 " Michael 's Birthday " received very positive reviews . Michael Sciannamea of TV Squad wrote that the episode was " simply the best one yet " , and that it " was so brilliant and so right on that I can 't give it any higher praise " . Sciannamea went on to write that " the scenes at the ice rink were hysterical " and The Office " is the best sitcom on TV " . M. Giant of Television Without Pity graded the episode with an " A " . Lindsey Thomas of Rolling Stone magazine named the scene wherein Michael confuses the term " negative " to mean that Kevin has skin cancer as the seventeenth greatest moment in the series . Brendan Babish of DVD Verdict was moderately pleased with the entry and awarded it a " B + " . He called the entry a " good episode " , but noted that it was helped by " great supporting work from Dwight " , who he called " as not only the best supporting character on the show , but perhaps the best in television . " 
