Just when it seems Jim's paradox couldn't possibly become more complex, another anomaly is thrown into the mix. Jim's traditional pattern of dealing with his feelings is to simply bury them until they are sealed tightly and stowed away in the dark corners of his psyche. This concept still dictates Jim's behavior, but it has taken on an entirely new dynamic. The events of The Negotiation hit Jim very hard and opened wounds he had long since ignored. Once again he has buried the pain that accompanies these wounds, but he's found a new way to mask it.
Jim's heightened mode of denial has allowed him to convince himself that he does not have feelings for Pam. Oddly, Jim's own denial is partially what draws him to Pam in Safety Training. Jim has convinced himself that he can hang around Pam because he no longer loves her. In Jim's mind there is no emotional danger and it's "safe" to hang out with her. It's a whole new spin on Jim's self-preservation model. Instead of avoidance, strong denial masquerades Jim's emotional truth. The reason for this manifestation lies with the fact that Jim has dealt with increased difficulty in burying his feelings. They keep bubbling up on him and he's losing control.
As a result, the fear paradox returns and has an entirely new component. Jim is essentially afraid of his own emotions overwhelming him as they are getting harder to contain. The last time he was emotionally overwhelmed, it literally crushed him, (CN). Instead of dealing with the struggle of pushing back his emotions, Jim is choosing to pretend they don't exist. He is exhausted and this methodology seemingly provides a break from his constant internal struggles.
Even though Jim has chosen to disregard any feelings for Pam, he is drawn to her like a magnet. Jim's gravitation towards Pam is completely subconscious and functions as part of his self-preservation mode. Jim has an innate need for comfort, which explains his continued employment with Dunder-Mifflin and his reluctance to face difficult emotional situations. Throughout his stay in Stamford Jim constantly searched for a comfort zone and validation, both of which he partially found in Karen. She still serves this purpose as Jim faces the pain of the past since returning to Scranton. However, the comfort zone Karen previously provided has begun to diminish. Recently, Karen has shown signs that she simply doesn't "get" Jim.
In all actuality, Karen has never fully understood Jim. As early as Gay Witch Hunt, there was foreshadowing that Karen will never fully understand him. In her talking head she expressed confusion over his facial expressions directed at the camera. Anyone who understands Jim, knows he needs to make those expressions as an outlet for his humor. Later in The Return, she refused to help prank Andy when Jim needed her the most. In The Negotiation, she failed to understand Jim's need to thank Dwight and jabbed him as opposed to advising him. And now in Safety Training, Karen is at a loss on how to relate to Jim or any of the situations at hand (Michael and betting games).
Hence, Jim's self preservation mode begins working on yet another level. His primal need for comfort and validation sends him directly to Pam, despite the tension between them. He knows Pam understands every part of him. The need for a comfort zone, in turn helps to create the delusion that he no longer has feelings for Pam. It's a vicious circle. Thus the paradox: He loves her, yet he has to tell himself he doesn't in order to preserve the comfort zone Pam provides. Jim doesn't realize it, but his own self preservation model is sending him on a path that leads to Pam.
The theorized calendar of events outlined in the Pam Dichotomy can be further solidified using Jim's behavior pattern. Here's a little reminder:
The events of The Negotiation most likely occurred soon after Cocktails. A safe guess is anywhere from two to three weeks. It's enough time for Roy's temper to simmer before he attacked Jim, yet not enough time for Roy to let it go. Roy himself said, "I wasn't going to do anything, but I kept thinking of you two together," which indicates he thought about it for a little while beforehand. Phyllis's appearance in The Negotiation also helps seeing as it's the first time she's been seen since her wedding. She stated in Phyllis's Wedding that her honeymoon was going to be 6 weeks. If we place the events of The Negotiation in mid-march, her reappearance is right on schedule. Given Jim and Pam's thawed out relations, Safety Training is close to a real time episode, which means it's happening two to three weeks after The Negotiation, (early April).
Andy's time in anger management also helps to realign the timeline. He left in mid-January and is now back, approximately 10 weeks later. This revised timeline helps to create a gap of time that allows for a relaxation of tensions between Jim and Pam. It's doubtful they'd being hanging out so easily if the break room conversation was only a week old. They've obviously had time to let things settle between them.
Jim's reaction in the break room was the first indicator that a new self-preservation mode was in the works. Instead of letting out pent up emotions, he held them in and buried them. If a couple of weeks is placed between The Negotiation and Safety Training, that is sufficient time for Jim to fully enact his new self preservation model. The Jim seen in Safety Training is the product of at least two weeks worth of working to conceal his emotions from both himself and others.
