Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

The Office: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman December 18, 2020

Universal previously released later seasons of 'The Office' -- seasons five, six, seven, eight, and nine -- to Blu-ray over the course of five years from 2009 to 2013. The studio has returned to the fan-favorite show with a massive 34-disc complete series release that is currently the only way to own the first four seasons in addition to the later seasons, which are straight ports of the previous Blu-ray issues. The set features aesthetic consistency for its A/V presentation and brings with it tons of extras, including hours upon hours of audio commentaries, deleted scenes, and featurettes.

David Brent at Wernham Hogg. No, wait, that's not right...

Kenneth Brown reviewed the previously released later season releases and did an excellent job of dissecting them from both a subjective fan perspective and a more critical objective analysis of where the show hit and missed. This review is more concerned with the first four seasons which are new to Blu-ray and exclusive to this collection release. This review, then, is more of a broad overview of where the show plays well (which represents the majority of its early series content) and where it falls short (which is not often and not destructively).

Any review of The Office -- particularly as the show is just getting out of the gate -- must begin with a comparison to the legendary British program on which it is based. This reviewer must state up front that the Ricky Gervais British show is one of his favorite programs of all time and a regular in the viewing rotation, so the American version was initially met with skepticism. Recreating the show's technical aesthetics would be easy. But replacing the characters and the actors and all of those lovable idiosyncrasies and forays into uncomfortable humor and inescapable corner-painting? Not so much. Gervais and company were were not just experts at the style. They lived it, they exuded it, they became the office staff at Wernham Hogg. The show flowed like a bumbling ballerina, spilling and flailing about and making a mockery of her craft yet still somehow exuding a grace and elegance at the same time. The series' main focus foursome -- Gervais' David Brent, Martin Freeman's Tim Canterbury, Mackenzie Crook's Gareth Keenan, and Lucy Davis' Dawn Tinsley -- together delivered some of the finest comedy ever to grace the screen, whether deadpan or slapstick and everything in between. It's epic stuff that the American version surprisingly captures with much the same energy, essence, and flow.

The early seasons mimic the British counterpart quite well. Certainly the episodes have their own quirks and the actors bring their own unique sensibilities to the show but there's no mistaking that the two are close kin early on. The American show captures that same guerilla documentary aesthetic, that shaky handheld that's always in motion, following the characters around the office and capturing their most inane, insane, repulsive, and repugnant behaviors with an intimacy that reveals the realities of failure but the determination to escape and move on to the next jab at establishing superiority over the office, from simple wit to alpha dominance. It was something that Gervais did so well that there would never be an equal, but Steve Carell, playing the David Brent "counterpart" Michael Scott comes mighty close in a performance that borrows heavily because the script borrows heavily from the original. It places him in many familiar pickles, most of his own making, as he attempts to balance an assertiveness of position and person high above the office staff while still attempting to get low enough in his humor to get a laugh or maybe put everyone else down when a good looking woman makes an appearance. Carell masterfully weaves that dichotomy of boss and brainless jokester and oftentimes oblivious tactless jerk extraordinarily well, whether dealing with corporate at the top or his own workers out on the floor.

The secondary characters -- the office denizens not named Michael, Dwight, Jim, and Pam -- both blend into the background and stand apart, sometimes taller than their main cast counterparts, when called upon. These characters are some of the best reasons for the series' long-run existence. They're both secondary to the lead quartet yet often thrive as the show's lifeblood, serving beyond background fill and bringing their own stories and wants and needs and hesitations and reservations and, often, outright disgust with Michael to the show. They're the audience, in many ways, a diverse sampling of individuals who react to the office shenanigans with unique temperaments that vary wildly but often share in common the breathless disbelief at the dundherhead heading up Dunder Mifflin.

