The analysis for this episode will be written in three parts. There is a lot to dissect, so breaking it down into small pieces will give us a chance to discuss every little thing! 

The strength Pam exhibited in Beach Games has carried through to become a permanent fixture of her personality.  FNB is firmly entrenched as Pam's new mode of operation.  Her confidence is at an all time high and shows no signs of weakening.   She has truly found herself and no one can take that away from her.  In one of the most telling scenes in The Job, her co-workers teased her about beach day comments. 

In true FNB fashion, Pam's self assurance left no room for self-pity.  The tide has turned, leaving Old Pam as a thing of the past.  She hasn't a hint of regret for her comments or any FNB actions.  Pam is comfortable and confident with herself.  It's taken a rough year of self-discovery for Pam to reach this point and she is clearly reaping the benefits. For the first time in her life, Pam isn't intimidated by anyone in the office.  She's comfortable being herself in any situation, which is a huge shift from just a year ago. 

This in turn creates comfort regarding her feelings for Jim.  Pam knows how she feels and is no longer afraid of it.  However, she is very accepting of her current status with Jim.  Boundaries still exist no matter how much confidence or courage courses through her veins.  Pam understands Jim's point of view and his pain.  She created an open door and cleared the air on beach games, which allows for her to repair the friendship/relationship she needs with him.   She is at peace with the fact that she may never recapture the closeness that previously existed between them, but she has repaired the rift.  

If nothing more ever happens between them, Pam can walk away knowing the relationship between them is open and positive, rather than awkward, tense, and painful.  Pam is able to find happiness with this goal, as she has learned she can't expect Jim to come running back to her.  She has learned she alone is responsible for her own happiness.  Whether or not things happen with Jim is surely on her mind, but she doesn't rely on the outcome to this situation to determine her happiness.  Jim would simply be icing on a cake that took Pam a year to bake.

 Special Note: The beach day flashback scenes will be analyzed in chronological order, rather than as they appeared in the episode.  This ordering not only provides stronger continuity between Beach Games and The Job, but also allows for a better understanding of Pam's emotional status and behavior.

Beach Scene #1 - Jim responds to Pam:

From Beach Games analysis:

She nods with finality as she no longer feels the burden of the truth beating at the door to get out.  She lets out a breath and light heartedly says, "Okay, I am gonna go walk in the water now."  She is smiling again as she feels the rush of a lighter soul.  She feels better than she's felt in a long time.  She can walk away from this knowing she told Jim what she needed to tell him and has no regrets.  She smiles at herself with pride and says, "yeah, it's a good day."  She tosses a quick glance at Jim to reassure him he doesn't have to say anything.  Pam's tone throughout her speech is one of no expectations.  She didn't expect Jim to run up to her and take her in his arms.  She didn't even expect or need him to say anything.  She just needed to tell him what was on her mind.  This is a huge accomplishment for Pam, considering she didn't need anyone's acceptance of her thoughts.  She just needed Jim to listen to her.  Pam jets towards the lake to cool the pain of her feet with cold water the same way her honesty cooled the pain of her heart.

The last thing Pam expected was for Jim to follow her down to the water.  He walks to the shoreline and silently takes his place next to her.  She doesn't look at him, as she figures she has said enough.  She may not expect Jim to respond to her earlier statements, but in all actuality it is his turn to speak.  She just dropped a huge bomb on him and Pam obviously feels a little bit of angst as he allows a pause before he begins to speak.  She knows she did the right thing and she has no regrets, but she is still a little nervous about what he will say in response.  Jim lightly asks her "How are your feet?"  Pam takes this opportunity to bring a little humor to the situation to ease her nerves as well as Jim's.  She keeps her head focused on her feet as she answers, "Medium rare, thanks." 

She then looks up at him and smiles, to let him know things don't have to be awkward between them. She wants to put him at ease to allow him an opportunity to speak freely with her without worry of getting hurt or feeling the need to put up his wall.  Humor has always been a connecting factor, which has allowed Jim and Pam to communicate on various levels in the past.  Pam's small comment was enough to keep the air clear and the door open as they embark on a very difficult subject of conversation.  Jim smiled in response to her comment and is noticeably more at ease.

