The Most Awkward Moment In The Office, According To Fans
NBC sitcom "The Office" is absolutely a show known for truly cringeworthy moments and even entire episodes rooted in secondhand embarrassment for the characters. Dunder Mifflin employees like the insecure, unfunny Michael Scott (Steve Carell) and the judgmental Angela (Angela Kinsey) naturally created hilarious, tense situations, whether at the Christmas party or at weddings, for the slightly saner Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam (Jenna Fischer). This was especially true of Michael, whose child-like need to be liked and respected often led to outright disaster for everybody else.
A remake of a beloved British sitcom that was itself squirm-inducing, the American version of "The Office" ended up running for nine seasons and 201 episodes. That means debate among fans over what is actually the most truly embarrassing moment on the show can have extremely varied answers. Ultimately, though, this Reddit thread suggests one scene truly takes the cake, and it didn't even involve Michael or Dwight (Rainn Wilson).
This is the single most awkward moment on "The Office," according to the fans.
Toby feeling Pam's leg may be the most embarrassing scene of the show
One r/DunderMifflin thread ultimately pinpointed a scene in Season 4's "Night Out" as the series' single most cringe-worthy sequence. In the episode, most of the Dunder Mifflin employees end up accidentally locked inside the building for the night. Later, when Jim, Toby (Paul Lieberstein), and Pam laugh at a joke together, Toby unconsciously puts his hand on Pam's knee, confirming his crush on her in front of everyone, including a mortified Jim. Toby climbs the fence and runs away but the sheer discomfort of his gesture stayed with the show's viewers.
One Reddit user accurately commented that "Just the fact that it happens, everyone acknowledges it is happening, but no one does anything during this long awkward silence, that makes it so much worse." Meanwhile, another Redditor observed that the "worst part of it is that Jim didn't flick [Toby's] skeezy hand off her leg."
Other users in the thread also named "Phyllis' Wedding," where a jealous Michael nearly ruins the event, as well as Jan (Melora Hardin) singing "Son of a Preacher Man" at her baby shower; both truly hard to watch sequences in a show that thrived on them.
You can currently stream "Night Out" and other "Office" episodes on Peacock.