1 [Report This]Date: August 14, 2021 09:28 pm Title: How the DVD Was Made
It is interesting that we see that conversation end so abruptly in canon... the show frequently gets away with cuts to talking heads where it sort of appears like we're seeing the characters' inner monologues, but in this format we know it's implied that this discussion with the crew happened sometime later. This is an interesting attempt to fill the gap, and I think makes sense in context, that Jim *tried* to communicate directly with Pam first before going in for the big Jim gesture and to demonstrate the ways in which he has genuinely rethought his commitment to Athlead.
Author's Response:
Thank you!
The show does do that a lot, which is certainly a brilliant technique to flesh out the characters and build the story. In this instance, though, with the Athlead arc's resolution so rushed to culminate in a satisfying ending - on top of Dwight and Andy's stories wrapping up - there's very little done on-camera that implies he tried to tell her how happy he really is; "I've been trying to tell you how I feel" makes more sense if one assumes there was a much bigger talk offscreen.
As for his commitment to Athlead, my view is that Pam is right in that part of him will always want it, but the stress of running a new business could get to anyone, especially considering he was juggling another job alongside it being 3 hours away. Many see it as him attempting to appease Pam, but I prefer to look at it as disillusionment.
Thanks for the review!
1 [Report This]Date: August 13, 2021 02:02 pm Title: How the DVD Was Made
Ah, this was a great look into a proper conversation between those two, which definitely felt like it was missing in season 9 (and agreed on the investment never coming up again!) I really liked the more realistic view of Jim’s job here too, because it did feel like he was stressed a lot of the time about it (but again, the show didn’t really dig into that). And this line from Jim was just lovely: “Just know that I’m always exactly where I need to be as long as you’re right here with me.” Not that the DVD on the show wasn’t very sweet, but him actually telling her those things did feel like it was missing - so having it here works so well!
Author's Response:
Many thanks for the compliments!
Yeah, I wanted to present how much of a double-edged sword Athlead was. A lot of people nowadays - especially young adult fans - criticize Pam because the show paints it as her keeping him from his dream (especially after all the times he supported her), when it's far more feasible that he missed Pam and his family and Athlead just wasn't worth it anymore. Besides, he really did turn into just the *worst* person because he was so determined to make it work, even though she was hesitant about leaving Scranton from the start (which also frustrates me but that's neither here nor there).
As kind of a gesture as the DVD was, it was basically just a clip show; there wasn't much context as to why this was the "big Jim gesture" he decided on. So I thought it'd be fun to make it clear that he's showing her everything she's given him and what that means to him. And pointing that out aloud drives the point home.
Thanks for the review!
1 [Report This]Date: August 12, 2021 10:17 pm Title: How the DVD Was Made
Wow, this was inspired by my chapter? I'm touched!
You did a great job filling in this convo. I agree, they never rehashed the investment which is annoying, but I assume since they were investors that's how Jim was able to jump back into Athlead a year later without skipping a beat.
I really like how you allowed Jim to explain to Pam the ways in which this opportunity wasn't as great as we were supposed to think it was. She was also not privy to how important this was to him (nor were we)! Jim had years and years to articulate his desire to move on from DM and never really did beyond a passing joke here and there, so the fact that he finally went all in when he had a wife and two small kids is just a big yikes, in my opinion. And a lot of what Jim did in S9 felt OOC to me, I did not care for the way it framed Pam as the bad guy.
Anyway, all of that to say... we needed a scene like this for Jim to take a little responsibility. You did a great job!
Author's Response:
Thank you! And thank you for the inspiration as well.
The fact that Jim could jump back in at a moment's notice was really odd, so the investment answers that question, too. You hit the nail on the head with that.
THANK YOU. Legit my biggest gripe with this whole storyline that had so much potential. And I have no qualms with his motivation whatsoever, but framing Pam as the unreasonable one in the finale was awkward to watch, especially considering she was given no warning or time to prepare for any of this and it was sprung on her. Of course she would back him up 100% if he just told her how he felt about his job. Communication is their biggest weakness as a couple, but after two kids you'd think it wouldn't be THIS bad.
Thanks for the review!
1 [Report This]Date: August 12, 2021 09:32 pm Title: How the DVD Was Made
Nice way to flesh out the time between Jim and Pam outside and Jim's talking head. Feels like a good way to bridge that gap. In the show we see Pam kind of emotional outside, but then when she sits down to watch the video she's calm and collected again. I always figured there was more to their discussion to help her get to that point. This helps get there. Nice job.
