An emergency call from Helene forces Jim to abandon Michael at a gas station restroom, and Holly, Erin, and Dwight set out to rescue him. Gabe becomes offended at submissions to caption Pam's latest work of art.
WAR
81.8
Wins Above Replacement
“The Search” ranks #128 of 183 The Office episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 85.9 — Elite. The episode packs 74 scored jokes at 3.3 per minute, averaging 7.2 on craft and 7.0 on impact, with Michael landing the most laughs. Every joke is ranked below with its individual craft and impact scores.
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Top Jokes
Jim · Holly: Orville Tootenbacher, that's Michael's millionaire character that... Farts popcorn.
Jim Holly Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Callback Dwight: You drive. I got a car full of fox meat.
Dwight Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Pam: 'Is that a palm tree, or did Gabe get skinnier? Either way, let's pee on it.'
Pam Character Comedy Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Michael · Hot Dog Vendor: What do you do with the hotdogs that you don't sell? / Throw 'em away. / Well, okay, instead of throwing them all away later, why don't you just throw one away now into my mouth.
Oscar: You know what, Ryan? I talked to the other gay guys, and we're okay with it. We all agreed it's fine for you to get married.
Oscar Deadpan/Understatement Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Standout Moments
Dwight: You drive. I got a car full of fox meat.
Dwight Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Jim · Holly: Orville Tootenbacher, that's Michael's millionaire character that... Farts popcorn.
Jim Holly Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Callback Pam: 'Is that a palm tree, or did Gabe get skinnier? Either way, let's pee on it.'
Pam Character Comedy Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch All Jokes — 74 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Kelly: Over the weekend, Ryan Bailey Howard and I got divorced.
Kelly Setup/Punchline Misdirection ★ Rewatch Kelly · Ryan: Ryan and Kelly announce their divorce before anyone knew they were married
Kelly Ryan Setup/Punchline Misdirection ★ Rewatch Meredith: Sweet. Free ring.
Meredith Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Kelly · Ryan: Ryan was crying a lot. That's not a relevant detail.
Ryan: No, with the messed-up laws in this country, I don't want to be married until everyone can be married.
Ryan Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Oscar: You know what, Ryan? I talked to the other gay guys, and we're okay with it. We all agreed it's fine for you to get married.
Oscar Deadpan/Understatement Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Kelly · Ryan: Ryan, I changed my mind. / Okay, fine. You know what? This actually isn't amicable at all, and we actually do need people to take sides.
Michael: Why is it such a certainty that we're supposed to be together? Why does the sun rise in the morning? Why do magnets stick together? Because everybody says so. Everybody.
Michael · Holly: I just don't agree. / Well, you don't have to agree. / Yes, I do. / No, you don't. / Yes, I do. / No, you can have your own opinion... / I have my own opinion, and my opinion is to disagree with you.
Jim: He's gonna be a lot of fun to drive around in a car with.
Jim Deadpan/Understatement Reaction Beat Pam: Just make a game out of it. A funny Jim game.
Pam Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Jim: Three hints: One, when you're getting colder, you're really getting warmer.
Jim Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Jim: You have a better chance if you think Bob Vance.
Jim Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Angela: Holly is ruining Michael's life. He thinks she's so special. And she's so not. Her personality is like a three, her sense of humor is a two, her ears are like a seven and a four.
Angela Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Angela: Add it all up, and what do you get? 16. And he treats her like she's a perfect 40.
Angela Character Comedy Escalation ★ Rewatch Callback Michael · Jim: Just drive faster. I wanna get back. / Well, I'm going the speed limit. / Okay, fine. My feelings don't matter to you. What matters to you is your precious speed limit.
Michael: Sex different after the baby, Jim?
Michael Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Michael · Jim: I need to pee! / No, you don't. / Yeah, I do. My word against yours.
Michael: I'm upset, my bladder is full, there is no telling what I might do, right now, all over the inside of your precious little car.
Helene: A tiny thing. I locked her in the car.
Helene Setup/Punchline Misdirection ★ Rewatch Jim: Michael runs into the gas station bathroom to tell the occupant to call the office — then sprints away, leaving Michael stranded.
Jim Physical/Slapstick Character Comedy Jim · Pam: You're not holding a cup of coffee or anything, are you? / Jim, what?
Jim Pam Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Pam: I will put out an A.P.B. — otherwise known as an 'Ask Pam Beasley.'
Pam Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Michael · Gas Station Attendant: He ditched you, man. I saw him drive away. / There's no way he ditched me. There's no way that happened. He's my...
Michael: Actually, this is good. I am going to take this opportunity to go walkabout.
Dwight: Problem solved, everyone. Space Orphan and Princess Nincompoop are off to rescue Michael.
Dwight Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Pam: Very funny, everyone. Who wrote captions under my doodle? / I'm not even kidding. They're pretty good.
Pam Character Comedy Reaction Beat Kevin · Pam: 'I'm a suck-suck-suckety Sabre.' / Boo-yah! No. No, no. No, no, no.
Unknown Office Worker: 'I'm supposed to be wearing red gloves, but my color cartridge portal got jammed again.'
Darryl: Not once have I used the real captions to Family Circus. That crazy family is hilarious to her for one reason... Me.
Darryl Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Pam: Oh, it is on like Genghis Khan wearing Sean John in Bhutan.
