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Revisiting “Stress Relief”: 10 Years, 10 GIFs

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It’s been 10 years since Dwight Schrute’s legendary fire drill. (Photo courtesy of Comedy Central)

Ten years ago this week, Dwight Schrute set fire to the Dunder Mifflin Scranton branch and simultaneously cemented “The Office” into television history.

Airing directly after the Pittsburgh Steelers defeat of the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl  XLIII, “Stress Relief” became the series’ highest-rated episode ever, as it shared 42 minutes of pure, comedic gold with 22.9 million viewers.

To some, this may just be another episode of one of TV’s greatest shows of all time, but to me, it means so much more. As the very first episode of “The Office” I ever experienced, I was immediately thrown into the outrageous world of Michael Scott, and what better time to dive in?

After seeing the show advertised throughout the Super Bowl, my family and I, like most everyone else, decided to tune in and check out all the hype. For a show already midway through its fifth season, “The Office” knew how to take advantage of this primetime TV slot and expand its audience. Before we knew it, my family was tuning in every week to catch up with all our favorite Dunder Mifflin employees.

Not only did “Stress Relief” give us one of the series’ most rewatchable episodes, but it presented us with a gift that keeps on giving – the gift of GIFs.

As 10 years have passed, it only makes sense to look back on the 10 greatest GIFs created in this historic episode of television.

10. Michael’s Failed Finger Guns

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Perfect for when that awkward joke just doesn’t land. 

9. Kevin Raiding the Vending Machine

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Perfect for any time you need to show just how hungry you really are.

8. “Save Bandit!”

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Perfect for whenever things don’t go as planned.

7. Dwight Channels His Inner Hannibal Lecter

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Perfect for anytime someone is being ridiculously creepy.

6. Andy Pondering Life

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Perfect for anytime you’re confused, appalled or coming to a realization.

5. Stanley Faces the Truth

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Perfect for when your demise is imminent.

4. Kevin Can’t Help Himself

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Perfect for when something is too good to be true.

3. The Classic Jim Face

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Perfect for when something is definitely not correct.

2. Michael’s Realization

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Perfect for when you finally accept you have no idea what you’re doing.

1. “STAY F-CKING CALM!”

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Perfect for when you can’t contain your excitement.

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Zach Goins View All

Zach Goins is a member of the North Carolina Film Critics Association based in Raleigh, N.C. Zach co-founded Inside The Film Room in 2018 and serves as Editor-in-Chief of the website and co-host of the podcast. Zach also serves as a film critic for CLTure.org.

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