The Office – Season 5 Episodes Ranked

After a bit of a break due to personal projects and this season being so bloody loooong, I’ve finally finished re-watching The Office Season 5!

There are a lot of episodes here to make up for the writers’ strike during Season 4, so you can imagine there’ll be a wide spectrum of opinions. Let’s get to it!

Before we begin, you can check out some of my related blog posts below:

25 – Moroccan Christmas

Rating: C-

The Office Christmas episodes have been a little hit or miss so far, but “Moroccan Christmas” feels like the worst of the bunch.

The episode starts off decently with the desk wrap prank, but spirals quickly with the Meredith intervention and Phyllis revealing Angela’s affair. All in all, a bitter episode of television.

24 – Business Ethics

Rating: C

In yet another example of a Meredith plotline hijacking the main one, Michael and Holly’s arguments over Meredith’s questionable sales methods aren’t funny in the slightest.

Meanwhile Jim announces his engagement to Pam, and also times Dwight’s mini breaks.

23 – New Boss

Rating: C

Idris Elba’s immediate hatred of Jim seemed a little unwarranted, but I suppose it adds some fun conflict to the mix.

“New Boss” is much more notable for Michael quitting Dunder Mifflin, and this signifies the start of the Michael Scott Paper Company (which I’ll abbreviate to “MSPC” from now on) arc.

22 – Golden Ticket

Rating: C

I love when Michael throws himself into an idea and puts his foot in his mouth as a result, but “Golden Ticket” feels like a step too far.

Dwight getting the praise ends up going nowhere, but at least the knock-knock KGB cold open provided an early laugh.

21 – The Surplus

Rating: C+

“The Surplus” is one of the highest rated Season 5 episodes, and I’m not really sure why.

The copier vs chairs debate has its moments but feels drawn out, and the Andy / Angela exploring Dwight’s farm sub-plot is very boring.

20 – Prince Family Paper

Rating: C+

I’m on the fence with “Prince Family Paper” – on the one hand it has two solid plotlines, but on the other neither really gripped me.

The office debating whether Hilary Swank is “hot” feels odd and out of place, and Michael / Dwight investigating the family-run paper company is good in spots but mundane in others.

19 – Heavy Competition

Rating: C+

“Heavy Competition” sits slap-bang in the middle of the MSPC arc and has two really funny Dwight moments, but the praise ends there.

Jim “pranking” Andy by acting dejected is definitely one of his weakest and lowest-effort pranks so far, and the MSPC stuff hasn’t kicked off yet.

18 – Two Weeks

Rating: C+

After quitting Dunder Mifflin in “New Boss”, Michael now has to wait out his two week notice period before he can leave for his start-up.

Pam fights a copier and also quits, and Kelly / Angela have a flirt-off over Idris Elba, but the Michael stuff is easily the most entertaining.

17 – Employee Transfer

Rating: C+

Creed’s Joker costume is amazing, Holly leaving is genuinely sad for Michael, and Dwight’s Cornell shirt is the right kind of petty towards Andy.

“Employee Transfer” was on track for at least a B- grade, but Jim’s brothers pranking him by roasting Pam made for uncomfortable viewing.

16 – Crime Aid

Rating: B-

Michael and Holly hook up but leave the office unlocked, so after the office is burgled they hold an event to win back some of the money.

Angela also finally sets a wedding date which makes Dwight sad, and Jim sees Roy for the first time since their altercation.

15 – Blood Drive

Rating: B-

Jim / Pam and Phyllis / Bob go on a double date (for about two full minutes, anyway …), Michael meets a lady while giving blood and tries to find her again, and Creed steals a bag of blood. Good stuff.

14 – Casual Friday

Rating: B-

Kevin dropping his famous chilli all over the office floor is a classic cold open, and I also love the various Jim / Creed conversations throughout “Casual Friday”.

I really like how the writers chose to explore the office divide after the MSPC arc, but I think they could’ve done more.

13 – Dream Team

Rating: B-

Michael assembles his “Dream Team” for the start-up, including dragging Ryan away from his new job at a bowling alley in a memorable scene.

The office trying to win over Idris Elba through football is a fun idea, but I’m not sure why Jim got blamed for Phyllis’s injury. Maybe that’s the point? Either way, it felt like an unrealistic way to get Idris Elba to hate Jim more.

12 – Business Trip

Rating: B-

The titular “Business Trip” served as a great way to strengthen Andy / Oscar’s friendship and build their characters – I especially liked Andy’s drunk phone call to Angela.