As the season progresses, it has been tougher for Jim to shove his feelings on the backburner. Therefore, he needs a good chunk of time in order to believe in the new reality he's created for himself, in which his feelings for Pam no longer exist. As stated in the Pam Dichotomy, the tension between Jim and Pam won't simply disappear after just a few days or even a week. In The Negotiation, both were harboring loads of pain and strong emotions and neither got to let those emotions out. In Safety Training, both were very relaxed and at ease with one another. Obviously, sufficient time has passed for the tension to subside.
Jellybean Bet:
Jim's newly evolved paradox makes an early appearance as the jellybean bet commences at Pam's desk. Jim is standing directly in front of Pam with Kevin and Oscar flanking him on both sides. Karen is on the outskirts which is highly symbolic of her status throughout the day. She may be participating in the games, but she is on the outside looking in the entire time.
Jim's placement in front of Pam is also symbolic in that he is connected to her and has taken his traditional position at her desk. He found his way to Pam's desk in Season 2 because that's where his feelings led him regardless of his attempts to push them aside. The same thing is happening here, just on another level. Subconsciously, he is acting on feelings he's convinced himself no longer exist.
The betting itself offers a nice distraction that allows Jim to simply have fun with Pam and his co-workers. Despite all that has happened between Pam and himself, he genuinely misses hanging out with her. Pam moves the candy dish towards Jim when it's his turn to guess the number of jellybeans. Jim guesses "50" and Karen follows with a guess of "51." Jim is irritated with Karen's guess and tells her, "Oh, don't be that person." For Jim, this is not playing the game, but rather it's the easy way out. This is his first indication of the day that Karen simply doesn't "get" it.
As Pam jumps to Karen's defense, the camera fails to pan over to Jim to catch his expression. He obviously doesn't catch Pam's flirtation, but he likely did notice her beyond the shield of his wall. The newly formed holes in Jim's wall allowed him to see Pam's adorable personality, (the holes developed from the break room in The Negotiation). Despite his best effort at avoidance, he is drawn to her. Pam counts the jellybeans and happily announces Jim as the winner. Jim lets out a victory cry and gives himself a round of applause. He collects his cash with a big smile and starts counting his winnings. Kevin immediately starts whining, "That is not fair. He has spent hours up here at reception with you."
Jim is at first appears oblivious to Kevin's statement as he is more attuned to counting his money. This is another instance of Jim's self-preservation mode at work. He knows exactly what Kevin means, but he's looking to forget that his previous actions at Pam's desk will stay where he wants to stay: in the past. The only way he can do this is to ignore Kevin's reference or his feelings for Pam will bubble up again. Jim is rather successful with his tactic until Kevin refuses to let it go. He continues on his little rant, "Hours and hours." This little addition is enough to grab Jim's attention. He looks at Kevin saying, "Okay . . . " and then tosses a quick glance at the camera before looking down as he utters another, "Okay" Kevin managed to break down Jim's defenses with very little effort, which goes to show just how fragile Jim is when his wall takes a hit.
Jim body language indicates he is embarrassed and a little self-conscious. Jim is well known for looking at the camera when he feels cornered. He even wears a bit of a smile as he responds to Kevin. This is one of his patented nervous smiles that always sneaks out whenever his feelings for Pam are involved. It's his way of masking how he really feels to both himself and everyone else. In this instance, Jim has to smile at this situation in order to convince himself he's over it. He is being reminded of his past feelings and his failed efforts at winning Pam's heart. The pain of those days are still eating away at him as he struggles to suppress newly riled emotions. It's during this brief moment that Jim is remotely aware that he is indulging his emotional needs by hanging out with Pam. Up to this point, Jim had been unwittingly enjoying this little jaunt into the past as he played at Pam's desk.
Jim's okays are also pleading with Kevin to stop. His face is screaming, "We don't need to bring this up." Jim needs to believe he's over Pam and doesn't feel any pain, but Kevin keeps hacking away at his wall and he needs contain the damage. Kevin can't take a hint and continues, "No, constantly for like, years." Jim responds with a harsher, "Okay," to signal to Kevin that it's time to drop it and leave it alone. Kevin threatened Jim's comfort zone, which causes Jim's self preservation model to kick in. He couldn't let Kevin continue on his rant as it had the potential of putting Jim under the scrutiny of both Pam and Karen. Throughout this exchange with Kevin he avoids eye contact with both women. Any eye contact with Pam could melt him down into a pile of putty, while a glance at Karen could mean [i] another [i] long talk. Obviously, Jim's self preservation operates on more than one front.
