Best Episode for Each Character on 'The Office'

We've had over a week now to digest the series finale of The Office. One of the strong points of The Office through all these years has been the strength of its ensemble cast. As the NBC series heads to its end this week, I've decided to come up with my favorite episodes from each of the major characters on the show. It can be as simple as a hysterical line or a standout scene.

Meredith Palmer (Kate Flannery) - "Moroccan Christmas" (Season 5). The Office drunk gets to go first. And there are so many moments that made us all laugh our asses off. When she got hit by Michael's car, bit by a bat, when she ate Angela's hand sanitizer to get drunk. However, "Moroccan Christmas" is her standout episode. when she sets her hair on fire while dancing drunk and Michael then tries to start an alcohol intervention. He dupes her by saying he will take her to a bar, and when she realizes he's taking her to rehab, she tries to escape.

Angela Martin (Angela Kinsey) - "Christmas Party" (Season 2). Another Christmas episode, which The Office always did so well. Angela is the head of the party planning committee, and her Christmas party is ruined throughout this episode. Michael first ruins everyone's party by playing "Yankee Swap". He then makes it right by buying a ton of alcohol for everyone. Although everyone else has a satisfying end to the party, Angela's ends with her out back by the dumpsters throwing, then smashing, various Christmas ornaments.

Michael Scott (Steve Carell) - "The Injury" (Season 2). It's hard to pick one for the star of the show, but "The Injury", when he accidentally burns his foot on a George Foreman grill in bed, is an abosolute highlight. It allows Michael to shine in a ridiculous way as he plays up his burnt foot and the lack of care he gets from everyone else in the office, calling it a "disability".

Pam Beesly-Halpert (Jenna Fischer) - "The Dundies" (Season 2). I'm leaving out the Jim & Pam combo moments ("Casino Night", "Booze Cruise", "Niagara", "A.A.R.M"). So my favorite moment where Pam shines alone was when she drank way too much at The Dundies. In just one night, she falls off a chair, wins the "Whitest Sneakers" dundie, kisses Jim, screams "BEST DUNDIES EVER!" and gets banned from Chili's.

Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) - "Pilot" (Season 1). I'm giving Jim the pilot episode, since it introduced us to his first ever prank of Dwight, which is a running stoyline we've looked forward too for the entire run of the series. It all started here, with Dwight's stapler being put into Jell-O, thus creating a prank copied by fans of the show.

Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) - "Livin' the Dream" (Season 9). Dwight finally has two of his dreams come true. He receives a black belt he doesn't really deserve, then he finally becomes the manager of Dunder Mifflin Scranton, which he totally deserves. It was a satisfying moment for fans to see Dwight finally become manager.

Phyllis Lapin-Vance (Phyllis Smith) - "Phyllis' Wedding" (Season 3). Phyllis and Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration finally get married. The funny part is Phyllis steals all of Pam's ideas from her abandoned wedding to Roy. She also allows Michael to push her father's wheelchair down the aisle so she can get six weeks vacation for her honeymoon.

Stanley Hudson (Leslie David Baker) - "Initiation" (Season 3). Pretzel Day. That's all that really needs to be said. Its Stanley's favorite day of the year, and he actually gets along with Michael as they both wait in line for their free pretzel.

Kelly Kapoor (Mindy Kaling) - "Lecture Circuit" (Season 5). Kelly tells off Jim & Dwight for forgetting her birthday, which leads to Jim & Dwight having to team up to make up for it by throwing Kelly a party, as she dictates what they can do. We also find out Kelly was in juvy when she was 14 for stealing her ex-boyfriends boat.

Ryan Howard (BJ Novak) - "Night Out" (Season 4). Ryan is oddly friendly during the start of this episode when he returns to Scranton to unveil the "Dunder Mifflin Infinity 2" website, after the first one was overrun by sexual predators. Michael & Dwight go to New York to see him because they want to party, and we learn Ryan is on drugs.

Kevin Malone (Brian Baumgartner) - "Costume Contest" (Season 7). In this Halloween episode, we get to see Kevin dressed as both Phyllis and Michael Moore. He also has beef with the new salesman Danny because he dumped Pam years ago. He decides not to go to the bar with Danny to be loyal to Jim & Pam. I always loved the moments when the cast would show their loyalty for one another.

Erin Hannon (Ellie Kemper) - "Classy Christmas" (Season 7). Erin finally meets Holly for the first time after hearing about her from Michael. Throughout the episode though, she tells the cameras that she doesn't understand what Michael sees in Holly, wondering why people think she is attractive. When Holly hurts Michael's feeling for having a boyfriend, Erin gives her the cold shoulder.

Oscar Martinez (Oscar Nunez) - "Business Trip" (Season 5). Oscar travels on a sales call to Canada with Michael & Andy. He gets drunk and lets loose in a way we weren't used to seeing, getting Andy to drunk dial Angela.

