The Office is among the best sitcoms to ever grace our TV screens. From its 2005 premiere all the way until its final season in 2013, The Office continued to make us laugh until it hurt. While the show was popular during its time on air, The Office has only doubled in popularity and fan base since it went off-air. With its new home on Netflix and Peacock, the uproarious sitcom has found new audiences to admire and appreciate the show. Now, 10 years after its final season aired, The Office is more popular than ever.
Each season of the show is undeniably brilliant. Filled with genius cold opens, great holiday themed moments, and many gut-busting episodes. However, we can’t deny the fact that some seasons are far better than others, and with that in mind, here is our ranking of every season of The Office.
9 Season 8
Compared to the rest of the show, Season eight is pretty dull. The humor does still hit, but not as often as every other season of the show. Season eight doesn’t contain many episodes we would happily re-watch, aside from its Halloween episode. As a whole, the season felt aimless and directionless, as the creators were still looking for their replacement for Steve Carell’s Michael Scott. Ed Helms’ Andy Bernard was the new manager of the Scranton branch, who was a great choice during the season’s first half, but then slowly became one of the most annoying characters on the show.
8 Season 9
It seemed as if the magic of The Office lay in the hands of Steve Carell’s Michael Scott. However, season nine proved that the show could work just fine without him. Sure, it's nowhere near as entertaining as the seasons with Michael Scott, but there were still some brilliant moments, and episodes to come out of season nine.
Season nine is perhaps the most emotional season as a whole, with many characters saying goodbye, and many moments coming full circle, like Jim finally giving Pam the teapot letter from season two. Most importantly, however, was the series and the show's finale, which was simply beautiful. Seeing the Scranton crew hold a documentary panel as well as Dwight and Angela finally getting married which saw Michael Scott’s amazing return.
7 Season 1
Season one gets a lot more hate than it deserves. Yes, Michael Scott is mostly an unbearable character and the show still hasn’t found its footing; however, for the most part, season one is still a barrel of laughs. Many episodes like “Diversity Day”, “Basketball”, “The Alliance” and “Health Care”, are some of the most underrated episodes in the show. We can’t deny that the characters haven't come into their own yet, and many of the jokes and themes of the series would not be aired today, yet season one is certainly an underrated season of The Office.
6 Season 7
For the most part, season seven was just an okay season. But add in episodes like “Threat Level Midnight”, “Garage Sale”, and of course, the deeply emotional “Goodbye Michael”, and those three episodes alone elevate the entire season. Likewise, the season was filled with many highly anticipated moments, from Michael's film airing at the office, Michael and Holly finally got engaged after a long wait, and Dwight eventually became a manager, well... just an acting manager.
Michael’s departure the show still fared well, at least after Deangelo Vickers’ (Will Ferrell) departure from the show. The final two episodes saw a whole heap of brilliant guest stars make awesome cameos from Jim Carrey, Will Arnett, Ray Romano, and James Spader, who eventually became the company's CEO.
5 Season 6
Season six of The Office is among its most important, as it finally saw Jim and Pam tie the knot, as well as the pair having their first baby together. Season six was truly the season of Jim and Pam. Other great moments included Michael dating Pam’s mom, Helene, Saber buying out Dunder Mifflin, and of course, the incredibly uncomfortable “Scott's Tots” episode. Perhaps the season's biggest downfall was seeing Jim promoted to manager, which sadly shifted many dynamics during season six, even if it did lead to many great moments between Jim and Dwight.
4 Season 3
Dealing with the aftermath of “Casino Night” and Jim finally admitting his feelings for Pam, season three had a lot to answer for. Not only did season three satisfy fans in its answers, but also, like most seasons, had us bursting with laughter at every line. Episodes like “Gay Witch Hunt”, “Safety Training”, “Beach Games”, and of course, “The Convict”, are undeniable standouts in a series packed full of great episodes. Season three serves as a hugely important catalyst at getting Jim and Pam together, with the series ending on a jaw-dropping cliffhanger; Jim asking Pam out on a date.
3 Season 5
Season five can be described by a single episode; “Stress Relief”. Along with that bonkers but brilliant episode, we also see Michael start his own paper company. Dwight and Andy fight over Angela and Michael gets to scream “nooo” at the top of his lungs upon finding out about Toby’s return, resulting in one of the most iconic memes to come from the show. As well as giving us plenty of belly-aching laughs, season five also offered a handful of emotional moments with Michael and Holly. These moments aren’t as impactful as other seasons, but the comedy in season five is among the best the show has to offer.
2 Season 2
After the first season struggled to fully stick its landing, season two came along and elevated The Office into the cult status it has today. Layering its characters, and making us care for the emotional and immature Michael Scott, season two was a delight. Its comedy was genius, and a step ahead of season one and the UK counterpart it was based on, allowing the season to stand on its own two feet. “The Dundies”, “Sexual Harassment”, and “The Injury”, are just a handful of the amazing episodes season two had to offer.
1 Season 4
No season can better represent the smash-hit sitcom than its fourth outing. Delivering all the humor and heart we have come to expect from the show, season four is simply perfect. Pam and Jim finally get together. Dwight and Angela break up, and Michael and Jan have plenty of chances to show off their awkward relationship. The laughs are plentiful, with episodes like “Money”, “Goodbye Toby”, “Chair Model”, and of course, the unnervingly uncomfortable “Dinner Party” episode.