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The Best Episodes of The Office Season 3

Every episode of The Office Season 3 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of The Office Season 3!

Binge this in 9h 45m•Peaking at 9.2/10

The everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company.

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    The Office Season 3 Episode 1 - Gay Witch Hunt
    8.9/10(10216 votes)

    #1 - Gay Witch Hunt

    S3:E1

    When Michael unintentionally outs a gay employee, he stumbles through a sensitivity mine-field. Also, we find out what happened with Jim and Pam.

    Director:Ken Kwapis
    Writer:Greg Daniels

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  2. The Office Season 3 Episode 2 - The Convention
    8.0/10(7536 votes)

    #2 - The Convention

    S3:E2

    Kelly set Pam up on her first date since breaking up with Roy. She was very nervous. Michael tried giving her dating tips and told her she should freak her date out by wearing her wedding dress.

    Director:Ken Whittingham
    Writers:Gene Stupnitsky, Lee Eisenberg

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  3. The Office Season 3 Episode 3 - The Coup
    8.4/10(7849 votes)

    #3 - The Coup

    S3:E3

    Michael had made it a point to have Movie Monday every week. He called the office into the conference room to watch a 30-minute installment of Varsity Blues, but Jan made an unexpected visit and did not like what she saw.

    Director:Greg Daniels
    Writer:Paul Lieberstein

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  4. The Office Season 3 Episode 4 - Grief Counseling
    7.8/10(7501 votes)

    #4 - Grief Counseling

    S3:E4

    Jim felt awkward at the morning meeting when his boss put him charge of managing Karen and her responsibilities. The other co-workers looked at Jim as a kiss ass. Later on, he flirted with Karen in the break room and told her she shouldn't work until she found her favorite snack chips.

    Director:Roger Nygard
    Writer:Jennifer Celotta

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  5. The Office Season 3 Episode 5 - Initiation
    7.9/10(7297 votes)

    #5 - Initiation

    S3:E5

    Dwight was very excited because he got to take Ryan on his first sales call. He couldn't wait to show Ryan how the sales are really done. Before that, the men took a little side trip to the Schrute family beet farm. Dwight thought it would be funny to leave Ryan on the farm.

    Director:Randall Einhorn
    Writer:B. J. Novak

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  6. The Office Season 3 Episode 6 - Diwali
    7.7/10(7595 votes)

    #6 - Diwali

    S3:E6

    Michael was educating the entire staff about Diwali, the Hindu holiday that Kelly celebrated. Kelly had invited everybody from work to the celebration. Pam was unsure if she was going to make it, she later confided in Angela that she was saddened because she had nobody to attend the celebration with.

    Director:Miguel Arteta
    Writer:Mindy Kaling

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  7. The Office Season 3 Episode 7 - Branch Closing
    8.5/10(7579 votes)

    #7 - Branch Closing

    S3:E7

    Jan told Michael that the board had voted to close the Scranton branch. There would be a select group of employees that would get a severance package; the others would be going to work at the Stamford branch. She informed Michael that he would be one who would get a severance package.

    Director:Tucker Gates
    Writer:Michael Schur

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  8. The Office Season 3 Episode 8 - The Merger
    8.6/10(7819 votes)

    #8 - The Merger

    S3:E8

    The Scranton branch was getting ready for their new employees to arrive in from the defunct Stamford branch. Pam was especially excited to be reunited with Jim. While, Michael was most concerned with impressing his new staff.

    Director:Ken Whittingham
    Writer:Brent Forrester

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  9. The Office Season 3 Episode 9 - The Convict
    8.2/10(7847 votes)

    #9 - The Convict

    S3:E9

    Angela and Kevin were trying to figure out where extra money in the budget came from. Jan let them know it was money Dunder-Mifflin received for hiring an ex-convict. Michael swore he never hired an ex-convict. Jan informed him that the person must have come from the merger.

    Director:Jeffrey Blitz
    Writers:Stephen Merchant, Ricky Gervais

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  10. The Office Season 3 Episode 10 - A Benihana Christmas
    8.6/10(8199 votes)

    #10 - A Benihana Christmas

    S3:E10

    Michael was in the holiday spirit and couldn't wait to share in it with his girlfriend, Carol. He had bought two tickets to paradise, hoping to whisk her away on a romantic vacation to Jamaica. Carol came by the office early to have a talk with Michael and it didn't go well.

    Director:Harold Ramis
    Writer:Jennifer Celotta

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  11. The Office Season 3 Episode 11 - Back from Vacation
    8.5/10(7460 votes)

    #11 - Back from Vacation

    S3:E11

    Karen and Jim had their first big fight in the relationship. Karen had been living in a hotel since taking her job in Scranton. When she decided to live next door to Jim, he took it as the next step to living together and that was too fast. She was not pleased with his response.

    Director:Julian Farino
    Writer:Justin Spitzer

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  12. The Office Season 3 Episode 12 - Traveling Salesmen
    8.5/10(7480 votes)

    #12 - Traveling Salesmen

    S3:E12

    Michael decided to send his employees out into the field for sales calls. He paired himself up with Andy. He let the veterans choose who they wanted their partners to be. Phyllis chose Karen, Stanley chose Ryan and that left Jim and Dwight paired together. This wasn't the first time Dwight and Jim had done sales calls together.

