Every Season Of The Office Ranked Worst To Best

"The Office" didn't exactly start with a bang, but a whimper. The show's very first episode, "Pilot," feels far too indebted to the U.K. series it's based on and largely feels like a pale imitation of a better show (though, in fairness, it gave us a truly excellent prank). Still, the show immediately rebounds with "Diversity Day," one of the boldest episodes of the show's entire run. The episode was proof that "The Office" had assembled some serious writing talent, and the show was unafraid to really take bold risks, establishing cringe comedy as one of its core tenants.

One of the main reasons the 1st season of "The Office" is the worst is the character of Michael Scott (Steve Carell), the manager of Dunder Mifflin's Scranton branch. As the show's main character, Michael in Season 1 is deeply unlikable, with greasy, slicked-back hair that matches his smarmy personality. He's offensive, cruel, and seems to be terrible at his job, and everyone in the office (except for the extremely loyal Dwight) seems to despise him. It makes for largely uncomfortable viewing and not the cringe comedy glory the show became well known for.

That said, there's still a surprising amount of greatness over the 1st season's six episodes. "Healthcare" and "The Alliance" provide some hilarious jokes with made-up diseases and quality scheming, "Basketball" delivers essential character development, and "Hot Girl" helps set the tone for the rest of the series with its squirmy, uncomfortable comedy.