Review: 21336 The Office
Posted by Alice,The 44th addition to the LEGO Ideas range is 21336 The Office, which is based on the popular US TV series of the same name that ran for nine seasons between 2005 and 2013.
Having only recently binge-watched the whole lot earlier this year, I was very excited when this set was announced, so I hope it lives up to expectations.
As you might expect, this review contains spoilers because the set references many iconic moments from the show.
Summary
21336 The Office, 1,164 pieces.
£104.99 / $119.99 / €119.99 | 9.0p/10.3c/10.3c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
Perfect set for fans of the show.
- Lots of hidden details and references to specific episodes
- Accurate layout of the office
- Lots of minifigures
- So many stickers!
- Doesn't include the accounting desks or annex
- Missing a few characters
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Instructions and stickers
Almost all the details and references to the show are added to the set via stickers. There are around 63 stickers in total which is quite a lot for a set of this size. I am no expert sticker-applier, so I apologise in advance if you notice any that are slightly off-centre or wonky!
Minifigures
The set contains an impressive 15 minifigures depicting the majority of sitcom's main characters, although it could have perhaps done with a couple more of the regulars such as Andy Bernard and Erin.
Michael Scott, the regional manager of the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin, is almost always seen in a dark suit and tie, so his minifigure's navy suit is fairly accurate.
"Assistant to the regional manager" is Dwight Schrute. His usual office attire is a mustard coloured shirt with a brown suit jacket, so his minifigure's outfit is spot on. The hairpiece is a perfect representation of Dwight's curtain style hair.
Michael comes equipped with the oversized charity cheque from the season 4 episode 'Fun Run'. The sticker is identical to the real cheque in the show, with the exact amount of three hundred and forty dollars payable to Science and even has his signature. Dwight is holding one of his 'Schrute Bucks', his idea to motivate people in season 3 episode 'The Job'
Jim Halpert who begins working as a salesman, is mostly seen in a light blue shirt and dark tie so his minifigure torso is perfect. At the beginning of the series he has shaggy, longer hair so this is illustrated fairly well with this hairpiece.
Pam Beesley begins working for Dunder Mifflin as the receptionist. She is often seen wearing a pink cardigan (which if you google 'Pam's lucky pink cardigan' you will find it apparently has a specific meaning) so her minifigure's torso is a good likeness. She is usually seen wearing a skirt, so I assume that's what her minifigure is wearing, perhaps a denim one. It could be said that the hair is too brown as her real life hair is redder, and definitely not the same colour as Jim's.
Jim holds the letter he wrote to Pam, and Pam is holding the teapot that Jim gifts her for Christmas in season 2.
The next three characters work in Accounting together. Angela Martin is known to be very stern and unamused, so her face is a good likeness. I like the detail of her cat brooch on the torso. Oscar Martinez is often seen wearing a purple shirt, so this makes his minifigure recognisable. He has short, curly hair so this hairpiece works well.
The Kevin Malone minifigure is instantly recognisable as his on-screen character. He usually wears a brown suit jacket with unmatching trousers and the hairpiece resembles his balding head perfectly.
Angela has her 'Jazz Babies' picture which first appears in Season 2. Oscar probably has the most boring accessory, he is holding a calculator. Presumably it's because he's an accountant but perhaps it's to signify his pedantic nature to correct everyone.
Kevin has his famous pot of chilli which he spills in the opening of Season 5 episode 'Casual Friday'. This scene has become a popular meme and some fans even celebrate the day he dropped it!
Stanley Hudson, who works in sales, is a fairly serious man who has no patience for Michael's antics and, essentially, doesn't want to be at work. So his minifigures facial expression captures his apathetic nature well, and he's instantly recognisable with the moustache.
Phyllis Lapin Vance works on the desk opposite Stanley in sales. Her minifigure is wearing the outfit seen in season 5 episode 'Moroccan Christmas'. The torso contains excellent detail of her bright pink blouse with a brooch and scarf seen in the episode.
Stanley spends a lot of time doing Crosswords, so it's fitting that his minifigure comes equipped with one. He also has a pretzel, as his favourite day is 'Pretzel Day' at the office. Phyllis comes with knitting needles and a transparent 1x2 tile with a sticker of some knitting, which must be the mittens she knits for Michael's leaving present!
Ryan Howard begins as the intern. His minifigure uses the same torso as Jim, but perhaps a darker blue would've been more accurate for him.
Customer Service Representative Kelly Kapoor is wearing an outfit similar to one she's seen wearing in season 6 episode 'Murder'. She is often seen in bright clothing, so this one portrays her well.
Ryan is holding a phone which he is often seen using, probably sending out a 'Wuphf', and Kelly has her birthday cake from season 5 'Lecture Circuit' when Jim and Dwight become the heads of party planning and forget her birthday, then get her a cake with her name spelt wrong.
Meredith Palmer works in Supplier Relations. She has short bright red hair, so her hairpiece is fairly accurate. Her minifgure's outfit looks to be similar to one she is seen wearing at the beginning of season 6 episode 'Murder'
Creed Bratton is the quality assurance manager. It's interesting that the same torso as Michael has been used, as I think Creed is more commonly seen wearing a grey or black suit, but it still works, and he is instantly recognisable by his bald head.
Merditch comes alongside the bat that attacks her in season 3 'Business School' and a coffee cup which probably contains alcohol. I'm not 100% sure what Creed is supposed to be holding, but he's a mysterious man, so it could be anything!
Toby Flenderson is the miserable HR representative that no one, particularly Michael, really likes. I think the hairpiece isn't the best choice, as Toby has thinner hair, so this looks like too much. But his receding hairline is captured well. He always wears a brown suit so his minifigure is dressed accordingly and this makes him more recognisable.
Darryl Philbin begins working for Dunder Mifflin in the warehouse so is dressed in a utility shirt. He has the same hair piece as Oscar, but I think it works better for Darryl's afro hair.
In season 4 'Goodbye, Toby', Toby purchases a DSLR camera just to get a picture with Pam before he leaves to go to Costa Rica, so his minifigure's accessory is a good choice. Darryl is holding a take out menu for Terry's Diner which is seen behind his desk in season 4, episode 4 'Money'.
Some of the minifigures have 2 facial expressions, but to show them all would've resulted in too many pictures in this review, so I'll leave them as a surprise.
The Completed Model
The model measures about 30cm by 25cm and includes the three rooms where most of the action takes place: Michael's office, the conference room and part of the open-plan office area.
Some sections are missing, though, such as the accounting team's desks, which is a shame given that the characters are included in the set, the annex, and the break room/kitchenette. Of course adding all that would make the set rather large and expensive.
The layout is accurate to the real TV set, there is a lot of detail packed in, and also ample space for positioning minifigures.
A Dunder Mifflin sign adorns the wall next to the office's door at the back.
Michael's office section slides out from the back enabling its myriad details to be more clearly seen or played with.
Both the interior and exterior windows have stickers applied, showing venetian blinds in various states of disrepair.
Many of the pictures on the walls are held in place with just one stud, so it's a nuisance getting them all straight!
The fire in the bin in the corner references Dwight's fire drill in season 5 episode 'Stress Relief'
One detail you might notice in the first picture above is a 1x2 Technic brick in the wall between the doors, which represents where Andy Bernard punches a hole through it in season 3 episode 'The Return'. It's unfortunate, then that his minifigure is not included. The instructions suggest that it can be swapped with a normal 1x2 brick if you don't want the hole!
Michael Scott's office
There is a lot of detail packed into Michael's small office, from the items on his desk to the pictures on the wall. The use of sand green bricks for the walls matches the real TV set.
His famous 'world's best boss' mug, which he bought himself, appears on display on his desk. He also displays his Dundie award, also apparently for being the best boss in the world!
The phone on his desk even indicates that Jan is calling.
The pictures on the walls are stickers, matching the ones on the wall in the show.
There is also a hidden poop piece under his desk, referencing the present left by Todd Packer in season 2 episode 'The Carpet'.
Conference room
The conference room is where meetings, most office parties, as well as some TV interviews, take place.
You can recreate different scenes with interchangeable pieces. You can choose the Pyramid Scheme whiteboard from season 2 episode 'Michael's Birthday' or the 'Don't not bother Luke' whiteboard from season 7 episode 'Nepotism'.
The TV can be changed from the DVD logo hitting the corner in season 4 episode 'Launch Party', Ryan on webcam in the same episode and Michael and Dwight's 'Lazy Scranton' music video from season 3 episode 'The Merger'. There is also a sign saying 'Diversity Day - take 2' which can be changed to 'It is your birthday'.
Open-plan office
There are lots of details throughout the open-plan office which reference specific episodes. For example, behind the reception desk is the letter Jim faxes Dwight from "Future Dwight". Pam's computer displays an instant messaging conversation, presumably to Jim.
Dwight and Jim's desk island is also full of references. Dwight's computer monitor displays 'Shrute Family Farms'. A throwing star hidden in his drawer to represent his many hidden weapons, and the stapler set in Jell-o, when Jim pranks Dwight in the 'Pilot' episode, sits on top of the shelves.
There is a ring hidden in Jim's drawer, and his screen also displays an instant messaging chat conversation, presumably replying to Pam!
Phyllis and Stanley's desk island is behind Dwight. Stanley's desk has a toy car which can be seen in some episodes. Phyllis computer screen displays 'Bob Vance Vance Refrigeration', in reference to her husbands business. The desk on the end is occupied by Andy Bernard from season 3, so again it's unusual that his minifigure was not included.
Angela's cat, Garbage (or is it Bandit?) is hidden in a cabinet! In the series she keeps him in her desk cabinet or drawer, but her desk is not included, so this is the area where it would be.
Additionally, here you can see Pam's painting on the wall opposite reception.
Overall
I think it's an excellent tribute to the show and that it'll be very popular with fans of the sitcom, whether they are already LEGO fans or not. Sections are missing and characters too but overall I think the model does the show justice without becoming too large and expensive.
The overall build was an enjoyable experience, particularly discovering references along the way and recalling the funny scenes they relate to. There are far more than I have mentioned, so hopefully you'll have as much fun finding them as I did.
Value-for-money wise, of course I would have preferred it to have been cheaper, but for over 1,100 pieces and 15 minifigures, £104.99 / $119.99 / €119.99 does not seem too bad.
It'll be available from LEGO.com from 1st October.
130 likes
71 comments on this article
Definitely a nice addition to any city builders out there, highly usable to populate an office block (looking at you Daily Bugle!), thanks for the nice review.
Is Creed holding mung beans?
Not sure this set is good for minifig collectors but I do quite like the minifigs. However you can kill me but the stickers are disaster. Yea I read dozen of arguments why they cannot print so many unique pieces and whatever. However Lego presents their products as premium and stickers are red line for me. I can accept that in some small entry level sets but otherwise, everything else should be printed. I'm paying premium and I do expect premium.
That's way too many stickers for a $100+ set.
Nice review, especially of the characters. I hope to get this soon.
Now I'm just waiting for all the UK people to tell us how the UK version was better. :)
I'm in awe of how many details they crammed into the set.
"Missing a few characters" - damn right, where's David Brent?
I'm not a huge The Office fan so I appreciate mentioning the episodes that are referenced in the set.
Great minifigs. I recognized all the characters instantly. The office setting works great as an office even if you aren't a fan of The Office. Maybe fans will be able to get the minifigs + accessories from secondary sellers if they don't want the entire set. While I despise stickers at least they are put to good use by adding lots more episode references.
Overall a solid set. Not a fan of using Ideas for yet another licensed set but this set works, regardless.
I'll give a grade of B+ or an A-. It isn't the best a set could ever be but it's a set I'd absolutely get if I were a bigger fan of the show.
I'm not a megafan of the show, but I'm still disappointed by the minifigures. Some of the hair choices do not work and it's very visibly lazy to me whenever a licensed minifigure's head is reused from somewhere. You can always tell when a face isn't designed to the character and it really lets some of these ones down.
@TheIronBadger said:
""Missing a few characters" - damn right, where's David Brent?"
Yeah, I've only seen the Ricky Gervais version so this doesn't seem right :-p
Whata horrific ton of stickers... I remember the good old days when Ideas sets only came with printed bricks. Lego really jumped the shark on this one.
@darthnorman said:
"Definitely a nice addition to any city builders out there, highly usable to populate an office block (looking at you Daily Bugle!), thanks for the nice review."
Agreed! City builders rejoice!
I know some will say they would have liked the accounting section included but having built a model of my own section in work, making slightly different desks and cabinets get monotonous very quickly.
Does anyone else think the Stanley looks a bit more like Murtaugh from Lethal Weapon?
The DVD logo and pizza TV screens are both from Launch Party.
I'm wondering whether the fan designer who got his idea approved gets mentioned in the instructions, as is usually the case. If so, I'm interested if they mention the previously rejected The Office ideas at all.
Think I've seen one episode of the US Office, I need to give it another try once I've gotten through the rest of my to-watch list.
In the meantime, this would make a great parts pack for my brickfilms. So many great little office details that will look great for shots at minifigure eye level!
I don't know the series that well but it looks like a great set, all things considered (apart from too many stickers, the colour matching on the sand green of Michael's office really is awful). Might have to pick this up on discount.
That IS a crazy number of stickers. Oh well...
You could argue/hope for minifigs of Kelly and Andy as well, but with 15 already they've done an amazing job.
It could really be fun to expand this set, with the established aesthetics, to include the rest of the bullpen, the annex, the bathrooms, the kitchen, and the break room. The footprint would probably more than double, but I'd love to see it.
And yes, I think Creed is holding mung beans. They smell like death.
Where are the pics of the alterative faces?
@gatorbug6 said:
"Where are the pics of the alterative faces?"
If you read the review you'd know :)
At least it's not another sitcom appartment complex XD
At least they committed with that many minifigs. And the actual build looks nice and makes a lot of sense and has plenty of room for the figs to 'work'.
A bit of a shame another ideas slot was taken by a licensed IP, but they did a good job making it a good set. I'm just a bit sad about the people with previous rejected The Office ideas. Was it really fair to have this one approved after theirs were rejected?
that sand green teapot is pretty sweet
I am a very big fan of this series. I have watched the whole at least dozen times. With that said I think this set is absolutely amazing. It captures the whole vibe of the us version perfectly, has so many instantly recognizable figs and the layout is perfect. I also very much like the fact there is no studio lights added as in previous sitcom sets. They are useless. I must admit that there are too many stickers (I like stickers, but a bit more printed pieces gives more premium feel) and the lack of Andy and Erin is disappointing. But in general, for The Office fan, this is a dream come true!
Nice review!
I'm not a huge fan of The Office (I watched it back in the day but haven't really seen the need to revisit it), but I have several personal connections to it. My dad's family comes from Scranton (and the Terry of the real-life Terry's Diner is a family friend), while one of my mom's late relatives was an actor who portrayed Phyllis's elderly father in the episode with her wedding.
As for the subject matter of the set—it's fairly accurate to the layout of the TV set, and the characters are all fairly well-realized. I think fans of the show will enjoy this, and like the other sitcom-based sets, a lot of mundane "real-world" subject matter that rarely finds its way into themes like City is represented well here.
Without Andy, it's a no-buy. His exclusion is a bit shocking. It makes me wonder if they have another set planned. Not sure what it would be that would include Andy though. I don't think an "Annex" set would sale. I tell you what would sale is Michael's condo from the dinner party episode.
The blinds are have a space at minifigure eye level so you can duplicate the Jim looking through the blinds scene/meme
I am a super-fan of the show. Binge it with my son once a year. Even the 'superfan' episodes on Peacock, (which you can see why they left those deleted scenes out, most not that funny).
Anywho, this set is GREAT for Office fans plus any City collectors.
The figures and accessories are all great to have. For the first time, I don't mind the stickers since they're so many easter egg stuff you needed to get in.
I suspect, if this sells well, they'll do like with Friends, add in another set for sale with the accountants desks, Meredith and Creed's desks, Darryls office, kitchen, Annex and break room and include the figures missing: Andy (for crying out loud you have the hole he punched in the wall), Erin, Jan, Wallace, Holly, Packer, Roy, Gabe, Jo Bennett, Robert California, Mose, Miner, Bob Vance, Dwight Jr. and Plop, and Nellie.
What would be neat is if they did The Office CMF's. So many christmas characters, Michael's characters, Dwight's and so on. Every actor has multiple looks and persona's.
Love it all, first day purchase!
I think Creed's holding a potato. In S03E20 they are betting on things and Creed is eating an apple. They bet he wouldn't notice when they switch the apple with the potato. Indeed a mysterious man...
- Stanley's wig piece a little too much hair for him. Don't know a wig piece that would work for him?
- Creed didn't need to have Michael's same torso. He usually has a grey jacket or wearing a pin striped dress shirt, tie and suspenders. Needed to put a guitar for Creed too (the Grassroots lead guitarist at one time).
- I think that silver stud on top of Michael's cabinet is supposed to be a Radon detector that Toby put around the office. Michael thought it was an ant trap or something like that.
- Toby's hair, like Stanley too high?
@Potters
Ha, yeah, that's possible. I thought it was his mung beans, but yeah, could be a half eaten potato, LOL.
@FlyingMastodon said:
"Without Andy, it's a no-buy. His exclusion is a bit shocking. It makes me wonder if they have another set planned. Not sure what it would be that would include Andy though. I don't think an "Annex" set would sale. I tell you what would sale is Michael's condo from the dinner party episode. "
They should do "dinner party". Andy and Jan would get mini figures. It is also consistently voted best episode and there are a ton of references they could make
@Potters said:
"I think Creed's holding a potato. In S03E20 they are betting on things and Creed is eating an apple. They bet he wouldn't notice when they switch the apple with the potato. Indeed a mysterious man..."
Lego often uses Funko as references for characters and accessories. Confirming these are mung beans https://www.bigapplecollectibles.com/products/the-office-funko-pop-creed-with-mung-beans-pre-order
@blidablat Kelly's in the set, you mean Erin?
Guessing this is a US exclusive?
@woosterlegos said:
"Nice review, especially of the characters. I hope to get this soon.
Now I'm just waiting for all the UK people to tell us how the UK version was better. :) "
Well, I won’t make you wait very long. It was.
@Alice
The sticker of Michael and Dwight is from the Merge Episode when they are raping about Scranton.
I believe the title of their wrap is “straight outta Scranton”
Thank you for the great review, day 1 purchase for me as I absolutely love the show. I’m very impressed with the details and especially the minifigs. They represent their characters so well!
"Assistant Regional Manager"
This set looks like a blast for fans.
With the No Smoking sign, is this the first reference to smoking since the No Smoking stickers in the old Exxon Station?
Never watched an episode of the Office in my life but really want this for parts for my city
I'm pretty convinced Creed is holding casino chips he steals in the 'Casino Night' episode ;)
Really great set !
@Biff_Superman said:
"Is Creed holding mung beans?"
Ah yes mung beans would make sense!
@saelenol I did consider casino chips too.
@Jersey_Brick_Guy
I thought the rap was titled that too but apparently it’s ‘Lazy Scranton’
https://theoffice.fandom.com/wiki/Lazy_Scranton
I'm a big fan of The Office (US) and have watched since season 1 and bought the DVDs or Blu Rays for the first 7 or so seasons (until streaming became a thing). I'll definitely get this, but since most of my Lego sets are displayed as part of a city layout in the basement, I'll need to get a ton of bricks to built the 4th wall (so to speak) and a roof. Not sure if I'll also build out the missing desks in that room, but I definitely won't bother with the kitchen, bathrooms, rarely seen stairwell, or the annex or the other offices on that level.
Has anyone else ever wondered where the table in the conference room goes when they have chairs set up in there for a meeting? It just vanishes! ;)
I thought the music video sticker had Jesse Pinkman from Breaking Bad
I've never seen either version of The Office, but if I were inclined to drop $120 on a set just to get a minifigure, I'd get this one just to have a Steve Carell.
Good review, I do agree with the negatives. But since I love The Office... yeah a must have.
This set just reminds me of the people packs LEGO used to sell not long ago like "Fun in the park", "Fun at the beach", etc. Too bad they stopped doing them...or maybe not? Perhaps this is a comeback: "Fun at the office"!
