A workspace that's being shared by characters as intense and strange as the main cast of The Office is bound to lead to arguments. The Office was never short of awkward, even tense, exchanges. Throughout the series' run, characters would be at each other's throats over everything from relationships to office holiday parties.
The series had more than its fair share of intense, hilarious, and ridiculous standoffs between the Dunder Mifflin crew. From funny to serious, The Office gave audiences plenty of tense character moments to chew on.
Gift Basket Retrieval
After Ryan's meteoric rise into Dunder Mifflin corporate, Michael goes to war with his formerly beloved temp over how best to do business. Ryan wants an efficient website whereas Michael values the personal touch, so Michael decides to take gift baskets out to recently-lost customers in an effort to persuade them to return.
After taking GPS directions too literally, Michael and Dwight end up driving into a lake. From there, in true Michael and Dwight fashion, they storm back to the last customer's office and demand their gift basket back. It's a great storyline for the duo's dynamic, and Michael's screaming about the chocolate turtles is classic.
Too Many Santas
Michael's penultimate Christmas episode on The Office saw him compete with Phyllis for the title of office Santa Claus. But in typical Michael fashion, he ends up drawing everyone's ire as he proceeds to act like a toddler, and the fresh information that Dunder Mifflin has been sold is what sinks the party.
However, this scary information also straightens Michael up a bit, and he is able to apologize to Phyllis for his attitude. When Phyllis's husband Bob storms in, she calls him off from seriously hurting Michael.
Jim & Pam Over Her Parents
Once Jim and Pam had been established as a couple, fans expected their relationship to be smooth sailing, but that wasn't always the case. Things looked shaky when Pam's father came to visit without her mother. Her parents are on the outs, and their breakup becomes official once her father speaks with Jim.
Pam is understandably upset. She questions what Jim said, and comes up with nothing. Later, after speaking with her father in person, she learns that Jim had merely expressed profuse love for Pam, which made her father realize that he didn't feel the same way about Pam's mom. With that, Pam rushes up to Jim and gives him a passionate kiss.
Michael Vs. Everyone
Season 2's "The Carpet" followed Michael as he came into work to find a mysterious, stinky pile in the middle of the floor. As Michael tries to figure out who would do such a thing, he becomes more and more paranoid.
He starts to believe that the mysterious heap in the center of his office was left by one of his employees as an "act of terrorism" against him. Michael's miscreant friend Todd Packer is revealed to be the prankster culprit. Of course, Michael's very serious paranoia instantly disappears.
Darryl Vs. Michael Over The Promotion
Michael never did Darryl any favors throughout their time at Dunder Mifflin. Darryl is a dreamer and hardly misses an opportunity to show it. He runs the warehouse perfectly, save for when Michael is driving a forklift through it. Their issues come to a head when it's revealed that Michael has essentially been holding Darryl back from a well-deserved promotion.
Darryl calls Michael out on it, and Michael reacts exactly as the viewer expects him to react. After Michael acts out, more level heads prevail (mostly courtesy of Jo Bennett from Sabre) and Darryl gets more responsibility.
Phyllis Vs. Angela Over Party Planning
Phyllis and Angela's squabbles over party planning went on for most of the series' run. Angela was the head of the Party Planning Committee and never hesitated to lord it over Phyllis' head. The pinnacle of the conflict came when the tables were turned and Phyllis took Angela's throne.
The committee was always one of the bigger indications of Angela's power-hungry, controlling nature. To see her get her due at the hands of a particularly empowered Phyllis is a treat, and seeing her reaction to how well Phyllis' party goes over is even better.
Andy & Dwight's Rivalry
Angela is engaged to Andy but cheating on him with Dwight. After bribing Phyllis into silence, Angela can't help being herself and their agreement, so Phyllis reveals the affair to everyone in the office besides Andy.
After Angela finally tells her fiancé the truth, he and Dwight engage in a duel in the parking lot. Dwight yells out accusations of cowardice considering Andy is nowhere to be seen. Little does Dwight know, but Andy is creeping up in his silent Prius. It's a clever win for Andy.
Ryan The Snake
Ryan and Jim had a bit of a rivalry going while Ryan found himself in a corporate position. Throughout the series' first three seasons, Ryan and Jim were amicable. Not best friends, not rivals, just courteous.
That changed in season 4 when Ryan was promoted to Vice President of Sales. Ryan finds out that Jim has been discussing his Dunder Mifflin website project with the CEO, David Wallace. Ryan started gunning for Jim but ended up getting arrested for sales fraud. This was probably the closest he ever came to actually losing his job (even over Jim's cringe-worthy relationship with Charles Miner).
Did I Stutter?
The usually timid and relatable Stanley Hudson's harsh, almost frightening, delivery of the line "Did I stutter?" is the closest Michael has come to being outright terrified in front of his staff.
Michael requests Stanley's cooperation during another pointless conference room meeting. Apparently fed up with the interruptions to his crossword puzzle, Stanley screams the phrase at his own boss. As the episode progresses, there are more run-ins, but once things quiet down between the two they can address the issue with more honesty and professionalism than they've ever demonstrated with each other before.
The Dinner Party
Frequently cited as one of the best in the series, "Dinner Party" is an endlessly rewatchable episode of The Office. Michael and Jan are reaching the end of their relationship, and it's obvious to everyone but them.
Michael is finally able to trick Jim and Pam into coming over after work for a dinner party. Once there, they witness an increasingly intense verbal sparring match between Michael and his former boss and current lover, Jan. From her assistant's cringe-worthy music to Michael's pride in his knick-knacks, everything clicks in the most perfect, awkward way possible. Jan hurling one of Michael's Dundies at his prized tiny flatscreen is a top moment for the entire series.