What Does IMDb Rank as the Worst Episode of 'The Office'?

If you're a regular to this website, you know that I love writing about The Office. For my money, it's the best sitcom of our era, a masterclass in character development, story payoffs, and just plain comedy. 

I know I'm not the only one to feel that way. Americans watched so much of The Office that it was the number-one streamed show for the last few years running. And its move to Peacock seems to be that platform's only strategy to make money.  

Regardless, the show is not perfect. Every show has its off episodes, and The Office is no exception. 

In this video from Nerdstalgic, they compiled a list of what were perceived to be the worst episodes of The Office, and then gave us the audience consensus of what it is and why. 

Let's explore with them and talk after the jump. 

What Does IMDB Rank as the Worst Episode of The Office? 

No matter how many times I watch someone's theories on the worst episode of The Office, I always leave realizing there might be another episode I don't like, but for me, the worst episode will have to remain "Scott's Tots." I'll just never forget those kids not being able to go to college for free. Michael destroyed a community! 

But I digress. 

I love video essays about The Office, because they usually analyze what the show does so well. When you get to see the average or worse episodes, it shows you that even great writers can have off days. 

It was interesting to see what episodes people didn't connect with across the series. While the first one mentioned, "Mafia," never bumped me, I understood how the characters' behavior could feel outside of the normal tone of the show. 

I'll admit, I was all on board with the vandalism of the "Vandalism" episode, where Pam is saved by the boom operator. I never understood the tone for the show to break the fourth wall all the way in season nine. And I didn't like the idea that Pam was almost viciously beaten by someone in the parking lot. That just felt so scary to me. 

It was not surprising that most of the worst-rated episodes came from the last two seasons. By then, The Office had lost Michael and gone through so many changes, it didn't feel like the same show. 

Still, when it came to the IMDb ratings and the announcement of what people didn't love in the show... I was surprised. 

"Get the Girl" (Season 8, Episode 19) 6.5/10

So what happens in the episode people don't like? Well, this is the episode where Andy takes the leap and goes after the secretary. "Get the Girl"  featured Andy driving across the country to Tallahassee to track down Erin and profess his love. He does this by trying to do big and cringey things to prove to her he's the one. Meanwhile, back at the office, Nellie has taken over the manager chair and is giving performance reviews. 

So why didn't people like it? I think at this point, people wanted something genuine from Andy. He had changed so much, and since he and Erin were seen as goofballs, it would have been nice to bring their true feelings forward and dealt with without these pratfalls. 

The Nellie stuff just felt like Dwight antics. We had seen someone try to take over and give poor reviews before. It was too goofy without a throughline of believability. 

When The Office succeeds, it's just crazy enough to be believed. When you can't buy anything, it doesn't feel like a true episode of the show. 

So that's what the people have to say. I thought about it, and I still feel like it's "Scotts Tots." I mean, imagine how sick you'd be if your future weren't guaranteed! 

Either way, I think we can all agree that "failure" in a beloved sitcom that had already been on for nearly a decade is a relative term. There are lots of things to love in these episodes and plenty of laughs. 

What are your opinions on all of this? Let us know in the comments. 

Source: Nerdstalgic