Perhaps no other sitcom has kept audiences laughing quite like The Office.
Since its debut season aired in 2005, the antics of rag-tag employees at the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin Paper Company have sustained enough iconic memes, famous catchphrases and hilarious GIFs to enshrine The Office as a pop culture mainstay, even in the decade since its final ninth season aired in 2012.
Whether you’re a bonafide Michael Scott (Steve Carrell) apologist or an advocate for Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam (Jenna Fischer), there’s something for everybody to enjoy within the hallowed halls of Dunder Mifflin. So feverish is the fandom’s love for The Office that an official ranking of its nine seasons might cause a stir. In any case, we’re taking a stab at doing just that (that’s what she said?), with our list of all of The Office seasons, ranked from worst to best.
9. Season 8
While The Office’s stellar ensemble cast tries their hardest, season 8 suffers in the absence of the show’s guiding light, following Michael Scott’s departure midway through season 7. There are some bright spots in the form of season 8’s Halloween special and the introduction of James Spader’s Robert California, but the surrounding episodes feel somewhat directionless as showrunners sought to find a new rhythm in Michael’s wake.
8. Season 9
The ninth season of The Office earns points for being one of the most emotional, from the return of Michael after years away from his former employees to the long-awaited nuptials of Dwight (Rainn Wilson) and Angela (Angela Kinsey). Season 9 is also home to some truly heartwarming full circle moments for Jim and Pam, and a fourth-wall breaking finale that provides closure for much of the characters. However, the season still feels as though its meandering, with a dearth in the laugh-out-lough moments of its predecessors.
7. Season 1
This might be a divisive take, but the six-episode debut season of The Office was lackluster in comparison to the other installments. This is ultimately forgivable, since showrunners were simply finding their footing in terms of characterization and writing, but Michael’s first outing proved him to be more unbearable and offensive, without much of the loveable qualities he developed in later seasons. That is emblematic of much of season 1’s cast, though it is home to some gems in the form of “Diversity Day,” “Health Care,” and “Basketball.”
6. Season 7
The Office’s seventh season includes its starriest batch of cameos (Jim Carrey, Will Arnett and Will Ferrell), and one of the series’ most-loved episodes in the form of “Threat Level Midnight.” It also sees Holly (Amy Ryan) and Michael get engaged, before the latter makes a teary-eyed exit from the series in “Goodbye, Michael.” All of this makes for a solid, if somewhat forgettable, season of The Office.
5. Season 5
Season 5 of The Office is a great signpost of what the series does best. There’s the unforgettable cold open in which Dwight intentionally sets the office alight (“Stress Relief”) and a strong start in the two-part premiere (“Weight Loss”). Season 5 also features important developments for Michael and Holly’s will-they-won’t-they relationship, and is home to Michael’s “dear God no” moment that will live on in GIF canon until the end of time.
4. Season 6
“Scott’s Tots” and “Koi Pond” might be reason enough for season 6’s top-five placement, but this installment of The Office also brought an array of other hilarious and heartwarming moments. We saw Jim and Pam finally tie the knot and welcome their first child, as well as some of The Office’s best Jim-Dwight interactions following Jim’s promotion. Michael also dated Pam’s mom, as part of a broader season in which the series had hit its stride in the public consciousness.
3. Season 3
So many memes were borne out of The Office’s third season, which remains its funnest outing yet. Now with a clear understanding of what worked best about the characters, showrunners gifted audiences with belly laugh moments like the kiss between Michael and Oscar (Oscar Nuñez) and the general hilarity that was “Beach Games.” That episode was also pivotal for Jim and Pam, who developed much of their romance in season 3.
2. Season 4
Home to what is arguably the series’ best episode in the form of “Dinner Party,” season 4 is The Office at its finest. We were treated to the farewell of Paul Lieberstein’s Toby (much to Michael’s excitement), the introduction of Holly, and the wannabe Bear Grylls antics of Michael in “Survivor Man.” Proving itself well into its run, The Office’s fourth season laid the groundwork for the long running success that came after.
1. Season 2
Season 2 of The Office is home to Michael’s shining moment. Here, the Dunder Mifflin boss becomes the affable idiot we’ve come to know and love, and he’s helped along by an ensemble who give it their all. Defying the sophomore slump, season 2 includes memorable episodes like “The Injury,” “The Dundies,” and “The Booze Cruise”, the last of which feature Jim and Pam’s first-ever kiss.