Pam looks back down at her feet and waits for him find his words.  She makes eye contact with him as soon as he says, "The real reason I went to Stamford, was because I wanted to be . . . not here."  Pam nods slightly for her initial response and simply replies, "I know."  She's always known Jim left for Stamford because of her, but it's only recently that she understood just how much he was hurting from the events of Casino Night.  Jim's statement carries a deeper meaning and Pam picks up on that as well.  Jim is essentially telling Pam he left because he didn't want to deal with the distance, awkwardness, and the pain that resulted from Casino Night.  It's taken Pam the better part of a year to see Jim's perspective in this regard.  The relationship is fractured and filled with uncertainty.  Neither knows how to act around the other as previous open lines of communication are wrought with disconnections.  As a result, both are hurting each other unintentionally. 

 The frustration in Jim's voice matches Pam's nod as she agrees with his assessment of their situation.  Pam knows things can't go back to the way they were, but she hopes a relationship of some kind can still be salvaged if honesty exists between them.   It's here that she knows Jim isn't happy with the situation either, and he misses her, too.  This comforts Pam immensely and also adds to her confidence.

He continues to say, "And even though I came back, I just feel like I've never really . . . come back."  Pam can literally feel Jim's pain as he speaks and it's all over her face.  She is touched by the fact that Jim is showing some vulnerability around her, considering she's spent months smacking up against the tough exterior of his wall.  She is also comforted by the fact that she isn't the only one that knows Jim hasn't been himself since he came back to Scranton.  She nods slightly at him and clenches her chin and she decides how to respond to his honesty.  Pam's face is sympathetic to him, but she is still teeming with determination to be honest with him at all costs.

Jim's honesty and vulnerable admission gave Pam the confidence she needed to take things a little bit further.  She felt him grace to borders of her world, but she knows he can't find his way through the fog.  Pam takes this opportunity to be bold and lights the signal fire, "Well,  I wish you would."  Her tone is strong, yet warm as she locks her eyes with his.  She's making sure he doesn't wiggle away from her at such a critical moment. 

Pam is again extending the sentiment that she misses him, but she is sending a much stronger message this time.  Pam is making it very clear to Jim that she not only misses his absence, but she misses Old Jim.  She liked (loved) him the way he was and wants that guy to come back.  Pam is now aware that Jim isn’t happy and that concerns her a great deal.  Her simple yet poignant statement is meant to show him he can still come back and she'll be waiting for him.  It’s important he knows the door is open, but she’s careful not to force him through it as she gives him a little nudge.

 Beach Scene #2 - The Hug:

Pam’s first talking head overlaps a flashback that shows the rest of what happened at the beach.  There is a huge gap between Pam’s “I wish you would” and the friendly hug they share.  Pam tells the camera that Jim told her “he missed my friendship, too.  And I would always mean a lot to him.”  Jim’s exact words aren’t known, and neither is Pam’s exact response. 

However, the hug itself does provide some clues.  The hug is very friendly, but also very close as both hang onto each other tightly.  Pam holds on tight with both arms.  Even after the hug is over, both keeping one hand on the other for a few seconds.  Pam’s left hand lingers on his back.  It felt good to be so close to him and she doesn’t want to let him go, but she knows she must.  Pam’s face is decidedly relieved as the air remains clear and things are warmer between them.  His response more than she expected and she is happy that he responded in such a positive way.   Pam walked away from the beach knowing she will not have to face Jim’s cold shoulder anymore.

Jim’s Haircut:

Pam is busy talking to Kevin and Meredith when Jim walks in sporting his new haircut.  Pam is surprised at Jim’s new look.  She smiles in his direction, but she’s not sure what to make of it.  It doesn’t look like “him.”  There’s no doubt he looks great, but to Pam it’s another indicator that the Old Jim she misses so much is disappearing more and more.  Her Jim wears his shirts with the sleeves rolled up, his ties askew, and his hair flops happily over his forehead. 

Pam is curious to hear the reason behind his new look, but Jim never offers an explanation.  Instead, she watches both Kevin and Meredith give him a hard time about his makeover.  Kevin tells him he looks “worse” while Meredith tells him he looks “sexy hot.”  Andy then steps in and proclaims Jim’s new nickname to be “Big Haircut.”  Pam is quick to sense that all these comments are making Jim immensely uncomfortable and self-conscious. 

