The original airing of the Traveling Salesmen had no JAM interaction which felt a little odd at the time, considering the gains that had been made in Back From Vacation, (BFV). Jim and Pam's break room conversation opened up a new and closer line of communication that seemingly had the ability to transcend episodes. Surprisingly, Traveling Salesmen was a huge gap that left us all hanging and wondering where the communication went until it magically reappeared in The Return. The newpeat finally filled in the missing piece to make these three episodes flow seamlessly together. The connection was never broken, it was just edited out!
Jim's behavior at Pam's desk is directly related to the conversation in BFV. Not only was his connection with Pam reestablished, but his subconscious came alive with the possibility that Pam might still have feelings for him. He is drawn to her without even knowing it and this carries through all the way to Phyllis's Wedding. The additional scenes add to the already obvious fact that Jim still loves Pam.
Just as in The Pam Dichotomy S3, Jim's new scene adds new understanding to subsequent behavior in episodes that aired after Traveling Salesmen. Therefore, it's necessary to correlate the new scene to scenes in various episodes to create a revised timeline of Jim's behavior pattern.
Jim at Pam's Desk:
Jim hangs his jacket on the coat rack after he returns from his sales call. He is a little taken aback by Karen's appearance when she asks him out for coffee. He accepts her invitation and returns to the coat rack to grab his coat and hang his messenger bag. He looks towards Pam and asks her, "Beesly, coffee?" At first glance it's a little puzzling why he would approach her, seeing as there is coffee in the break room. However, it makes perfect sense after reviewing Back From Vacation. Both Jim and Pam walked away from that break room conversation with a reestablished link. Some of the tension that existed between them ever since The Merger has been somewhat alleviated due to the fact that Karen was discussed openly. Even though Karen is traditionally a dividing factor for JAM, in this case she brought them together.
As a result, Jim is more comfortable around Pam. This creates a new dimension in Jim's emotional timeline; his wall was crumbling much earlier than The Return. He started letting Pam back in during their conversation in Back From Vacation. On another level, Jim's subconscious opened up to the possibility that Pam might have feelings for him, which creates an involuntary sense of being drawn to Pam. It's an entirely new dynamic for Jim's internal struggle between his head and his heart. His head tells him to stay away from Pam but he just can't help himself after their reconnected.
These elements are readily apparent in how Jim addresses Pam with "Beesly." The last time he referred to her by her last name was in the Initiation conversation, (another point of reconnection). Jim has established a pattern of calling women by their last names when he is flirting or being playful. He's done it with both Pam and Karen on more than one occasion. In this instance, Jim is being very friendly, but there is a slightly playful air to his question. It's the first indicator of his increased comfort level around Pam. Pam tells Jim she's already had coffee, so he starts heading towards the door. Pam stops him with a "But hey, Jim. . ." Jim spins around with a warm, "Yeah," refocusing his attention on Pam. Pam tells him she won an art contest and Jim becomes ecstatic, "No way! Alright, Pam, congratulations!" It's at this moment that Jim shifts to "Old Jim." His wall is completely down (temporarily) and Karen is nonexistent for the time being. Jim has always been supportive of Pam's art, so he can't help being her cheerleader. Pam's news of winning an art contest triggers an old reflex of offering support and encouragement. Old habits die hard!
His enthusiasm is a subconscious manifestation of feelings Jim continues to harbor for Pam. He would not have reacted with so much enthusiasm if he didn't still love her. Jim knows how important art is to Pam and that makes it important to him as well. Jim high fives Pam, which is again an Old Jim behavior. He's given high fives to Pam in the past for support and good natured encouragement. However, it's another way to be closer to her, just as in the past.
Jim continues his enthused reaction by asking Pam, "Which one was it?" This not only shows his genuine interest, but also his tunnel vision focus on Pam. His curiosity stems from Jim's subconscious need to connect and be near Pam. Pam's news surrounded Jim and let him hang out in her world. Old Jim wanted that more than anything in Seasons 1 and 2. Apparently, he is still clinging to that desire in the back of his mind. Furthermore, his curiosity is yet another manifestation of his feelings for Pam. His curiosity is about getting closer to her, (subconsciously of course). This exchange closely mirrors the BFV conversation in that Jim is expressing curiosity much the same way Pam was curious about Jim's problem. Curiosity seems to be the key in both instances as a cause of their connection and communication becoming stronger.
Karen is still invisible as he's completely forgotten about her standing behind him. Pam brings him further and further into her world as she talks about her art. Pam tells him she sent in one of her watercolors and he responds with an interested "Cool," that begs her to tell him more. She readily obliges with "It was a new one I did." Jim again responds in an encouraging and enthusiastic tone, "Oh, nice." His face is again dripping in interest and curiosity for Pam to tell him more.
