That’s what we said: The 10 greatest episodes of ‘The Office’

It’s quite likely you’re working from home these days, but you can still escape to “The Office” — on Netflix, Comedy Central and Cozi TV.

Some 15 years ago this week (March 24, 2005), NBC launched an American workplace mockumentary with a cast of mostly unknown actors as the employees at the regional office of a mid-sized paper company called Dunder-Mifflin.

Based on the British series of the same name, “The Office” was met with audience indifference and mixed reviews in its first season, and finished its initial, six-episode run 102nd in the ratings.

Over the course of nine seasons, the show never finished higher than 41st overall, but it became a critical and cult favorite — and is the rare show that has actually gained in popularity since going off the air.

“The Office” was by far the most watched show on Netflix in 2018, with a reported 52 million minutes streamed — some 20 million more minutes than “Friends,” which never finished lower than eighth during its massively successful run on NBC.

Count me among those who were late to the party but now want it to go on forever, a la Michael Scott at “Café Disco.” Only after it was in syndication did I come to embrace it as the ultimate “repeatability” show, i.e., you can watch any episode multiple times and never grow tired of the razor-sharp writing, expertly conceived story lines and brilliant performances.

“The Office” was so consistently strong over the course of its 201-episode run, you could ask a half-dozen hardcore fans to list their 10 favorites and there might very little duplication. Perhaps your list would include only shows from the Michael Scott era — or maybe you’re a big fan of Deangelo Vickers’ short-lived but legendary run, or the insane enigma that was Robert California, and let’s not forget about Jo Bennett and her two Harlequin Great Danes the size of small ponies.

Here’s my Top 10.

10. “Search Committee”— Season 7, Episodes 25-26

© 2008 NBC Studios, Inc. and Universal Network Television LLC. All Rights Reserved.

In the hourlong seventh season finale, the bat-bleep crazy Creed has somehow become interim regional manager of Dunder-Mifflin. He screeches into the parking lot in a silver Porsche, tosses his keys to an invisible valet and says, “Keep it running!”

Jo Bennett charges Jim, Gabe and Toby with interviewing candidates for the manager position — leading to a parade of fantastic celebrity cameos, including Jim Carrey, Will Arnett and Ray Romano, and even Ricky Gervais reprising his role as David Brent from the UK original series.

9. “The Injury” — Season 2, Episode 12

Only Michael Scott could burn his foot on a George Foreman grill! (Hey. He likes to wake up to the smell of bacon cooking, and one thing led to another …)

In this early classic episode written by Mindy Kaling, Dwight sustains a concussion after crashing his car as he races to come to Michael’s aid, and becomes temporarily sweet to Pam (a harbinger of the real fondness he’ll develop for Pam in the seasons to come).

8. “Beach Games” – Season 3, Episode 22

Some of the best episodes of “The Office” largely took place outside of the office, to wit, the Harold Ramis-directed “Beach Games,” where Michael uses a company outing at the beach to stage a competition for his successor. After a series of slapstick comedic hijinks, “Beach Games” closes on a poignant moment, as Pam walks across hot coals and asserts herself in a passionate speech to the group.

7. “Dinner Party” — Season 4, Episode 13

© 2007 NBC Studios, Inc. and Universal Network Television LLC. All Rights Reserved.

A masterful exercise in dark humor, as Michael and Jan host the dinner party from hell and wind up thrashing out their deeply dysfunctional relationship in front of their horrified guests.

“Snip-snap, snip-snap, snip-snap!” Michael exclaims. “You have no idea the physical toll that three vasectomies have on a person.”

6. “Casino Night” — Season 2, Episode 22

Steve Carell’s first writing credit is a home run, from the multiple and hilarious storylines taking place around a Casino Night fundraiser in the Dunder Mifflin warehouse to the bombshell moment when Jim finally reveals his true feelings to Pam.

5. “The Job”— Season 3, Episodes 24-25

An overconfident Michael is so sure he’ll get the promotion to corporate, he sells his condo on eBay. Spoiler alert: Not only does Michael not get the job, CFO David Wallace (Andy Buckley, who was always terrific in the recurring role) offers the position to B.J. Novak’s Ryan. Big mistake, David. HUGE.

“The Job” also includes one of the top heart-stopping moments in series history, when Pam is telling the documentary crew she’s made her peace with being just friends with Jim and says they never got the timing right — at which point Jim enters and asks Pam if she’s free for dinner that night.

“I’m sorry, what was the question,” says Pam to the doc crew as her eyes well up.

Kills me every time.

4. “The Deposition” — Season 4, Episode 12

© 2007 NBC Studios, Inc. and Universal Network Television LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Carell and Melora Hardin are spectacularly good as the terribly mismatched couple who drive to New York City for Michael’s deposition in Jan’s lawsuit over her firing. Before it’s over, Michael learns some hard truths about Jan’s opinion of him. As he tells the sympathetic David Wallace, “You expect to get screwed by your company, but you never expect to get screwed by your girlfriend.”

3. “Golden Ticket” — Season 5, Episode 19

Whenever Michael Scott is introduced to a new piece of pop culture, it has an immediate effect on him. After watching “The Devil Wears Prada,” he started imitating Meryl Streep’s demanding boss. Upon seeing Angelina Jolie on “Oprah,” he tells Pam he wants to adopt a child and says, “I want you to look into seeing how much a little Chinese baby would cost.”

Inspired by “Willy Wonka,” Michael comes to work in top hat and tux and places “golden ticket” coupons worth a 10% discount in shipments of paper.

Oh no. This will not end well.

This is a showcase episode for Rainn Wilson’s Dwight, who is starting to see the light after years of blind loyalty to Michael.

2. “The Dundies” — Season 2, Episode 1

© 2005 NBC Studios, Inc. and Universal Network Television LLC. All Rights Reserved.

This was just the seventh overall episode — and the first announcing “The Office” as a show with the potential to be not just amusing and clever, but truly great.

It’s almost heartbreaking to see how much the annual company awards show at the local Chili’s means to Michael, and how little it means to the staff. But when Michael is humiliated by heckling customers, the team rallies around their buffoonish but beloved boss.

Jenna Fisher is a hoot as drunken Pam, who is genuinely thrilled to win the “Whitest Sneakers” award and literally falls off her stool as she and Jim talk to the doc crew.

1. “A.A.R.M.” — Season 9, Episode 22

© 2012 NBC Studios, Inc. and Universal Network Television LLC. All Rights Reserved.

The penultimate episode of the series is filled with memorable scenes such as Dwight’s proposal to Angela; Darryl’s farewell dance party with his office mates to the sounds of “Boogie Wonderland” by Earth, Wind and Fire, and Andy’s meltdown at the auditions for “America’s Next A Cappella Sensation.”

Then there’s what might just be my favorite moment in the show’s history: After Pam tells Jim she’s worried she might not be enough for him, he gives her a DVD with a montage of scenes of their relationship through the years, set to the sounds of “Open Your Eyes” by Snow Patrol, and then hands her the unopened note he’s kept since he almost gave it to her at a Christmas party long before they were together.

It’s a beautiful “greatest hits” medley confirming Jim and Pam as one of the most engaging and endearing romantic couplings in TV history.