She calls out to him, “Hey, I think it looks great.”  Pam knew Jim needed a compliment.  She is careful to keep it casual, so as to not make him any more self-conscious.  However, she manages to instill warmth in her tone to ease his discomfort.  She’s not sure if she really likes it, but nonetheless she wanted to offer her support.  He thankfully accepts her compliment and sends a little non-verbal message of “I really needed that,“ and she understood.  The camera pans back to Pam and her face wears a smile, but her eyes are nostalgic.  Despite the haircut and suit, Pam still saw a little piece of the shy and self conscious Old Jim who needed her. 

Talking Head #1:

Pam’s face is vibrant as she continues to exude confidence.  She tells the camera, “After I had my little outburst at the beach, Jim was really nice about it.”  It’s immediately apparent that Pam still has no regrets for what she said and did at the beach.  She is, in fact, proud of herself.  She smiles as she speaks and maintains eye contact with the camera.  There isn’t a hint of embarrassment or self-doubt.  This is all the more proof that Pam was honest with Jim for herself and nothing else. 

Pam then starts to paraphrase some of the things Jim said to her at the beach, “He just basically said that he missed my friendship too.”  It means a lot to her that he openly acknowledged he missed her, too.  She’s not alone in missing their friendship and that is incredibly comforting.  Pam continues to say, “And I would always mean a lot to him.”  Her voice softens as she is warmed by the fact that she holds a special place in his heart.  It’s more than she ever expected and she’s thankful for her little corner in Jim’s world. 

She then replies, “And I understand where he is coming from.”  Pam isn’t hurt by Jim’s reaction at all.  It was more than she expected and she is at peace with how things are between them.  Pam hit a new level of awareness in Beach Games which has carried through to The Job.  The motivations for her outburst were to simply be honest, but she walked away with a sense of relief and a new acceptance of her situation with Jim.  Pam now fully understands that Jim’s heart was broken and she is at the root of his pain.   She’s learned to accept the fact that his emotional status is the direct result of her actions on Casino Night.  She has owned up to her past mistakes and has forgiven herself. 

All she can do is let him know she is aware she hurt him and try to salvage to friendship with open communication.  Pam realizes the healthy thing to hope for is the friendship and she has the patience she foster that relationship.  It doesn’t mean she’s giving up on him, it simply means she knows there isn’t much else she can do besides leaving the door open.  She can’t push too hard, if at all.  Pam has essentially told herself, “I hurt him and I can’t expect too much from him right now.“ She has to accept the situation as it stands for her own sanity and well-being. 

Pam has already figured out how to make herself happy and she wants to the same for Jim, whether he decides to stay with Karen or return to her.  If it happens with Jim she’ll be thrilled, but if it doesn’t she will still be happy with herself.  As Pam recalls the events of beach day, her voice overlaps the hug she shares with Jim on the shoreline.  Her face is one of relief, but it also carries her new understanding of Jim.  A new line of open communication was opened that night.  Both realized that the other was hurting and that provided a place to start rebuilding, at the very least, a friendship. Pam is at the point where she’ll be happy for positive relations with Jim that aren’t awkward and cold. 

Pam’s confidence and self assertiveness shines through again as she declares “For the record, I am not embarrassed at all. She again maintains strong eye contact with the camera.  There’s no doubt she means what she says.  This isn’t for show, but rather a true representation of Pam’s feelings.  She is done hiding from the camera or anyone else.  She takes it further and says, “It needed to be said and I said it.”  Pam is again reiterating she has no regrets and knows she did the right thing for herself regardless of how things turn out with Jim.  Her relationship with Jim may have improved but the most important aspect of all is the fact that she came out of this with a clear conscious and new stronger sense of self. 

Pam caps off her talking head with a final self realization, “And it only took me three years to summon the courage.  So, thank you.” as she takes a little bow to celebrate her courage and confidence.  The courage Pam speaks of is about being honest with Jim.  In a sense, she is admitting she loved Jim from the start, but that’s not what she’s emphasizing in her statement.  As during her speech in Beach Games, she misses Jim more than she loves him.  Right now, it’s more important to establish an open and honest line of communication that can repair their relationship.  Pam wasn’t able to do this during the previous three years due to her commitment to Roy and her own fears.  She paid the ultimate price of losing her best friend, as well as the man she loves. 

Pam broke through both of these barriers in the last year and she’s ecstatic.  By creating a new honest foundation, the friendship/relationship is already starting off better than it was three years ago.  She’s made huge gains in representing herself in a more open and honest manner.  Pam is proud of the woman she has become.  It feels good to have the courage to be honest on both the inside and the outside.  For the first time in her life, she is comfortable in her own emotional skin.  She has no expectations beyond being happy and she’s learned her happiness is in her own hands.  Whatever happens, happens and she’s a better person no matter the outcome with Jim.

