The Office’sbest cold open happened in season 5, and it gave us the show’s most iconic meme. Over the years,The Officehas become a staple comedy show with a large presence in popular culture through references and memes. Each season brought something new to the character-driven mockumentary series, with different members ofThe Office’scastleaving and joining Scranton’s Dunder Mifflin throughout the show. This meant that ratings and reception forThe Officechanged over time, but thanks to streaming, the show never stopped being popular.
Regardless if you watched it weekly or binge-watched it on streaming, most people will agree thatThe Officeseason 5 is one of the show’s best. From Michael’s budding relationship with Holly to the Michael Scott Paper Company, there were plenty of highlights in the season, and it was arguablyThe Officeat its peak. Interestingly, season 5 also had thebest cold open inThe Office, with “Stress Relief,” an episode that cemented the show’s fantastic reputation at the time, and spawned one ofThe Office’smost famous memes.
Why The Fire Drill Is The Office’s Best Cold Open
The Chaotic Opening Scene Made History For The Office
The fire drill isThe Office’sbest cold open for a few different reasons, the most important being that it is hilarious. At the start of the episode,Dwight begins constructing a dangerous setup with various fire hazards to make a point about how no one listened to his safety talk. When the fire spreads, the office is launched into chaos as everyone scrambles to get out. Meanwhile, Dwight calmly follows the masses, essentially making the situation worse.The Office’s“Stress Relief” broke viewership recordsfor the show, meaning the cold open was a great hook.
It was important to do something noteworthy for season 5, episodes 14 and 15 (a two-parter) because it aired straight after the Super Bowl. This meant writing a stand-aloneThe Officeepisode that would attract newcomers, acting as a “second pilot" with a very strong hook. With the office launched into disarray, people fighting each other to rescue themselves, and the shaky camera closely following the action, thefire drill scene inThe Officehooked Super Bowl audiences, resulting in one of the highest ratings of the entire show andcementing the legacy of “Stress Relief” with 22.91 million viewers.
The Fire Drill Turned Into One Of The Office’s Most Famous Memes
“Oh My God! Okay, It’s Happening! Everybody Stay Calm!”
Following the “Stress Relief” episode airing after the Super Bowl, the fire drill cold open turned into one ofThe Office’sbest and most famous memes. Over the years,The Officehas become a prominent piece of popular culture, with many moments from the mockumentary TV series becoming memes due to certain scenes acting as a stand-alone joke, especially asThe Officedraws a lot of comedy from the absurd. However, the pure chaotic energy of the fire drill sequence, withMichael’s completely over-the-top reaction to what should be a routine fire drill situation, made it perfect meme material.
The Office Became A Different Show 3 Times, But One Version Was Much Better Than The Others
The Office actually drastically changed up its tone and its characters three times, but the golden era from season 2 to 7 will always be the best.
Steve Carell’s physical acting as Michael Scott enables viewers to use his comical facial expressions as reactions to various situations, making him the most prominent figure to feature inThe Officememes. Perhaps the best example of that is Michael’s “Oh my god! Okay, it’s happening! Everybody stay calm!” reaction to the fire drill, after which the entire situation escalates. At its heart,The Officememes show a true relatability between the audience and the beloved show, even in absurd situations like the one “Stress Relief.”
