The Absolute Best Deleted Scenes From The Office

The fake fire that led to Stanley's heart attack has become the stuff of Office legend. It was, of course, a great scene in and of itself, from the baroque escalation of Dwight's cigarette in a trash can to the moment Angela's cat falls out of the ceiling. But social media has given the clip new life, circulating everywhere from Tumblr to Twitter. Stanley collapsing is just the cherry on top of a strange and smoke-filled comedy sundae.

This deleted scene would have given it a hilarious postscript, however, and an all-time great Michael vs. Toby moment. The Office was, above all, built on the inherent tension of "cringe comedy," and this scene epitomizes that — and even adds a dash of horror. You're fairly certain Michael won't actually electrocute someone, but this is a show on which you can't be absolutely sure that won't happen. After all, someone already had a heart attack, and there was that episode all about Michael hitting Meredith with his car. 

By the time Michael wends his way to the annex and asks for a handshake from his greatest enemy, you're nearly convinced that Michael might just send a second employee to the hospital. The tension breaks, Michael is angry, Toby is once again laid low. But for a moment, the audience hangs perfectly suspended between horror and hilarity.