Season eight of The Office is the first complete one without Michael Scott at the helm of the NBC comedy. As such, it comes in as an extremely low-rated season on IMDB for the entire run of the show.
Even though it lacks some of the pizzazz that made The Office so magnificent in the early runs of the show, there is still some merit to season eight, as a whole. Not every episode could be a clunker, after all!
“Get the Girl” - 6.6
“Get the Girl” is the lowest-rated episode of the season with a chillingly low 6.6 rating. The episode essentially wraps up all the arcs that remain tied to the Tallahassee, Florida setting.
The main focal point sees Nellie usurping Andy’s managerial spot after he traveled to Florida to bring Erin back to Scranton. Nellie is a detestable character who likely sinks this episode all by herself.
“Gettysburg” - 6.9
“Gettysburg” is an ambitious episode of The Office that might have been too absurd for its own good.
Gabe is mistaken for an Abe Lincoln impersonator and Dwight is mistaken about the truth behind the Battle of Schrute Farms. It’s a bizarre episode, but Zach Woods’ performance actually kind of saves it.
“Fundraiser” - 7.1
One of the flaws that come with Andy as the manager of the Scranton branch is that when he acted petulantly, it came across more pathetic than cringe-worthy when compared to Michael.
He attends Robert Lipton’s fundraiser, but he is clearly not in a good state of mind and it sinks Andy to his rock bottom, after being fired from Dunder Mifflin.
“Welcome Party” - 7.1
“Welcome Party” is an episode that doubles down on the fans’ distaste for Nellie, but it does strive to humanize her at the same time.
Andy does not shine in this episode, as he treats his ex-girlfriend Jessica extremely rudely and without any breakup etiquette whatsoever.
“Angry Andy” - 7.1
“Angry Andy” is an episode that likely deserves to be a bit higher on the list. It is a rewarding one for Andy and Erin standing up to their management.
Plus, it is always entertaining to watch Andy punch the same wall he punched all the way back in season three.
“Lotto” - 7.3
“Lotto” is an episode that comes early on in season eight and it really cements Darryl as a major character for the rest of the show’s run.
His depression over the warehouse staff winning the lottery without him is tough to watch, but it is inspiring to see his friendship with Andy lift him back up again.
“Jury Duty” - 7.5
“Jury Duty” is an episode that sees Jim and Andy’s loyalty to one another pushed to the forefront of the show.
It’s also an episode that focuses on kids. It shows that sunshine and roses are lacking from Jim and Pam’s life now that they have two kids. It also shows that Angela’s baby might just be a Schrute.
“Turf War” - 7.6
“Turf War” is an episode that begins to illustrate the demise of Robert California, after he drunkenly shuts down a branch of Dunder Mifflin.
Fortunately, the Scranton staff members are not so easily suppressed. Andy, Dwight, Jim, and Pam all fight to save their beloved workplace.
“Spooked” - 7.6
“Spooked” is a bit of a demented Halloween episode for The Office, anchored around a haunting video from Gabe’s sensibilities.
But the episode is stolen by Robert California who asks, “What am I up to?” when he begins trying to craft the perfect spooky story.
“Special Project” - 7.7
“Special Project” is a big episode for the budding relationship between Darryl and Val, as Darryl aims to crack the Valentine’s Day code of gift-giving.
The episode also introduces the Florida storyline as Dwight begins to head a team of Dunder Mifflin all-stars to open a Sabre store in Tallahassee.
“Free Family Portrait Studio” - 7.7
“Free Family Portrait Studio” is the season eight finale of The Office and the one that made it apparent that fans were due for a final season wrap-up for the show.
Robert California is ousted by David Wallace, in a cheer-worthy return to the show. Meanwhile, Dwight believes he is the father of Angela’s baby. The wheels of the endgame were in motion then.
“Doomsday” - 7.7
Val returns in a big way for the episode, “Doomsday,” as Gabe tries to hit on her to hilarious effects.
But the title of the episode comes from Dwight’s doomsday device installed on the computers that could result in the mass firing of the office workers. It takes Pam’s friendship to appeal to Dwight’s better nature.
“Mrs. California” - 7.7
In “Mrs. California,” Dwight’s gym in the office building is used to a bit of a confusing effect as he and Gabe compete with strange exercises.
But the true laughs come from Jim’s eagerness to escape confrontation between Robert California, Andy, and Robert’s wife. His sprint away from the office still elicits laughter.
“Pam’s Replacement” - 7.7
With Pam’s pregnancy mirroring Jenna Fischer’s, a fill-in was needed to smooth over the void left by Pam for a couple episodes.
This is where Cathy comes into play as a potential wrench into the marriage of Jim and Pam. True believers know that Cathy was never a threat anyway, though.
“Last Day in Florida” - 7.8
“Last Day in Florida” is a crucial episode that cements the loyalty and friendship between Jim and Dwight in a major way.
When the blame for the Sabre Store failure seems primed to be pinned on Dwight, Jim exhausts every last option to save Dwight from getting fired. Including tackling him!
“Test the Store” - 7.8
“Test the Store” merges two beloved late-2000s NBC shows, Chuck and The Office, when the Sabre Store finally opens in Tallahassee.
The hilarious element of the episode comes from Jim attempting to fit into Ryan’s clothes after the temp gets cold feet in the presentation.
“Tallahassee” - 7.8
“Tallahassee” centers around the beginning efforts of the Sabre Store project, which ends up with Dwight in the hospital.
The cold open also has an incredible prank from Jim where he convinces Dwight that he has been embroiled in a murder most foul.
“Trivia” - 7.9
“Trivia” pits the members of Dunder Mifflin against one another in a night of bar trivia.
Most prominently featured in the episode are Kelly, Meredith, and Kevin, who end up making for quite a team as they win the entire contest, against all odds.
“Christmas Wishes” - 8.0
The eighth season Christmas episode centers around Andy attempting to fulfill everyone’s wishes for the holiday season.
It’s a tough one to watch if one is an Erin fan, but the cringe-worthy moments are quickly made up for by Dwight Schrute head-banging to Trans Siberian Orchestra.
“Pool Party” - 8.0
“Pool Party” is an episode that gets out of control fast when people end up jumping into the swimming pool naked and drunk.
It all begins when Robert California hosts one last blowout at his home, after his divorce from the aforementioned Mrs. California.