Creed Bratton (Creed Bratton) - "Product Recall" (Season 3). An obscene watermark of a "beloved cartoon duck & mouse" goes out, all thanks to Creed. He saves his job by framing someone at the paper mill. He gets a card for the fired worker and collects money from everyone in the office, which he then pockets for himself. Creed was always good for these quick hitting moments, and this episode was full of them.

Darryl Philbin (Craig Robinson) - "The Negotiation" (Season 3). While seeking a raise, he finds out that Michael barely makes more than him and decides to "help" Michael get more money. While he ultimately does get Michael more money, he can't help but play tricks on him by teaching him fake "black man slang" and making fun of him for wearing a suit made for women.

Andy Bernard (Ed Helms) - "Secret Santa" (Season 6). Andy expertly shows his reputation as the shows most annoying character when he requests Erin for secret Santa, getting her the entire 12 Days of Christmas, with some of the birds injuring her.

Jan Levenson (Melora Hardin) - "Dinner Party" (Season 4). Watching Jan & Michael having a party in their small condo as their frustration for one another keeps getting worse throughout the episode is a thing of comedic beauty. We get to hear the song "Just One Night" by her young former assistant Hunter, who she still has a thing for.

Holly Flax (Amy Ryan) - "Goodbye, Toby" (Season 4). Our first meeting with Holly doesn't go so well for her. As the new HR rep, Michael instantly dislikes her in the beginning. He tells her that Kevin is mentally challenged, making her interactions with Kevin throughout the episode hilariously entertaining. It causes him to think she is attracted to him when she gives him this special treatment.

Toby Flenderson (Paul Lieberstein) - "Goodbye, Michael" (Season 8). Michael says bye to Toby and doesn't make fun of him for the first time ever. Just when you think he might miss Toby, Michael quickly gets annoyed when he finds out Toby has a brother in Boulder, Colorado where he is moving. We later see Toby skype with him, and he is exactly the same boring guy as Toby. 

Satisfying Finale For 'The Office'

The Office has now shut its doors with a satisfying series finale that picked up one year after the penultimate episode, "A.A.R.M". The Finale was directed by Ken Kwapis, who directed the pilot episode and last directed the Season 5 episode "Company Picnic".

It all started out with a one hour retrospective featuring a look back at the history of the Emmy Award winning show since development in 2004 (premiering in 2005) as well as interviews with the cast & crew, and a look at the series finale party that was held in Scranton, PA. NBC also did this with another hit show, Friends, in 2004 before that series finale.

Then came the emotional series finale. With the help of fansite OfficeTally (major props to the great Jennie Tan!), the episode was thankfully extended an extra 15 minutes in order to incorporate as much as possible into such a well done episode. Angela (Angela Kinsey) & Dwight (Rainn Wilson) have their anticipated wedding that stands up along with Jim & Pam's (John Krasinski & Jenna Fischer) and Phyllis' (Phillis Smith) wedding episodes. Dwight & Angela, or Dwangela, first started their back & forth relationship way back in Season 2's "E-mail Surveillance" when Pam suspects they have a secret relationship. We've come a long way since then, and it was great to see them finally have their big moment together. The highlights include:

- Michael Scott (Steve Carell) returned and gave the best, most joyous, "That's What She Said!" yet. Dwight: "Michael! I can't believe you came!" Michael: "That's what she said!"
Jim was Dwight's best man, but concocted a typical Jim scheme to surprise Dwight and make Michael his best man at the last minute.

- Kelly (Mindy Kaling) & Ryan (BJ Novak) returned and finally hooked up at the reception, in typical Kelly & Ryan fashion. Ryan left his baby with Kelly's boyfriend and the two ran off together. Nellie (Catherine Tate) got the baby, so it all worked out.

-There were a few other fun cameos that recalled the early seasons. It's revealed Dwight re-hired Devon, who was fired in the Season 2 episode "Halloween". Elizabeth the stripper (Jackie Debatin) from Season 3's "Ben Franklin" was the stripper hired for Dwight's bachelor party. And the stripper hired for Angela's? In one of the funniest moments from the episode, it was Meredith's (Kate Flannery) now adult son Jake (Spencer Daniels)! Carol (Nancy Carell) was also back to sell Jim & Pam's house.

- Everyone brings a cat for wedding gifts. Sprinkles may be gone, but Angela will always have some new cats for her collection. And throughout the years we've seen Angela berate and get frustrated with Phyllis, but as the show has done so well, the two showed they still have a bond. As Angela's feet hurt, Phyllis carried her down the aisle piggyback style to the tune of Guns N' Roses' "Sweet Child O' Mine".