Pam Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Dwight: Male, Caucasian, 40s, black hair, facial type marsupial. He answers to Michael, Michael G. Scott, Michael J. Fox, Mr. Fox, the Incredible Mr. Fox.
Dwight Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Dwight · Holly · Erin: Stupid question. He went back to the office, obviously, which is that way. / Oh, really? You don't think he walked by that bakery just for the smell of it? / She's right. He went that way.
Dwight: Don't get a swelled head. You're no tracker.
Dwight Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Michael: Michael talking to pigeons: 'You guys are so beautiful. You're so colorful. I wish I could understand you. That's a metaphor, I guess.'
Michael Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Michael: Michael wonders if the duck situation is 'a metaphor'
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Michael: You are disgusting. You'll never find love. Lecch.
Michael Character Comedy Escalation ★ Rewatch Callback Michael: Do you think she needs more time, or it's just never gonna happen?
Michael Character Comedy Reaction Beat Dwight · Pam: Pam, this isn't a shopping trip. This is a manhunt-slash-rescue mission. / Okay, I just... When you're done, or any time it's convenient, I just thought since you're out... / Pam, I'm obviously gonna get that stuff for you, so just shut up. God.
Dwight Pam Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Pam: Okay, it's two giant dogs with two giant palm trees on a regular-sized island.
Pam Observational Visual Gag Gabe: Gabe announces caption contest rules, including no pop culture references, no insults to the company, and mandating 'sticky quips.'
Gabe Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Gabe: I like to use sticky quips as regular post-it notes when I'm in a fun mood. Not every day.
Gabe Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Pam · Oscar · Kevin · Gabe: The office workers conducting the caption contest via secret I.M. chat to circumvent Gabe's rules — and Gabe intercepting it.
Michael: I would like a hot dog, please. Now, I don't have any money, so here is what I would like to do. I leave you here with my watch, and I come back later and I pay for the hotdog.
Michael · Hot Dog Vendor: With that, I could buy... Half the menu. / I can't just go giving away hotdogs.
Michael · Hot Dog Vendor: What do you do with the hotdogs that you don't sell? / Throw 'em away. / Well, okay, instead of throwing them all away later, why don't you just throw one away now into my mouth.
Michael: You've just lost my business.
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Holly · Dwight · Erin · Cell Phone Clerk: Cell phone store scene: Holly is 'just changing my cell phone plan' / clerk calls her 'Fanny Smellmore' / Holly realizes it's a fake name Michael used.
Michael: Michael's restaurant dine-and-dash attempt — 'I think I left my wallet in my car. Do you mind if I run out and get it?' followed by returning to confess.
Michael Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Michael · Restaurant Owner: But the point is I did the right thing. / You did not. You have no money, but you dined, and you dined so much.
Michael: Well, the number three is not such a giant feast.
Michael Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Michael: Well, I think I can get through the door.
Ryan: You crushed our spirits, Gabe. Congrats. You're a big man, huh? Takes a lot to destroy the creativity of a whole group of people.
Ryan Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Jim · Phyllis: Click the 'x'. / I'm clicking! / In the box. / I am clicking. / Woman, you've had a computer for years!
Phyllis · Gabe: Phyllis accidentally sending the IM caption to Gabe — Gabe receives it and responds 'Oh. Ha. An I.M. chat. Very clever. I'll just print that out.'
Unknown Office Worker: 'Darn it, Bob, I told you not to buy a Sabre brand lifeboat.'
Unknown Office Worker: 'Wake up, Fred. The power cord on your Sabre printer shocked you into a coma, and you're dreaming you're a dog on a desert island.'
Gabe: How does the speaker know what the guy in the coma is dreaming?
Gabe Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Gabe: You don't have to sniff my rear end anymore, Bob. I'm the only one here. Ha.
Gabe Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Pam: Please. It was easy once I decided I wanted the dog to piss on Gabe.
Pam Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Callback Dwight · Holly: Where did he go, Holly? / I have no idea. / Do you see a little clown that you wanna follow, huh? Is there a little bird that's chirping to you, 'this way, this way.'
Holly · Erin · Dwight: Okay. Close your eyes. We need you to think. What is Michael seeing right now? / Can you tell him that we miss him? / Michael, we're coming for you! / Will you stop?
Dwight · Erin: Someone propose a plan. / Okay. / We fan out... / Not you, Erin.
Holly: I can do this on my own. I can think like Michael. All right... I'm deep below the ocean's surface in a submarine. A torpedo's coming right at me. No. Damn it, that's just my own imagination.
Holly Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Holly: Maybe he's bowling.
Holly Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Michael: I just miss you so much.
Michael Character Comedy Reaction Beat ★ Rewatch Pam: 'Oh, thank God, I had a horrible nightmare that I was stuck in America with Gabe.'
Pam Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Callback Office Staff: 'I know what it smells like but I didn't roll in anything. It's from listening to all of Gabe's bullshit.'
Gabe: Isn't this the perfect romantic getaway, Erin? Sitting on a desert island in dog costumes?
Gabe Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Erin: I'm Gabe and... I'm a weirdo.
Erin Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Kevin · Meredith · Kevin: Gabe's mom... / Mm, Gabe's mom? / Wait, tall woman? Looks like Gabe? / Yeah, I banged her. / Yeah, there you go.
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