When a show lasts for as long asThe Officedid, it’s bound to have at least a few terrible episodes, and thankfully for the series, its worst one came at the beginning of its run. The NBC mockumentary sitcom, based on Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s BBC show of the same name, premiered in 2005. Even thoughThe Officeseason 1’s six episodesaren’t exactly considered peak TV,the series prevailed and ran for nine seasons and 201 episodes.
The Office’s averageRotten Tomatoesscore across all nine seasons is 81 percent.
The Officeis one of the most popular andbest sitcoms of all time. Its high ratings, positive reviews, iconic cast, and memorable jokes/scenes/episodes have cemented the show’s place in TV history. Over the course ofThe Office’s nine seasons, the NBC mockumentary sitcom won five Primetime Emmy Awards (including Outstanding Comedy Series in 2006) and received over 40 nominations total. Nevertheless,The Officeisn’t without its faults.
The Office’s Pilot Is One Of The Show’s Weakest Episodes
The NBC Sitcom Doesn’t Get Off To A Good Start
Despite being a cultural phenomenon,The Officedidn’t make a good impression on viewers with its pilot episode.The first episode, appropriately titled, “Pilot,” is undoubtedly one of the show’s worst. It was released 20 years ago, on July 30, 2025, and received mixed to negative reviews. The episode introduces the audience to Steve Carell’s Michael Scott (the regional manager at the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin Paper Company) and othericonicThe Officecharacters, such as Jim Halpert, Dwight Schrute, and Pam Beesly.
Ultimately, many critics calledThe Office’s pilot unoriginal and unfunny, making it one of the series' worst episodes.
Despite meeting some of the TV sitcom’s most memorable characters, “Pilot” is quite weak compared to otherThe Officeepisodes. It’s essentiallya complete remake of the pilot of Ricky Gervais’The Office(and not a good one at that). Plus, none of the actors are comfortable in their roles yet, making the entire episode a bit painful to watch. Thankfully, that changed very soon. Ultimately, many critics calledThe Office’s pilot unoriginal and unfunny, making it one of the series' worst episodes.
Jim Halpert’s Story In The Office Is All A Lie And I Can Prove It
While Jim functions as The Office’s protagonist for most of the sitcom’s nine seasons, I’ve just realized viewers know nothing about his origins.
Thankfully, The Office Only Got Better After Season 1
The Office Season 2 Is The Show’s Best
Despite having a rough start,the NBC mockumentary sitcom soon became one of TV’s best shows at the time.To this day, many fans and critics consider season 2 asThe Office’s best season. With hilarious and iconic episodes such as “The Dundies,” “Booze Cruise,” and “Casino Night,” it’s difficult to argue that season 2 isn’t the best. Nevertheless, the series continued to release critically acclaimed seasons and episodes for many years. Of course,The Officeeventually declined (mostly after Steve Carell’s exit), but that wasn’t until the show’s very end.
