I’ve Watched Every Episode of ‘The Office’ Over 20 Times. I Finally Asked an Expert ‘Why?!’

1. Comfort And Stability

We all have those times where we just need a nice warm hug at the end of the day. My hug just happens to come in the form of a mockumentary workplace comedy. 

According to clinical psychologist Dr. Tricia Wolanin, “When we re-watch television shows we are familiar with, we know what to expect from them. We know the emotions that will be felt again: laughter, fear, joy, reflection. If it is a series, it's as if we have lived with these characters and they are part of our friend circle. There's a sense of familiarity and connection, which is comforting to us to watch on screen. We immerse ourselves in their world, and there can be stability we can find there while our world may be chaotic. The shows are dependable.” Ever wonder why a toddler can watch Finding Dory again and again and again? Yep, it’s the same principle.

2. Nostalgia

Dr. Wolanin also writes, “The characters are frozen in time, [and] watching these shows may also remind us of a time in our lives that we miss. They reference things in pop culture that may be non-existent today. Sometimes we want to be comforted with what we know versus trying to integrate or figure out a new world of characters into our lives.”

As a self-proclaimed crotchety-old-man-in-training, I get this. On more than one occasion, I’ve caught myself saying, “They just don’t make TV shows like they used to.” Also, watching the gang try to explain Glee to Phyllis or seeing Kelly and Erin planking around the office truly takes me back to a better, simpler time.

3. Choosing Is Hard

Sure, there’s a ton of content out there. But that also can be extremely overwhelming. 

According to a recent study from Likewise TV, “half of streaming users say they spend too much time trying to find new things to watch and that number increases sharply for people with more services: 39% for people with 1 streaming service, 49% for people with 2-4, and 68% for those with 5 or more.”

I can definitely relate to this struggle. Succession or The Crown? Nailed It or The Great British Bake Off? The Office? No thinking required!

4. Sense Of Family And Community 

Clinical psychologist Dr. Carla Marie Manly maintains that following along with famous frenemies Dwight and Jim may actually help me feel a stronger sense of community.

She writes, “Some sitcoms, indeed, create a sense of family and community that can make the viewer feel heard, validated, and understood.”

This is particularly true with The Office. In fact, Michael calls out this sense of family in the very first season: "The most sacred thing I do is care and provide for my workers, my family. I give them money. I give them food. Not directly, but through the money. I heal them." Would I want Dwight as a brother? Absolutely not. But it’s hard for me to watch the show after all these years and not feel that same sense of kinship. 

5. It’s Still Different Each Time

Of course, any non-bingewatcher will want to know, “Don’t you get bored rewatching the same series?” I would say “no,” but apparently there’s a reason.

“In a simplistic way, each time a show is viewed it is seen differently. The viewer sees things in the background that were missed or hears lines that were not totally understood. Sometimes the pace of the show is so quick that items are missed,” says Dr. Steven M. Sultanoff, clinical psychologist.

For instance, it probably wasn’t until my fourth or fifth viewing that I realized that Nick the IT Guy had previously appeared on the show in a scene with Pam at a school job fair. And who knows when I finally noticed that Stanley’s resolution on the office resolution board was “Be a better husband and boyfriend”?! There are so many hidden gems and layers that I probably still have yet to pick up on. 

6. Oh, And It Feels Good

So why do I have such an addiction to watching Jan and Michael go full-on Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? during my favorite episode, called “Dinner Party”? 

Psychologist Dr. Jeff Nalin, founder and executive director at Paradigm Malibu Treatment Center, says, “Enjoyable activities, such as binge-watching, trigger the release of dopamine, our brain’s feel-good hormones. When these pleasure signals are on, we are less likely to disengage and stop what we’re doing. In fact, the addictive nature of binge-watching is comparable to a drug high, and as a result, we find ourselves consistently seeking the dopamine rush that makes us feel so good.”

And hey, if I can boost my mood with some Office dopamine and skip that trip to Planet Fitness for workout endorphins, sign me up!

So where does all of this leave me? Well, I certainly plan to continue rewatching this show (even when it switches over from Netflix to NBC’s new Peacock streaming service). But more to the point, it seems I’ve learned that watching reruns of The Office is my form of self-care. Some people need a bubble bath and a little Kenny G. I need Oscar secretly having an affair with Angela’s husband and Michael setting off the sprinklers during his candle-filled proposal to Holly. Bottom line: The Office is therapeutic. It’s familiar. And it never feels hard. That’s what she said.