Jim has apparently located the holes in his wall along with the missing bricks Pam pulled out during Safety Training. As a result, Jim's self preservation mode has strengthened as his denial and avoidance tactics are in full swing and showing very few signs of weakness. Jim made absolutely no contact with Pam throughout the entire episode, which happened over a course of three days (1. Jim as Dwight 2. The crisis 3. Dwight as Jim). Not even a glance escaped from the confines of Jim newly repaired wall.
Obviously, Jim has had time to ponder the events of Safety Training, which allowed his fear paradox to kick in completely. He knows he let Pam get too close and he has opted to pull away. He can't risk hanging out with Pam again, much less afford her any attention. This would interfere with his self imposed belief that he is over Pam. It's a belief he must force himself to accept as a means to numb himself from his feelings and the associated pain. Therefore, he has to kick his denial into a higher gear. Jim was in denial throughout Safety Training, (and since Phyllis's Wedding) but it was not at full strength. Pam was able to poke some holes in the denial fortress and quite frankly that scares Jim to death.
Once again, Jim retreats to the only methods that have given him any peace: avoidance and Karen. Jim chose to avoid Pam at every opportunity. Both Michael and Dwight offered opportunities for him to connect with Pam by way of humor. But, Jim chose to ignore Pam in both instances as part of his avoidance tactic. Furthermore, he used the humor of Dwight's prank to connect with Karen. He followed this exact pattern after Phyllis's Wedding. By avoiding Pam and living in the facade Karen provides, Jim can continue to live in denial of his honest feelings and therefore numb the pain. Jim has simply mastered the art of living in limbo.
So where is the silver lining? Jim may be throwing himself back into his relationship with Karen and he may be avoiding Pam, but he's still at the mercy of his bottled up emotions. Jim has slowly been returning to the Jim we all knew and loved from Season 2. He's even started pranking on a more regular basis, (I've been waiting for this pattern to return). The current model of denial he's adopted is only a slightly modified version of the one he used throughout Season 2. He spent years telling himself he didn't love Pam. He's doing the exact the same thing now as a means of self preservation. Furthermore, Jim even dated other people last season. Karen can easily be referred to as a longer version of Katy. She may be a better match for Jim, but she serves the same purpose of distracting Jim from his feelings. Eventually, the facade will crumble as the truth percolates through the cracks.
Jim as Dwight:
Jim walks in to work intent on pulling a prank on Dwight. In his $11 ensemble he succeeds in agitating Dwight by impersonating his personality quirks. The fact that Jim is pranking Dwight is a huge indicator that S2 Jim is slowly returning. His pranks on Dwight have been slowly building in momentum since A Benihana Christmas, which was instigated by Pam. Since Back From Vacation, Jim has pranked Dwight a number of times, with each prank getting more and more elaborate. He first messed with Dwight's tape recorder in the cold open of Back From Vacation and then followed up with two small pranks in Traveling Salesmen, (hitting the breaks too hard and slapping him). In Phyllis's Wedding Jim pulled the infamous Altoids prank and then later convinced Dwight to look out for wedding crashers. And who could forget the vampire prank pulled in Business School? This string of pranks oddly occurred after Jim's Benihana Christmas talking head where he stated, "If I go back to doing the same stuff I used to, what am I doing?" Jim doesn't even realize he's contradicting his own self-preservation model by constantly pranking Dwight.
Ever since he transferred to Stamford he's been intent on moving on and creating a new life for himself. He's tried to use this same philosophy while back in Scranton, but he's slowly slipping back into his old routine. This goes to show Jim hasn't changed and deep down he really doesn't want to change. The escalating pranks are an indicator of the cracks in Jim's facade. Jim is having to pretend in just about every aspect of his life, except when it comes to pranking. Pranks give him an escape that doesn't test his defenses. It's simply gives him a release and little break from the turmoil of his current emotional status. In effect, it's another element of his self-preservation mode.
Even though Jim is intent on changing his life, the acceleration of pranks is bringing Jim closer to the person he was before CN. This is necessary in that he is rediscovering himself outside the confines of his facade. This is great news for JAMmers in that Pam is just outside the facade. Karen is rarely involved in Jim's pranks as he has pulled off most of his Dwight pranks solo. She She has little or no role in this escape and Jim is starting to notice this gap. This is all highly symbolic of Jim's emotional state. Just as he's returning to an old personality trait, his old feelings are fighting they're way back to the surface as well. The more he pranks, the more he breaks out of his created reality constructed of denial and finds his way back to the man he really is -- the one who still loves Pam.
Unfortunately, this pattern is spotty at best. Jim's pranks have traditionally been a way for Jim to connect with Pam. However, he's pulled all of these pranks without including Pam. Dwight has always been a traditional target between them and it's obvious he's choosing not to include Pam for this very reason. In fact, Jim never made contact with Pam while impersonating Dwight. This is partly due to the realization that Pam got too close to him in Safety Training, but this also relates to the deeper issue of returning to the past with Pam. He's not ready to go there quite yet. Pranking Dwight is his escape, as is avoiding Pam. It's really a vicious circle. It's necessary for Jim to prank as a means to break out of the lie he keeps telling himself, but he's avoiding Pam in the process. As a result, Jim's self preservation model has evolved into a paradox of it's own. It's protecting him from the pain of CN, while simultaneously bringing him back to Pam, (albeit very slowly).
