The events of Phyllis's Wedding are still weighing heavy in Jim's mind. The jealousy and frustration that swirled while he watched Pam leave with Roy has festered within him and amplified the hurt. As a result, a new emotion of anger has developed. He is obviously upset and disappointed in Pam. He's also still upset at himself for thinking Pam may have had feelings for him. His anger is also developing as a replacement emotion in order for Jim to avoid feeling the pain of his still broken heart (or even dealing with it) and as a mechanism to avoid his feelings for Pam altogether. Sometimes it's just easier to be angry or upset than to just work through tough emotions. That being said, his anger isn't severe, as it seems to manifest itself more as an irritation. Jim is not generally an angry person as he's so laid back. He is, however, a very emotional person. He suffered an emotional bruise in PW and is continuing to lash out as a result.
Jim's self preservation model is also back in operation as his wall appears to be repaired, although still weakened. He didn't afford Pam one work or look throughout the entire episode. Furthermore, he is back to his old escapist tactics. Jim used humor throughout the day to bury himself in something other than his feelings surrounding Pam. This included pulling a prank with Karen at his side. He started throwing himself back into his escape of Karen in PW and it appears he's continuing with that tactic in order to protect himself from the pain and hurt bubbling in his heart. He's using the tried and true method of ignoring the problem in order to pretend it doesn't exist.
It sounds dismal, but in reality, Jim needs to through these emotions. He's had Pam up on pedestal for a long time and he needs to see her for what and who she really is faults and all. The fact that part of his anger is directed at himself for loving her means those emotions are still in place. He can't help but love her despite her mistakes and right now he's finding that frustrating as he can't let her go. The fact that his anger and disappointment emanates from frustration and jealousy is also promising. He wouldn't still be harboring all of this angst if his feelings for Pam weren't still heavy in his heart. Furthermore, he wouldn't be enacting escapist tactics if he didn't still love Pam. Just as in Season1 and 2 he's trying to keep it bottled up inside, but he's having a tougher time since The Return.
He's upset that he can't stop himself from feeling all those emotions. I guess its true that once you let the water out of the dam (CN) you can't hold it back no matter how hard you try. Jim's wall is faltering from both sides. It's not keeping Pam out, but it's also not entrapping his emotions. His wall is wobbling between two very strong forces. The optimist in me is anxious to hear that wall crash to the ground.
Roy at Pam's Desk:
Jim can't help but overhear Pam and Roy talking as he works at his desk. He undoubtedly heard Roy tell Pam he loves her and Pam's subsequent response of "You too." The camera pans over to Jim as Roy leaves. There is no mistake that Jim is feigning disinterest. His face and neck are stiff which can only indicate that he is bothered and upset. His disappointment in Pam has obviously carried through from PW. In addition, all the old frustrations of seeing Pam with Roy are compounding with his new agitation. His tight face is indicative of holding back emotions and forcing himself not to be involved. He looks like he's trying really hard to focus on his computer screen. It's a classic avoidance behavior aimed at protecting Jim from the hurt of Pam being with Roy. Not to mention the jealousy and heart break that is attached. He is desperate to bury and forget these feelings.
Jim lets out a big yawn as he "works" but this is not part of his tactic of seeming disinterested. For me, this is more of a symbolic action on the writers' part that Jim is simply worn out from the internal fight between his head and his heart. I don't see Jim faking a yawn to throw Pam off the scent. She wasn't even looking at him, nor he at her. This is the third yawn we've seen from Jim this season. The previous two were both results of simply being tired. The camera seems to keep catching him in the morning. Maybe he's just not a morning person. Sometimes a yawn is just a yawn!
Talking Head:
Jim is obviously still lashing out over the fact that Pam is with Roy. The tone of his talking head strongly matches the tone of his second talking head in PW. Jim states that "Pam is with Roy. I'm with Karen." Only there's a little bit of frustration in his voice. He's a little perturbed that the camera crew is asking him about Pam again. He's even a little apathetic in his description of the current state of things.
This is a strong example of Jim's evasive maneuvers regarding his feelings. He's pretending they don't exist. Just like Pam's talking head, he's trying to sound like everything is fine and that it doesn't bother him. This is a perfect example of Jim's repressive tendencies in regards to his feelings for Pam. On a simpler level, Jim simply doesn't want to talk about it. He's still upset and hurt and he doesn't care to reopen the wound. Part of the reason its effecting so strongly is the fact that it's Roy. It's just insult added to injury. It's like Pam poured lemonade into the wound and stomped on his heart again.