Author's Response:
Much appreciated!
Yeah, that was odd to me, too. Filling in gaps like these is fun, just to see how certain moments could have panned out. And this storyline in particular feels so rushed that creating certain fics like this one is easy.
Thanks for the review!
1 [Report This]Date: August 12, 2021 09:32 pm Title: How the DVD Was Made
It's really nice to see this conversation fleshed out. For such a heavy subject it was over & done quickly on the show. It did irk me that the investment was never mentioned but not as much as the talk about Pam not allowing Jim to follow his dream. Jim never mentioned this was his dream in all the years at DM. Jim didn't even start the company and hadn't taken any steps to work towards it until his friend did. Then he downplayed it all to Pam. Pam was shocked at the big fancy offices, all the employees, etc. No wonder she felt left behind. Also I'm glad you mentioned "living the bachelor life was fun". When he had said that sitting in the Philly apartment I cringed. Can you tell this storyline struck a nerve?
Excellent writing and I enjoyed this.
Author's Response: Appreciate the compliments! And trust me, I wrote and am rewriting NGU because the storyline irked me that much. The concept of the dream couple having marital issues for the final season is brilliant, but the execution just fell flat on its face for me. While I accept explanations like ‘He probably mentioned he wanted to go into sports marketing off-camera’ and ‘Some time away from home can be healthy,’ the way he went about everything was all wrong and, IMO, just completely out of character.
The subject itself was also the basis for “Why Pam Gave Carol Stills a Call” and this can be considered a companion piece. Pam’s insecurities make sense, especially if she found out he desperately wanted more for his life than just Dunder Mifflin, so I wanted to present that, yeah, Athlead wasn’t the dream job he was expecting, which is why he appreciates DM far more than he did. The fact that he made his own wife feel inadequate doesn’t come as much of a shock.
Thanks for the review!
1 [Report This]Date: July 19, 2021 09:16 pm Title: Words Better Left Unsaid
Not bad. Considering some time has gone by since Jim and Karen ended things I think it's good that they both have some perspective. I'm sure there was a lot of in the heat of the moment anger and hurt when Jim broke things off with her thus leading to her tearing him a new one. Still it's good to see that Jim has learned to get things off his chest like this. I don't really blame him for firing back at her. If the relationship was as troubled as it seems, it might be a bit harsh, but it also feels needed that she really hear his side of things.
Looks like Karen has let some of that anger go too. She's also gotten some perspective on things and is trying to move on.
The interaction afterwards after all is said and done doesn't feel like there's any malice in how they interact. Nice job.
Author's Response:
Many thanks!
I felt like it was necessary to write Jim's perspective on the whole thing, since we never really see it. Karen's feelings are obvious, but he doesn't talk about the situation since, well, he's moved on. But just because he screwed up doesn't make her blameless, and I liked getting that across through his own words. And poor Karen's still hurt over the whole thing, which given how short of a timeframe it is makes sense, but to me deep down she knew she acted petty at that moment and would not be proud of it.
I wanted the interaction to be a mix of friendliness, awkwardness, and closure, and hopefully I achieved getting that across.
Thanks for the review!
1 [Report This]Date: July 18, 2021 08:10 am Title: Words Better Left Unsaid
This certainly feels like a conversation they should have had and Karen was owed, and that the genre never would have allowed them to have in canon.
I also felt like this feels accurate to Karen - she comes off still lingering on her relationship with Jim in this episode in a way that makes sense but also makes it seem like her anger about it was more central to her life than it probably was at this point, especially for someone who is not THAT far away from being quite happily married to someone else.
Author's Response:
Thank you!
Precisely! You put into words my exact thoughts on Karen’s reaction to seeing Jim again. Her treatment of him was not unwarranted, but it was certainly more bitter than I felt it should have been, especially how successful she becomes after Scranton. I like to think that she meets Dan a few days after that.
Thanks for the review!
1 [Report This]Date: July 18, 2021 04:53 am Title: Words Better Left Unsaid
Well these provided some much needed closure for them. The breakup at the fountain and the fight in the office, were much too heated for either of them to speak with this much truth or compassion.
Very clever to have them meet up at the Christmas party.
