5 best episodes from The Office not featuring Michael Scott

It is no secret that The Office was incomplete without eccentric boss Michael Scott, played by the brilliant Steve Carell, making it a hugely different series after the comedy star left the show in the seventh season. Despite that, The Office ran for two whole seasons before concluding with all strings tied after the ninth season.

During this entire period, opinions about the show have been divisive, with many fans not wanting to go beyond the seventh season while rewatching the acclaimed mockumentary series. Despite Michael Scott's absence, the last two seasons (and the end of the seventh one) do contain some great episodes.

Of course, it took big feet to fill Michael Scott's shoes, but at times, Rainn Wilson's Dwight Schrute and John Krasinski's Jim Halpert stood up to the task, with a little help from Andrew Bernard (Ed Helms).

Here are the five best episodes of The Office after Michael Scott left.

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Five best episodes of The Office after Micahel Scott's departure

1) "Search Committee" (Season 7, Episodes 25 & 26)

The Office has a long tradition of absolutely nailing double-episodes, and "Search Committee" was no different. Coming very soon after Michael's departure, this episode rode on the momentum of the otherwise great season 7 and delivered an exceptionally funny and awkward set of episodes.

Carried mostly by Dwight, Jim, and Toby (Paul Bevan Lieberstein), this episode contains several interesting elements, including the introduction of the eccentric James Spader as Robert California.

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2) "Garden Party" (Season 8, Episode 4)

"Garden Party", which involves one of Jim's best pranks ever, stands out for many reasons. From Andy's blatant awkwardness to the setting being the Schrute farm (which of course concludes Mose), this episode is a laughter riot and as funny as some of the best episodes from the entire series.

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3) "Promos" (Season 9, Episode 18)

Though this episode, which comes near the end of The Office, cannot really be considered hilarious, its meta nature and great self-awareness make it stand out. Unlike other mockumentary shows, this episode sees the cast members (office workers) acknowledge the cameras and self-reflect on their lives that have been actively a part of documentation over the years.

Its experimental nature and bittersweet moments make this a stand out for fans.

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4) "Dwight K. Schrute, (Acting) Manager" (Season 7, Episode 24)

There will always be a debate among The Office fans about whether the show should have given more time to Dwight as the manager. His tiny hilarious stint in the 24th episode of season 7 was arguably one of the funniest episodes in the entire show without Steve Carell.

Apart from the antics and the legendary new rules, which could be only thought up by Dwight, this episode combined some of the best elements of the show and delivered a powerful, rewatchable gem, which remains a favorite among fans.

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5) "Trivia" (Season 8, Episode 11)

Another classic episode without Steve Carell leading the way, "Trivia" was an exceptionally funny episode, which saw Dwight and Andy take charge of the comedy while almost the entire office participated in a fun contest.

This episode also remains extremely rewatchable and one where fans seldom miss Michael Scott.

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