When the American version of The Office began back in 2005, no one thought it was a good idea. To remake something that was already perfect in England seemed to be a fool’s errand. But with a charming, lovable cast and a Hall of Fame writing staff consisting of Greg Daniels, Michael Schur, B.J. Novak, Mindy Kaling, and Paul Lieberstein, the show was off to the races.
With only six episodes in the first season, one of the biggest TV comedies ever made was in danger of cancellation. Fortunately, fans can look back on the episodes of season one with fond nostalgia, rather than the wistful sentiments of what could have been. And thanks to IMDb, viewers can get an idea of what the consensus was for these six installments.
“Pilot” - 7.5
“Pilot,” the first episode in the history of The Office, is also one of the lowest ones throughout the show’s run. This is entirely justified, however. Not only had The Office not come into its stride or rhythm yet, but this initial episode also happened to be one that was practically a carbon copy of the pilot from the British version of The Office. Many of the jokes are ripped right from Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, and the American version, headed by Daniels, did not yet have its own identity.
There are still a series of great moments, though. Steve Carell’s delivery of “Me not get an agenda” still makes fans laugh, and the entire Jell-O sequence between Jim and Dwight is still among the show’s most iconic pranks. It was a solid, if intrepid, foray into a show that was destined to go down as one of the best to ever do it.
“Hot Girl” - 7.8
“Hot Girl” is the episode of the first season that was written by Mindy Kaling and, notably, it was also directed by Amy Heckerling. The main conceit of the episode, around which every plot development happens, is the allowance by Michael for Katy (portrayed by a young Amy Adams) to sell purses in the conference room of Dunder Mifflin to its employees. From there, as things often do at the Scranton branch, chaos unfolds.
Michael and Dwight begin jockeying for Katy’s affections. Michael thinks that an espresso machine will impress Katy and make her want to date him. Dwight, on the other hand, is prompted by Jim and Pam to buy a purse from Katy. Ultimately, however, it is Jim who successfully asks Katy on a date, and the episode ends on a note of jealousy as Pam watches the two from afar. Fortunately, for the world, this was not Amy Adams’ only appearance on The Office!
“Health Care” - 7.8
“Health Care” probably deserves a higher spot on this ranking because, as far as episodes from the first season of the show go, it is definitely one of the best. Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey, on their new podcast, definitely agree. The third episode of the season was written by Paul Lieberstein, who also played Toby Flenderson on the show. The general premise of the episode is that Dunder Mifflin has to slash health care benefits, and Michael, not wanting to shoulder the responsibility for it, pawns the task off onto Dwight.
Of course, this only goes poorly as Dwight ends up making way more cuts than he had to, and Michael ends up reviled when the best “surprise” he comes up with for the office is ice cream sandwiches. Fortunately, there are still laughs along the way, like the fake diseases listed by Jim and Pam, including “hot dog fingers” and “Count Choculitis.” It is still hilarious to think of Dwight responding, “Why would you write that, Jim? Is it because you know I love Count Chocula?”
“The Alliance” - 8.1
“The Alliance” is the fourth episode of The Office’s first season and it is the one that was gifted to Michael Schur to write. Notably, this episode is also the one that features Craig Robinson’s first appearance as Darryl in the warehouse! But he is merely in the background. The main aspects of the episode are still happening around the main cast. Jim and Pam collaborate together to prank Dwight into thinking that they have formed an alliance against other members of the office in the wake of downsizing news.
While that story line ends on a bit of an awkward note with Roy confronting the intimacy between Jim and Pam and Dwight turning his back on Jim, it cannot compare to the discomfort of the birthday party. With Michael aiming to boost morale, he forces the issue of Meredith having a birthday party a month holiday. Happy Bird Day? Not quite so happy after all.
“Diversity Day” - 8.3
“Diversity Day” would likely be predicted by many to be the highest ranking episode of the first season, as many still hold it in high esteem over the course of the entire series. Surprisingly, it earns the runner-up position instead. It is still a hilarious episode, however, thanks to the stellar cameo from Larry Wilmore, the deft direction of Ken Kwapis, and the perfect script from B.J. Novak.
With a racial diversity seminar mandated for the members of Dunder Mifflin, Michael ends up digging a deeper and deeper hole for himself in the eyes of his employees. It culminates in an exercise that sees the workers of Dunder Mifflin wearing pieces of paper on their heads that dictate various ethnicities and races. Granted, a ton of humor comes from this, but it is still quite a problematic act for Michael to levy. Fortunately, the episode ends tenderly with Pam falling asleep on Jim’s shoulder, giving audiences a hint of the romance to come.
“Basketball” - 8.4
The episode that ranks the highest on IMDb from the first season of The Office is the fifth, “Basketball.” Written and directed by Greg Daniels, fans have really rallied around the installment, which sees the Dunder Mifflin office staff face off against the warehouse crew in a basketball game. The stakes are high, however, as the loser has to come in on the weekend to work.
This episode is really high in terms of tension. The love triangle between Jim, Pam, and Roy is intensified after Roy elbows Jim in the nose, drawing blood. That injury is far more intense when compared to the injury against Michael, which he definitely flops into and exaggerates far beyond its actual intent. He acts with extreme pettiness in the wake of his own “injury” and attempts to give himself the win, even though he has done nothing to help his own team. (Everyone around him, save for maybe Stanley, is more talented). In the end, everything backfires on Michael, as most season one episodes tended to do.