The B-plot shows Pam failing her art class and choosing to come back from New York. The scene is fairly emotional, I suppose, but the knowledge that Pam didn’t really want to come back makes it feel less earned.

11 – The Duel

Rating: B-

After the bombshell reveal of Angela’s affair, Michael finally gives Andy the bad news.

The duel that follows is great, albeit a little quick, and ends with the great conclusion of both men choosing to reject Angela. Michael also gets congratulated by corporate for the strongest Dunder Mifflin branch, and his reactions are pretty funny.

10 – Baby Shower

Rating: B

“Baby Shower” opens with a great watermelon opener, and the energy remains high from there.

Dwight tests the baby stroller, Jim and Pam fail calls, and Michael finally asks Holly out.

9 – Customer Review

Rating: B

Michael lies about an engagement to the office, Jim and Pam talk long-distance over Bluetooth, and that one scene of Jim and Dwight practising sales bumps “Customer Review” comfortably up into the B-Tier.

8 – Michael Scott Paper Company

Rating: B

After rocking up in a nice car and shades while misnaming a Britney Spears song, Michael finally opens the MSPC’s new office – and Pam eventually makes her first ever sale.

Dwight and Andy also bond while wooing the new receptionist, and Jim needs to give Idris Elba a “rundown” by the end of the day … Maybe I’m being forgetful, but does that sub-plot even have an ending?

7 – Café Disco

Rating: B

The “Café Disco” premise allows for some great moments of office fun where the cast can kick off their shoes and have a blast, and that fun is contagious.

Jim and Pam almost choose to marry immediately until deciding they want the full-blown ceremony, and Phyllis bonds with Dwight after sustaining a dance-related injury.

6 – Lecture Circuit

Rating: B

I really like the cold open in “Lecture Circuit” where Michael learns of his phone’s intercom feature, and the rest of the episode doesn’t let up either.

Dwight and Jim forget about Kelly’s birthday (both Rainn Wilson and John Krasinski are on top form throughout the episode), Michael’s insane lectures take him to both Karen’s branch as well as Holly’s where he finds a letter addressed to him, and Angela has a livestream for her cats.

5 – Weight Loss

Rating: B

“Weight Loss” is a solid season opener with lots of moving parts.

Pam moves to New York, Andy prepares for the wedding, the office take part in a weight loss scheme in which Michael lambasts fat-shaming, Ryan is the new receptionist (his list-writing is an amazing gag), and Jim finally proposes to Pam.

4 – Company Picnic

Rating: B+

While the Season 5 opener had more going on, the finale “Company Picnic” stuck more in my mind.

The office manages to come together to leave early, Michael and Holly reunite for a skit that accidentally reveals the Buffalo branch will close, and Jim and Pam learn that a baby is on the way.

3 – Broke

Rating: B+

After unsuccessful paper deliveries and even worse profits, the Michael Scott Paper Company decides to sell their business back to Dunder Mifflin.

It’s amazing to see “how the turntables” once Michael reaches the negotiation – above all else, actually watching Michael win for once was incredibly satisfying.

2 – Frame Toby

Rating: A-

My favourite cold open of the series shows Michael’s brilliant reaction to Toby’s return, and the rest of the episode has one of the funniest Michael schemes ever.

There are two other incredible scenes of Jim revealing that he bought a house to Pam and Dwight describing his perfect crime … It’s a shame, therefore, that the lacklustre microwave mess sub-plot stops “Frame Toby” from achieving the full A grade.

1 – Stress Relief

Rating: A+

“Stress Relief” aired immediately after the Super Bowl, so the writers knew they needed to come up with something punchy to grab the viewers’ attentions.

What they came up with was one of the most gloriously chaotic TV episodes ever – the fire drill, CPR training and roast allow each character to shine, and Pam’s parents getting a divorce while she and Jim watch Andy’s movie is one of the best sub-plots in the series.

Season Rating: B-

Season 5 was fine, but it was way too long and had too many forgettable episodes as a result. The whole thing feels less funny than the previous season, like a general comedic step down across the board. If memory serves, the quality isn’t going to get much better …

Let’s look at the stats for the season:

• 2A (8%)
• 14B (56%)
• 9C (36%)

And the stats for the series so far:

• 9A (10%)
• 55B (61%)
• 26C (29%)

Aaaand that’s my list. You can check out some of my latest blog posts below: