While The Office are hard to sit through on purpose, crafting some of the most effectively cringe-inducing comedy in TV history. However, other episodes are unintentionally cringe-worthy, with forced drama, out-of-character moments, or unfunny gags ruining their momentum.

Most of The Office’s weakest moments are very much part of the series, whether we like to it it or not. The Office’s infamous Brian the Camera Guy arc might not have worked, but the entire premise of the storyline was tied up in The Office’s status as a mockumentary and the show's longstanding Jim/Pam romance. The story itself might have fallen flat, but there is no denying that it wouldn’t have made sense in any other series. However, one of the worst episodes of The Office has a much more tenuous link to the series.

“The Farm” Is Very Much Not An Episode Of The Office

“The Farm” Was A Backdoor Pilot And It Truly Shows

In season 9, episode 17, “The Farm,” Dwight attends his Aunt Shirley’s funeral at his family farm, bringing Oscar but none of the rest of the office’s inhabitants. As Oscar runs from the funeral shortly after their arrival, the majority of the episode’s action is dedicated to Dwight’s reunion with his family , including his brother Jeb, his cousin Mose and Zeke, his sister Fannie, his nephew Cammy, and his uncle Heinrich.

Although there was a forgettable B-story involving David Kouchner’s odious Packer returning to Dunder-Miflin and fruitlessly attempting to convince his old colleagues that he had changed, “The Farm” focused almost entirely on the titular location. The reason “The Farm” doesn’t feel like an episode of The Office is that it wasn’t one, or rather, it wasn't an episode of the series in the traditional sense. As The Office’s final season wrapped up its storyline, the show’s former showrunner Paul Lieberstein was busy planning a spinoff starring Dwight.

Judging by the largely negative critical and fan reception of “The Farm,” it is relatively easy to see why this spinoff show never materialized.

The show, titled The Farm, would have followed the episode’s storyline and seen Dwight run the farm he inherited from his Aunt Shirley with his mismatched family. Hijinks would no doubt ensue, but viewers never got to bear witness to these since the show wasn’t picked up by NBC. Judging by the largely negative critical and fan reception of “The Farm,” it is relatively easy to see why this spinoff show never materialized.

Why The Office’s Dwight Schrute Spinoff Didn’t Move Forward

The Limited Appeal of “The Farm” Was Evident From Its Reception

As darker original UK version of The Office, it is easy to see why The Farm wouldn’t have worked as a series. The show started zany and only got progressively more absurd as the episode continued, meaning there was almost nowhere for the show to go after its pilot episode.

Rainn Wilson’s character would have been the spinoff's protagonist, and his worst side was amplified without The Office's characters to rein him in throughout “The Farm.”

Furthermore, there was the problem of the show’s unlikable hero. Dwight was very funny in the context of The Office, where his loyalty to Michael and his rivalry with Jim kept his self-centered attitude and creepy side contained. In The Farm, Rainn Wilson’s character would have been the spinoff's protagonist, and his worst side was amplified without The Office's characters to rein him in throughout “The Farm.” Thus, it is a good thing that viewers were spared any further trips to the farm after this ill-fated lone outing.

At Least “The Farm” Was Just An Episode And Not A Whole Show

The Office’s Worst Outing At Least Shut Down A Terrible Spinoff Premise

Although it is hard to deny that “The Farm” doesn't work, it is at least mercifully brief. It is a good thing that The Farm wasn’t picked up, since the legacy of a failed spinoff might have tarnished the fond memories viewers have of The Office. While Joey didn’t ruin the legacy of Friends, it is worth noting that Friends remained fairly popular in its later seasons and departed with more audience goodwill. The Office season 9 was bad long before “The Farm,” and a failed spinoff could have left viewers wondering why they ever liked the show.

Although there were a few laughs to be had on the titular farm, Dwight wasn’t a good protagonist for a show of his own and the setting didn’t hold much promise. The awkward tonal uncertainty of the pilot, combined with the lack of laughs, means it was ultimately good that The Office’s worst episode didn’t end up spawning an entirely separate show after “The Farm" was released to little fanfare.

Source: The AVClub