It's interesting how they are literally feeding each other with what each needs. Pam needs Jim's encouragement and Jim needs to fill the empty void of his heart, (subconsciously of course!). More importantly, both simply need to feel close to the other. Jim and Pam are in their own little bubble at this point, where Jim is completely cut off from the reality waiting for him at the door. Old Jim is in control at this point and doesn't recognize the fact that he is completely mesmerized with Pam. Karen effectively bursts the bubble by interrupting with, "You ready, Jim?" Jim is immediately snapped back to reality, but he's not happy about it. He turns around and tells her, "Yeah," with a decidedly different tone than the "yeah" he delivered to Pam a few moments before.
In contrast to the warmth that encapsulated his response to Pam, this time he is more curt and his voice is deeper. He is clearly annoyed that Karen is yanking from the bubble. However, Karen is no longer invisible and he cannot return to the his moment with Pam, as the momentum has been broken. He turns back to Pam and his warm tone returns with, "Can I see it when I get back?" Again, the use of curiosity is being used as encouragement and as a way to return to the bubble and into Pam's world. Jim's heart is looking for a way to be close to Pam, while his head is pulling him out the door with Karen.
Jim obviously doesn't want to leave. He takes his time as he heads towards the door. He turns slightly to give her another "congratulations." As he gets closer to the door, he can't help but turn around to face her again and say, "Big deal," as he gives her a huge warm smile. The cheerleader just won't lay down to pom-poms. It's his way of telling her he'd rather stay and talk to her. He really is proud of her and he wants to hear all the details, but his situation simply won't allow him to continue their conversation. He continues to smile as he closes the door. Jim's happiness for Pam transfers to himself. He feels surrounded by Pam and doesn't want to let it go. Unfortunately, the conversation he has with Karen at the coffee shop causes him to step back and rebuild his defenses, albeit very slowly.
Connecting the Dots:
This is just a quick look at how the extended scenes in Traveling Salesmen revise Jim's behavior pattern in a few subsequent episodes. In order to avoid repetition of the same ideas, see The Pam Dichotomy S3 for more connecting factors. In addition, use the Season 3 Episode Links to review previous analyses, (if you need refresh your memory), as they are referenced in the section below.
Back From Vacation:
As mentioned in the analysis, Jim got a lot closer to Pam than originally assumed. His wall started crumbling during their break room conversation about Karen. Despite Jim's initial hesitancy, he found it easy to talk to Pam. A old line of communication was reestablished and Jim took it to heart despite his head's disapproval. This line of communication is what allows the art contest conversation to flow so easily. BFV simply serves as the first stage of a long line of emotional development that serves as a foundation for Jim's behavior through Phyllis's Wedding.
Traveling Salesmen:
The conversation that takes place between Karen and Jim and the coffee shop can be dissected on a deeper level as a result of the new scenes. Jim's behavior takes on a new dynamic when his earlier conversation with Pam is taken in to account. In the original update the conversation was analyzed with a basic surface observation:
Jim is momentarily caught off guard, but hides it well. He's essentially wondering why Karen is asking about this. How did she find out? He didn't expect this to be the topic of conversation. Internally, he's panicking with the equivalent of "Oh, crap" screaming through his head.
His curiosity exists on several levels. First of all, he's not sure how Karen found out. Jim wants to know if she figured it out on her own or if someone told her.
However, there is a new level to his curiosity following his scene with Pam. Jim is still curious for the above reasons, but he is also wondering if his prior interaction with Pam got Karen's attention. Consequently, the motivation for his internal panic mode and worried facial expression are have a little more depth.
Karen forces him to return to the reality that he with her and not with Pam. Thus, Jim jumps in and reassures Karen that he's "really glad" she's her with him. He needs to hide his feelings for Pam from Karen and from himself. Jim's defense begin rebuilding at this point. He knows Pam got in and he needs to block her once again. However, those defenses are rebuilding at a snail's pace. Indeed, Pam is able to wiggle her way back rather easily in The Return.
The Return:
The odd gap between Back From Vacation and The Return now has a bridge that connects Jim's emotional state in BFV and The Return. It's always been puzzling to me that Jim connected to Pam so quickly during the prank, (it was fast even for Jim and Pam!), but now it's clear that this connection has been getting stronger over a 3 episode arc.
Jim's reasons for going to Karen and Ryan to prank Andy before going to Pam directly relates to the coffee shop conversation in TS. Jim is leery of going near Pam because he's still wondering if Karen caught wind of his "crush" from his interaction with Pam in the new scene. Furthermore, his defenses have started to rebuild, causing him to be cautious about approaching Pam.