Jim's tone turns much more sarcastic and flippant as he goes on to say "Brangelina is with Frangelina," which again showcases his frustration with the situation. He is again reverting to his time honored tactic of using humor to escape a difficult emotional situation. He continues with the phrase, "Moving on." He's essentially telling the camera crew to drop it, but this is also his way of reinforcing the original plan of moving on with his life. This is specifically in reference to forging a new relationship with Karen. It appears he's putting this plan back into action full throttle. He seems more determined than ever, despite the impediment of his emotions.
However, his face gives him away as it always does. He looks a little nervous. Again he mirrors Pam, in hoping the camera "buys it." A smile then crosses his face. This is a smile that we have seen many times before when Pam is on his mind or right in front of him. It's the smile he always wears when he's trying to hide how he really feels. The most notable examples of this smile are in Booze Cruise and Drug Testing, (there are a number of other examples, but these two popped into my head first!). Old habits die hard.
The last second of Jim's talking head is perhaps the most important. Just before the cut, his smile drops into a frown. His eyes change their expression from one of flippancy to agitation and hurt. This facial expression is an the most honest representation of the emotional firestorm raging inside of Jim that we have yet seen from him. It shows all of his frustration and anger with the situation. As mentioned above, all this angst would not be swirling around in him, if he didn't harbor such strong feelings for Pam. He may be upset with her right now, but he's also upset that he can't let her go no matter how hard he tries.
Pranking with Karen (Random Observations):
Jim spent the day retreating to his escape of humor by playing a vampire prank on Dwight in the spirit of a loose bat in the office. His pranking is simply a coping skill that provides an escape from his emotional turmoil. He adds to his escape by having Karen play the role of his accomplice. It appears she's not above pranking this week. Including her in this prank is also his way of trying to connect with her, seeing as he's relentlessly throwing himself back into her.
It was readily apparent that Karen and Jim pranking together is completely different from Pam and Jim pranking together. There is absolutely no chemistry. In both the garlic bread and aspirin scenes Karen sounds completely rehearsed adding a contrived atmosphere to the prank. Jim obviously prompted her and fed her lines before the staging it in front of Dwight. Jim had to pick up the slack by sounding even more realistic.
This is in stark contrast to the synergy exhibited between Jim and Pam during a prank. This was most recently seen in The Return, but also throughout Seasons 1 and 2. Pam didn't need a lot of prompting as she was perfectly capable of impromptu dialogue to further a prank. Furthermore, her dialogue is always natural and unsuspicious. Karen sounded like she was reading off of cue cards. Pam was even capable of taking a prank a step further by initiating a new element, as she did in The Alliance. Jim gushed about her initiation in his talking head.
We already know Karen is not capable of initiation during a prank, as she asked Jim in The Convict for an assignment for his prank on Andy. This prank is just another indicator of the fact that Jim and Karen just don't jive as a couple. Communication and chemistry are both way off. Furthermore, the connection Jim sought from this prank did not occur. Of course, that doesn't seem to be stopping Jim from attempting to replace Pam with Karen. Eventually, he is going to see that nothing can replace Pam. Pam's sense of humor has always drawn Jim in like a moth to a flame. It's one of the things he loves about her. Her humor brought him back to her briefly in A Benihana Christmas and The Return, so it's bound to draw him in again.
The Bottom Line:
Jim's anger is based entirely off the fact that he's still harboring a deep love for Pam. It wouldn't be sticking with him this long if love wasn't the foundation. It's emanating from frustration, jealousy, and an overall feeling of helplessness in the situation. He's still dealing with the flood of emotions that hit him in PW. Eventually anger will wash away, only to leave love. This comforts me a great deal. The disappointment and anger is simply masking how Jim really feels, because these emotions are simply easier to deal with at this point.
It's almost like Jim and Pam are having a silent 'fight" with one another of mixed signals. Both have hurt each other and both are a little angry with the other, (Pam lashed out in BF). It stands to reason that they will eventually (kiss and) make up.
Questions to Ponder:
1) Why didn't Jim attend Pam's art show? Did he want to?
2) Is Jim more frustrated with Pam, himself, or the situation as a whole?
3) Does Jim still love Pam? (I know I'm opening up a can of old worms here, but why not?)
4) Does Karen know the whole history behind Roy and Pam? (Kelly, the gossip queen is just buzzing, so it makes me wonder!)
5) Who will be the first to initiate the next conversation: Jim or Pam? (In effect, who will take the first step to heal the divide?)
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.
