Search Committee

"Search Committee" is the two-part finale of the seventh season of the American television comedy series The Office. It comprises the 151st and 152nd episodes of the series overall and the 25th and 26th episodes of the seventh season. It originally aired on NBC on May 19, 2011 in the United States. In the episode, Deangelo's replacement is sought out through a search committee process led by Jim (John Krasinski). Meanwhile, Angela (Angela Kinsey) becomes engaged to her state senator boyfriend, Robert (Jack Coleman), while the rest of the office believes he is gay.

The episode was written by show runner and executive producer Paul Lieberstein and was directed by Jeffrey Blitz. The episode featured several guest appearances including one from The Office co-creator Ricky Gervais, his second appearance on the series.^[1] The episode also marks the first appearances of Robert California and Nellie Bertram, the former of whom was a series regular in the eighth season while the latter had a recurring appearance in the eighth season and was a series regular in the ninth and final season.

"Search Committee" received mixed reviews from critics with multiple critics commenting on the multiple guest stars. According to Nielsen Media Research, "Search Committee" was viewed by an estimated 7.29 million viewers and earned a 3.9 rating/10% share in the 18–49 demographic, marking a rise in the ratings from the previous episode and the previous season finale.