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How can you not love Andrew Bernard? Sure, the Nard Dog (not to be confused with the Nard Man) had his faults, but the Cornell loving, a cappella singing goofball slowly transitioned from conniving jerk to affable idiot over the final six seasons of The Office. Portrayed with magnetic whimsy by bonafide movie star Ed Helms, Andy was anything you needed him to be. From smarmy villain to dopey love interest to Regional Manager of Dunder Mifflin, the pride of Cornell doesn’t receive nearly enough credit for providing countless laugh out loud moments. Helms’ innate charisma and infectious humor even turned a simple word like “tuna” into a constant source of hilarity.
If you’re a fan of “Annnndy and the Tuna,” this three-minute supercut of Tuna tomfoolery is definitely worth your time.
The Nard Dog added so much fun to this classic NBC sitcom, but the character of Andy is mostly remembered for his medley of terrific musical moments. If you’re the type of person who likes to think one-step ahead (like a carpenter who makes stairs), don’t worry. Many of Andy’s best musical scenes made our list.
Two weeks ago we celebrated the very best of that beet-loving maniac known as Dwight K. Schrute. Today, we revisit the 10 best Andy Bernard episodes of The Office.
"The Convict" (Season 3, Episode 9)
“The Convict” is best known for introducing Prison Mike, but the Jim-Andy-Pam B story is an under-appreciated gem. Desperate for companionship, Andy asks Jim for some advice on how to woo Pam, which is not a super great plan. Halpert’s inability to ignore a prank takes over as he sabotages Andy by giving him a list of things Pam hates, which include singing in a sexy high falsetto voice, Six Flags commercials, and frisbee-based competitions.
Bonus points for Andy’s dynamite romantic ice-breaker: “Pam-a-lama-ding-dong. Listen, you’re cute. There’s no getting around it.”
"The Return" (Season 3, Episode 13)
Ed Helms is a tour de force in “The Return.”
This Season 3 episode is a masterclass of heightening as Andy becomes increasingly unhinged due to Jim and Pam stealing his phone, which is an admittedly dick move, and the deterioration of his relationship with Michael. From Helms’ brilliant delivery of the line “Large Tuna. Have you seen my cell phone device?” to Andy punching a hole in the wall out of frustration, “The Return” is a top to bottom classic.
“You, me, bars, beers, buzzed. Wings. Shots. Drunk. Waitresses, hot. Football. Cornell/Hofstra. Slaughter. Then a quick nap at my place and we’ll hit the tiz-own.”
As it turns out, it wouldn’t be the last battle between Andy and the wall.
"Product Recall" (Season 3, Episode 20)
Jim and Andy may have had a contentious relationship during Season 3, but “Product Recall” features a touching bonding moment between the two as they sing a little ditty from The Lion King. Andy’s repeated use of “beer me” and slow realization that he’s dating a high school student are memorable, but my favorite bit of the episode is his earnest response to Jim’s request to listen to music:
Jim: What about music? Do you have any music?
Andy: Uh, yeah. Should have said so. [Begins singing] Rha-dah-dah-dah! Give me the beat, boys, and free my soul. I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away-he-hay. Ruu-da-doo-da-doo, ba-dit-da-doo-da-dun, Give me the beat, boys, and free my little-ole-soul, I…
Jim: I was thinkin’ about more like a CD or… a CD.
"Launch Party" (Season 4, Episode 3)
Okay, the Angela and Andy romance wasn’t exactly the paradigm of #relationshipgoals, but you have to admit that Andy’s musical declaration of love was all kinds of adorable.
The pendulum of Andy Bernard’s likability wildly oscillated from cringe-worthy weirdo to well-meaning goofball, but regardless of his actions, Ed Helms’ palpable charm transformed Andy into a character we wanted to see succeed. It obviously didn’t last with Angela, but this scene helped endear the Nard Dog to Office fans.
"Local Ad" (Season 4, Episode 5)
Humor is an inexact science. I have no idea why Andy forgetting the conclusion to the Kit Kat jingle is so freaking funny but it is. It really, truly is. It’s simple, silly humor that just inexplicably works.
Along with Andy asking Dwight (of all people) for romantic advice regarding Angela, we’re also treated to the catchy Dunder Mifflin jingle (The people person’s paper people).
“Break me off a piece of that Fancy Feast.”
"The Duel" (Season 5, Episode 12)
When it comes to Office romances, Andy and Angela are no Jim and Pam. While the mis-matched pair did provide a few laughs, their romance was doomed from the start thanks to a beet aficionado with an encyclopedic knowledge of bears. I am of course talking about Kevin.
Andy and Dwight’s “duel” (aka Andy pinning Dwight with this car) is a delight. Surprisingly, the two find common ground as Andy calls off the wedding and they both dump Angela.
Andy: You’re like a Sasquatch who lives in the woods.
Dwight: Sasquatches are the strongest animals on the planet! So, fine. Call me a Sasquatch.
"Andy's Play" (Season 7, Episode 3)
First, the cast from the Loose Screw Playhouse really know how to put on an entertaining rendition of Sweeney Todd. Second, this episode is a nice reminder that the offbeat romance between Andy and Erin had its moments (more on that below).
Even though the play doesn’t go exactly as planned, the episode ends on a cheerful note as the office rallies around Andy and they all sing a rendition of Macy Gray’s “I Try,” which is how I’d prefer 75% of all sitcom episodes end.
Bonus hilarity: A confused Dwight holding a knife in the cold open because he doesn’t quite understand what’s going on.
"Get the Girl" (Season 8, Episode 19)
The Office never truly figured out how to deal with the departure of Steve Carell, but can you blame them? How do you replace a character like Michael Scott? You can’t. He was too ingrained into the fabric of the sitcom.
When Andy took over as regional manager, his character toggled between the Andy we knew and something resembling Michael Scott-light. There are still some solid Season 8 and 9 episodes, but Andy’s inconsistency torpedoed his romance with Erin. Their relationship, however, did have some genuinely touching moments. For instance, when Andy travels to Florida to recapture Erin’s heart. This act results in a sweet reconciliation between the two weirdos.
Let’s just forget about the fact that he later abandons Erin for a boat.
"Livin' The Dream" (Season 9, Episode 21)
Andy didn’t leave Dunder Mifflin on the best of terms. He left Pennsylvania’s favorite paper company to pursue his dreams, which is noble. But he also literally took a dump on David Wallace’s car to ensure he’d never be hired back, which is, well, less noble.
Watching the Nard Dog toggle between staying at his day job and pursing his passion is hilarious, but the episode ends with yet another memorable musical moment from Ed Helms as he performs a beautiful rendition of “I Will Remember You.”
“I can’t have good old Dunder Mifflin to fall back on or else I’ll never succeed. Gotta burn those boats! So I need you to go into my file and put down that I was fired for theft and/or groping wieners.”
"The Finale" (Season 9, Episode 23)
Despite earning ignominious fame as viral sensation Baby Wawa, there’s a happily ever after at the end of Andy’s story. The final episode of The Office shows Andy at peace with himself as he finds genuine satisfaction in his new job at, you guessed it, Cornell University. Ever heard of it?
Sure, the Nard Dog gave us a plethora of memorable comedic moments, but he also delivered one of the most poignant quotes in sitcom history:
“I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days before you’ve actually left them.”
