8 [Report This]Date: February 02, 2008 09:31 pm Title: Chapter 1
"She supposes a part of her always assumed he’d be just as disappointed with the real Pam as he was with the real Karen."
This was a beautiful look into Karen's thoughts. It's easily my favorite Karen story - and I never even thought I'd have a favorite Karen story!
Author's Response: Ha, thanks kaystar! Yeah, I'm a Jim/Pam fan all the way, but I definitely thought there was room to make Karen three-dimensional -- not evil, but not perfect either. Really glad you liked it.
Date: January 24, 2008 07:13 pm Title: Chapter 1
Nicely done. I absolutely believe that this would be going through Karen's head - a determination to move on but unable to stop herself from missing and wishing.
Author's Response: Yeah, that's how I see it -- and plenty of us have been there. I don't think she was pining this whole time, by any means, but seeing him there and interacting with him for the first time since everything would have brought back a lot of the post-breakup turmoil, I think. Thanks so much for the review!
Date: January 23, 2008 03:51 pm Title: Chapter 1
I really like this -- Karen's hard on herself, but only because she's upset by a terrible situation, not for anything she's actually done. And I always enjoy that kind of perspective on Jim. He never takes anything seriously unless absolutely forced to is my favorite line.
Author's Response: Thanks so much, sophia. I'll admit, I'm a die-hard Jim/Pam fan, but because I think they're right for each other, not because I think either of them is perfect. Jim has plenty of faults, and I think these are some of the most glaring, especially from Karen's perspective. And you're right, Karen did end up in a pretty terrible situation that she couldn't have predicted. Thanks a lot for the comments.
Date: January 23, 2008 03:44 pm Title: Chapter 1
Aw, poor Karen :( I've always wondered what she felt after that whole exchange in Branch Wars, and I think this fits nicely. Nicely done!
Author's Response: Thanks so much, bebitched! I always assumed it must've been a combination of anger at him and anger at herself for not playing the too-cool-for-you role. Because isn't that what we all want when we run into exes? Thanks for the review!
Date: January 22, 2008 04:10 am Title: Chapter 1
So glad you posted this. This is still my favorite line because it's exactly what happened to Karen - the deleted scenes really showed HER transformation from Stamford to Scranton:
She tries to pinpoint the moment when being near him went from making her feel bubbly and young to brittle and needy
But what you added is just brilliant, especially this:
But she doesn’t miss what was. She misses what could have been
Yes. Just perfect.
Author's Response:
So glad you convinced me to post! I know Karen angst isn't exactly everyone's favorite topic, so I've been pretty pleased that people liked it. Also, I think posting and talking to you gave me the last kick in the pants to stay up til 3 a.m. and finish that chapter of Shift. And then I was felled by a nasty cold. But it's ok, because I finished it! WHOO! So, have I told you lately you're awesome? Sweetpea, you're awesome.
And oh yeah, relevant comment -- I do think Karen was more enamored of the potential than the reality.
6 [Report This]Date: January 21, 2008 04:08 pm Title: Chapter 1
I always admire the people who can make me reach the point where I actually (grudgingly) like Karen. I can sympathize with her; spending too much time just thinking about it and even then doing something helps, but it's a long slow process. Amazing!
Author's Response: Thanks, dreamingwriter. I don't think Karen's perfect, or right for Jim (or vice versa), but I do think she's sympathetic and not a bad person at all.
9 [Report This]Date: January 21, 2008 04:03 pm Title: Chapter 1
You did a really nice job with this. It's really easy to make Karen into a villian or bitch, but you didn't go there. This is the first Karen POV that I've enjoyed because she was so realistic...regretful and bitter, but not overly so. Best line, in my opinion:
"But maybe it never really occurred to her that he’d be just as happy with reality as he was with fantasy."
Author's Response: Thanks, iheartcreed (nice username, by the way!). Yeah, I think it's a conscience-soother to paint Karen as a villain or bitch, but ultimately not as real as recognizing that she's just as human (and empathetic and flawed) as the rest of them. Thanks for the review!
