The Office "Dinner Party" is a fantastic episode in the American adaptation of the series, but there's another, similar, season 7 episode that deserves just as much love. In season 4, episode 13, "Dinner Party", Michael (Steve Carell) finally tricks Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam (Jenna Fischer) into coming over to his house to have dinner with him and Jan (Melora Hardin) at their condo. Andy (Ed Helms) and his fiancée Angela (Angela Kinsey) are also in attendance. Later, Dwight (Rainn Wilson) shows up with his date, an old woman who used to babysit him.

It's If you love that episode, you need to check out this season 7 one, which has a similar vibe and is just as funny at times.

The Office Season 7's "Viewing Party" Is Like A Subtle Sequel To "Dinner Party"

Both Episodes Feature The Cast At A Small Condo For A Strange Party

The Office season 7, episode 8, "Viewing Party" feels like the spiritual successor to "Dinner Party" and not just because of the name. Like in "Dinner Party", "Viewing Party" brings together characters who surprisingly don't always get to interact in The Office. Both episodes take place outside the office, with the season 7 episode centered on a Glee viewing party at Gabe's (Zach Woods) house, hosted by Gabe and Erin (Ellie Kemper). No one really likes Gabe, corporate stooge as he is, and Erin's head is in the clouds, making her hard to talk to. It's a funny pairing alone.

It's not Gabe and Erin's relationship that's the focus of this episode, but Michael and Erin's, and while it ends much more happily than Jan and Michael's in "Dinner Party", Michael still makes just as big a fool of himself here. "Viewing Party", like "Dinner Party", shows how these artificial reasons to gather can get so awkward, and that just because people work together, does not mean they need to spend time with one another outside the office. It's an episode that also has some surprising ramifications for certain characters' arcs as well.

In "Dinner Party", Michael and Jan break up, and Dwight proves he's not going to give up on Angela.

In "Dinner Party", Michael and Jan break up, and Dwight proves he's not going to give up on Angela. In "Viewing Party", Erin and Michael's father-daughter relationship is established, and Andy shows he is still interested in pursuing Erin. It's also a nice example of how putting Jim and Pam in a B-plot is sometimes a good idea, and the pair can be just as funny and interesting when they're not the center of the story.

"Viewing Party" Features Some Underrated Moments In The Office

Dwight Is The Perfect Caretaker For Cece, And Andy Eats Seahorse Extract

The later seasons of The Office are generally ranked lower than the early seasons, but I contend they are still some of the best seasons of comedy TV, even at their worst, and the highs of the later seasons are just as soaring as those found in the early seasons. There are some extremely funny parts of this episode, starting with someone hosting a giant party for an episode of Glee. Even before the era of streaming, a viewing party for this show for people of this age would be strange.

Michael says his favorite character in Glee is the "invalid," referring to Artie Abrams, who is played by Kevin McHale, an actor who appeared in The Office season 4, episode 5/6, "Launch Party", as the abducted pizza boy.

There's more, like Michael arguing with Gabe like a petulant child, and throwing pizza dough into his ceiling fan. Andy eats ground-up seahorse extract for sexual potency, but ends up just making himself sick. Dwight demands that Jim feed him pizza while he quiets Cece, and when Jim reluctantly gives him beer, Dwight's hiss of frustration at Jim is too good. The funniest moment of the episode comes when Pam comes out to Angela's car, where Angela is naked and waiting for Dwight.

Pam ignores the awkwardness of the situation, desperate for Cece to stop crying, and tells Angela that Dwight isn't coming. The two almost have a friendly moment when Angela asks if Dwight was upset, and Pam genuinely tries to tell Angela that she can do better. Angela immediately reverts to "Angela-mode" and tells Pam to leave. It's such a funny change of tone, and catches you completely off guard. "Viewing Party" is not better than "Dinner Party", but it's the perfect episode for those craving more social gathering comedy from The Office.