In complete contrast to last week, Jim and Pam had no interaction in Product Recall. However Pam didn't stand idly by and allow herself to completely disappear from his radar. While Jim didn't provide her with any opportunity to showcase FNB, Pam still enacted a little bit of her newly developed mode of heightened subtlety to catch his attention. Her efforts may have slight, but she still tried. Pam may still lack the courage to confront Jim with her feelings, but she has found the confidence to keep herself in Jim's line of sight. It may be small beans, but her fortitude will lead to increased confidence and eventual dissipation of the fear that is currently holding her back from telling Jim how she feels.
Another aspect that is pushing Pam is the very simple fact that she misses Jim. She got a nice reminder in Safety Training of just how much fun it is to hang with Jim. Chances are she has spent the time in between episodes reflecting on all the time they've spent together. On top of that, Jim has seemingly shifted back into a "cold" demeanor, (more on this on the JP!). Pam feels the distance and this creates a strong motivation to regain his attention.
Jim as Dwight:
Pam is both amused and confused as Jim arrives for work. He is dressed in odd attire and is carrying himself in a different way. She slightly smiles at him, hoping he'll make eye contact. He never does and her smile fades. She never takes her eyes off of Jim as he settles into his desk. Pam watches Jim anxiously trying to figure out just what Jim is up to as his odd behavior continues. A tinge of sadness shows up on Pam's face in that she wishes she were included. Pam knows it's a prank of some kind, but she is out of the loop. Jim's lack of eye contact forced her to be on the outside looking in rather than part of the prank. At the very least, Pam was hoping for a glance indicating he was about to pull a prank. Regardless of her internal hopes, Pam continues to watch Jim as the prank unfolds. She may be filled with curiosity and anticipation, but it's also possible to see just how much she misses him.
The camera blocks Pam for the duration of the scene, but it possible to catch her smiling as Jim heads towards Michael's office. Pam may have felt left out, but she can't help but allow the humor of the prank to take over. Jim could always make her laugh and he still can.
Conference Room:
Pam lets out a huge yawn as Jim passes by her on his way to the conference table. She doesn't notice his entrance and he pays no heed to her presence. In fact, Pam doesn't recover from her yawn induced tunnel vision until she Creed enters the room. The connection that existed in Safety Training has obviously been placed on the backburner.
Michael begins cryptic babbling in response to the crisis at hand which, immediately gains the attention of Ryan, Jim, and Karen. Ryan and Dwight both ask for a translation of the acronyms that spewed from Michael's mouth, which of course elicits further babbling. Jim jumps in the mix and asks, "Why are you talking like that?" Michael explains that he's trying to save time, which immediately grabs Karen's attention.
In a departure from her confusion last week, Karen jumps right in and begins to jab Michael, "Actually I think you could make the argument that it wastes time." This is where Pam takes advantage of the situation. She jumps in and says, "Yeah, she has a good point. I mean for example, with the last thing you said, by the time you explained it, it actually took up more time. . . " At first it appears that Pam is continuing the joke, but Karen's comments were not spoken with humor in mind. She was being very serious in pointing out Michael's faulty logic. Pam is actually creating the joke rather than following through as a way to get Jim's attention. Pam looks in his direction as she wears a sly smile hoping Jim will meet her gaze to share the moment. The camera, unfortunately, does not pan over to Jim for his reaction, (if there even is one). The motivation for Pam's joke exists on three different levels. First, Pam needed to re-insert herself in Jim's world. She already knows she can't wait for him to open the gates as it's up to her to crack the lock. Therefore, she has to call attention to herself whenever she can, even if on a subtle level. She was in the zone in Safety Training, but Jim has since changed the boundaries. Pam needs to get herself on the other side of the line.
Secondly, Pam felt a little left out of Jim's prank on Dwight and now finds it necessary to make sure he sees she still knows her way around a joke. It's also a little reminder that she "gets" the humor of Michael's antics, while also pointing out Karen does not. It's Pam's was of reinforcing the connection they've always shared when it comes to humor. She was able to ride high on this concept in Safety Training, so it makes sense that she would continue to utilize it to her favor. If she can make him laugh, he may reveal a hole in his wall. Lastly, Pam is showing Karen she is not intimidated by her. This is an extension of her behavior in Safety Training. Pam found the courage to create a joke off of Karen's own statement in order to get Jim's attention. Essentially, she tried to create a connection to Jim right in front of Karen. FNB has made her presence known.
Dwight as Jim:
As Dwight saunters in donned in a Jim wardrobe, Pam simply can't help herself. She's onto Dwight from the start, so in a playful tone she says, "Hey Dwight, you look really nice today." She knows it's not what Dwight wants to hear and that makes it even more funny. However, this is more for Jim's benefit. She took Dwight's prank and turned back on him with her trademark subtlety and intelligence. Jim is bound to notice. Pam smiles showing both her amusement with the situation, but also her sympathy. She knows there's no way Dwight can pull off a prank of this magnitude. Jim isn't going to get upset and Dwight won't get even. She returns to her work, (still smiling) once Dwight focuses his attention on Karen. Pam knows she's already played her hand at the prank, so she doesn't overstep her boundaries by taking it any further. It's now in Jim's hands and she's happy to let him handle Dwight.
- - -
JAM Optimist:
1) Pam hasn't given up on getting Jim's attention
2) Pam is not initmidated by Karen
3) FNB traits continue to be a pattern
JAM Pessimist:
1) Pam still hasn't found the courage to tell Jim how she feels
2) Pam's moral center boundaries are shifting, but not enough
JAM Song of the Week:
It's little unorthodox, but then so is Athlete! It's a British band and the accent is pretty thick, but once you get past that, it's a great song. The lyrics follow Pam's point of view so well, I just had to share it.
Trading Air
Artist - Athlete
Album - Tourist
Questions to Ponder:
1) Who has the upper hand in the JAM scenario: Jim, Pam, or Karen?
2) Will Karen or Jim catch onto Pam's passive aggressive tactics? Can we even classify her behavior as passive aggressive?
3) Should Pam wait for or create an opportunity to tell Jim how she feels? How would you assess her current strategy of gaining Jim's attention?
Chapter End Notes:
Commonly Used Acronyms:
PD = Pam Dichotomy,
JP = Jim Paradox,
CN = Casino Night,
FNB = Fancy New Beesly,
QTP = Questions to Ponder
This post was written nine years ago so go easy on me in terms of writing style! I’ve decided not to revise the original posts beyond filling in missing words or fixing wayward punctuation. Call it nostalgia if you will, but there’s something to be said for preserving this little snapshot of fandom.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
PD = Pam Dichotomy,
JP = Jim Paradox,
CN = Casino Night,
FNB = Fancy New Beesly,
QTP = Questions to Ponder
This post was written nine years ago so go easy on me in terms of writing style! I’ve decided not to revise the original posts beyond filling in missing words or fixing wayward punctuation. Call it nostalgia if you will, but there’s something to be said for preserving this little snapshot of fandom.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
