Holiday episodes of The Office tend to be some of the strongest of the season for one reason or another. Sometimes the writers save up a barrage of their best jokes for them, sometimes there are major plot developments. What made this year’s Valentine’s Day episode so good was that it reassured viewers that just because Dunder-Mifflin has come under the purview of a disconcertingly different owner doesn’t mean the Scranton branch has to change. Despite the deliciously frosty presence of Kathy Bates as the new head honcho (honcha?), the folks from that scrappy branch in Pennsylvania are still their old, lovable selves.

The main plot this week surrounded a shakeup of leadership. Jo, CEO of Sabre, astutely ascertains the absurdity of having two branch managers in Scranton, so she asks Michael and Jim to decide who will be moving back to the sales department. At first it’s a scramble for the top, but then Pam informs Jim that there’s a lot more money to be had in sales under the new policies of the Sabre corporate manual. When Oscar lets slip to Michael that same bit of info the game of musical chairs starts again, landing Michael in the sales bullpen for the first time in over fifteen years.

This new (and obviously temporary setup) allows for two amusing and insightful bits. First, Michael relives all the unpleasant realities of working among others, from the noxious side effects of Phyllis’s new allergy medication to the pressure of working under the watchful eye of someone more responsible and productive than himself. From Jim’s point of view we get to see just how ensconced Michael has become in the delirious fantasy world that his office has slowly become over the years. His desk isn’t just strewn with toys, it’s arranged with a boyish Feng-Shui of distraction. His schedule is punctuated by dizzy spins in his chair and oddly specific snack breaks. There’s a detailed madness to Michael’s life as a manager and watching little bits of it unfold is hilarious.

Because this is a Valentine’s Day episode there has to be a romance plot, but this is The Office so it also has to be awkward and unfulfilling. Thankfully the chief love interests at DM Scranton these days are Andy and Erin, the two most awkward people on the show. After beating around the bush for ages, Andy elects to, well, beat further by giving out Valentine cards to everyone in the office as a way to mask the one card he sent with any real affection. When Kelly gets her card she naturally reads into it and begins an episode-long pursuit of Andy’s affections. This played out as one might expect, but at least Mindy Kaling got to have a strong presence in the episode. At this point, I really hope the writers find some way of smooshing Andy and Erin together because their pussyfooting has started to wear thin.

Best Moment: Michael looking around the sales team to see them in all their ridiculous, disgusting glory.

Notes: Dwight and Ryan continued their benign evil scheme against Jim, but it wasn’t terribly amusing. These two characters are both too cartoonish to work well as a pair. And, hey, Ed Helms is now headlining in the opening credits. I guess The Hangover really did help his career.

Episode Rating: 4.5/5- Some forward momentum, some thankful return to the status quo and a decent romance plot on Valentine’s Day. Can’t ask for more than that.