With the Gervais series lasting only a dozen episodes and a Christmas special, it was only inevitable that the American version would have to forge ahead and leave behind the essentials that made the British show so special. That shows in the later seasons Ken reviewed, which are wildly uneven, less focused on the daily monotony and inane antics inside the office, and forced to sprawl beyond the focal points and comfort zones which defined the first several seasons. In the early going here, right from the first episode, fans of the original will notice recycled lines and gags and basic narrative concepts, including corporate's threat to close the branch down unless Michael can prove its validity over a competing branch that is also on the chopping block. Some of the lines and scenes are literally straight out of the British version, like when Michael accuses Pam of stealing Post-It notes or when Dwight finds his stapler in a Jell-O mold. But the show does in due time, and quickly at that, begin to take on its own identity, even if it holds fast to core mechanics early on with the deviations coming when it becomes clear that the original schtick was showing its timeframe limitations. This is a quality American reproduction of an overseas classic, but try as it might, whether through brute force or the length of time or even the excellence of its cast and the time allotted for character growth, cannot quite match the majesty of Her Majesty's version of the show.

The Office: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced form the first four seasons. Please see the links above to the next five seasons for additional screenshots.

The Office: The Complete Series looks uniformly excellent from season one through season nine (note that this review primarily focuses on seasons one-four; see Ken's reviews linked above for in-depth reviews of seasons five-nine). From the pilot episode forward the picture holds to a fairly steady quality of output with no real fluctuations, particularly in the basic visual ebb-and-flow around the office, whether the static interview shots or the more guerilla style handheld maneuverings through the office space. It's when the action shifts to various locations outside of the office floor that the image finds the most variance, usually due to lighting changes (the scenes in the office are always lit evenly and identically from one episode to the next, barring any unique circumstances of course). Inside the office, clarity is always quite nice and flattering, though to be sure there's a modest downturn in basic technical quality simply to help the illusion of the "documentary" approach that gives the image, sometimes, a modest feeling of roughness and grit, minor as it may be, to at least help visually compliment that structure. But generally speaking the viewer will enjoy fine detail in close-up, particularly of characters, which are vital in helping to read expressions and reactions more so than count pores, which is perfectly within the image's razor-sharp output purview. Office furniture and doodad details are sharp, too, as are various examples of attire and the lower grade suits and neckties the staff wears to work. Off location scenes sometimes lack the same exacting textural precision but never does the image lose enough detail to make a noticeable impact. In that area the transfer is quite adept at all times.

So too is the color output of a respectable quality throughout (beyond, again, and lighting constraints or other one-off environmental manipulations). Color contrast is more often than not very even and natural, again part of that central, essential aesthetic within the office where the overhead lighting essentially lights everything and casts colors to that steady lighting constraint. Clothes, office doodads, and other visuals are nicely saturated without any real color bleeding or other tonal maladies to worry about. Skin tones aren't too pasty or prone to stray from fairly natural coloring. Black levels are fine. The picture does exhibit a bit of noise and there are very minor secondary compression issues here and there but nothing that interferes with a casual viewing. All said, a job well done from Universal.

The Office: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Office: The Complete Series features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack across its bulk; season one includes a 2.0 channel lossless presentation. Season one's limited dynamics are not much of a hindrance. It's only a handful of episodes -- season one is quit short -- but still delivers a fine listen in sum, featuring clear and well-spaced music, impressive office atmosphere (including chatty employees, crunching keyboard keys, and even subtle things like the hum generated by the overhead fluorescent lights), and clear and center-imaged dialogue. Later seasons, including the new season 2-4 discs, bear the fruits of the more expansive 5.1 track. The extra spacing certainly helps in a few key areas, particularly during the opening title score which plays with fuller spacing and improved depth with the active rear and subwoofer channels working in its favor. Office sounds are more lively, fuller, and more immersive in the general activity, helping to draw the audience into the audio idiosyncrasies that make Dunder-Mifflin such an amusing place to work. The track enjoys some spaciousness in some of the scenes that take place outside the office, like at the Chili's where the "Dundies" are taking place or at an ice rink for Michael's birthday later in season two. These moments of expansion offer a pleasing reprieve from the repetitive, banal (yet still sonically vital) office elements and allow the track an opportunity to prove its worth, which it often does with practically faultless spacing and clarity. In 5.1, dialogue delivery is fine; listeners will hear every vocalization tenor with the definition necessary to get to the bottom of any given interaction which is vital in gauging the room's temperature before, during, and after a gag. Some of the best examples are heard in "Michael's Birthday" when the title character is going on about his business in his usual foolishly gregarious approach while much of the rest of the staff huddles around Kevin who is nervously awaiting a call with a medical diagnosis.

