The A-plot is usually the focus of a sitcom episode, so the supporting B-plot is often an afterthought and sometimes ends up being forgettable. But the very best shows to ever hit the airwaves always bring with them a handful of memorable B-plots.
NBC’s remake of The Office, which matched the greatness of the original by distancing itself from the source material and finding its own voice, is a prime example of a show whose subplots occasionally managed to overshadow the A-story. From Dwight’s concussion to Jim’s rundown, these are The Office’s greatest B-plots.
9 The Rundown (Michael Scott Paper Company)
While the Michael Scott Paper Company stole the spotlight for its entire arc on the back end of season 5, the Dunder Mifflin scenes got some great comedic mileage out of Jim working under a regional manager who actually holds him accountable for slacking off.
Jim gets off on the wrong foot with Idris Elba’s Charles Miner when he meets him in the midst of an elaborate prank, and it only gets worse from there. In the episode “Michael Scott Paper Company,” Charles asks Jim to do “a rundown.” Jim has no idea what he means and spends the entire day pottering around the office, trying to figure it out. He ends up faxing the rundown to his dad. To anyone who’s ever been confused by an employer’s request and been too afraid to ask, this storyline is painfully relatable.
8 Gabe Tries To Woo Val (Doomsday)
In the A-plot of “Doomsday,” Dwight’s doomsday machine threatens to bring down the branch. In the B-plot, the stakes are a lot lower as Gabe tries to woo the new warehouse worker Val, a massively underutilized side character played by Ameenah Kaplan.
At the same time, Darryl falls for Val and she seems much more interested in him, so Gabe does everything in his power to lower Darryl’s value, which backfires hysterically.
7 Dwight And Toby Investigate Darryl’s Worker’s Comp Claim (The Meeting)
While Michael is suspicious of Jim’s secret meeting with David Wallace in “The Meeting,” Dwight is suspicious about Darryl’s worker’s comp claim. He’s on paid leave because he injured himself in the warehouse, but Dwight suspects foul play.
Dwight and Toby’s interplay during the investigation is so hilarious that one has to wonder why the writers of the show didn’t pair them up more often.
6 Jim’s “Magic Beans” (Garage Sale)
Season 7’s “Garage Sale” has one of the sweetest storylines in The Office’s entire run, as Holly learns she needs to move home to Colorado to take care of her dad and Michael decides to propose and move out there with her. However, it also features one of Jim’s most convoluted pranks against Dwight.
As the office puts on a garage sale in the warehouse, Dwight trades his way up from a thumbtack to a telescope. Throughout the day, Jim creates a mystique around his “magic beans” and manages to get Dwight to give him the telescope for them.
5 Kevin Accidentally Steals Jim’s Identity (Mafia)
While the A-plot of “Mafia” involving Michael being supposedly shaken down by a mobster is stretched a little too thin, the B-plot is a hilarious showcase for Kevin.
Kevin has been using Jim’s office while he and Pam are on their honeymoon. When the bank calls to discuss suspicious credit card activity in Puerto Rico, Kevin accidentally steals Jim’s identity and cancels his card.
4 Jim And Dwight’s Snowball Fight (Classy Christmas)
While Michael is trying to win back Holly in the A-plot of “Classy Christmas,” Jim and Dwight get locked into an intense snowball fight. Jim lands the first snowball by bringing one into the office and throwing it in Dwight’s face. From there, Dwight escalates the conflict to absurd levels.
He even dresses up like Pam at one point to lull Jim into a false sense of security before pelting him with a barrage of icy snowballs. According to Dwight, the greatest snowball isn’t a snowball at all; it’s fear.
3 Dwight Renovates Jim And Pam’s House (Delivery)
When Pam goes into labor in the two-part episode “Delivery,” Dwight is sent to her and Jim’s house to get her iPod so she can play the music she chose for the baby. Of course, he doesn’t just get the iPod and leave.
He discovers some structural problems with the house and plans a several-day renovation. When Jim and Pam get home with their newborn baby, there’s a whole construction crew led by Dwight tearing their kitchen to shreds.
2 Jim And Pam Stay At Schrute Farms (Money)
In the season 4 two-parter “Money,” Jan is spending so much of Michael’s money that he has to take on a second job as a telemarketer. In the B-plot, Jim and Pam find Schrute Farms on TripAdvisor and decide to book a night at Dwight’s B&B.
Any episode set at Schrute Farms is a joy, but “Money” is particularly fun because the threat of a bad TripAdvisor review forces Dwight to be uncharacteristically nice to Jim and Pam.
1 Dwight’s Concussion (The Injury)
In the cold open of season 2’s “The Injury,” Michael calls the office to tell Pam that he stepped on his George Foreman grill and burned his foot. Dwight races down to help him, but on the way out of the parking lot, he crashes his car and sustains a concussion.
Throughout the episode, as Michael makes a huge deal of his grilled foot, nobody notices that Dwight is suffering from a much more serious ailment. It's a very interesting juxtaposition of characters and arcs.
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