Kelly's Netflix:
The games continue as everyone bets on how long it will take Kelly to explain her Netflix strategy to Ryan. Jim is at his desk "working" and waiting for the results of his bet. Karen is sitting on his desk awaiting the results as well, but Jim isn't really paying attention to her. In fact, he doesn't really acknowledge her presence until she gets up to throw down her money. He takes immediate notice that Karen is the first one out of the game. Karen's early exit from the game serves as another example that she is disconnected from Jim. She may be his girlfriend, but she lacks an understanding of his background and thought processes.
It's also key to notice that Pam and Jim went out in close succession. They were pretty much on the same wavelength as their bets are only seconds apart. In contrast to Karen, Pam's bet represents a much stronger connection to Jim. She understands every part of his world.
Creed's Apple:
As mentioned in the Pam Dichotomy, this scene is significant in that it showcases Jim and Pam's synergy as they work as a team. The bet between co-workers is whether Creed will eat a potato in place of his apple. As Pam distracts Creed, Jim glides in and skillfully puts a potato in place of the apple sitting on Creed's desk. Jim and Pam's plan was smooth and artful as they work together with such ease and timing. It's another example of how well they communicate on multiple levels.
After watching this scene it hard not to think of the contrast that exists with Jim and Karen in Business School as they team up for the vampire prank on Dwight. Nothing flowed easily between them. Jim was clearly the lead on the prank and Karen proved to be an unworthy ally. Jim and Pam never had a problem finding their groove to pull off a prank. Even after all the turmoil between them, it's just like riding a bike. They know what the other is thinking and that creates the perfect team. They proved they've still got it in The Return and continue to do so in Safety Training.
At the end of the scene, both Jim and Pam reap the benefits of Creed eating the potato by claiming their cash. Karen is looks lost and out of place as she stands in total disbelief. She provides yet another example for Jim that she just doesn't fit in his world. She may be playing along, but she doesn't get it. It's highly symbolic of her relationship with Jim in general. Karen knows about Jim's past with Pam, yet she still plays along to maintain her status as his girlfriend despite the fact that she doesn't totally understand him.
Parking Lot:
Even though Kevin prodded Jim's wounds, it wasn't enough to keep him away from Pam. This is quite a development in and of itself. Rather than skulk away and avoid Pam, Jim is drawn to her. The paradox is back in play in that Jim keeps telling himself to let her go, but he just can't. As everyone heads out to the parking lot to see Michael's depression visual aid, Jim is right behind Pam with Karen nowhere in sight. Jim is not oblivious to the fact that Karen has been lost all day. He feels disconnected from her and is therefore subconsciously drawn to Pam as a replacement for the comfort zone Karen is failing to provide.
As Michael and Dwight begin their little skit, Jim inches his way closer to Pam until he is right next to her. Karen is again nowhere in sight and Jim is not looking for her. He is perfectly content standing next to Pam. She is the only one who fully understands Michael's lunacy. Furthermore, she will understand the humor of the situation. Karen cannot fulfill either of these duties. Pam comes through big time as she initiates with, "What are the odds that this is in any way real?" Jim immediately understands her light sarcasm and responds in kind, "I'd say 10,000 to one." He nods at her playfully as he settles into the familiar and comfortable groove of making fun of Michael with Pam.
Again, Jim is doing this mainly as a manifestation of self-preservation. He needs the comfort zone Pam is providing, but he has to ignore his feelings in order to do so. If only he knew his feelings were guiding his every move. It's the same paradox as before, his actions are a better representation of how he feels rather than his conscious thinking. His wall is coming down, even though he thinks it's still strong and tall.
Jim steps aside to do a quick talking head with the camera, but it's worth noting that he returns to his place next to Pam. Karen is still nowhere near him and he made no effort to stand beside her. Jim went right back to where he felt the most comfortable. Besides, Pam is the only one who "gets" Michael's antics and he needs someone who can share the humor.
The Castle:
Creed's discovery of the "bouncy castle" prompts Jim to immediately investigate. When Jim arrives at the castle he quickly glances at it then redirects his attention on Pam. His face wears a clearly amused smile, but he is also anxious. He wants to share this moment with her and he's looking forward to the banter that's sure to result. Pam doesn't immediately respond, but Jim continues to grin at her. He's waiting for her to say something or exchange an equally amused face with him. They key part of this scene is the fact that Jim's attention is rarely on the castle. Instead, he is focused almost entirely on Pam. His eyes rarely leave her.
Jim is surprised at Pam's serious tone when she finally starts talking. Rather than a funny quip, Pam expresses concern for Michael's welfare, "Oh, my God. He's going to jump." The humor of the situation immediately dissipates and Jim's attention focuses on the castle. He knows Pam is right and starts to worry about Michael. Jim may find Michael immensely annoying, but he also cares about him. Michael has been there for him on more than one occasion. Aside from that, Jim is concerned Michael might actually be stupid enough to hurt himself or worse. The connecting factor between himself and Pam shifts from one of humor to one of mutual worry. he looks at her and says, "He's going to kill himself pretending to kill himself." Pam says, "yeah" in agreement and both of them scurry back to the parking lot.
