Filmed in a mockumentary style, The Office US brought the antics and iconic relationships of the employees at the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company in Scranton, Pennsylvania, to TV screens weekly from 2005-2013. The popularity of The Office did not end with the show’s 2013 finale. Fans and superfans of The Office, like myself, often restart the series as soon as it ends, claiming it to be a “comfort show” and that it is among the finest comedies on television.
It seems like every scene and episode is worth watching over and over again. However, as with every heartfelt comedy, there are always moments, both silly and sweet, that stand out from the pack. Here are 12 scenes from The Office that superfans can play on repeat.
Stanley’s Outburst in “Take Your Daughter to Work Day”
“BOY, HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND? ‘CAUSE I’LL HELP YOU FIND IT.” [Episode 18, Season 2]
When Stanley verbally attacked Ryan for getting too close to his middle school-aged daughter, it was the scariest and funniest thing I had ever seen. He did not hold back and let Ryan have it saying, “Boy, have you lost your mind? ‘Cause I’ll help you find it. What you looking for? Ain’t nobody gonna help you out there. Jesus could come through that door and he’s not gonna help you if you don’t stop sniffing after my child.”
The Scene Where Michael Shows His Disgust Towards Toby in “Casino Night”
“Why are you the way that you are?” [Episode 22, Season 2]
Michael’s hatred of the human resources representative Toby Flenderson has caused so many laugh-out-loud moments that it would have been easy to fill this list only with those occurrences. But in the spirit of spreading love and laughter, I decided to include the scene when Michael questions the essence of who Toby is as a person, following Toby’s advice that it would be inappropriate to invite children to Dunder Mifflin Scranton’s casino night party.
There is no line that speaks to Michael’s hatred of Toby other than the simple question, “Why are you the way that you are?”
The Cold Open of Jim, or identity-theft Dwight in “Product Recall”
“Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica” [Episode 21, Season 3]
A practical joke on Dwight is played when Jim dresses up as him and impersonates him, but the funniest part is when Jim had to recite some facts in the style of his co-worker to succeed. The scene begins with Jim dressed as Dwight saying, “It’s kind of blurry.” After he puts on glasses he says, “That’s better,” then asks his co-worker: “Question. What kind of bear is best?” Dwight answers, “That’s a ridiculous question,” with Jim immediately responding, “False. Black bear.” His co-worker becomes engaged and he goes on to argue: “Well that’s debatable. There are basically two schools of thought …” Jim interjects, “Fact. Bears eat beets. Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica.”
Dwight becomes irritated saying, “Bears do not — What is going on — What are you doing?!” Dwight realizes that Jim is playing a practical joke on him and says “You know what? Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, so I thank you,” However, when Jim puts a bobblehead like Dwight’s on his desk, his co-worker reaches his breaking point saying, “Identity theft is not a joke, Jim! Millions of families suffer every year!”
Everything about this cold open is gold. And “Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica” – a series of seemingly unrelated words have become one of the most recognizable quotes of pop culture and the most memorable skits of this show.
Pam’s Confessional and Reaction in “The Job”
The beginning moment of Jim and Pam’s relationship. [Episode 24, Season 3]
My guess is that everyone pumped their fists in glee when Jim finally asked Pam out. The two of them had been dancing around each other for several seasons of The Office. First, Pam was with Roy and Jim spent hours talking and flirting with her at reception (as character Kevin Malone states, too), then Jim was with Karen and Pam was flustered, however, in “The Job,” it was quite clear that they both had mutual feelings for each other and were willing to make the move. Though this was the case as Jim went for an interview to work at corporate in New York.
Towards the end of the episode, Pam is being interviewed by the documentary crew. She says she figures Jim will probably get the job and that it’s OK as nothing ever came of their connection: ”We never got the timing right.” Jim then abruptly opens the door and asks Pam to dinner, to which she replies, “Yes” without hesitation.
The look on Pam’s face afterwards was more fulfilling than the actual question of the date. It almost felt like a dream and made me smile from ear to ear.
The Scene of Micheal’s Declaration in “Money“
“I DECLARE BANKRUPTCYYYYYY” [Episode 4, Season 4]
As Michael and Jan move in together, she begins to request that his expenses be adjusted. They decide to renovate the condo and even trade in their cars for luxury models. As a result of the costs, Michael takes on a second job at night.
The situation boils over when he quits his night job and walks into the office to declare bankruptcy. By declaring, I mean he actively shouts it before retreating to his office. He needs to be gently reminded by one of the accountants Oscar, that verbally declaring bankruptcy doesn’t mean anything.
The Scene Where Michael “Repurposes” His Suit in “Survivor Man“
“The sun is in the two-thirds easterly quadrant, which would make it about *looks at watch* 2 o’clock in the afternoon. It’s really beating down on me now. I think that I want to get a little more comfortable because the sun is depleting my resources. *Cuts pants with knife* OK. OH, there we go. Watch that I don’t hit my corroded artery here…” *Proceeds to cut his whole suit* [Episode 11, Season 4]
In order to show that he is capable of surviving in the wilderness, Michael decides to strand himself in the wilderness for a few days. Upon reaching the “wilderness,” he gets right to the practices of “camping” and “survival.” With the only materials he has (a knife and tape), he is only able to fashion himself with more clothes out of a cut-up pair of pants. The scene is hilarious as Michael proves to be completely incapable of living out in the wild by himself.