Never Seen it, but I hope the next set is "Wings" 90's sitcom.
@saelenol said:
"I'm pretty convinced Creed is holding casino chips he steals in the 'Casino Night' episode ;)
Really great set !"
But you'd have 'em as red and black studs. They're the mung beans.
I have seen only a few scenes from the show but the detail in the office is impressive. And the characters, wow, so many. This set will surely make the fans of the show happy.
@legoDad42 said:
" @saelenol said:
"I'm pretty convinced Creed is holding casino chips he steals in the 'Casino Night' episode ;)
Really great set !"
But you'd have 'em as red and black studs. They're the mung beans."
Or other brighter colors, but not those fadded ones Lego chose ! Mung beans make more sense, you're right :)
Andy Bernard is one of the most obnoxious TV show characters. I don't miss him at all. ;-)
Omitting the alternate faces, especially the ones of new head pieces, is not befitting of a review. What is the point of reviewing when the information is incomplete? There is near infinite space for pictures in articles. Alternatively the torso backside pics could have been omitted as they all had nothing unexpected and could have been left plain. Or the hairpieces could have been removed for the taking of backside pictures as has been done for basically every other review on this site.
@Anonym, thank you for your feedback.
We have a general policy of not revealing every little detail and building technique in our reviews so as to leave some to be discovered when you build it yourself.
Fantastic, as a huge fan of the show, I can’t wait to add this to my collection!
I guess I’m in the minority but I’m tired of yet another TV set in the Lego Ideas line. I get it the show was super popular. Will say the volume of figures is awesome. Also tired of stickers in a so called premium product.
Do we know which faces have been reused? Meredith is Molly Weasley I believe. Do we know which other prints have been recycled?
I love the Office so much - Ok, I admit I mean the Uk version lol. It’s not so much that it ‘better’ but its different & most importantly it has Ricky Gervais in it!! It’s his show x I just wished we could have got a UK show instead of all US ones especially as it was from here in the first place xxx Nice review thanks but I will be skipping this one & it’s stickers!
I’m weird. I like both versions of The Office. For different reasons.
I’m not a superfan though. If I were I’d probably have to pick one wouldn’t I? :D
Initially wasn't going to buy this, but there is so much detail that it might have changed my mind. Love the Homer Simpson doll representation above and to the right of Phyllis' desk!
Wish it wouldn't have to rely on so many stickers though.
I gotta be honest. That many stickers makes me not want to buy the set. That's just obscene.
@Biff_Superman said:
"Is Creed holding mung beans?"
This was my guess. Very nutritious, but they smell like death.
I think Creed is holding the potato he ate like an apple during S3E20 'Safety Training'.
Yeah, it looks nice and regarding partcount and amount of minifigs the price seems okay. But unfortunately there are just too many stickers. If we could atleast be sure, they could survive 30 years, as many stickers I know from sets of the 80s. But to me, the risk of failing stickers kills it - no buy here!
But Thanks for the review, Alice!
Just purchased The Office set (with Ray the Castaway offered) :-)
What was Lego thinking, leaving Andy out?
I think I've managed to find all of the Easter Eggs after watching The Office multiple times but I cannot figure out what's on Stanley's computer screen!
Anyone know the reference?
@TBillz said:
"I think I've managed to find all of the Easter Eggs after watching The Office multiple times but I cannot figure out what's on Stanley's computer screen!
Anyone know the reference?"
Yes that is the current (at the time) Dunder Mifflin website which has apparently been under construction for many years. Jim references this when Ryan announces that he is working on a new website as part of Dunder Mifflin Infinity, which I guess was his project once he went to work at the corporate office.
I'm about half done building this and have two questions. What is the blue piece of machinery behind Pam's desk between the (I think) paper shredder and some white drawers? Also, above that there is a sticker that looks like a blue and white checkered tablecloth that hangs right above the shredder. I don't recall this reference.
@Potters said:
"I think Creed's holding a potato. In S03E20 they are betting on things and Creed is eating an apple. They bet he wouldn't notice when they switch the apple with the potato. Indeed a mysterious man..."
He is holding Mung Beans, They smell like death. :-D