Conference Room:
Jim walks into the conference room, passing right by Pam without even a glance. His self preservation model is obviously still operating with denial at it's root and functioning via avoidance. He sits down at the table with Karen at his side, while Michael rattles off puzzling acronyms. Jim is already annoyed with circumstances at hand and Michael's insanity is not helping. He is irritated when he asks Michael, "Why are you talking like that?" It's laced with light sarcasm, but Jim isn't in a playful enough mood to pursue it any further. He nods in response to Michael's answer, but his amusement level is not were it would usually be. Jim then watches as Karen tells Michael, "Actually, I think you could make the argument that it wastes time."
Pam's follow up of "Yeah, she has a point. I mean for example, with the last thing you said, by the time you explained it, it actually took up more time. . . " The camera fails to provide a clue on Jim's reaction to Pam's joke or whether he made eye contact with her. But we can assume the camera didn't show a reaction because there was no reaction. Jim is in the mode of avoiding Pam in every way and therefore has chosen to ignore Pam's statement. However, Jim can't hide forever. He lightens up as soon as Michael mentions "Threat Level Midnight." He can't help but toss an amused and all knowing face at the camera. This reference undoubtedly stirred up Jim's memory of his evening with Pam in The Client, even if just briefly. This is going to send Jim's subconscious into overdrive.
As Michael puts Dwight in charge of a press conference, Pam asks, "We're having a press conference?" Michael mocks her with, "No Pam, the press is just going to find out by themselves." He's in effect putting her down. As mentioned in the original paradox, Jim can't help but take care of Pam. When Michael states, "The press wants a story, I will give them a story," Jim fires right back by mocking Michael. In a deadpan and sarcastic tone he says, "Oh, did the press ask for a story?" Jim thinks he's only mocking Michael, but he's also getting back at him for jabbing Pam. His subconscious was able to break through his self preservation mode for this brief moment as he slipped back into very familiar territory. He may be trying to pull away from Pam, but he can't stay away.
In Andy's Car:
Jim tries to lift Andy's spirits on the way back to the office. Andy is clearly still reeling from his discovery that his girlfriend is in high school (and illegal). He looks at him with a very knowing face as he can understand Andy's pain. Jim has more than enough experience when it comes to heartbreak. He first asks Andy about music and is met with nothing but Andy's irritation. So Jim offers the only advice he knows, "C'mon man, just give it couple days. I think you'll be alright." Jim has told himself this a million times since CN.
His advice is highly indicative of his own moving on status. Despite his broken heart, Jim is still intent on putting it behind him. His tone was one of authority on the subject despite his own failures of moving past Pam. Essentially, Jim is exhibiting his false sense of confidence that he is over Pam. Aside from that, Jim is doing his best to keep Andy away from a minor!
Dwight as Jim:
Jim continues his avoidance of Pam even as Dwight provides a golden moment of humor that Jim could easily share with Pam. As Dwight begins his prank by impersonating Jim at Pam's desk, Jim does not turn around. Even as Pam pokes fun at Dwight, "Hey Dwight, you look really nice today," Jim's back is turned. Karen is leaning on Jim's desk as Dwight approaches. Karen's proximity coupled with Jim's self preservation model causes him to include Karen in making fun of Dwight's antics. Just as he's previously done, Jim is throwing himself back into Karen. He's trying to make her fit into his world.
When Dwight asks Karen if she would like to have sexual intercourse, Jim immediately looks at Karen and makes a joke, "Do you?" in an effort to connect with her with Dwight humor. Karen responds no and walks away. As much as Jim wants her to participate in the humor, she simply doesn't "get" it. Jim is so amused by Dwight he doesn't really take notice. Even when facing Dwight's ridiculous imitations, Jim still doesn't swap a glance with Pam. His self-preservation tactics of denial and avoidance simply will not allow him to connect to Pam with the traditional target of Dwight. If he allows Pam to join him on this, he runs the risk of overwhelming emotions as per the fear paradox. This is by no means a permanent development as long as Jim entertains the notion of continuing to prank Dwight. As he slowly falls back into his old routine, he'll undoubtedly search for his partner in crime: Pam.
The Bottom Line:
Jim is slowly reverting back to Season 2 Jim both in emotional status and personality. Jim may still be hiding behind his wall and protecting himself from Pam at every turn, but he is still gravitating towards her. As Jim falls back into his previous routine of pranks he will break down the illusion of his "new life" with Karen. The facade is crumbling one chunk at a time. Jim is finding himself again and that will indelibly lead him back to emotional honesty. Pretty soon Jim won't be able to plug all the leaks in his wall.
- - -
JAM Song of the Week:
Jim and Pam just need to talk to one another honestly!
Speak to Me
Artist: Rocco DeLucca & The Burden
Album: I Trust You to Kill Me
Questions to Ponder:
1) Who has more influence over Jim's behavior: Karen or Pam?
2) Is Jim aware of his self preservation tactics or is he flying on instinct?
3) Is Jim's avoidance of Pam rooted more in fear or survival?
4) A little OT, but how important is it for Jim and Pam to reestablish non-verbal communication?
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.