- We find out that Pam has secretly been showing the house to people to sell it so Jim can move to Austin, TX to join Athlead (now Athleap). She figured he bought it without telling her, so she could sell it without telling him. She wanted Jim to live his dream now as they finish this chapter of their life. Dwight fires them before they could quit, but he does that so they can get their severance pay.

- The characters give their final talking head interviews, and this is the moment that made the tears start flowing big time for me, especially when Dwight talks about what each one of them means to him, calling Pam his best friend.

- After a post-wedding celebration in the warehouse, and after Pam unveils her mural that features the entire cast (which they take a picture in front of with the actual real life crew from The Office), our favorites return to the Dunder Mifflin Scranton office one last time together. Pam answers the reception phone for the first time in years, with her famous "Dunder Mifflin, this is Pam" before telling whoever it is that Jim no longer works there. They all celebrate and then head outside, with Pam taking the picture of the building she drew with her.

- Erin (Ellie Kemper) finally met her birth parents at the PBS documentary fan Q&A earlier in the episode, played by Joan Cusack and Ed Begley Jr. This is another moment that brought the tears, and it was fun watching the rest of the cast realize who they were with Erin finally doing so in the end.

-Favorite line of the night, besides "That's what she said" goes to Andy (Ed Helms) for: "I wish there was a way to know you're in the good old days before you've actually left them."

There are just so many more that writing about them can't do it justice. If you for some reason missed this series finale, which was one of the best of all time, go and watch it OnDemand, iTunes, Amazon, NBC's website. However you can do it, just watch it.

'The Office' Series Finale Guaranteed To Deliver

I think I need a box of tissues ready from now, because if tonight's second-to-last episode is any indication, I will be crying like a 12-year-old girl at a Justin Bieber concert during The Office Series Finale next week.

Tonight's episode had Jim and Pam's storyline come full circle. After watching clips of their moments together on a computer, Pam (Jenna Fischer) finally received the love note Jim (John Krasinski) had left with her tea pot from the season 2 Christmas episode ("Christmas Party") back in 2005. Yes, the one where they played "yankee swap"! I'm really going to especially miss getting new Christmas episodes of The Office. Anyway, the moment tonight solidified Jim & Pam's status as one of the greatest TV couples of all time. The song played during their video montage was "Open Your Eyes" by Snow Patrol, so add that to your Jim & Pam playlist along with "Sing" by Travis.

The entire office also gathered to watch the premiere episode of the documentary at the end, and we see them taking in the first episode as we hear Michael (Steve Carell) talking to Jim. The show has really done an outstanding job bringing the fictional documentary to the surface this season.

Finally, Dwight (Rainn Wilson) proposed to Angela (Angela Kinsey) and we found out Phillip really is his son. This is what set up the series finale next week. It picks up a few months after tonight's episode, with the documentary crew catching up one final time with Dunder Mifflin. Its confirmed that many old faces will be back for the finale, including Mindy Kaling & BJ Novak. And though they've denied it, I am almost positive we will be seeing Steve Carell return as Michael Scott at Dwight & Angela's wedding.

We'll see who else might return in cameo appearances. A preview showed the stripper from the famous "Ben Franklin" episode, so anyone is possible. Maybe Jan (Melora Hardin) and Karen (Rashida Jones)? Don't forget to watch the series finale of The Office May 16 on NBC to find out. It starts with a retrospective at 8pm, and the finale following from 9pm-10:15pm.

'The Office' Going Out On Top

The Office is quickly approaching the end of its 9th and final season. And ever since Steve Carell left as lead character Michael Scott, people have been saying the quality of the show has gone down, which we've heard plenty of times with other shows. However, they've clearly changed those attitudes as the series hits the home stretch. Ever since the episode "Promos" aired on April 4th, The Office has churned out some of its strongest episodes in years that can stand with all of the classics. 

"Paper Airplanes" continued this trend by giving fans a little bit of everything. Laugh out loud moments such as Angela (Angela Kinsey) showing off her new tiny studio apartment filled with all of her cats and Erin (Ellie Kemper) showing off her competitive side by absolutely flipping out during the paper airplane competition. The end of the episode was what really has fans talking though. Jim (John Krasinski) & Pam (Jenna Fischer) finally resolved their issues they've been having all season, and it happened with just a simple hug and "I love you". During this they flashed back to a clip from Jim & Pam's wedding in Season 6, which really put the exclamation point on it all. It was without a doubt the best Jim & Pam moment we've had on the office since the Niagara wedding in Season 6, so it was only fitting. 

Anyone who abandoned The Office the past two seasons needs to quickly jump back on board, because the series is headed towards what should be a satisfying finale. 

'Enlightened' Canceled by HBO; Will It Be Saved?

