As the first “best of” episode for The Office, they’ve certainly earned quite a roster of hilarious, dysfunctional and touching moments to compile.  For the most part, ‘The Banker’ is nothing but a rehash of this show that I love.

The Summary

While I usually hate flashback episodes, this one was somewhat tolerable simply because of the nature of the show.  When you start to add up the Dwight moments, the Jim/Pam moments, the Creed moments, the sexual harassment moments and the general over-the-top spirit of the show, the flashback is a nice and quick reminder of just how funny The Office is.  In essence, the episode’s worthiness comes down to the loyalty of the viewer.

The New Year

The downside to this is that after a long break, the last thing people want is a clip show to start off the new year.  While the new footage still retains the humor and dysfunction of The Office, viewers are left with only a sample of what they’ve missed rather than the full entree.  Add to the fact that Jim and Stanley are missing in the new footage, the episode suddenly feels crippled by the bad timing.

While I laughed heartily at the flashbacks, ‘The Banker’ is throw-away episode with little value in the long haul, especially since fans have to wait another week for new material from The Office.

Rating: 6.5/10

Popularity: 8% [?]