When people discuss the trajectory of the American adaptation of The Office, the discourse tends to revolve around the idea that seasons two through five are the peak of the show. Season six and onward, when many of the talent behind and in front of the camera started changing, is marked as a turning point for the show.
However, turning points are not necessarily always for the worse. There are still a ton of quality episodes in the back half of The Office’s run and season six is an amazing encapsulation of so many of the show’s funniest (and sweetest) moments. Thanks to IMDB user ratings, the ten best of these installments are listed below.
“Shareholder Meeting” - 8.2
“Shareholder Meeting,” the eleventh episode of season six, just barely cracked the top ten by only a few votes. In this installment, Michael is called into New York for a corporate meeting. Always the oblivious one, Michael expects the shareholders to hail him as a hero. Instead, they are viscous with their distaste for Dunder Mifflin management as the company is barreling towards shuttering their doors.
Back at the Scranton branch, Jim tries to exert his authority as co-manager of the office by making an example out of Ryan. Few sub-plots on the show were as consistently funny to be reminded of as Ryan’s office now being found in the break room closet.
“Koi Pond” - 8.2
“Koi Pond” is one of the episodes of The Office that is identifiable from the title alone. After Michael and Jim, still in the middle of a power struggle in Scranton, embark to a meeting, Michael is humiliated when he falls into a koi pond. Later, it is revealed that Jim could have caught Michael’s fall, but he bent out of the way to avoid him.
It’s a bit of a tough episode for Jim fans to watch him act so smugly. (John Krasinski nails it, though.) But it does allow for a heartwarming moment from Michael as he extends a sympathetic hand to Jim and forgives him.
“Scott’s Tots” - 8.3
“Scott’s Tots” is one of the most infamous episodes of The Office and it was surprising to see that it made the top ten of season six, given how vocally people have expressed their distaste for it over the years.
Billed as one of the most cringe-worthy installments of the show, “Scott’s Tots” forces Michael to reckon with the promise he made to a group of children that he would pay their college tuition, so long as they graduated high school. Obviously, as a regional branch manager in Pennsylvania, he does not have the money to follow through on this promise. It is gutting to watch the tragedies unfold.
“The Delivery” - 8.5
“The Delivery” is not only worthy of a spot on this top ten list, but it should definitely go down as one of the show’s funniest ever episodes. It is surprising that it does not rate higher, to be honest!
As a two-part episode centering around Jim and Pam having a baby, Cece, the laughs are bountiful. The first half centers around the Halperts trying to stave off labor until midnight, to hilarious effects. (Jim’s panicked freak-outs in the office are still tear-inducingly hysterical.) The second half presents the couple’s first challenges of having a baby. For those who loved watching their relationship grow, however, it was intensely sweet and satisfying to see a baby join the fray.
“Secret Santa” - 8.5
“Secret Santa” is the sixth season Christmas installment of The Office and, as the pattern goes, it sees Michael acting in unruly ways once again. This time, the conceit is that Phyllis has been given the chance to play Santa, rather than Michael, which leads to further feelings of isolation on the part of Michael in the office.
As the formula seems to dictate, though, Michael comes around and repents to the Phyllis-Santa for his misdeeds, but not before bringing the mood down along the way. Fortunately, Andy’s twelve drummers drumming musical coda to the episode lifted the spirits right back up again.
“Happy Hour” - 8.6
As The Office went on, fewer episodes were written by the show’s original core of writers. But “Happy Hour” was written by B.J. Novak and it makes sense, too. The episode has many hallmarks of a classic Novak sensibility as the show migrates to a local bar for a “fun” night.
Among the moving pieces of the episode are Dwight and Angela’s love triangle with Isabel, Andy and Erin’s early relationship dynamics, and Michael’s pained attempts at flirting with Donna. Fortunately, it still produced the iconic Michael Scott-ism, “I’m Date Mike, nice to meet me.”
“The Lover” - 8.6
Some decisions and character pairings did not work exceptionally well on The Office. But one relationship that proved to be fruitful territory for tons of laughs is “The Lover,” which sees Michael confess to Pam that he is dating her mother, Helene.
It’s an episode that works so well because of how much history the audience knows exists between Pam and Michael. It was also a perfect way to bring Jim and Pam back to the office after their honeymoon. And even though a wooden mallard might steal the episode, Jenna Fischer’s performance is an all-time great one.
“Murder” - 8.6
Of all the season six episodes, “Murder” might have been the one that has inspired the most cultural resonance and memes in the past couple of years. When rumors of Dunder Mifflin’s closure swirl around Scranton, Michael resorts to orchestrating a murder mystery parlor game as a distraction.
It is hysterical to watch all the kooky characters of Scranton commit themselves to the roles of alleged Southern do-gooders, but it is also an episode that provides worthwhile insight into Michael’s managerial style and why he does the things he does.
“Gossip” - 8.8
“Gossip” is the season six premiere of The Office and it really put the ball in motion for a number of important threads over the course of the show, with Andy’s confusion over his sexuality perhaps being the least important, but the most entertaining. (Stanley’s extramarital affairs certainly come into question, as well.)
The episode, which sees Michael spreading needless rumors about his workers around the office, also confirms the news received by Jim and Pam at the end of season five. There’s a baby on the way and Dunder Mifflin would never be the same.
“Niagara” - 9.4
When one thinks of season six of The Office, the episode, “Niagara,” has to come to mind. It is the highest-rated episode of the season and it absolutely deserves to be. After all, it is the long-awaited wedding episode between Jim Halpert and Pam Beesly!
Jim and Pam are the heart of The Office, so to see them officially join in marriage was so heart-warming and resulted in tears of joy for fans of the happy couple. There are still hilarious moments along the way, like Andy tearing his scrotum and Kevin losing his shoes. But at the end of the day, “Niagara” stands atop season seven because of the entrance dance down the aisle, juxtaposed against Jim and Pam’s secret elopement on the world’s most famous waterfall. Jim and Pam forever.