The Office: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

All nine seasons in The Office: The Complete Series include extensive extras. Below is a breakdown of what the four new seasons include. See the linked reviews above for seasons five through nine for more on what's included there. Each season ships in its own Amaray-style case with the discs on their own hubs and leaves as necessary. All of them ship in a slip box that's not overly sturdy but not excessively flimsy, either.

Season One, Disc One:

• Audio Commentaries: For "Pilot:" Steve Carell, John Krasinski, Rainn Wilson, and B.J. Novak. For "Pilot:" John Krasinski, Rainn Wilson, Jenna Fischer, B.J. Novak, and Executive Producers Greg Daniels and Ken Kwapis. For "Diversity Day:" Steve Carell, John Krasinski, Rainn Wilson, B.J. Novak, and Executive Producer Greg Daniels. For "The Alliance:" John Krasinski, Rainn Wilson, Jenna Fischer, B.J. Novak, Executive Producer Greg Daniels, Consulting Producer Larry Wilmore, and Writers Paul Lieberstein, Mindy Kaling, and Michael Schur. For "Basketball:" Steve Carell, John Krasinski, Rainn Wilson, B.J. Novak, and Executive Producer Greg Daniels.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p upscaled): Scenes from "Pilot" (7:44), "Diversity Day" (10:51), "Health Care" (9:05), "The Alliance" (11:43), "Basketball" (9:22), and "Hot Girl" (6:58).

Season Two, Disc One:

• Audio Commentaries: For "The Dundies:" John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, B.J. Novak, Mindy Kaling, Paul Lieberstein, David Denman, Editor Dave Rogers and Executive Producer Greg Daniels. For "Sexual Harassment:" Brian Baumgartner, Rainn Wlson, B.J. Novak, Oscar Nunez, Paul Liberstein, Angela Kinsey, Melora Hardin and Larry Wilmore.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p upscaled): Scenes from "The Dundies" (9:38), "Sexual Harassment" (4:00), "Office Olympics" (8:08), "The Fire" (6:06), "Halloween" (8:28), and "The Fight" (4:48).

Season Two, Disc Two:

• Audio Commentaries: For "The Client: John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, Melora Hardin, Brian Baumgartner, B.J. Novak, Paul Lieberstein, Mike Schur and Executive Producer Greg Daniels. For "Performance Review:" Rainn Wilson, Oscar Nunez, Pail Lieberstein, Angela Kinsey, Melora Hardin, Writer Larry Wilmore and Director Paul Feig. For "Christmas Party:" Jenna Fischer, B.J. Novak, Kate Flannery, David Denman, Editor Dave Rogers, Writer Mike Schur and Executive Producer Greg Daniels. For "Booze Cruise:" Jenna Fischer, Rainn Wilson, B.J. Novak, David Denman, Angela Kinsey, Oscar Nunez, Director of Photography Randall Einhorn and Executive Producer Greg Daniels.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p upscaled): Scenes from "The Client" (4:59), "Performance Review" (11:33), "E-Mail Surveillance" (10:47), "Christmas Party" (5:47), "Booze Cruise" (10:16), and "The Injury" (4:03).
• Jenna Fischer's Booze Cruise Video Blog (1080i, 8:00): Fischer takes audiences behind-the-scenes for inside access into the making of the episode with on-set footage and cast and crew interviews.

