“Parks and Recreation” has reached a critical moment in the sitcom lifespan.

It’s the same moment at which “The Office” began its spiraling descent toward piss-poor writing and forced, contractually-obliged acting. It’s also the moment that sealed the lasting legacy of “30 Rock” as the best show about nothing since “Seinfeld.” Yes, last week the NBC series married two of its main characters -— a plot point that can either leave an aging sitcom on its deathbed or give it a new metal hip and shot of adrenaline.

I’m happy to say, I don’t think “Parks and Rec” is going to die on us anytime soon. Last week’s wedding between loudmouth Leslie Knope and close-mouthed Ben Wyatt was beautiful in a sitcom-y, Pawnee kind of way. Dialogue was unapologetically cheesy. Flashback montages were as tear-inducing as a Nicholas Sparks novel. There were even candles, homemade dresses and an impromptu town hall ceremony.

But, more than anything else, the episode was a reminder of why “Parks and Rec” is the best sitcom on TV.

Throughout the small-town ceremony, the program’s greatest strength — its well-written ensemble characters — was in full force. When Ron Swanson — the staunch Libertarian who has become iconic — gave Leslie away, I think all “Parks and Rec” nerds went and hugged their “Swanson Pyramid of Greatness.” And when swag-tastic Tom Haverford performed the ceremony, I think I may have even shed a tear.

Yes, I know I’m a sap. Some might say I’m losing testosterone with every rom-com-worthy sentiment I punch into my keyboard. But a sitcom marriage is a dish best served gleefully cliché. In the “Parks and Rec” wedding — a ceremony that was perfectly trite — the central characters came together in a moment of pure sitcom gold. Gathered in Leslie’s town hall office, with Haverford standing at the very front, everything great about the show was on full display.

It made me think back to the breakout Season 2 and how the the program finally struck that perfect balance of wit and heart. Characters like the goofball Andy Dwyer and the aloof hipster April Ludgate reached their full potential. Material started to feel less like a carbon copy of “The Office” and became something  that was one-of-a-kind. Even Rob Lowe and Adam Scott got in on the action as a pair of federal government black hats.

That same season, Amy Poehler’s Leslie Knope became one of the best characters on TV. With her effortless charm, Tim Gunn impressions, and brazen drunk dancing, she resonated with viewers. Poehler’s intoxicatingly buffoonish portrayal of Knope was a sensation at the time and continues to be one of the most critically overlooked performances in the history of TV. But, more than that, Poehler has given the sitcom its sense of community.

And that’s what a sitcom should do. A sitcom isn’t supposed to tackle life’s most probing questions or unravel like a Stephen King murder mystery. A sitcom is supposed to drop you into a place and make it feel like a home — hell, think about “Seinfeld.” There was the booth in the coffee shop. Jerry’s apartment with that bike rack. Everywhere that George had his neurotic, self-loathing rants. In 25 years, I hope we’re reminiscing about Pawnee, JJ’s Diner and everyone’s favorite celebrity pony Li’l Sebastian.

In order to achieve that status, “Parks and Rec” just needs to take a lesson from “The Office.” I still remember watching Season 6 and its painstaking mediocrity. Talented actors looked like cool kids left at a lame, chaperoned party. It seemed like Steve Carell was being held at gunpoint to squeeze out derivative dialogue. And it was that wedding of Pam Beesly and Jim Halpert — as fulfilling as it was — that started its fall.

With a sitcom wedding, it can often end in viewership divorce. When Jim and Pam were together, there was nothing to keep the show plugging away. The workplace energy the show had seemed to be missing and characters lacked chemistry. That damned baby even became a bummer. For “Parks and Rec,” though, last week’s wedding episode undoubtedly marked a critical moment in the sitcom life.

But the way it’s looking, I don’t see myself divorcing this series anytime soon.