The thing about "The Office" is that, even as the overall quality of the show continues to decline, the Cold Opens are consistently great. When everyone leaves the show, and Dunder Mifflin is turned into office space, the thing I will miss most are those weekly cold opens. The cold opens in the first few seasons, of course, were part of the episode's overall narrative, but sometimes around the third season, the cold opens became stand-alone vignettes, slices of "The Office" life, and more often than not, they centered on an inspired Jim and Dwight prank.
I'll cut to the chase here. The videos aren't easy to find, but OF the embeds I could track down, here are the 20 Best Cold Opens from eight season of "The Office." You may quibble with the ranking, but I don't think anyone can reasonably disagree with the top choice.
20. Michael Scott Submerges Face in Cement
19. Michael Gets Gum in His Hair
18. Michael Hits Meredith with His Car
17. Meatball Prank
16. Creed as The Joker
15. Jim Hides Dwight's Desk in the Bathroom
Dwight's Desk
Get More: Dwight's Desk
14. Jim Hides Dwight's Desk Supplies in the Vending Machine
13. Altoid Pavlovian Mind Control
12. Andy Takes a Joke Too Far
11. DVD Screensaver
10. Heeeeeeey
9. Michael Scott Meets David Brent
8. Threat Level Midnight
7. "Nobody But Me" Musical Opening
6. Parkour
5. Fax from Future Dwight
4. Jim Dressed as Dwight
3. Planking
2. Closing Time
1. Fire Drill
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Last week’s cold open was one of my all-time favs.
Scratch that, I meant two weeks ago. s08e15
The fake murder?
The fake death one was hilarious.
Nothing beats Toby’s unexpected return.
“No! Nooooo! God, no!……..Noooooooooooo!!!!”
YES. That one, Jim’s Dwight impression, & #1 here are my favorites
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agreed!
I’m a big fan of the “Nobody Like Me” open. You guys are right, can’t argue with #1.
Solid list. A personal favorite is the radon test kit one.
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I’m torn between faxes from the future and parkour.
Really, though, I love any Andy-centric cold open. Or Andy-centric anything.
Kevin makes chili is my personal favorite.
“it’s probably the thing I do best”
Love that one…disappointed it didn’t make the cut.
Now I just miss Michael.
That was a fun list to click through
Creed as the boss is a very underrated one
I did not realize how much I started to secretly hate those characters since I stopped watching the show.
Fire drill was still awesome, though.
#7 is the WOAT
Andy Bernard ruined the office. I stopped watching because I hated him so much
It’s Britney, bitch. I’m back in the form of the new Michael Scott Paper company.
/backs PT cruiser into a spot, terribly
What does the phrase “cold open” mean? Is it just when you start a show without a credits sequence first?
Really? Really? Harvey The Computer didn’t make the cut?
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Question: whose boobs are best? Pam’s or Erin’s?
Erin’s.
No backsies.
I can’t decide (see Ice Skating movie) but I am DYING to see Erin’s….
No Kevins Chilli? Ouch
This show could rejuvenate itself if a few cold opens involved Andy motor-boating Erin’s tits and then cutting to Angela running a double breast-pump refill at her desk……
Recyclops is best. I was hoping to see that one.
Bears, beets, Battlestar Galactica has the be #1.
Personally, i think the show has only gotten better after Steve Carell left. The Office has this huge ensemble cast of hilarious characters, and yet week after week the show focused on Michael Scott and his tiresome, screeching, unbelievably “WACKY” antics. Theyve started doing the same thing with Andy, so i hope this whole “him being fired” thing gets rid of him too. That shit is just not tolerable in weekly doses.