    Director:Greg Daniels
    Writers:Gene Stupnitsky, Michael Schur, Lee Eisenberg

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  13. The Office Season 3 Episode 13 - The Return
    8.7/10(7820 votes)

    #13 - The Return

    S3:E13

    Since Dwight's departure, Andy had been clinging to Michael. Andy's antics had been wearing very thin on his co-workers. In fact, Andy left Jim actually wishing Dwight would come back.

    Director:Greg Daniels
    Writers:Gene Stupnitsky, Michael Schur, Lee Eisenberg

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  14. The Office Season 3 Episode 14 - Ben Franklin
    7.8/10(7254 votes)

    #14 - Ben Franklin

    S3:E14

    Michael celebrates Phyllis' wedding shower by bringing two adult performers into the office, a stripper and Ben Franklin. Meanwhile, Karen confronts Pam about her past history with Jim.

    Director:Randall Einhorn
    Writer:Mindy Kaling

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  15. The Office Season 3 Episode 15 - Phyllis' Wedding
    8.0/10(7354 votes)

    #15 - Phyllis' Wedding

    S3:E15

    It was the day of Phyllis and Bob's wedding. Pam was upset because she noticed Phyllis had basically stolen Pam's ideas for her and Roy's would-be wedding. Meanwhile, Michael was very excited to be in charge of pushing Phyllis's father's wheelchair down the aisle.

    Director:Ken Whittingham
    Writer:Caroline Goddard

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  16. The Office Season 3 Episode 16 - Business School
    8.8/10(8407 votes)

    #16 - Business School

    S3:E16

    Roy stopped by Pam's desk to let her know how excited he was to see her art show. She reminded him that it was just a small show being put on by her art class. Pam later admitted she was very happy she was back together with Roy because it showed maturity. Jim feigns indifference to the reconciliation.

    Director:Joss Whedon
    Writer:Brent Forrester

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  17. The Office Season 3 Episode 17 - Cocktails
    8.3/10(7230 votes)

    #17 - Cocktails

    S3:E17

    Michael was excited to be attending a party at his CFO's house. He carpooled with Dwight and was also looking forward to meeting Jan at the party. Jan wanted to spend a night alone with Michael, but he thought it was important to come out as a couple to all of their co-workers.

    Director:J.J. Abrams
    Writer:Paul Lieberstein

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  18. The Office Season 3 Episode 18 - The Negotiation
    8.9/10(8190 votes)

    #18 - The Negotiation

    S3:E18

    Roy paced in the parking lot outside Dunder-Mifflin and then charged the building looking for Jim. When he spots Jim and rushed him, only to get pepper sprayed in the eyes by Dwight, who managed to spray everybody around him, as well.

    Director:Jeffrey Blitz
    Writer:Michael Schur

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  19. The Office Season 3 Episode 19 - Safety Training
    8.6/10(7608 votes)

    #19 - Safety Training

    S3:E19

    Andy was back to work, fresh from anger management training. He insisted on being called Drew, even though Jim continued to call him Andy just to toy with him. Meanwhile, Dwight had decided to shun Andy for the next three years.

    Director:Harold Ramis
    Writer:B. J. Novak

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  20. The Office Season 3 Episode 20 - Product Recall
    8.5/10(7462 votes)

    #20 - Product Recall

    S3:E20

    Michael was in crisis mode at Dunder-Mifflin when a disgruntled employee at the paper mill put an obscene watermark on one of their most popular orders of paper. Michael called the staff into a meeting and pointed the blame on Creed, who was responsible for quality assurance at the paper mill and blew it off.

    Director:Randall Einhorn
    Writers:Brent Forrester, Justin Spitzer

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  21. The Office Season 3 Episode 21 - Women's Appreciation
    8.6/10(7628 votes)

    #21 - Women's Appreciation

    S3:E21

    Phyllis walked into the office looking pale and shocked. A concerned staff surrounded her for comfort. She told them she had been flashed in the parking lot. Jim alerted the police and they already had three other incidents of flashing in the area. Michael didn't think much of it, because it was Phyllis.

    Director:Tucker Gates
    Writers:Gene Stupnitsky, Lee Eisenberg

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  22. The Office Season 3 Episode 22 - Beach Games
    9.0/10(8696 votes)

    #22 - Beach Games

    S3:E22

    Michael was shocked when he received a call from Corporate wanting him to interview for a position. Michael was happy, but he also had other things on his mind. Beach Day was coming up and he was taking the crew out for some fun in the sun. Not before reminding Toby he couldn't go because somebody had to stay in the office.

    Director:Harold Ramis
    Writers:Greg Daniels, Jennifer Celotta

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  23. The Office Season 3 Episode 23 - The Job
    9.2/10(9165 votes)

    #23 - The Job

    S3:E23

    After Pam's outburst at Beach Day, she and Jim had a talk and realized how much they both missed their friendship. Pam never regretted her speech she gave to Jim in front of the rest of the staff; in fact, she was happy that it only took her three years to summon the courage to say what was on her mind.

    Director:Ken Kwapis
    Writers:Paul Lieberstein, Michael Schur

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Season 3 Ratings Summary

"Gay Witch Hunt" is the best rated episode of "The Office" season 3. It scored 8.9/10 based on 10216 votes. Directed by Ken Kwapis and written by Greg Daniels, it aired on 9/21/2006. This episode is rated 0.9 points higher than the second-best, "The Convention".