The Cold Open of Dwight’s Fire Drill in “Stress Relief“
In the preparation of causing havoc in the office. [Episode 14 & 15, Season 5]
No matter how funny and chaotic these other cold openings were, absolutely nothing can top Dwight’s infamous fire drill. In his constant attempts to impress Michael, he goes overboard. This time, as the office safety manager, he is inspired to simulate a real fire which creates an unruly scene as the employees of Dunder Mifflin run around and panic. As Andy thinks the fire is “shooting” at them, Oscar climbs through the ceiling for help. Angela throws her drawer cat through said ceiling amidst a fit of screams. Michael incites panic and then throws a variety of office appliances at the window in an attempt to escape. Kevin breaks the vending machine and steals all the snacks. Stanley, quite literally, has a heart attack. Michael tries to convince Stanley not to have a heart attack by reminding him that he is Black and now “Barack is President,” followed by shoving his wallet in Stanley’s mouth. I think the resulting mayhem is, without a doubt, my favourite part of the scene––if not the show as a whole.
The Scene Where We See Meredith’s Outfit in “Casual Friday”
“Meredith, your boob is out.” [Episode 26, Season 5]
In this episode, everyone at the office dresses too loosely. Angela complains to Toby about Oscar wearing sandals to work and having to look at his feet. Meredith disgusts the rest of the employees by wearing a very short dress without any panties or a bra, thus exposing herself to the rest of the office as she tries to adjust it to meet Toby’s requests. And because she adjusts her dress while complaining about Oscar’s inappropriate shoes, she exposes herself and gives Oscar the opportunity to exclaim, “Meredith, your boob is out.” This ironic scene is hilarious, to say the least.
The Wedding Entrance Dance in “Niagara”
Employees of Dunder Mifflin live up to the lyrics of the song they are dancing to: “Feel the melody and the rhythm of the music around you, around you” [Episode 4 & 5, Season 5]
Michael, Dwight and others close to Jim and Pam interrupt the ceremony by recreating the dance routines as featured in the JK Wedding Entrance Dance. Despite having asked their guests specifically not to re-enact the video, Jim and Pam react in good humour.
To me, this is one of the most emotional moments in the office. Prior to this, everyone, especially their coworkers, was giving Jim and Pam a hard time, yet in the end, they all came together for this, even Angela who clearly didn’t want to do this and hates them. It is, at this moment, that you see how much somebody really cares about you–– and it is these moments that really made The Office.
The Scene Where Michael Shows His Disgust Towards Toby (Again), in “Secret Santa“
“Ah, the Anti-Christ. *Touches Toby’s forehead* Tsssssss” [Episode 13, Season 6]
Michael, time and again, wants to assert his irritation and hatred towards Toby, which I could list extensively. Although I wanted to include only one of their “moments” (scroll up to when Michael asks why Toby is the way he is), this one shows how he views Toby as the Antichrist, while dressed as Jesus himself. I find the contrast that Michael puts forth totally hilarious.
Micheal Proposing to Holly in “Garage Sale“
*Sitting in the area where Holly’s desk is is filled with lit candles* “This is where I fell in love with you. And this is where I ask you to marry me. It started with… *fire sprinklers go on* Holly Flax, marrying me will you be?” [Episode 18, Season 7].
It does not get better than Michael’s proposal to Holly Flax. With the help of everyone at the office, they lit candles around the annex and he gets down on one knee. Thanks to all the candles, the sprinkler system goes off, making everyone wet but giddy with love. We finally see Michael’s happily ever after with a woman who is perfectly suited for him, getting everything that he ever wanted and the happiness he deserves.
Michael’s Appearance in the “Finale”
Jim showing Dwight’s new “bestest mensch”. [Episode 24 & 25, Season 9]
When The Office said goodbye to Michael Scott, fans were devastated but the show managed to continue in his absence for another couple of seasons.
In the finale episode, besides the top moments of Dwight and Angela getting married and their toddler son Philip being a ring bearer going down the aisle with his Godfather, Oscar–– Jim’s “final” prank takes the win.
Jim played one final prank on Dwight, telling him he had to step down as his “bestest mensch,” meaning best man. That’s when Michael stepped in. “I can’t believe you came,” said Dwight. Michael replied with: “That’s what she said.” Can it get any more perfect?
I know, I left many scenes out, like the countless “that’s what she said” quotes and the numerous times Dwight has introduced himself as “assistant to the regional manager.” Or scenes such as “Crentist the Dentist,” when Michael becomes “Prison Mike,” when Stanley says “Did I Stutter,” or Michael’s most memorable line: “Well, well, well, how the turntables…” Also noteworthy are the scenes when Pam and Jim have their daughter Cece, when Michael bested Oscar, when Kevin spilled his chili, and the whole episode of “The Dinner Party.” If I could, I would add every scene from the 201 episodes of The Office.