Apologizing to Karen:

Pam is next seen making her way to the break room.  She looks a little nervous, but she is undaunted by the task at hand.  Pam was looking for Karen as her talking head likely reminded her she needed to talk to her about the events of beach day.  Pam takes a deep breath before she enters the room to prepare herself for the inevitable confrontation.  Despite the tension, Pam is not intimidated.  She knows she has to do this, given the fact that Karen is involved with Jim.  She gives her shirt a final tug and holds her hands in front of her before she begins speaking. 

Pam greets her with a soft “hey.”  She fidgets a little bit on her feet, unsure of where to begin.  She finally says, “Um . . . about the beach . . .”  Her tone is low and even a little sweet, but it does not denote weakness.  Her nerves are noticeable, but her confidence is still steady.  Pam is has the intention of being as friendly and warm with Karen as she possibility can given the complicated circumstances.  Before Pam can finish her sentence, Karen interrupts, “It’s okay.  We all say things without thinking.” 

Pam’s demeanor immediately changes.  She didn’t care for Karen’s condescending comments at all.  Her confidence and courage overtake her nerves as she stands up for herself.  She is quick to fire right back, “Oh no, it’s not that  I’ve actually been thinking that for a long time.  And I’m glad I said it,” as she maintains strong eye contact with Karen.  Pam’s statement and facial expression both send the message to Karen that she never had any intention of apologizing for her beach day speech.  Furthermore, she’s not sorry for her relationship with Jim.  Pam is letting Karen know she will not be intimidated the way she was in Ben Franklin.  Karen was able to push her around in the kitchen and Pam won’t stand for it this time around. 

Pam rides the surge of her confidence a little further and tells Karen, “I just . . I’m sorry if it made you feel weird.”  There is a noticeable edge in Pam’s voice.  She probably wouldn’t have been so blunt if Karen hadn’t interrupted her.  Pam is irked at Karen’s attempt to put words in her mouth.  The FNB in her made sure Karen fully understood her stance on the situation.  She is not going anywhere.  Karen may be with Jim, but Pam is not giving up her stake in him.  Jim is at the very least her friend, and she’s not going to lose that again. 

Pam’s final statement was essentially telling Karen, “there is more going on here than you realize and I’m not going away.”  Aside from the edge in Pam’s tone, there was also a layer of pride that is reminiscent of her talking head, when she said, “It needed to be said and I said it.”  Pam needed to establish herself as Karen’s equal and it felt great.

Getting Teased in the Break Room:

Pam later heads into the break room to grab a tea bag.  The room is full of her co-workers taking their break.  Oscar is the first to speak, “Hey Pam, I've been meaning to say something to you.  I really miss our friendship.”  Pam doesn’t take offense and is quick to find the humor in Oscar’s joke, “Ha ha, that’s very funny.“  Her voice is light hearted as she smiles with twinkling eyes.  As she said in her talking head, she is not embarrassed.  Oscar put her to the test and she passed with flying colors. 

Pam continues to be proud of her actions and she can even laugh at herself.  Stanley then says, “I’ve never heard you talk that much.  I thought it was Kelly.”  He is teasing her a little bit, but he also sounds impressed with the new Pam.  The camera doesn’t catch Pam’s reaction, but his statement undoubtedly added to Pam’s confidence.  Kelly reacts to Stanley saying, “Are you kidding?  I would never have done that.  It was pathetic-ville.  No offense, Pam.”  Not even Kelly’s jab phased Pam.  She simply smiled and acknowledged Kelly’s “no offense” comment.  She knows she did what needed to be done and it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.  

Aside from this, Pam’s relationship with her co-workers has changed.  She is no longer invisible or the little mouse that hides behind her desk.  Her beach day speech was initially directed at them and she is beginning to see the results of being open and honest with everyone, not just Jim. 

- - -

Questions to Ponder:

1) How will Pam’s relations with Karen change?  Did she do the right thing in talking to Karen about the beach day speech?

2) Does Casino Night still need to be discussed or did the shoreline conversation (Beach Scene #1) cover all the bases? 

3) Can Pam truly be happy if Jim is nothing more than a friend? Why or Why not? 

4) Will Pam “fix” Jim’s hair?  Does she want to?