Five Episodes of The Office I Can Never Turn Off

FINALLY! I get a chance to talk about The Office.

Through all of the Red Sox vs. Yankees debates, NFL Draft Talk and Kentucky Derby prep, I've neglected my favorite topic of conversation, the television show, The Office. For those who have emerged from the rock they're living under to read this, the show centers around a fictional paper company, Dunder Mifflin, and tracks the everyday lives of the employees in a "mockumentary" format.

I never once watched the show while it aired, despite being on for a decade. I did, however, discover the re-runs in high school, and it promptly took over my life. I was endlessly entertained by Michael and Dwight's shenanigans, waited breathlessly for the resolution to the Jim and Pam storyline, and laughed along with every "that's what she said" joke.

This will definitely not be the last time I write about this show, but for today, I'll start with a crash course. Here are five episodes I will NEVER turn off should they pop onto my screen.

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1. The Injury

Michael Scott, the regional manager of Dunder Mifflin, burns his foot on his George Forman Grill.

Need I say more? Fine, I will. The episode follows his struggle as he attempts to get people to take his injury seriously, and shows a surprisingly heartwarming side-story of Jim and Pam as they take care of Dwight, who hurt himself trying to take care of Michael.

This is always my "welcome to The Office" episode for newcomers.

2. Casino Night

It's nearly impossible to describe this episode without spoiling something huge, so I'll try to avoid it. Michael holds a "Casino Night" in the office's warehouse to raise money for charity. The true drama starts to unfold late in the episode, and that is all I will say.

3. Travelling Salesman

I listen to a podcast about the show, hosted by castmates Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey. They talk about how often the writers of the show would choose random members of the cast to "pair" together in scenes to see how the chemistry would work. This is a great example of that, and leads to a lot of unique moments.

4. Beach Games

This episode precedes one of the biggest episodes of the entire show's run, and the true beauty of the episode is how well it sets up drama, while also remaining funny. The whole office (minus Toby, poor guy) goes to the beach to play games, with the competitions being used to decide who might take over for Michael as manager. That's a bit of a spoiler, but not enough to get you mad.

5. Niagara (Parts 1 and 2)

It's a wedding episode. I'll leave it at that. Enjoy!