JAM continues to waft through a field of daisies as they float happily in their newly re-established bubble fashioned from shared humor and a secret language of non-verbal communication. Both modes of communication have become stronger enabling Pam to connect with Jim on a level that approaches the standard of Season 2.  In an extension from the events of Dunder Mifflin Infinity, Pam and Jim are rebuilding further communication lines as they begin to revert to past behaviors, wade into the waters of the past, and brush the surface of their feelings for one another.   Perhaps, the most intriguing part of Launch Party are the references to the past relationship Pam shared with Jim.  Everything from talking heads, pranking, and the rooftop cues the memory to recall JAM’s past.  

The pain of the past is noticeably missing as both Jim and Pam engage in remembering only the very best of their relationship.  They are reliving the glory days as a means to find their way back to one another on every possible level.  The bond that existed in Seasons 1 and 2 was strong enough to withstand the turmoil of Season 3.  It’s crucial for this bond to regain full strength if JAM has a chance of withstanding the hurdles that lie ahead of them.  Issues of trust, emotional honesty, and bouts of insecurity on both sides need a stronger foundation than a bubble.  The euphoria will eventually wear off and all that will remain is the bond they create and the foundation on which they stand.  JAM’s willingness to let the past become part of their relationship is the first step towards restoring and upgrading their bond.  

Prior to this, the bubble only allowed for Jim and Pam to be alone with one another in the present.  The borders of the bubble have now shifted to allow them to bring the past into their little world.  This development is of paramount importance as Pam has a key role in continuing to show him the past doesn’t have to hurt, along with assuring him she won’t hurt him again.  The real trick will be figuring out where the past fits into their relationship, while ensuring the past doesn’t define their relationship.

Conference Room/Talking Head:

Pam sits in the conference room staring intently at the TV screen as the DVD Video box bounces across the screen, of course, just missing the corner. Michael is babbling about something, but Pam joins the rest of the group in completely ignoring him in favor of the mesmerizing quest of seeing the DVD Video box find it’s way into the corner of the TV screen. Jim is sitting behind her, where once again she is happy to have him so close to her.  Their body language exhibits comfort with one another as arms touch and individual personal space has fused.  He leans in closer to her as the box continues to trek across the screen.  It almost makes it in to the corner, but at the last moment, misses.  

Along with the rest of the group, both Pam and Jim are dismayed.  She looks over to him and they share a knowing glance.  There is obviously something going on between them that no one else knows about.   Jim’s talking head helps to shed light on this little mystery, “Pam claims that she saw it one day when she was alone in the conference room. Okay. I believe she thinks she saw it.”  Apparently, Pam’s supposed sighting has been a longstanding, but playful argument.  She confirms this with her own talking head by insisting she has seen the DVD Video box hit the corner, “I saw it. I saw it, and it was amazing! Who said I didn't see it? Did Jim say that I didn't see it? I saw it!”  Her tone carries notes of frustration, but she is clearly playing along with the joke.  Her little argument with Jim has transferred to the camera, as it can be assumed the crew asked her about her supposed sighting.  

She knew almost immediately that Jim is the one who said she didn’t see it.  Her face lights up and she even smiles as she refers to their jestful inside argument.  Of course, she refuses to lose and throws in one more adamant “I saw it!”  This little argument is a great example of how humor and playful banter continues to form a bubble around Jim and Pam.  Even though the whole world knows about their relationship, they still have a few things that are just between them.  They may have shared with the cameras, but it’s still their little joke.  

This pair of talking heads reminisces slightly into the past, as it has the same feel as a set of talking heads from the Pilot episode.  Jim makes a comment that mixed berry is Pam’s favorite flavor of yogurt.  Pam’s talking head immediately follows his with her saying, “Jim said mixed berries? Well, yeah, he's on to me. Um…”  They unequivocally know one another better than anyone else.  It’s encouraging to see this dynamic return on such a strong level and with the added bonus of humor.

Back in the conference room, Michael continues to drone on as interest in the Video box intensifies after several close calls with the corner.  Finally, the box begins to follow a promising line of travel to the upper left hand corner of the TV.  Jim leans closer into Pam and whispers, “Wait for it.”  She whispers back a subtle, “Uh-huh” in response, noticing the same track of the box.  The excitement intensifies as the box inches closer to the corner.  Pam and Jim are sitting closer to one another as they share in mutual excitement.  