Once Jim finally does prank with Pam, it's entirely clear why the connected so quickly. The connection is simply a continuation that reaches back to BFV and TS. The new scene helps to create a seamless connection between these episodes. The events of The Return were not a fluke.
Furthermore, the infamous "yes" scene has a clearer origin. Jim's wall is not rebuilt and Pam is able to get through to Jim, causing him to re-explore emotions he thought he had tucked away. The Return is actually the third straight instance that Jim let Pam get close to him. Obviously, his emotions can't be held back if he's continuously reconnecting with Pam. Subconsciously, he's been exploring Karen's question, "Do you still have feelings for her?" all along. He knew the answer a long time before Karen asked, but it was bogged down in denial until she forced it out of him.
On another level, Karen's reaction to Jim's actions with Pam can be traced to the additional scene as well. She was bent out of shape during Jim and Pam's conversation. Hence, her interruption to refocus Jim's attention on her. It appears, her hawk eyes have been watching a lot closer than previously thought. She asked him about his feelings because of more than one instance of seeing him interact with Pam.
Ben Franklin:
In this episode, Jim's wall is clearly rebuilt as a result of his "yes", but it's not at full strength. His jealous face in response to Pam's request for Ryan to set her up on a date now has more meaning. The wall may be in place, but his connection to Pam has not been broken. He still feels close her and squirms at the thought of someone else taking her away from him. Jim's paradox is in full swing here as this new dimension comes into play. Jim may be trying to disconnect from Pam, but on the other hand, he can't let go. His inability to let go of the reestablished connection allows jealousy to take over. This jealousy is part of the motivation behind Jim's behavior in Phyllis's Wedding.
Phyllis's Wedding:
Just as a gap existed between Back From Vacation, Traveling Salesmen, and The Return, a similar gap formed between Ben Franklin and Phyllis's Wedding. That is until now! The new understanding of Ben Franklin, tied in with the three episode arc of Back From Vacation, Traveling Salesmen, and The Return creates a broader comprehension of Jim's behavior in Phyllis's Wedding. Initially, Jim's talking heads and light flirting with Pam seemed out of place. However, those scenes now fit within the big picture. The events leading up to Jim's actions stem all the way back to BFV and have been building all along.
Flirting with Pam at the bar is additionally about getting back in the bubble that was established in the additional Traveling Salesmen scene. His wall is still only partially rebuilt and he's reaching out to her and asking to be back in her world. This also helps to explain the deeper unspoken conversation of wanting to dance with her. The jealousy Pam evoked in Ben Franklin is making Jim try harder to keep their closeness and reconnection in place, (that has been around since Back From Vacation) even if on a subconscious level. In a sense, Jim got used to the connection and felt it's absence in Ben Franklin. Despite his head's objections, his heart refuses to let the connection disintegrate.
Jim's talking "hypothetical" talking also makes more sense. Before, it seemingly came out of nowhere. However, now it is part of the chain that stems all the way back to Back From Vacation when he thought he saw a flicker of emotion in Pam and carries through to Ben Franklin. The additional Traveling Salesmen provided the missing link of the chain. Jim can't help but notice his strong connection to Pam and that is what causes him to entertain the possibility that Pam feels the link as well.
The continuation of Jim and Pam's connection also helps to further explain why Jim was so crushed to watch Pam leave with Roy. The original analysis still stands, but an additional reason now comes to light. Jim now believes his link with Pam is severed, (links to his jealous squirming in Ben Franklin). All the closeness that had been building over the last 6 weeks has been destroyed along with the bubble that sheltered him in her world. It's more than he can handle. Which in turn further explains his new energy towards Karen and his heightened defenses.
Business School:
It's now entirely clear that Karen is an additional reason why Jim did not attend Pam's art show. The deleted scene of Karen and the flier is no longer needed. Karen is obviously jealous and annoyed that Pam has stolen Jim's attention with her art contest news. She saw the bubble and the connection that Jim and Pam share. It made her insecure and that insecurity extended to Business School. Karen knows good and well that an art show would bring Jim closer to Pam, especially since at this point, Karen is somewhat apprised of the past.
- - -
Questions to Ponder:
1) Is Jim aware of the impact his reaction had on Pam? Did he know how much his enthusiasm meant to her?
2) Describe Jim's demeanor after his return to the office from coffee with Karen. Will he still ask to see Pam's painting?
3) In light of the new scene and new episode arc, did Jim want to attend Pam's art show?
4) In an odd turn of events, Jim shifted to "Old Jim." In contrast, Pam is evolving from "Old Pam" into FNB. Does Jim need to make a similar transformation into New Jim or is a return to Old Jim the right course of action? Are Old Jim and FNB compatible?
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.
