In the hands of writer/Kelly Kapoor Mindy Kaling, however, you have both a strong collection of ensemble character bits as well as an ideal example of what could happen when the creators take the action outside the office setting. Why It’s Great: Being that he’s as culturally insensitive as he is well-meaning, placing Michael at a Diwali celebration would be a firm foundation by itself for a funny episode.

Moreover, since Michael’s film was shot and edited over the course of many years, the structure allows the audience to bring back former recurring characters in small cameos, including Karen, Roy and Jan. The episode allowed the writers to break the mold of traditional Office episodes, introducing a genre parody to rival Community (which, incidentally, ran an Office-style, faux documentary episode that same night). “Threat Level Midnight,” is a concept seeded by an episode back in Season Two where the office finds Michael’s script for an action film. Why It’s Great: With Michael Scott’s departure from the office fast approaching, the writers decided to take a trip down memory lane. Nevertheless, here are the episodes that truly defined the best that the show had to offer.

With close to 200 episodes, witling a list down to 20 is no easy task. In honor of the show’s upcoming series finale, we take a look at some of the major highlights from the show’s nine years on the air. Abrams, Harold Ramis, Jon Favreau and Joss Whedon and turned the “mockumentary” model into a viable TV structure, paving the way for shows like Modern Family and Parks and Recreation. It’s the show that turned Steve Carell into a comedy superstar, enlisted the talents of such high-profile directors as J.J. And while its quality might have fluctuated over the years, few will deny that the end of The Office marks the end of an era. It’s certainly been an interesting journey for a show that spent its first season living in the shadow of its critically adored British predecessor only to grow into one of the most beloved (and highest rated) American sitcoms of the 2000s.

On May 16, audiences will watch as the Scranton, Penn.-based employees of Dunder-Mifflin close up the office for the last time.

Office season 3 episode 12