Author's Response:
Thank you!
Yeah, emotions were running high and neither really had a clear head, so them sitting down, cooling off and getting all that out would help them communicate better.
Also, appreciate the Christmas Party compliment, liked writing that the most.
Thanks for the review!
1 [Report This]Date: July 17, 2021 11:50 pm Title: Words Better Left Unsaid
Yep. Nailed it. And somehow you’ve given ME closure for them as well - thank you for that!
I don’t have much further to add, it it’s well written and feels comprehensive in addressing all those pesky leftover feelings they both had.
Author's Response:
Many thanks! If there's one thing I like to write for these characters, it's closure.
Thanks for the review!
1 [Report This]Date: July 17, 2021 06:01 pm Title: Words Better Left Unsaid
Interesting story. I’m not sure I completely understand that last part with David Wallace.
Am I missing something?
I think that Jim hit the nail on the head when describing his relationship with Karen.
The Jim she wanted was Stamford Jim,
who was not the real guy.
I also agree that Jim and Karen didn’t have
much in common, not to mention a complete
lack of chemistry. Yes I do think that Jim gave Karen mixed signals about wanting to be in
a long term relationship with her.
However, Karen also knew that Jim had loved
Pam, so Karen took a gamble with getting hurt,
and she lost. I will say kudos to Karen though
for sticking up for Pam.
Author's Response:
Appreciate the compliments!
About the bit with David Wallace: in a later episode, Ryan passive-aggressively confronts Jim about talking to David Wallace regarding an issue with Dunder Mifflin Infinity; it was during a Christmas party, hence the line with Pam visiting family. It was never shown on screen because of the writers strike's influence on S4's production.
Anyway, I did want to present their issues in full force, the heated emotions that both of them feel towards each other coming back. Neither of them are really blameless here. And yeah, I always wanted Karen and Pam to be friends, hence their reunion in "Lecture Circuit" being so amicable.
Thanks for the review!
Date: June 19, 2021 01:01 pm Title: Why Pam Gave Carol Stills a Call
Oh I forgot to add that the Creed moment was so good. 💗
Author's Response:
Gotta love Creed
Thanks for the review(s)!
1 [Report This]Date: June 19, 2021 12:28 pm Title: Why Pam Gave Carol Stills a Call
“ Last but not least, Colin. The call was the shortest, basically telling him that there’s a “family emergency” and he needs to be home for Pam. Out of all of Athlead, Colin best understands, so he’s granted the time off.
“You didn’t have to lie to Colin,” Pam comforts.
Jim, nearing tears, simply says “I didn’t lie.””
Oof, this hit me in the feels.
I really like the Pam introspection in the last section so much. It makes total sense she would be thinking all of those things, regardless of what Jim really wants and the choice he made.
Very interested to see where you take this!
Author's Response:
Thank you!
To address your other point, yeah, this is a oneshot. I never thought to add the call itself, but I could add some more material near the end, maybe later. Glad you love the "I didn't lie" line, that was the bit I enjoyed writing the most.
1 [Report This]Date: June 19, 2021 10:13 am Title: Why Pam Gave Carol Stills a Call
What I like about this is that it shows Jim and Pam's relationship wasn't just all of sudden healed by their hug and kiss in the parking lot. It still took a lot of time, effort, and even a little more pain to really work things out. But the honest kind of pain this time around. Good job getting into their heads and looking into motivations for them here.
Author's Response:
Many thanks!
I loved the fact that Jim's change in behavior made Pam rethink the entire Athlead period, but there wasn't any exploration as to how she got there so quickly, so I wanted to provide one. At least they started talking after the parking lot, which the show never captures but is evident in how they interact.
Thanks for the review!
1 [Report This]Date: June 19, 2021 09:06 am Title: Why Pam Gave Carol Stills a Call
Yeah, I'm glad you got into this - this total swing in Pam's attitude is certainly plausible over the course of a year, but we're already seeing it start to happen by AARM, and that's a journey that feels very much worth exploring.
I also really appreciate you using the doc and Pam reflecting on it as the tipping point.
And the Creed moment was perfect.
Author's Response:
Thank you!
Yeah, my only thought was she never found out about the comments made in "New Guys," which of course, would put literally everything into perspective for her. That would skyrocket anyone to have the sorts of doubts she has, especially realizing that she's basically regressed into her younger self, and seeing that firsthand would push her to call Stills.