Season Two, Disc Three

• Audio Commentaries: For "The Secret:" John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, Mindy Kaling, Brian Baumgartner, Angela Kinsey, and Writers Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky. For "Valentine's Day:" John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, Angela Kinsey, Mindy Kaling, Melora Hardin, Writer Mike Schur, Co-Executive Producer Kent Zbornak and Executive Producer Greg Daniels.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p upscaled): Scenes from "The Secret" (3:55), "The Carpet" (6:11), "Boys and Girls" (2:24), "Valentine's Day" (5:45), "Dwight's Speech" (7:53), and "Take Your Daughter to Work Day" (5:04).
• Faces of Scranton (1080i, 2:01): Michael makes a video introducing some of the folks from DM's Scranton branch.

Season Two, Disc Four:

• Audio Commentaries: For "Drug Testing:" Rainn Wilson, Paul Lieberstein, Jenna Fischer, Oscar Nunez, Brian Bumgartner, B.J. Novak, Angels Kinsey, Director of Photography Randall Einhorn, Writer Jen Celotta and Executive Producer Greg Daniels. For "Casino Night:" Jenna Fischer, Rainn Wilson, Melora Hardin, Paul Lieberstein, David Denman, Brian Baumgartner, Director of Photography Randall Einhorn and Executive Producer Greg Daniels.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p upscaled): Scenes from "Michael's Birthday" (3:44), "Drug Testing" (9:08), "Conflict Resolution" (5:28), and "Casino Night" (3:50).
• Webisodes: The Accountants (1080p, 20:31): Shorts that look at life on the other side of the office. Included are The Books Don't Balance, Phyllis, Meredith, Stanley, Someone in the Warehouse, The Memo, Things Are Getting Tense, You're Mean, Michael's Office, and The Best Day of My Life.
• Blooper Reel (1080p, 16:56): (More?) humorous moments from the shoot.
• Fake PSAs (1080i upscaled, 8:02): The Office cast shares some "The More You Know" life skill nuggets, with a humorous bend, of course.
• Olympics Promos (1080p, 1:41): The cast promotes the show's return following the Olympics broadcast on NBC.
• Steve on Steve (1080i, 3:21): Carell interviews himself.

Season Three, Disc One:

• Audio Commentaries: For "The Coup:" John Krasinski, Rainn Wilson, Rashida Jones and Angela Kinsey. For "Initiation:" B.J Novak, Rainn Wilson and Leslie David Baker.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p upscaled): Scenes from "Gay Witch Hunt" (8:55), "The Convention," (6:20), "The Coup" (8:48), "Grief Counseling" (8:42), "Initiation" (6:04), and "Diwali" (9:41).

Season Three, Disc Two:

• Deleted Scenes (1080p upscaled): Scenes from "The Merger" (7:18), "The Convict" (15:01), "A Benihana Christmas" (5:59), and "Back from Vacation" (13:11).
• The William S. Paley Television Festival 2007: The Office (1080i, 22:48): Cynthia Littleton moderates a discussion with cast and crew that is wide-ranging, including writing, the form factor, the characters, and some of the secrets behind the show.
• Kevin Cooks Stuff in the Office (1080p, 4:55): When Kevin's fiance forgets to send him lunch, he has no choice but to whip up some delicious food in the office kitchen area.
• Excerpts from the 2006 NBC Primetime Preview Hosted by The Office Cast (1080p, 8:09): In essence this is a selection of additional, humorous scenes from inside (and outside) Dunder Mifflin.
• Toby Wraparounds (1080p, 2:46): Toby explores his place in and perception of the company.
• Dwight Schrute Music Video (1080i, 2:07): Everything one would expect of mixing Dwight and music. There's a certain South Park flavor to it.
• Joss Whedon Interview (1080p, 0:58): The Buffy director talks up his work on the series.
• The Office "Make Your Own Promo" Contest (1080i, 2:45): Fan-made promos for the series. Includes both the grand prize-winning and finalist shorts.

