Poor Jim. His heartbreak is enough to make me cry. Oh Pam, if you only knew the pain of this man! In this episode we begin to see Jim crack a little bit. As hard as he is trying to adjust to his new life in Stamford, he just can't let go of Pam and Scranton. In GWH he was unwilling to talk about Pam or admit that she was the reason for all the changes in his life. The Convention is a different story. He can't hold it in anymore. Because of his inability to keep his emotions quiet, we find out the answers to some of our questions.
Many arguments have been made in favor and against whether Jim knew about the canceled wedding. I'll either settle the argument or I'll be starting a slew of new disagreements with this analysis. In the name of organization, I've broken down my thoughts into four sections. Each section represents a Jim scene that connects to JAM.
Buffet Line:
Jim was already feeling homesick while in Stamford. Being around his former Scranton co-workers is making the feeling even stronger. This is making him miss Pam even more. Hence, he is curious about her and now has a source of information in Michael. This is something he hasn't had since moving to Stamford.
It's a safe assumption that he and Pam have not communicated since he moved away. This lack of contact is creating a void in his life. Plus, he's in the process of a broken heart. He's obviously thinking about her all the time (despite his attempts to forget her) and now here comes his chance to satisfy his curiosity, even if against his better judgment.
All Jim needs is a little push: When Michael brings up Ryan's new location, it takes Jim back to the old days. We see Jim unleash his curiosity when he almost asks Michael about Pam. We can see the "p" sound ready to come out. The problem is he's not sure if he's ready to hear about her. As soon as he notices the camera is focused on him he shuts down, and asks about Toby instead, (thanks those on The Pam Dichotomy S3 for this observation). He realizes that if he asks about her he will be opening old wounds. Being around Michael is already scratching at the scab, it's only a matter of time before the bleeding starts again.
The fact that Jim is even considering asking about Pam, shows he doesn't know about the wedding cancellation. Why would he ask about a woman he knows is married? This ties directly into ripping open old wounds. He's asking because he doesn't know. He changes his mind at the last second because he knows he's not ready to hear that she's married. He knows he's opening a can of worms that will wreak havoc on his heart. The camera plays into this as well, Jim doesn't trust himself with keeping his emotions in check when it comes to Pam. He doesn't want to reveal too much to the camera, at least not with this part of his life. Furthermore, he doesn't want to humiliate himself further. He's already hit the pinnacle of humiliation when Pam turned him down; he doesn't need to add more to a full pot.
The Phone Call:
Jim gets smacked right between the eyes when Pam calls Michael's cell phone. This is probably the closest he's been to her in months. It's difficult again, to keep his emotions in check. His head pops up as soon as he hears her name. He managed to dodge the bullet earlier and found a way to avoid his thoughts of her, but this time there is no escape. He immediately looks uneasy and looks for a way to keep himself occupied and distracted. He picks up a ball and begins to play with it nervously. He's dealing with a flood of emotions at this point. Everything he's been holding in is ready to come out.
I see Jim trying to quickly rebuild his walls again or resealing his bottled up emotions. He is again very well aware that the camera is focused on him, so he's doing anything he can to save face and keep the dam from breaking. Michael only makes in worse with his oblivious action of telling everyone to say hello to Pam. Jim had to dig deep for his "Hi Pam." The internal emotional struggle comes through in his slightly raspy and forced response. These are probably the first words Jim has said to Pam since his move, (which gives us the ammo we need to say there's been no contact). He was completely caught off guard with this, and it shows. He reverts to playing with the ball again and looks a little melancholy. Perhaps he wanted to say more, but thought better of it. He could have very easily asked Michael to talk to her, but he passed on the chance.
The final part of the conversation is a major bombshell for Jim. When Michael makes mention of Pam's date, Jim is floored. He is initially so surprised he doesn't know what to think. His expression then quickly shifts to a mix of being upset, and hurt all at the same time. This is clearly the first time he's heard an indication that Pam is not married, (I got a male perspective on Jim's facial expression. My husband concurs with my analysis. His words: "He looks surprised and upset, that's exactly how a guy would react." He agrees that this is the first time Jim heard Pam is single.).
He is surely wondering why Pam didn't tell him. His head is spinning with possible reasons why she would keep this from him. This creates a whole new dynamic. Jim has a new fissure in his broken heart. For Jim, this is like being rejected all over again. For months, he's had an emotional justification for his attempts to let go. He could at least grab onto the fact that Pam did not reject him personally, but rather she rejected him because of her commitment to Roy. He could at least believe that she felt the same way about him despite her turning him down. He no longer has this to hold onto and it's devastating.