Gotta love Creed.
Thanks for the review!
Date: June 19, 2021 02:10 am Title: Why Pam Gave Carol Stills a Call
This. Seriously, this fills such an important time period and yet has barely ever been explored. You’ve absolutely nailed it. You’ve captured S9 Pam brilliantly,
One small thing though, I was more of a Pete fan, Clark was disrespectful and didn’t deserve Jim’s desk, always narked me when he said that he “fought for that desk.” I absolutely loved Dwight when he did that.
Author's Response:
Very much appreciate it! There was so much of S9 left unexplored that it pretty much gave me whiplash (on top of me not being a fan of the storyline) so I wanted to offer why Pam was so desperate to keep him in DM even after finding out there was nothing holding them back anymore.
Also, Clark *was* in the wrong for not giving up the desk. I guess I sympathize because he's the only career-focused one in that entire place except for Jim, and even then he stops after "Livin' the Dream" LOL
Thanks for the review!
1 [Report This]Date: May 09, 2021 04:16 pm Title: Threat Level Midnight: Epilogue
This literary masterpiece is just the cherry on top of the cinematic masterpiece that is Threat Level Midnight. You really get the nuances of the characters and their stories. So beautiful.
Author's Response:
(My apologies for just now replying to this review, life has been hectic as of late)
Many thanks! I have to say, it was difficult, trying to replicate these well-developed characters, but hopefully I was able to do the source material justice.
Thanks for the review!
1 [Report This]Date: April 06, 2021 03:04 pm Title: Procedure
I love this
Author's Response: Many thanks!
1 [Report This]Date: December 14, 2020 07:51 pm Title: After the War
While I’m not one of those fans that thinks Jim’s pranks “terrorized” or even really bullied Dwight (the show needs humor, people!) the snowball always bothered me since it was such a line crossed (I’m honestly not really sure what the writers were doing with Jim in S7, he’s frequently quite out of character). Dwight dishing it back 100x harder was in line for Dwight but still, the whole thing was dark and mean-spirited.
All that said, this is a great fix-it for the iffy choices the show made in this ep. Pam calling Jim out on the snowball is something the actually episode would have benefited greatly from and you write a conversation I can easily imagine, and the voices are all great in the mediation session. The show kinda weirdly portrayed Holly as ineffective HR rep so it’s nice to have her here displaying that she’s quite good at her job. Great work, 3V!
Author's Response:
Many thanks!
Season 7 is one of the weaker ones for me, only redeeming itself with the well-executed conclusion Michael's story. (Also, Threat Level Midnight.) And yeah, the episode just made me squirm because, while it's certainly in-character for Dwight (and his guerrilla warfare tactics and lines are just that galaxy-brain), him not knowing when to stop like Jim does just leaves him traumatized. Like, Dwight deserves the occasional W, but not like this.
I appreciate the compliments on my additions! To me, Holly was never ineffective, per se, she was just in the show for so little that we had no idea how she operated like Toby did. She's kind, personable, respectable, and level-headed, all the qualities of a good HRR... *but* her goofing off with Michael was more fun to write, which I get. And yeah, Pam should have said something then and there... come to think of it, if she did, she probably would have talked Dwight out of it and there wouldn't be a B-plot.
As for the treatment of Jim in S7, to me it's only the middle of the season where he gets weird, especially with that third-grade friend of his showing up at the seminar. Literally why. I think they tried to do more of S6 where it delved into the character's shortcomings and have him learn from them... but the co-manager arc pretty much accomplished that. And while co-manager!Jim is my least favorite Jim, at least it was essential for his character development. I think they ran out of stuff for him to do before Phillip H. Pam's line in "New Guys" rings truer than one might think, it seems.
Thanks for the review!
1 [Report This]Date: December 14, 2020 12:20 am Title: After the War
Lovely story! I like that Pam didn't blindly justify her husband's behavior and could call him out on his action, but at the same time - remained a supporting and loving wife and friend.
And further discussion was also great. I like it when Jim and Dwight could be... well, not actually best friends forever, but on good terms and allies. Thank you!
P.S. I watched this episode just once, and my brain mercifully erased most of the episode from my memory, leaving only a soft and fluffy JAM gift exchange. Maybe, that's for the better.
Author's Response:
Thank you very much!
Yeah, it was... not a fun one. But that, Erin and Jada made up for it. And as much as I hate the prank... good Lord, Dwight had some great moments during that.
As much as Dwight postures that they're enemies, they're technically allies, and I'm really happy that shone through in this. Also, I doubt Pam would in canon either. She's the only one not laughing and is actually shocked by Jim's actions in that scene, and I wanted her to call him out on it, albeit gently.
Thanks for the review!
1 [Report This]Date: November 08, 2020 05:21 pm Title: Threat Level Midnight: Epilogue
I... cannot stop laughing at this.
Seriously. Well done. VERY much a Michael Scott joint.
Author's Response:
Had an absolute blast with this one.
Thanks for the review!
1 [Report This]Date: November 07, 2020 05:01 am Title: Threat Level Midnight: Epilogue
So this completely felt like the exact tone of Threat Level Midnight. Cheesy cliches, simplistic narration, quick fast forwarding to gloss over "boring" parts. In essence it we just delightfully fun. Nice job.
Author's Response:
Appreciated! Enjoyed writing every minute of this. Getting into Michael Scott's head was easier than I expected.
Thanks for the review!
1 [Report This]Date: October 24, 2020 04:11 am Title: The Silent Treatment
Hi 3V, Silent treatment - what's that? I tend to put it all out there. Guess I relate more to Jim in this story - since I tend to put my foot in it sometimes. I remember seeing this deleted scene somehow and being curious about it.
Nice to see your take on what happened and how he finally put an end to the non-verbal fight. (yes, I know that what in the scene but the explanation you provide is what I'm referring to).
Kelly scene is fun bit but I especially like the scene with Helene- yup sometimes a mirror helps you see things more clearly. Nice job with this one. Thanks for sharing.
Author's Response:
Thank you! Yeah, I'm a vocal person myself. Don't know when to shut up, in fact. I too relate to Jim. And I like the idea of him being so desperate to get his wife's attention that he does something like spanking.
Writing Kelly is always a treat, but I have to admit I'm proud of the Helene scene, especially considering she has to deal with cold-sore Michael.
Thanks for the review!
1 [Report This]Date: October 22, 2020 09:57 pm Title: The Silent Treatment
Nice job with this one. Very easy to see where there could be some misunderstandings that would lead to this spat. Glad they were finally able to talk things out. They both have points and they both have things that they're in the wrong about. However in then end they work through it. Nicely done.
Author's Response:
Appreciated! Yeah, it's the only time pre-S9 where I've seen them this upset with each other, so I wanted to construct a healthy and happy resolution.
Thanks for the review!
1 [Report This]Date: October 22, 2020 09:53 pm Title: The Silent Treatment
Ummm...this is totally how my husband and I fight. Hahaha he says something dumb and pretty harmless, I overreact and probably give him and little silent treatment. Then I get over it or have something I really want to tell him, so we have a little talk where we both admit some fault and ta-da! Back to normal. Haha so all of this felt very realistic to me and I enjoyed it very much. :)
Author's Response:
Thank you! I have been single all my life so relationships are a foreign concept to me LOL.
Thanks for the review!
1 [Report This]Date: October 22, 2020 08:54 pm Title: The Silent Treatment
Ooooof. Jim, come on, man. You're better than that.
I thought this was pretty even-handed in the sense that Jim is clearly in the wrong in the conflict and Pam is clearly not expressing her anger in a particularly productive way, albeit in a way that does get her message across.
The fact that they've clearly been storing up things they needed to talk to each other about during this period of silence is fun and seems very them.
I actually would've loved to have seen more of the Helene-Pam scene - it never occurred to me before to imagine what the aftermath of Michael's visit with Helene would look like the Halpert house.
(BTW, amazingly this is the second individual fic on this exact set of late-season deleted scenes: http://mtt.just-once.net/fanfiction/viewstory.php?sid=5736)
Author's Response:
Thanks! I felt it necessary to explore another example of "these two don't know how to use their damn words" since that's just always the way with this couple, just in a different context and set of circumstances. But they're at a point where they can forgive, forget, and properly express how they feel in the end. (Looking at you, S9.)
The Helene rant was fun, especially after rewatching that episode. I love that he just called her a jerk and walks off. I doubt she's over it.
(Also, your encyclopedic knowledge of the website never ceases to amaze me. Thanks for the recommendation!)
And thanks for the review!