HBO officially canceled the acclaimed, yet low-rated (you people were missing out!) show Enlightened that starred Laura Dern, Mike White, Luke Wilson, Diane Ladd, Timm Sharp, Sarah Burns as well as SNL alums Michaela Watkins & Molly Shannon. The passionate fan base has already begun asking Netflix to save the show. Natalie Maines, Jenny Slate, Patton Oswalt, Rainn Wilson and Jenna Fischer have jumped on board through twitter to help the cause. I created a petition for fans to sign, so hopefully it works! After all, its what Amy would do ;). I'd urge more fans of the show to do the same, and anyone who has yet to watch, do yourselves a favor and go buy the first season of this beautifully told show on DVD, and catch up with the second season OnDemand.

The second season managed to be even more thought provoking and developed than the first, the characters being fleshed out as well as any show on television. Not many pure Dramedy's can so seamlessly blend both their Comedy & Drama aspects, but Enlightened was one of them. Shows have been saved before by other outlets. Arrested Development through Netflix, and Damages through DirecTV. The passionate cast, crew and fans deserve to at least see the story wrapped up after such a powerful season two finale.

Amy got her corporate revenge, but it was only just the beginning. So please Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, or DirecTV...save Enlightened! The show was nominated for a Golden Globe, and Laura Dern won the Best Actress Golden Globe for her role as Amy Jellicoe. How could you pass that up?

Enlightened made us laugh, disturbed us at times, soothed us, made us think, take a look our lives & society, and kept us guessing. Hopefully we will be able to continue that wild ride. Here are Twitter handles for you to get in touch with, ask for the show to be picked up: Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, DirecTV.

NBC's 'The Office' is Shutting Down

NBC sitcom 'The Office' is getting ready for its upcoming 9th season, which has been confirmed to be the final one. Angela Kinsey took to her twitter to address the rumors and confirmed them, saying, "It is true. This is our last season. We hope to give a real end to these characters we love to play. Thx for watching." Producer Greg Daniels, who is back for the final season after doing seasons 1-5, also confirmed it. He stated, “This will be the last season of The Office. And we’re planning a very big exciting last season. We’re going to have a lot of faces coming back. There are a lot of things that I’ve personally been wanting to do since season two. All questions will be answered this year. We’re going to see who’s behind the documentary. Now that we know we have an end date we can blow things up and take some chances and it will be very freeing, creatively.”

There is no confirmation that Steve Carell will return as Michael Scott, but one can assume he will be back for the final few episodes of the series that he led from 2005 to 2011, continuing on with it years after he became a box office draw. What better way to end the show than have Michael & Holly get married and return to Scranton? Mindy Kaling will return as Kelly Kapoor for a few episodes even though she has her own sitcom, 'The Mindy Project', debuting on FOX.

Word is John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer (Jim & Pam) will be getting some kind of big storyline for the final season. We'll have to wait and see what it is, just don't break them up! Read more from Greg Daniels about the final season of 'The Office' over on Entertainment Weekly. It may be sad to say goodbye to the characters of Dunder Mifflin, but at least everyone can prepare for the show to go out in the best way possible. Many questions will be answered, including who the "Scranton Strangler" actually is! The season premieres on September 20.

The Office: Threat Level Midnight

So this isn't strictly a blog about The Office. However, Thursday Night's episode was great, so I'd like to give a quick review.  Threat Level Midnight is based on an infamous screenplay reading during Season 2, which is of Michael's dream film. They brought it to life with Michael having filmed it over 11 years and made this episode out of it. An episode which presumably starts the "Michael Scott farewell tour."  Michael's reason for wanting to make his own movie? He's a big Woody Allen fan, but has only seen the movie Antz. But he thought A Bug's Life was better.

The movie within the show is so ridiculous you can't help but love it. The episode featured cameos from some past characters like Karen, Jan and Roy. Karen's great line gives a sense of the so-bad-it's good Michael Scott film..."ever banged an entire bachelorette party, baby?" with the amazing Scarn dance following soon after. There are already spoofs of "The Scarn" on youtube. Next dance craze?

My favorite part may have been when hostage Toby dies and the substitute dummies head blows up, and is re-shown at different angles blowing up. Michael said this was the most expensive shot in the whole film. Of course it would be. Any other favorite scenes anyone?

It wasn't the funniest episode, but it was a fun trip down memory lane and with this being Steve Carell's final season, a necessary and memorable episode. Michael also realizes how funny Threat Level Midnight is since it's so bad, an important character growth for him after getting mad at first when Jim starts laughing at it before joining in on the laughter.

By the way, Jenna Fischer and Christina Applegate are promoting the movie Hall Pass, and they talked about how Christina should guest on The Office. Christina Applegate is one of my favorites ever since the classic Married With Children, so I'm hoping that actually happens. Here's a clip: