As a total film and TV buff, I always find the slot right after the Super Bowl fascinating. It’s the most-watched event in the US, so whatever show gets that prime time spot is a big deal. It consistently pulls in a massive audience – even bigger than usual! For example, back in 2020, 69% of all homes with TVs were tuned in for the Super Bowl. Then, The Masked Singer aired immediately after on Fox and snagged a whopping 27.33 million viewers. This year, NBC has the game, and they’re following it up with a preview of the “2026 Winter Olympics Primetime Show.” I’m guessing that’s going to draw an even larger crowd than The Masked Singer did – it’s hard to compete with the Olympics!
In 2009, The Office also saw a big boost in viewers. The episode “Stress Relief” from Season 5, which aired right after the Super Bowl, attracted a record-breaking 22.9 million U.S. viewers – the highest number for the entire series. Already a very popular show, The Office likely gained even more fans thanks to this exposure.
What Makes “Stress Relief” One of The Office‘s Best Two-Part Episodes?
Several episodes of The Office were particularly strong when split into two parts. Season 4 especially benefited from this format because the 2008 Writers Guild of America strike meant fewer episodes were made, but those episodes were longer. Examples include “Fun Run,” “Goodbye, Toby,” “Money,” and “Launch Party.” However, Season 5’s “Stress Relief” showed the show could successfully use this longer, two-part storytelling approach even beyond the constraints of the strike.
This episode features Dwight staging a fire drill at Dunder Mifflin, hoping to gauge how his colleagues would react. It doesn’t go well, with everyone quickly descending into panic. In a hilarious scene, Oscar tries to climb into the ceiling, only to discover the tiles can’t hold his weight. Before he falls through, Angela dramatically pleads for someone to save her cat, Bandit, and throws the feline through a ceiling panel – resulting in a chaotic and funny moment.
The episode then mainly centers around Stanley, who had a heart attack during one of Dwight’s poorly planned safety drills. He’s now returned to work at Dunder Mifflin and is attempting to follow his doctor’s advice to avoid any unnecessary stress and keep his heart rate low.
Michael’s colleagues are aware of his need for attention and generally try to maintain a calm atmosphere at work. However, Michael, eager to demonstrate his care for his employees, often takes relaxation techniques to an extreme, much like Dwight’s overzealous approach to safety.
Dwight stands out as the only one who doesn’t offer Stanley any support, instead making a joke about his long-time eating habits and giving a deliberately insincere apology. Things escalate when Michael brings in a CPR instructor; Dwight shockingly cuts open the dummy, pretending to harvest its organs and even removing its face as a reference to Hannibal Lecter. This, unsurprisingly, causes Stanley even more distress than he was already experiencing.
Michael finally understands he’s the one causing his employees constant stress. In a misguided attempt to fix things, he asks them to openly criticize him. However, he’s easily offended and quickly leaves when they start to do so.
This episode is consistently funny from start to finish. A quieter storyline involves Pam and Jim watching a romantic movie with Andy, and they start talking about the struggles in Pam’s parents’ marriage. Andy mistakenly thinks they’re discussing the characters in the film – a joke that doesn’t quite land. While this subplot isn’t the strongest comedic element, it ends beautifully. We learn that Jim told Pam’s dad he loves Pam completely, and that realization made Pam’s dad understand he never felt that same depth of emotion for Pam’s mother.
“Stress Relief” is a standout episode from Season 5, ranking among the very best, alongside “Moroccan Christmas,” “The Surplus,” and “Café Disco.” It’s a particularly strong mid-season episode and a fantastic continuation after the Super Bowl broadcast.
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2026-02-01 17:44