Kelly Kapoor started off as one of the background characters in The Office, but her bubbly personality eventually began to emerge and take shape, pushing Kelly to the forefront of the series, with Mindy Kaling becoming one of the funniest actors in an already extremely funny cast. Kaling’s contributions to The Office have been as substantial off-screen as they have on. TV Line reports that the actor/writer has been promoted to executive producer on The Office.
While I hope the added responsibilities that may come with the gig don’t result in less Kelly around Dunder Mifflin Scranton, there’s certainly cause to celebrate. As many funny moments as Kelly has (my favorite of which might be the time she explained how Netflix works), Kaling is credited as the writer of some fantastic episodes. So, to celebrate her promotion, here’s a list of some of her best episodes (and if you have Netflix Streaming, you can click the titles to watch them there!):
The Dundies - Her first official episode, Kaling wrote the Season 2 premiere, which featured Michael awarding the staff with ridiculous (and sometimes offensive) “Dundie” awards. This was the episode Pam got drunk, laid a smooch on Jim and was later banned from Chili’s for life.
The Injury - Another Season 2 episode, Michael burned his foot on a George Foreman grill. The episode’s best moment? Dwight up-chucking all over his car after crashing it into the gate on his way to rush to Michael’s house. A concussed Dwight is a funny Dwight.
Diwali - Michael proposes to Carol while she's dressed as a cheerleader. Ryan is compared to Zach Braff, and most notably, Jim and Andy get trashed at the Connecticut office and sing an Indigo Girls song together. The episode is both hilarious and culturally relevant.
Ben Franklin - This episode is as much a treasure as the liberty bell. In honor of Phyllis’ upcoming wedding, a bachelorette party is thrown and instead of a stripper, a Ben Franklin impersonator is hired to entertain the women with historical facts. I’m not sure what was funnier, Ben Franklin's awkward (borderline creepy) flirting with Pam, or when, after Michael puts an end to the female stripper’s act, Dwight forces the woman to work off the rest of her time by answering phones.
Night Out - Another classic, while most of the staff is stuck at the office after working late and finding the gate to the parking garage locked, Michael, Dwight and Ryan have an adventurous night out in New York City, which involved a women’s basketball team and someone who may or may not have been a mythical being from a Tolkien novel.
Frame Toby - Not only is this episode a fine example of the real kind of drama that can happen in an office, with Pam getting frustrated over the state of the microwave, this was also the episode in which Jim bought his parents house and presented it to her as a gift. It’s romantic and sweet and it encapsulates everything that’s great about Jim and Pam’s relationship.
Niagara - Sharing the credit with Greg Daniels, this is arguably Kaling’s best episode. I say this because I can’t get through it without crying. I’ve tried. The two-parter features Jim and Pam’s wedding(s), which take the staff out of Pennsylvania and up to Niagara Falls. The episode balances romance, humor and a little bit of drama beautifully, all the while giving the event all of the attention it deserves. It’s a winner.
Congrats to Mindy Kaling! We're cheering like Pam after too much second-drink:
The Office returns September 22nd on NBC.