9 [Report This]Date: January 21, 2008 03:10 pm Title: Chapter 1
I'll admit it: after watching my S3 DVDs over and over, I find myself caring less and less about Karen Fillipelli. Maybe that's the fault of the writers who didn't care enough about her to give her anything to do but be the iceberg for the good ship Jammypop. I don't know.
What I do know is that this is the first peek into Karen's head that I've read here that sounds and feels genuine to me. People seem to either write Karen one of two ways: either as an evil witch, or as an overly idealized saintly victim. I don't like either version, frankly. And you've managed to strike a chord that's somewhere in between that feels very real. Well done.
Author's Response: Thanks so much, Mose, I really appreciate it. I'm not too thrilled with the Karen dichotomy either. I think there's a lot to empathize with (clinging to something obviously doomed because you want it badly enough -- all too common, I think), but that doesn't mean she was handling it the right way or that she and Jim should have stayed together. She's human, just like the rest of them. That's something that makes the show feel so real, I think, and the angst all the more painful. Having an entirely perfect or entirely rotten character just wouldn't be what this show is about.
Date: January 21, 2008 02:41 pm Title: Chapter 1
What you wrote was exactly what she was thinking after BW. I'm convinced. But to see that Jim is actually happy with Pam, and that it's "going well", just brings back all the pain. I hope she can move on to someone who cares for her and find some happiness soon. Great writing, as always!
Author's Response: Ahh, thank you EH! (especially that last part :) ) Yeah, I don't think she's necessarily been focused on Jim this whole time, but seeing him there telling her he was happy with Pam and shattering any of the self-protective assumptions she had made... yeah, that must've been rough. I figure she must've been kicking herself afterwards for losing her cool. Ok... now I feel compelled to add the "I know these aren't real people" disclaimer. Yup. Thanks again. :)
Date: January 21, 2008 01:37 pm Title: Chapter 1
Gorgeous. So real and vulnerable and lovely and sad and deep. I think this is exactly how Karen would have been if we'd have been allowed to delve more deeply into her character.
Author's Response:
I think there's this moment in Women's Appreciation that gives us a ton of insight into Karen's character. When Karen and Pam are at the mall advising Michael on Jan, Karen tells him that most relationships have their rough patches, and you just have to get through them. Then Pam says maybe, but that it sounds like they're just wrong for each other. While Pam's talking, Karen has this look of such... vulnerability and self-doubt. And you could see that she was trying hard to believe what she was saying and didn't want to think Pam was right. That's where a lot of the inspiration for this story came from.
Ok, that was far more rambling than necessary, but... thanks so much, belsum!
10 [Report This]Date: January 21, 2008 01:15 pm Title: Chapter 1
She supposes a part of her always assumed he’d be just as disappointed with the real Pam as he was with the real Karen
That just is hard honest truth, right there. This whole piece is so exactly what I think she would think and feel that I'm sort of staggered by it. You take a slightly-drawn character and breathe life into her here. Beautiful job.
Author's Response: Thank you so much, nqllisi. As much grief as people give her character, I think there's actually a lot to relate to there. Really, who hasn't been in the position of wanting something enough to ignore a pile of warning signs? And I think her reaction in BW could have come from a lot of her self-protective assumptions being shattered. I think she didn't make the best decisions in a lot of cases, but I can see where she's coming from. Thanks so much for the review!
Date: January 21, 2008 12:13 pm Title: Chapter 1
I agree that Karen would be hard on herself. This is an incredibly good look into Karen's head. Wonderful. I also love when people write about the "smaller" characters. Thanks so much, thirtypercent. (I have no choice but to favorite this.)
Author's Response: TLK, this made me so happy! I know Karen isn't exactly a favorite topic around here (well, unless discord is involved), so I wasn't sure how this would be received. So, thank you!