when “Niagra: Part 1” and “Niagra: Part 2” aired, The Office was reaching peak popularity during its run; it was event comedy television at its finest. Never was a TV wedding more spirited than Jim and Pam’s, featuring their colleagues recreating the viral “Forever” aisle dance. And if a wedding isn’t enough to excite, “The Delivery: Part 1” and “The Delivery: Part 2” are the perfect companion as the couple welcomes their first child. Apart from the duo, Season 6 also delivered memorable installments like “Koi Pond” and “Scott’s Tots.” Need we say more?
3. Season 3
Undoubtedly a fun outing, Season 3 gifted viewers with episodes such as “Gay Witch Hunt,” “The Merger,” “The Convict” with Prison Mike, and “Ben Franklin.” Among the highlights though are “Back From Vacation,” in which Michael essentially reveals to the entire staff that he went on vacation with then-superior, Jan (Melora Hardin). And who could forget “Beach Games,” where Pam puts her fears aside and walks across hot coals? It’s certainly one of the show’s most uplifting moments.
2. Season 4
From the “Fun Run” to “Goodbye, Toby,” Season 4 is chock full of seriously funny episodes including “Survivor Man,” when Michael tries to survive in the wild but has to be saved by Dwight, who is infinitely more experienced in the wilderness. Then there’s the crème de la crème, the pièce de résistance, “Dinner Party,” in which Michael hosts several of his colleagues for dinner alongside then-girlfriend Jan. What ensues is a night filled with awkward music moments, bickering, small flat-screen TVs, and an endlessly-cooking main course holding everyone hostage. This season also serves as the introduction to Amy Ryan‘s Holly, who dazzles Michael when she replaces HR head Toby (Paul Lieberstein).
1. Season 2
While the series overall is filled with great seasons, it’s the second chapter of The Office that takes the metaphorical cake. Just like Pam felt in Chili’s during this season’s “The Dundies” episode, we feel God when we tune into this chapter’s installments. Whether it’s Michael Scott’s mishap with a George Foreman Grill in “The Injury,” “Booze Cruise,” or the memorable “Casino Night,” which features Jim and Pam’s first real kiss, we can’t help but look back fondly on this strong sophomore outing. And nothing beats Michael trying to take over Toby’s job in “Conflict Resolution.”
