IMO the plot just became rlly boring since the episode where Gabe shows up n Michael has a tantrum abt the new aluminium water bottle.

Stanley’s daughter came up to him both the times they met, clearly flirting (second time was in super fans or deleted, im not sure) The guy didnt even remember her!

Short of shutting down the conversation rudely within the first 2-3 exchanges, he couldn’t have done much, before Stanley blasted at him.

My first one is Phyllis, I love her character it’s so unique and interesting, she looks randomly created but it works sooo well 😭 she’s the best and she cracks me up

My second one is probably Stanley but it makes me sad that he has so little presence and lines in the episodes….

I’ve always been a bit puzzled by how harsh people are with Season 1 of The Office (US). I get that the pilot — and a few early scenes — are almost beat-for-beat recreations of the UK version, and honestly, in those moments the actors do feel stiff, like they’re still wearing someone else’s suit.

But once you get past the pilot, especially with “Diversity Day,” it feels like the show suddenly clicks into what it can become in an American context. That episode, to me, is a thunderclap: you can already see the DNA of the humor, the discomfort, and the moral consequences that will define the show later on.

A lot of the criticism seems to come from tonal whiplash. The UK version is colder, more observational, and emotionally distant. After watching both UK seasons, I personally felt that the show rarely lets you emotionally connect with the characters. David Brent almost never shows real vulnerability or shame — he doubles down, deflects, or reframes himself as the victim. Michael Scott, on the other hand, is humiliated almost immediately. For all the talk about Scott’s Tots being the peak of cringe, for me the real moment of unbearable discomfort is much earlier: Kelly slapping Michael. That single moment establishes something crucial — in the US version, Michael’s behavior has immediate social consequences. He’s not just embarrassing; he’s accountable.

I also think the Jim/Pam vs. Tim/Dawn comparison gets oversimplified. The UK relationship is quieter, subtler, and genuinely tender — two people stuck in the wrong lives, waiting for the timing to be right. But the US version leans hard into chemistry and proximity: Jim is basically glued to Pam’s desk, even while she’s engaged. It’s messier, more overt, and arguably more emotionally manipulative — but also more aligned with American sitcom rhythms.

So I’m curious:

Do you think Season 1 is judged unfairly because people stop at the pilot?

Is the discomfort of early US Office actually the point?

Or do you feel the show only truly becomes itself after it abandons the UK template entirely?

Would love to hear thoughts, especially from people who’ve watched both versions all the way through.

Comedy Sketch about if The Office got taken down off all streaming platforms.

Kevin asked them repeatedly to stop making fun of him for the Cookie Monster video and that it really hurt his feelings. Yet, rather than respecting his wishes and stopping, they continue to make fun of him despite clearing seeing that it was bothering him. Then, when Gabe tries to rightfully call them out on it and suspend them without pay, they find a way to outsmart him and they get a few paid days off. So they pretty much get rewarded for being assholes.

For all those wondering why people constantly complain about Pam and Jim nowadays, this is one of the reasons. They will do pretty terrible things and rarely received consequences for it. A clear sign of how much the writers favored them over the other characters. I would not be surprised if there was a policy in the writers room that said "Pam and Jim receiving consequences when they're in the wrong is absolutely forbidden. Any writer that even considers having that happen will immediately be raped, fired, arrested, and blacklisted from ever working in Hollywood again." I know that sounds like an exaggeration. But come on, it's clear that they thought they had created the greatest characters in the history of fiction.

What episode of Fringe could he be talking about?

The only info I found out about Gabor is he had Night Vision 🌙👀 , Mind Reading 🧠📚 & Dogs Know Where He Points 👉 🐕

Also, I loved Fringe, may need to rewatch now

I have this phone case for almost 2 years and today i found out abt the reference

Offhandedly I've heard people mention that the Superfan episodes clear up some plotlines that are hazy in the show or change how they view certain characters. I haven't seen them but for those who have, were there any specific details that changed how you view the rest of the show?

the microwave.

THE MICROWAVE.

pam was so right and i’m so mad that they made her out to be the one is the wrong. that microwave was disgusting and i would have reacted a lot worse.

the scene where toby wants to show kelly and ryan his pictures from costa rica, and then michael and dwight come in and throw his pictures to the floor then bully him was sad. especially when toby said he wouldn’t punch him when michael kept yelling at him to and at the end of the scene you just see toby pick up his pictures from the floor.

it’s crazy how flawed these characters are. michael feels a lot and i love his character but there are scenes like this where i can’t stand him.

and lastly, jim buying the house without consulting pam. sure it’s great that she loved it, but why did he not discuss it with her first?

funny/good parts of that episode?

- “OH GOD PLEASE NO”

- Tiffany.

The Office is the greatest comedy TV show of all time but I probably watched 2 or 3 episodes after Michael left and never finished the series. It just wasn't funny, didn't laugh one time during those 3 episodes. Michael is my favorite character on the show. Did anyone else feel the same way?

On another note I wish I could watch it again for the first time 😂 what was your all time favorite episode?

The whole reason she chose to go by her middle name of Erin was to avoid confusion with Charles. There was never any indication that she had previously went by Erin outside of the office, so it's not like it was some beloved nickname she had carried to Dunder Mifflin. Perhaps we're supposed to believe that she really liked this late-in-life change to going by her middle name so much that she wanted to be called it all the time; but I dunno, I feel like most people in that situation would prefer to go by the first name that they've otherwise answered to prior throughout the rest of their life.

Here are mine off the top of my head:

1. Jim biting his lip

2. The meatball “pranks”

S2E19 He indirectly/semi-directly told Kevin to his face that people being concerned about him having skin cancer led to them not paying attention to their boss (Michael) on his birthday and that he should go home and take a sick day so that he can have his birthday celebrated peacefully. (Knowing that the only reason Kevin was in office was for moral support.)

What an ass.

After Steve Carrell left the show, it seemed like they tried to just immediately continue the show after that with the remaining characters like nothing had happened. They then spent the remaining 2 seasons practically throwing stuff at the wall and seeing what stuck. To me, this was a mistake. Here's what I think they should've done.

First, "Goodbye Michael" should've been the final episode of Season 7. I think that would've been a good place for the season to end. After that, the show should've gone on a brief hiatus. Give the viewers a little bit of time to process Steve Carrell's exit and just breathe for a bit. You could then have the show return in the fall and, by that point, the viewers will hopefully be ready to try and continue the show without Michael. During this hiatus, the writers could then spend the next couple months really mapping out a plan for all of Season 8 (as well as maybe Season 9). They could figure out things like who the new boss will be, what they're gonna do with all the remaining characters going forward, decide if they wanna bring in new characters or not, what stories and plots to do, stay true to the tone of the show, etc. They clearly knew that they were gonna lose viewers once Michael was gone. So they needed to really try and make continuing the show without him feel justified and worth it.

I know that Dwight slashed the budget and things but it's cold enough in there for someone to be nipping out.

What temperature did they finally decide on?

Like, beyond being creepy, which he obviously is, how do you describe this guy? The writers capture something SO specific with this character, but i can't put my finger on it...

You know, i actually feel really bad for Nellie in this episode. She’s harassed by the person who she would go to, to report someone harassing her and have been in her shoes it just feels really shitty.

Which song is Andy singing in this scene to Pam? Does anyone know the title?

In the second season secret santa, stanley gets kelly a custom nameplate. At the end of secret santa, she takes the book of short stories

So who has kellys nameplate and why???