‘The Office’ Christmas Party: Binge these episodes before they leave Netflix
Put on your onesies and grab a cold glass of eggnog, for now might be your last chance to catch some of your favorite Christmas party episodes of The Office.
That’s right, friends. In lieu of the gifts & offerings we will be receiving this holiday season, it’s with much regret that we also acknowledge the one present that will be taken away from us, permanently.
The hit NBC series The Office, which ran from 2005-2013, will be officially removed from Netflix on January 1, 2021, and we ain’t “chill” about it.
As we emotionally unload our fandom of this hit sitcom before it makes its way to the streaming service Peacock (NBCUniversal), let’s reflect during this special time of year on some of our favorite Office Christmas party episodes which made us laugh & cheer almost as loud as Santa Claus himself.
“Christmas Party”
A fan favorite Office Christmas party episode, simply titled “Christmas Party”, saw some of season 2’s best moments involving Jim & Pam, including the famous ‘teapot’ present which Jim (John Krasinski) wishes to give to Pam (Jenna Fischer) during a ‘Secret Santa’ exchange, filled with little inside jokes and cute mementos between the two in hopes to earn Pam’s heart.
This is also the episode where Michael decided to bring in alcohol to the Scranton branch’s Christmas party, breaking corporate policy to do so.
And let’s just say he’s no mixologist.
Other classic moments of this Office “Christmas Party” include Kevin picking out his own name in the secret Santa exchange and purchasing himself a foot soak. Another classic moment involved Michael going $380 above the agreed-upon budget to buy Ryan an iPod which is totally not weird at all.
“A Benihana Christmas”
“A Benihana Christmas” takes place in a season where The Office had finally discovered its identity as a series, finding a way to make ALL its characters likable while still giving us as the audience enough bits to question their overall sanity.
It was directed by the late Harold Ramis (Ghostbusters, Caddyshack) and it’s still remembered to this day as one of the funniest Office Christmas party episodes ever.
Half the episode takes place at a Benihana restaurant, where Michael (Steve Carell) and his male friends from Scranton’s branch are trying to take his mind off his recent breakup with Carol, a collection of scenes that are made special due to Andy (Ed Helms) and Dwight’s (Rainn Wilson) battle of earning Michael’s attention.
And while we won’t reveal all the bits this episode has to offer, let’s just say that the song “Goodbye my Lover” by James Blunt has never been more popular than it was in this season 3 gem.
Meanwhile, another head-butting battle is taking place back at the office, where Angela’s Nutcracker-themed office Christmas party is facing heavy competition against Pam and & Karen’s (Rashida Jones) margarita & karaoke holiday party.
Who will win both battles? I guess it’s whoever offers the best food, right Kevin?
“Moroccan Christmas”
This 2008 Christmas party gave us everything we’d expect from an Office holiday episode, with a bit of Moroccan flare.
This episode took a huge swing as characters from the show, led by Michael, aim to give Meredith (Kate Flannery) the Christmas miracle she needs . . . an intervention.
Diving into Meredith’s alcoholism, this episode tackled Meredith’s dangerous drinking habits about as hard as Michael tackled her in order to literally drag Meredith into rehab.
It’s also the Christmas episode where Phyllis (Phyllis Smith) exposes Angela’s warehouse affair with Dwight, during a time where she’s currently engaged to Andy.
Meanwhile, opportunist Dwight has stashed a large collection of the season’s hottest new toys, reselling them above market value in a move that’s as shrewd as Shrute himself.
It’s an episode that, while a little dark in its humor, reminds us what made The Office bold & daring in the first place.
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The Office is expected to leave the streaming platform Netflix on January 1, 2021, and jump over to NBCUniversal’s streaming service, Peacock.
