It's that time of year again. The days are agonizingly short. It's f***ing freezing. The weather is gross. Everybody has a cold. And to top it all off, we're being plunged into a FOURTH wave (right? We're at four now?) of Covid-19 soft-lockdown - they're not MAKING us stay in place, but most of us are looking at the caseloads and going "hmm......damn it," and staying inside anyway.

With all that going on, those of us who deal with SAD, or seasonal affective disorder, (better known as seasonal depression) are in for a real rough time this year. (Yes, thank you Lonny, that dim light IS a bitch.) So what can we do?

Well, short of buying a sun lamp and talking to a therapist (both things that work wonders, if you can get them), my favorite solution to the Winter Blues is to binge watch my favorite old, familiar sitcoms - because if I can't be around my real friends, at least I can be around my TV friends. And my favorite sitcom, as anyone who has ever met me will tell you, is The Office.

So, without further prelude (this isn't a recipe on a food blog, after all) here are 69 episodes of The Office to help alleviate your seasonal depression. (What? It's Kevin's favorite number!)

  • The Dundies S2e1
  • The Client S2e7
  • E-mail Surveillence S2e9
  • The Injury S2e12

This is honestly just my favorite Office episode period.

  • Take Your Daughter to Work Day s2e18
  • Grief Counseling s3e4

Watching Pam slowly realize that Michael is acting out because he's afraid he'll die alone, and actually finding a way to show him he's loved, is so sweet that I could cry.

  • Initiation s3e5

Michael and Stanley get along for once in this episode - and Michael also gets a chance to prove that his unusual business methods (read: suger-fueled sales binges) actually do produce results.

  • Branch Closing s3e7
  • The Return s3e14
  • Business School s3e17
  • Women's Appreciation s3e22
  • The Job s3e24/25

See Pam and Jim FINALLY get together. (No matter how many times I watch it never gets old.)

  • Fun Run s4e1/2
  • Dunder Mifflin Infinity s4e3/4
  • Launch Party s4e5/6
  • Money s4e7/8

Surprise: Most of season 4 is pure gold. Plus, now you can watch all the extended editions of the episodes on Peacock, if you have a subscription.

  • Local Ad s4e9
  • Dinner Party s4e13

Good god.

  • Chair Model s4e14
  • Goodbye Toby, s4e19

See Michael fall in love at first sight with Holly - and look, as much as I love Jim and Pam, it's kind of undeniable that Michael and Holly are the cutest couple on the show.

  • Weight Loss s5e1/2

It's very quick, but Jim proposes in this one!

  • Baby Shower s5e4
  • The Duel s5e12
  • Stress Relief s5e14/15

Known best for this ever-famous cold open:

  • Lecture Circuit s5e16/17
  • Blood Drive s5e18
  • Dream Team s5e22

This whole arc is worth the watch: We get to see both Michael and Pam really stand up for them and take ownership of their lives - and it goes surprisingly well for them.

  • The Michael Scott Paper Company s5e23
  • Heavy Competition s5e24
  • Broke s5e25
  • Cafe Disco s5e27

Watching everybody just dance and have fun together at the end of this episode is so sweet it honestly could have been the finale. (But we're still VERY glad it wasn't.)

  • Company Picnic s5e28
  • Gossip s6e1

This is another one of my all-time favorite episodes. It's just too crazy not to love. Also, am I wrong, or was Michael's plan to discredit his gossip actually genius?

  • Niagara s6e4/5
  • Murder s6e10
  • The Banker s6e15

It's just a clipshow, but honestly, sometimes those are the best salve for a bad mood. No drama to follow, just laughs and love.

  • The Delivery s6e17/18

The culmination of years of anticipation, we finally get to see Jim and Pam welcome baby Cece to the world.

  • St. Patrick's Day s6e19
  • New Leads s6e20
  • Nepotism s7e1
  • Counseling s7e2
  • Andy's Play s7e3

A little warning before this one: If you were a theatre kid, this is going to be one of the cringiest episodes of The Office you ever watch.

  • Christening s7e7
  • Viewing Party s7e8
  • China s7e9
  • Ultimatum s7e13
  • The Seminar s7e14
  • The Search s7e15

Seeing Michael and Holly finally unite - after Holly spends the whole day inadverdently proving how perfect she is for him - is a surefire heartwarmer.

  • PDA s7e16

Michael and Holly finally say "I love you." And also decide that they're staying together no matter what.

  • Threat Level Midnight s7e17

Better yet, if you don't feel like watching the whole episode, you can just straight up watch Threat Level Midnight:

  • Todd Packer s7e18

This is the episode where Michael finally realizes Todd Packer is trash and he's much better than that. Thanks to Holly. IMO, his character arc is pretty much complete here.

  • Garage Sale s7e19

Michael's proposal to Holly. (Also, one of Jim's funniest pranks, as he convinces Dwight to trade the telescope he got through the art of the swap for a packet of "magic" beans.)

  • Michael's Last Dundies s7e21

The cast improvised this. Those are Steve Carrell's real tears.

  • Goodbye Michael, s7e22/23

It's bittersweet - but it's mostly sweet.

  • The List s8e1
  • The Incentive s8e2

There's something incredibly sweet about Andy getting a tattoo on his ass just to boost morale - and even sweeter is the tattoo they end up deciding to give him.

  • Garden Party s8e4

Andy's parents are the worst in this one, but in the end the office comes together to show Andy that he still has family who love and support him.

  • Doomsday s8e6
  • Pool Party s8e12
  • Special Project s8e14
  • Last Day in Florida s8e18

Most of the Florida arc is filled with drama and not great for comfort viewing, but this episode where Dwight finally realizes how much Jim cares about him is priceless.

  • Turf War s8e23
  • Work Bus s9e4

Jim and Dwight continue to be brothers, and it is sweet as it is touching. Also, Jim and Pam get a rare moment of Season 9 peace in their relationship at the end.

  • Dwight Christmas s9e9
  • Suit Warehouse s9e11
  • The Farm s9e18

This episode was actually pitched as the pilot of a spinoff

  • Livin' The Dream s9e22/23
  • A.A.R.M. S9e24/25

This is the actual finale, of course - the one labeled finale is really an epilogue. This episode ties a bow around the two main romantic arcs - fixing Jim and Pam's fractured marriage while also finally bringing Dwight and Angela together, for good.

  • Finale s9e26
Tags
John Krasinski, Ellie Kemper