1 [Report This]Date: February 20, 2021 10:28 pm Title: Surely, you've been going too early
I liked the Monologe as you're calling it. Really fun to see Pam and Jim together like that. All the different 'what if's' bouncing around in her mind seems very appropriate. A lot has changed in a short time. Having thoughts about how it might have gone different seems real. Penny was a lot of fun too.
This AU version of the episode was fun too. Especially when you were able to get the line from The Job in there months early. Loved that. Good for Pam to tell Roy about things. She's getting more steel in her spine and I love that.
All of Jim's thoughts before it's announced he's heading back were really good. His turn to bounce things around. Especially considering the feelings of betrayal you've got him going through here. Great way to expand on the episode.
Now really looking forward to seeing Jim and Pam back together but for S3 this time around. Well done.
Author's Response:
Wow, appreciate the compliments!
Pam overthinking everything is very in-character, so her analyzing the lyrics like this made sense, even though I wasn't sure about it at first. And Penny! Loved exploring her and what their dynamic could be like.
I actually planned on Roy learning about them earlier in the episode from someone else, but 1) it didn't fit with the plot here, and 2) I ended up preferring this version because Pam's the one breaking it to him; with Jim coming back, she doesn't feel the need to prevent Roy from knowing and spare his feelings, which is a step forward.
It helped that Krasinski and Esten's acting in that scene gave me so much to work with, on top of the fact that Jim's still pissed about both his and Porter's actions, even after he moves back (that'll be addressed briefly next chapter). He was already scrambling after the Staples reveal in-canon, but adding a whole new layer of "We're screwed" was fun to write. Made that ending moment after he accepts the position that much more satisfying.
I've yet to write any of Chapter 8 (neither monologue nor "The Merger"). I have to focus on other priorities at this moment, though I should get back to this soon enough and I'm excited to see where to go with it.
Thanks for the review, as always!
Date: February 20, 2021 11:58 am Title: Surely, you've been going too early
I liked this monologue a lot! I thought there were good acknowledgements of the history they're still working through, and the what-if scenarios were cute and fun to read.
You're doing some interesting things with Jan's headspace here, which is something I feel like the show never really gives us a good grip at this juncture of Season 3. She ends up coming off a lot more well-rounded and complex here.
The twists on Jim and Pam's reactions in this episode were well-founded. Pam's in a much happier place in her life and thus is a lot less chill about the prospect of having to make a change, and of course Jim ends up getting exactly what she wants.
I thought Jim's reflections on Josh's betrayal were striking - wondering how that might end up getting reflected in his behavior a few years down the line.
I'm also pleased you added some context to how fast they completely flipped the script on the Stamford-Scranton plan. In universe it ends up seeming a little forced, I think, but the reveal that Jan was pushing for that from the get-go makes it seem more realistic.
Author's Response:
Appreciate the compliments!
Yeah, that initial reaction was mostly the first draft, but like I mentioned the whole interpreting the song thing was difficult. It did feel very in-character for Pam, though. And I loved writing those what-ifs! I mean, any revisionist "Casino Night" fic, like this one, is made up of: apologies, a bit of venting, "I love you", plenty of fluff, and "WE ARE SO SCREWED".
Yeah! That's what I sought to do with Jan, because there's no way she went from "Confident and headstrong executive" to "Heather Chandler" overnight, there had to be some sort of transition. I was trying to pinpoint what that transition was and, thankfully, this chapter helped me solidify exactly what it could be and how it could happen. Also, what you described with her pushing for the merger was *completely* unintentional, like your take is precisely right and it didn't even cross my mind.
Exactly, I want them to still get out of DM, but at the very least they'll leave it together. She still wants to pursue art, but she needs a stable income first, whereas the canon Pam was just so desperate to leave, which can't say I blame her. And Jim's status as No.2 is really only explored in two S4 episodes (one I love and one I don't), so I'll touch upon that more in this and other material from this AU.
I personally felt that impact of "Casino Night" could have been explored more. (This is a comedy show, after all, so I understand why all of that was either subtext or ignored.) He'd be pissed about Josh in canon for the exact same reasons, but me pairing him and Pam up months in advance ended up having a whole new layer of hurt. It doesn't help that Josh Porter isn't very likable.
Thanks for the review, as always!