Once again, Karen was absent, further disconnecting herself from Jim. She's essentially giving Jim no choice but to hang out with Pam. (I'm liking Karen more and more at this point!)
Pam on the Megaphone:
Jim makes the first attempt to save Michael as he hollers, "Hey, uh, Michael. Don't jump on the bouncy castle. You can't do that because you're going to get horribly, horribly injured. " Jim is not successful and steps aside as Pam gets on the megaphone. Pam is adorable as she says, "I have a present for you but you have to come down to get it." Instead of watching Michael, Jim is once again focused on Pam. He loves her idea and is literally melting as he watches her.
He's so enamored with her, he isn't watching as she takes bricks from his wall. She is being very cute and he can't help but notice. He loves it that she knows exactly what will grab Michael's attention, but he also sees some of the humor she's infusing in her statements. Only Pam could pull off such a feat. He's impressed the same way he was with Pam's creativity in The Alliance while pranking Dwight.
Pam looks at Jim shaking her head after her statements. Jim immediately picks up on her non-verbal cue, "Can you believe this." He responds to her humor with a look of disbelief and an amused smile that silently sends her his "Wow. You are amazing." At the same time he is wearing his trademark sarcasm as he shares the humor with Pam. He briefly glances up at Michael and then refocuses back on Pam as she tries to further convince Michael to come down to get his "present." He may be worried about Michael, but his focus is on her.
Darryl on the Megaphone:
After Jim, Pam and Dwight all fail at talking Michael down from the roof, Darryl takes over. As Darryl speaks, it's hard not notice just how close Jim is standing next to Pam. Furthermore, he's not the least bit uneasy. In fact, he's relaxed and comfortable.
Darryl tries to convince Michael his life is worth living because of Jan. Michael's response to this is highly symbolic of Jim, "I don't know where I stand or what I want." If this doesn't sum up Jim's behavior in season 3, nothing does. All he's ever wanted to know from the start is where he stands with Pam. Michael goes on to say, "The sex isn't nearly as good as it used to be." Jim can't resist shooting Pam a smile to share the joke with her.
Jan and Michael has always been favorite topic between them. They talked about it and exchanged looks throughout Season 2 and even in Back From Vacation. It's a familiar joke that he can only share with Pam. Karen can't and never will get it. He knows the second he makes eye contact with Pam that she's laughing on the inside right along with him. It's a glowing example that non-verbal communication has returned between Jim and Pam. Jim would never admit it, but this brings an immense amount of comfort and even pokes at his hidden hope once again.
The Bottom Line:
In the analysis for The Negotiation, it was stated that Jim's wall is blocking him from himself. That is still very true, but this is starting to work in JAM's favor. Jim has chosen to bury his feelings so deep that he can tell himself they no longer exist. He doesn't realize that all this will do is cause an even bigger explosion than the one that paralyzed him in Phyllis's Wedding.
The longer Jim buries his feelings, the stronger they will become. This can be equated to boiling water in a teapot. Eventually, the steam will force it's way out and there's no stopping it. Once Jim's feelings hit their boiling point it will force Jim into emotional honesty. In effect, his own denial is creating a path that leads directly to Pam. The exact same thing happened in Season 2. Jim literally spent years denying his feelings for Pam in order to protect himself from the heartbreak of watching the woman he loved with another man. Aside from that, it was the only way he could continue to fulfill his need to be near her. However, he was never able to fully subdue his feelings.
They finally overwhelmed him on Casino Night. His "new" self-preservation model is actually a renewal of the model he used in Season 2. Jim may be a changed man, but his feelings remain the same as does his methodology for dealing with them. It stands to reason he will be emotionally overwhelmed again and will have no choice but to be honest with himself and Pam.
- - -
JAM Song of the Week:
When I heard this song, it reminded me of Jim's subconscious.
Closer to You
Artist: The Wallflowers
Album: Red Letter Days
Questions to Ponder:
1. In an odd role reversal, Karen is the one who feels out of place and in need of validation. Jim was in a similar position in Stamford, but is clearly back at home in Scranton. How will he view Karen's difficulties with fitting in? How will this effect their relationship?
2. Is Jim's self preservation model getting stronger or weaker? What about his wall?
3. Jim allowed Pam to get very close to him in Safety Training. Is this a trend that will continue or will he back away again? Is he aware of just how close he let her get to him?
4. Pam is clearly ahead of Jim when it comes to emotional honesty. How far behind is Jim? Does he need a catalyst like Pam, or will he find it on his own?
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.
