As the series tries to reestablish itself in preparation for his absence, the season will ideally play out like this episode did: with a mix of high jinks and heart.
It's not something most comedy writers ever get much practice at, but thanks to the Jim and Pam of it all, The Office has had many opportunities to figure out how to make love's big milestones feel big, and funny and sweet.
The really ingenious element of "The Search" is the way that, for even the space of a single episode, we don't just imagine The Office without Carell, we kind of look forward to it.
The thing The Office does best is to be funny. The other thing it does really well (and gets less credit for) is to explore the melancholy. This has provided both catharsis and escapism during the recession.
