NBC's The Office took the TV world by storm for nine years, far surpassing the run of its British source material. As it turns out, that kind of length can be a mixed bag. As far as Redditors are concerned, some seasons with Michael Scott and the employees of Dunder Mifflin far surpass the remainder.
Fans are clear on two things. First is that one season, in particular, is the worst of the bunch. Secondly, there are about two or three seasons that consistently vie for first place.
Season 8
Fans were at best divided on Robert California as the new manager, then CEO, of Dunder Mifflin. Andy Bernard's promotion to manager started well with sweet moments like his tattoo in "The Incentive," but flatlines when he abandons his job and returns to butt heads with Nellie Bertram.
If Redditors' opinions about The Office are clear about anything, it's that Season 8 is the weakest of the bunch. Or, as Cardboard_Waffle put it, "The only season I didn't like much was 8, the others were pretty great!" There's also Insular_Cloud's phrasing: "Season 8 kind of feels like the odd one out and almost a parenthesis in the show."
Season 9
On the upside, Season 9 stuck the landing with the finale, as far as most fans are concerned. There are also mostly-effective episodes like "Work Bus," and the return of former Dunder Mifflin CEO David Wallace is welcome. However, Ryan Howard and Kelly Kapoor's exits from Dunder Mifflin/Sabre served as a lingering sign that the show was wrapping up.
Lahdra wrote several paragraphs on how they feel the series should be ranked. They lumped Seasons 8 and 9 more or less together, giving the edge to the latter: "Season 9 was stronger than Season 8 for me because, again, they had direction. David Wallace's return was strong. There was some real drama back to Jim/Pam which was believable and compelling, while the last few episodes really shone above and beyond everything else. I think Season 9 gets a worse rap than it deserves, though it's not completely unwarranted."
Season 1
With just six episodes, Season 1 of The Office didn't have time to do anything more than introduce viewers to Dunder Mifflin. Only Michael, Ryan, Jim Halpert, Pam Beesly, and Dwight Schrute received significant attention. Unfortunately, Michael can prove to be an overbearing and even annoying presence.
Bunchofclowns put it at the bottom of their list: "Season 1 is the worst. Sure, there are some funny parts but ultimately it's just a copy of the original version." GarodTong36 then replied with "Episode 2 is good and that's about it." However, ttzmd2 was more mixed in their response, "I definitely don't hate the first season but you can tell they were trying too hard to be the U.S. version of the U.K. Office...."
Season 6
Season 6 was viewed by many fans as the beginning of the series's decline. Plotlines like Jim Halpert's promotion to co-manager whiffed while Pam and Jim's wedding scored.
Independent-Ad7865 started a thread to write detailed rankings of each season. For Season 6, they wrote, "The season starts out just fine until it gradually starts to feel cheap as the episodes go on, with the 'New Leads' episode having that horrific green screen and the episodes after that not hitting any of that 'UMPH!' That I need, the season gets cheaper and cheaper as it goes, but with the 1st half on board it’s decent when you look it over." Insular_Cloud replied "I always felt that season was kind of...boring. The wedding early on is nice but then nothing really happens."
Season 7
"Goodbye Michael" had The Office's definitive tearjerking moment in Pam's rushing to the airport. It's also a scene that shows why Pam and Michael will always be one of the best platonic duos on TV. Even still, his impending exit looms large over the season's earlier episodes, resulting in some episodes that don't always succeed. Things pick up mid-season, though Will Ferrell came on for a brief and poorly received arc as Michael's intended replacement.
In their ranking, Independent-Ad7865 put above Season 7 below the first and above the last, summarizing their take with "This season is really fun, and it has its moments, but this is about the time where everything starts to feel a little different around Dunder, especially with Sabre and all, the season is still good in the show, just not at peak." Insular_Cloud included the final season in their response, "Early Season 7 is very meh but then has some of the best episodes with 'Threat Level Midnight,' 'Goodbye Michael,' etc."
Season 5
The Office's longest season was filled with hilarious episodes like "Golden Ticket," and tearjerking episodes such as "Company Picnic," but its biggest asset was the inclusion of Holly Flax. The character debuted towards the end of the previous season, but Season 5 did the best job of fleshing out Michael to the point it's believable someone would spend their life with him.
In their ranking, Independent-AD7865 posited that it was "Another great season, but this is when the show slightly declines with a bit less drama and more senseless and funny episodes. The show, however, is still very funny and awesome." Lahdra lumped Seasons 4 and 5, mentioning one particular storyline in the latter: "In particular I really enjoyed the Michael Scott Paper Company arc."
Season 2
It cannot be overstated how important Season 2 was to The Office. From fleshing out Michael's neediness in "The Dundies" to establishing the "Office Olympics," the sophomore season is riddled with classics. Michael can still be overwhelming, but he's in the process of getting toned down. Furthermore, "Casino Night," is widely seen as the series' best season finale.
Mothershipq wrote "Every episode from the Dundies to Casino Night is golden. Some of the funniest moments in The Office came from season two. Those are the episodes I can watch, over and over, and over again. I mean, I can do that with pretty much every episode, but season two is on a whole different level."
Season 4
Season 4 finally put an end to the romantic tension between Jim and Pam, and fans rejoiced. It also showed the polar opposite happen between Michael and Jan Levinson, resulting in arguably the show's funniest episode: "The Dinner Party." It was also a major season for Ryan, who changes from a young up and comer to a young prisoner.
One Redditor, _ahankerchief, brought up the 4th season: "Season 4 is my favorite. 'Fun Run' and 'Survivor Man' are gold. Season 2 is probably next, that's when it really took off. Then Season 3, Season 1, Seasons 5,6,7,8,9 all tie at the end." Independent-Ad7865 also put season 4 towards the top: "This season was great, and everything was peaked like the 2nd and 3rd seasons, but everything was really at ease and the Jim and Pam love story finally rested down. This was another season where The Office thrives in every aspect."
Season 3
Season 3 accomplished the remarkable task of fleshing out The Office's secondary characters while simultaneously bringing in a new group. While only two end up staying, Karen Filippelli and Andy were excellent additions to the group's dynamic.
WatchOutRadioactiveM wrote of the third season: "2-4 are all great but 3 is the best. Mainly because I love Rashida Jones. Pam is also at her best in this season." Independent-AD7865 wrote in their series summarization, "This season, like the 2nd is absolutely amazing, and it was very hard to rate less than Season 2. This season is hilarious, shows its characters at some of their best, and connects you to the characters like family." The latter part is especially well said; There's something warm and welcoming about Seasons 2, 3, and 4 of The Office.