Dwight's Room:
Jim clearly needs something to make him feel better, so Dwight is a natural distraction. Armed with his room key, Jim enters with the intention of pulling one of his patented pranks. Much to his surprise he finds what he believes to be a hooker (a.k.a Angela). Jim is flabbergasted and runs out horrified. He also sees the humor in it and desperately wants to share this tidbit of information. He first impulse is to call Pam; that much is clear. He almost says her name. It's evident here that he again realizes how much he misses her. Coupled with the day's events, Jim becomes extremely vulnerable sending him to . . .
Michael's Room:
Jim enters Michael's room looking extremely down. His first attempt to feel better failed miserably. The Dwight debacle only further accentuated the void he feels without Pam. Michael is the only person he has left. Perhaps, Jim knows Michael is probably more pathetic than him and that in itself will make him feel better. Furthermore, Jim needs something familiar in his life and Michael is something he knows and that creates a comfort level Jim hasn't felt all day.
However, Jim walks in and immediately feels sorry for Michael and turns to his familiar mode of making Michael feel better. We saw Jim do this periodically throughout Season 2. Most notably in The Secret, Booze Cruise, and E-Mail Surveillance. Michael rants on and on about himself for being the reason Jim transferred. Jim immediately assures Michael that this is not the case initially as a way to help Michael.
Jim then realizes he has an open door to say what is really on his mind. This is readily apparent in his facial expression. He makes a split decision to talk to Michael about Pam. He can't hold it in anymore. We know this because he is no longer overly conscious of the camera as he was in earlier scenes. He is in dire need of someone to talk to about Pam. He's been keeping to himself for months. Plus, the day encompassed one emotional blow after another. Michael is the only person that has any understanding about his feelings for Pam, (aside from Pam). Jim needs to unload and Michael is unfortunately the only one that can fill this role. Michael may be the world's worst confidant, but at this point in the day, Jim is emotionally worn out and will take any relief he can get.
Jim is comfortable with Michael, because he is a piece of home. Deeper into the conversation, Michael tells Jim that Pam is single. Jim makes the remark the he'd heard something about that. It's this statement that lends to the argument that Jim first heard that Pam was single during the phone conversation. If he knew about Pam's status prior to the phone call, he would have said this with more confidence. Instead, he says it with a detached and uncertain air. This is a man still grappling with this development. He hasn't totally internalized it, nor has he fully come to terms with it yet. His emotions are still raw and in the way. He's still sorting through his mixing bowl of feelings, trying to make sense of it all, (again, I asked my husband about Jim's response. Without coaching from me, he said that Jim is referring to the phone call, not previous occasion.).
The only thing Jim can say with any certainty is that Pam rejected him twice before. This is something he's had time to think about and can almost accept. The way in which he said this statement is the way he would have said "I had heard something like that" if he had the same amount of consideration to think about Pam's cancelled wedding. There is no way he knew about the wedding, until that phone call. He's simply too emotional following the call. He hasn't had the time to fully ponder the development.
Personally, I think he was avoiding any and all information about Pam. Why rip open the wound? The Convention however, brought Pam right to the forefront. Not only does he have to deal with all the emotions he's been suppressing, he has a whole new dynamic to contend with; his heart is broken again. It's clear by the end of the conversation that Jim does not want Michael to talk to Pam. Again, the humiliation factor comes into play. Nothing would be worse than to have Michael talk to Pam.
Jim knows he needs to do this himself once he comes to terms with her single status. That being said, I don't believe Jim is in any position to make the first move. He's perceived another rejection and that is going to further prevent him from initiating contact. He is going to withdraw further. I found it incredibly sweet that Jim referred to Michael as his friend at the end of the scene. To me, this means that Jim actually does feel a little better and Michael was responsible. Jim just needed a shoulder and "his friend" gave him what he needed. Poor Jim, not only does he have a re-broken heart, but Michael is now his friend.
I know I probably stirred up a mess of controversy. But, I'm still anxious to hear what my fellow board members have to say. We are quite split on when Jim found out about the wedding cancellation. Did I maybe change your mind? I love a good debate, but again lets keep it civil and intelligent. So far, we have been a glowing example of how to argue with grace on this thread. I'm interested in other observations as well, there are a million ways to look at these scenes and I'm curious of other perspectives - please share!
Things we still don't know:
1. We don't know if Roy knows about the events of Casino Night.
2. We don't know how Jim and Pam acted around one another prior to his departure.
3. We don't know when Jim left.
4. We don't know if Jim has the emotional stamina to hang on for Pam (depressing I know but we must ask!)
Thoughts on Question 4:
I'm a little afraid and worried. Jim has suffered a major blow. I'm afraid this is the last straw. He may completely shut off and make himself numb to his feelings for Pam. I think he made mention of Pam's rejections in his conversation with Michael as a way to remind himself that she said no and that he must move on. This directly ties into arguments I made in the original Jim Paradox under the heading Jim has been rejected too many times. He may figure out a way to walk away from Pam. I know this is hard to swallow, but it bears mentioning!
Chapter End Notes:
This post was written ten 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.
