When it comes to great cold opens, few sitcoms can compete with The Office. Throughout its nine seasons, the American version of this iconic workplace comedy truly mastered the art of starting episodes with hilarious, short scenes. But one particular scene really shines as the best cold open in the show’s history.
This scene was a major reason the episode became the most-watched in The Office‘s history when it first aired, representing the show at its absolute best. What makes it so great is that it just gets funnier with each rewatch.
Many sitcoms like Malcolm in the Middle, Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Community have funny opening scenes. However, when it comes to the very best, the fire drill prank Dwight Schrute pulls in The Office’s season 5 episode, “Stress Relief,” is hard to beat.
The Office Episode “Stress Relief” Has The Greatest Cold Open In Sitcom History
It’s hard to pick the best cold open from The Office because the show had so many great ones. From Jim’s constant pranks on Dwight to the amazing musical opening of season 7, the series consistently delivered clever and funny moments before the opening credits, across all 201 episodes.
Even now, no other sitcom opening comes close to the iconic scene where Dwight starts a fire at the Scranton office. He traps everyone inside, creating unbelievable chaos – it’s arguably the funniest cold open in sitcom history and consistently leaves audiences in stitches.
This Cold Open Keeps Getting Funnier With Every Watch
The opening scene of “Stress Relief” is a perfect comedic setup. It starts with a believable situation for Dwight Schrute, and then quickly escalates into a hilarious mess of physical comedy, bad choices, funny lines, and total chaos. It’s everything you want in a funny scene!
As a huge fan of The Office, I’ve noticed something amazing: the funniest moments just get funnier with every rewatch. Things like Angela chucking Sprinkles the cat into the ceiling (only for a quick return!), Kevin’s epic vending machine struggle, and classic lines like Andy’s panicked “The fire’s shooting at us!” – they never get old. Seriously, they hit harder each time!
Watching the fire drill multiple times reveals smaller details amidst all the chaos. For example, you notice how far Dwight goes to make sure everyone is truly stuck, leaving them no way out. And there’s Oscar telling Angela to “stay alive” as he runs to get help.
What really makes the scene of the cat falling through the ceiling hilarious is seeing Creed Bratton’s truly shocked expression as it lands behind him. The whole moment is packed with perfect comedic touches, making it a truly brilliant bit.
Several Other Cold Opens From The Office Are Also All-Time Greats
The beginning of the “Stress Relief” episode is amazing, but let’s not forget all the other fantastic cold opens from The Office. Michael hurting his foot on a grill is a classic moment, but Kevin’s chili disaster, Creed briefly running the office, and Dwight meeting “Asian Jim” were truly exceptional and set a high standard for the show.
Despite all the great moments in The Office, Dwight’s fire drill cold open remains a favorite among fans worldwide. It’s the most-watched clip from the show on YouTube, and many consider it the funniest opening scene in television history.
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2026-02-24 21:41