The Office’s Worst Episode, According To IMDb

Here’s something that won’t surprise anyone. “The Office” was, is, and will continue to be a popular show. It is widely considered one of (if not the) best television shows of the early 21st century. It brought us a smorgasbord of classic episodes, and NBC keeps making them even better (or at least more awkward) through its Superfan Episode re-releases.

While it’s easy to remember iconic installments, like “Stress Relief” and “Dinner Party,” what are the worst moments? With a show this popular and highly regarded, what do the lows look like? There are many ways to categorize a “worst episode” for a show. One of the tried and true favorites, though, is IMDb. The Internet Movie Database’s crowdsourced approach makes it easier to gauge the real crowd reaction — and in the case of “The Office,” one episode stands out as the worst-rated of them all: season 8 episode 19, “Get the Girl.”

Even so, the episode has a middling 6.3 out of 10-star rating on IMDb, proving that even at its worst, “The Office” was watchable television. Still, this one being the least popular moment in the show makes sense. Season 8 is an infamously slow season. Sure, there’s a case for saying the short, inconsistent pilot season is worse, but if you’re judging based on seasons 2 through 9, season 8 is definitely the worst point. It comes in the wake of Michael Scott’s tragic departure (though Steve Carell didn’t even want to leave the show), and the Scott-sized hole leaves the rest of the cast struggling to shine out. The show spends the early part of season 8 slipping until it reaches this low point 19 episodes in.

When you’re talking about best episodes, describing the events of the episode is often redundant. You remember it because, well, it was awesome. When it’s the worst episode, though, it’s easy for things to slip into the “I blocked that out after a single watch” category. In the event that you can’t quite recall what happens in the nadir of Season 8? Here’s a quick recap.

This is the episode where new regional manager Andy ditches his desk and impulsively drives south to get Erin. He finds the wayward receptionist with her new live-in employer, Irene, pops out of a box to declare his love for her, and eventually regains her affection.

While this is playing out, Nellie Bertram shows up at the Scranton office in the wake of the collapse of her Florida project for Sabre. Seeing an open manager’s chair, she seizes it to the distress of Dwight and Jim (who just witnessed her other project implode). Robert California is amused by the spontaneity and lets the situation play out, enabling Nellie to spend the rest of the episode shamelessly passing out favors to win the affection of her new team.

On paper, the episode doesn’t sound too bad. It was even directed by Dwight Schrute actor Rainn Wilson, which is a fun detail. But the timing in the show’s arc, the randomness of the Nellie and Robert shenanigans, and the endlessly dragging out “Will they, won’t they?” of the Andy and Erin romance led to a genuine dud.

While “Get the Girl” takes the top prize for the worst “Office” episode, there are others that rival its mediocre quality. For instance, the second worst-rated episode is “Welcome Party,” which comes in at 6.8 stars. It lands at season 8, episode 20 — and yes, that means it’s the direct follow-up to “Get the Girl.” In fact, season 8 is such a low performer compared to the rest of the series that six of the 10 worst-rated episodes of the entire show come from its 24-episode run. Here are those 10 lowest moments, from worst to, well, just a little bit better:

• “Get the Girl”: Season 8, Episode 19 — 6.3 stars

• “Welcome Party”: Season 8, Episode 20 — 6.8 stars

• “Roy’s Wedding”: Season 9, Episode 2 — 6.9 stars

• “Andy’s Ancestry”: Season 9, Episode 3 — 7.1

• “Todd Packer”: Season 7, Episode 17 — 7.3

• “Spooked”: Season 8, Episode 5 — 7.3

• “Turf War”: Season 8, Episode 23 — 7.4

• “Secretary’s Day”: Season 6, Episode 22 — 7.6

• “Pool Party”: Season 8, Episode 12 — 7.9

• “China”: Season 7, Episode 10 — 8.0

A couple of other things to note here. First, while six of the worst episodes come from Season 8, all of them are from the final three seasons of the show. While there are some of the best episodes in that stretch, as well (like Michael’s goodbye episode and the series finale), it shows that the later stages of “The Office” were boom or bust at best.

It’s also worth noting that this show never truly bombed. Not only is its worst episode sitting at 6.3 stars — the tenth worst has a 8.0 rating (a rating many shows would die for). It just goes to show that “The Office” produced a special combination of inspired, relatable storytelling that endured for nearly a decade and, even at its worst, was a fun watch for everyone.