Season Three, Disc Three:

• Audio Commentaries: For "Travelling Salesmen/The Return:" John Krasinski, Rainn Wilson, Rashida Jones, Ed Helms, Leslie David Baker and Editor Dave Rogers. For "Business School:" Writer B.J. Novak, Rainn Wilson and Writer Brent Forrester.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p upscaled): Scenes from "Travelling Salesmen/The Return" (26:49), "Ben Franklin" (7:38), "Phyllis' Wedding" (10:37), "Business School" (5:52), and "Cocktails" (4:28).

Season Three, Disc Four:

• Audio Commentaries: For "Safety Training:" B.J. Novak, Mindy Kaling and Director Harold Ramis. For "Women's Appreciation:" Jenna Fischer, Angela Kinsey, Kate Flannery and Writers Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky. For "Beach Games:" Ed Helms, Brian Baumgartner, Writer Jennifer Celotta and Director Harold Ramis. For "The Job:" John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, Rashida Jones, Melora Hardin, Editor David Rogers and Director Ken Kwapis.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p upscaled): Scenes from "Safety Training" (7:55), "Product Recall" (12:46), "Women's Appreciation" (5:12), "Beach Games" (6:38), and "The Job" (12:10).
• Blooper Reel (1080p, 13:43): (More) humorous moments from the shoot.
• "Lazy Scranton" Video (1080p, 2:10): Michael's orientation video.
• Excerpt from the 58th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (1080p, 1:12): A special guest "drops in" on the office.

Season Four, Disc One:

• Deleted Scenes (1080p upscaled): Scenes from "Fun Run" (16:23), "Dunder Mifflin Infinity" (15:00) and "Launch Party" (9:19).
• Rabies: The More You Know (1080p, 0:23): Michael shares a PSA about the dangers of animal bites.

Season Four, Disc Two:

• Audio Commentaries: For "Money:" Rainn Wilson, Jenna Fischer, Melora Hardin, Brian Baumgartner, Paul Lieberstein, Michael Schur and Jennifer Celotta. For "Local Ad:" B.J. Novak, Ed Helms, Leslie David Baker, Creed Bratton, Craig Robinson, Jason Reitman and Anthony Ferrell.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p upscaled): Scenes from "Money" (13:45), "Local Ad" (8:09), "Branch Wars" (5:12), and "Survivor Man" (5:31).
• Michael Scott's Dunder Mifflin Ad (1080i, 1:22): A fun short set to the Chariots of Fire theme.

Season Four, Disc Three:

• Audio Commentary: For "The Deposition:" Rainn Wilson, Jenna Fischer, Melora Hardin, Brian Baumgartner, Ed Helms, Lee Eisenberg, Producer Lester Lewis and Writer Ryan Koh.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p upscaled): Scenes from "The Deposition" (8:15), "Dinner Party" (8:46), "Chair Model" (8:39), and "Night Out" (5:47).
• The Office Convention: Cast Q&A (1080i upscaled, 58:46): Key cast gather to answer some fun questions in front of a large audience.

Season Four, Disc Four:

• Audio Commentary: For "Did I Stutter?:" Rainn Wilson, Jenna Fischer, Leslie David Baker, Kate Flannery, Justin Spitzer, Brent Forrester, Gene Stupnitsky and Randall Einhorn.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p upscaled): Scenes from "Did I Stutter?" (11:21), "Job Fair" (8:14), and "Goodbye, Toby" (13:22).
• Blooper Reel (1080p, 22:38): (More) humorous moments from the set.
• The Office Convention: Writers' Block (1080i upscaled, 52:53): An assembly of series writers address fans.
• Summer Vacation Promo (1080p, 3:02): The characters talk about what they did over their summer breaks.

The Office: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Universal's sprawling box set for The Office: The Complete Series recycles the same content for seasons five through nine while bringing the first four seasons to the high definition physical format for the first time. Fans with the old discs in their collection might be put off by the necessary double dip but newcomers will find a treasure trove of funny on every disc. Later scenes are a bit uneven and the early episodes can't quite escape from under the original show's shadow, but the early to middle stretch -- much of the content that's new for this set -- is quite good. Highly recommended.