In a surprising show of closeness in front of their co-workers, Jim is holding onto Pam’s arm.  Neither is uncomfortable with the display of closeness in public.  It is very slight, but it’s not a usual behavior for a meeting during work hours.  This goes to show, that Jim and Pam have accepted the new boundaries of the bubble that include their co-workers.   However, it is important to note, this is about as close to PDA as they will get when at work.   The Video box argument is something fun Pam shared with Jim, so it’s understandable that it would be a moment of closeness as the box neared the corner of the TV.  

Pranking Dwight:

Last week’s development of humor based communication extends into a full-blown prank on Dwight.  Pranking has traditionally been a connecting factor between Pam and Jim.  Both have admiration for the other’s wit and humor.  Plus, pulling a prank allows them to spend time together in their bubble, just as it always did before.  While they continue to rebuild their connection to pre-CN levels, pranking is the inevitable next step.  The call to the past continues as Pam joins Jim in a traditional act of pranking Dwight.   Along with humor, Pam and Jim are making room for the past to become part of their relationship in a positive way, coupled with a laugh.

Jim makes his way to Pam’s desk after Dwight’s obnoxious antics have worn through his last nerve.  His annoyance still apparent he asks, “What would you say if I told you we could pull a prank on Dwight and at the same time not be working?”  Pam is hesitant to go along with Jim’s request.  She shrugs and breaks eye contact with him to signify her uncertainty and reluctance to prank a broken hearted Dwight.  Pam finds Dwight utterly irritating and annoying, but she is sympathetic to his feelings.  He’s hurting right now and she’s not interested in adding insult to injury.  She looks back up at Jim, almost apologizing for her reluctance.  She doesn’t want to let him down but it doesn’t seem right to her to kick someone when they’re down.  

Jim responds to her hesitance immediately with a disappointed, “What?”  Pam is quick to explain, “He's going through a break-up.”  She is trying to explain her reasons for backing out, but also hoping to convince Jim to leave Dwight alone.  Pam doesn’t want Jim to think it’s the prank she’s rejecting.  She knows how careful she has to be with Jim when it comes to rejection.  CN has scarred him and she can feel that weakness in him.  She doesn’t want to tell him no, but her moral center won’t steer her any other way.  As a result, she wants to assure Jim that Dwight’s feelings and situation are the basis for her refusal.  Jim picks up on cue perfectly, but refuses to back down, “Yeah, I'm aware of that. But he's also being super annoying. And I'm not a perfect person.”  She smiles slightly at his reasoning, fully empathizing with Jim’s irritation with Dwight.  She knows how much Dwight annoys Jim at times and she finds this somewhat amusing.  

Jim has the patience of a saint, but there is a point where he just can’t take it anymore.  She’s glad to hear he acknowledges the fault in pranking someone when they’re already down, but she finds it absolutely adorable when he overshadows his empathy with his admission at being imperfect.  However, she is not convinced until an air horn assaults her ears with a deafening scream, followed closely by Dwight’s obnoxious voice.  Dwight is not just annoying Jim anymore. Pam is not about to put up with an air horn all day long, no matter how much sympathy she feels for Dwight.  Her look of sympathy is immediately replaced with one of annoyance, “What kind of prank are you thinking?”  She’s in as long as it isn’t something to harsh.

As usual, Jim has a brilliant idea that is relatively harmless.  It won’t hurt Dwight, but it will keep him distracted from the air horn, while keeping Pam and Jim amused.  Jim’s idea revolves around making Dwight think the Dunder Mifflin Infinity website is alive by sending him IM’s from the website.  They send a cryptic message, “Who am I?“ to get his attention.  After Dwight takes the bait, Jim dictates, “Not sure. Just became self-aware. So much to figure out. I think I am programmed to be your enemy. I think it is my job to destroy you when it comes to selling paper.”  Pam can barely keep a straight face.  It’s genius and so funny.  They are once again in the bubble where they share inside jokes and laugh together.  

The fundamental connector of humor continues to bring them closer. Knowing Dwight might suspect them, Jim and Pam are careful to appear as if they are working, rather than colluding on a prank.  Pam appears interested in whatever is in the folder Jim has at her desk to mask their master plan.  They then receive a message from Dwight asking, “How do I know this isn’t Jim.” With JAM synergy at it’s finest, Pam sends, “What is a Jim?,”  after Jim begins to walk a way from her desk.  They never cracked a smile or gave a hint that they were behind the IM messages.  The prank is now in full swing, ready for a day of stringing Dwight along.  

Pam keeps the prank going by building off a conversation she hears going on between Jim and Dwight.  Dwight is frustrated by the website selling more paper and she hears Jim say, “You look worried.”  Dwight denies his worried state ardently, despite the fact that it’s written all over his face.  Pam decides this is a perfect time to send an IM, “You do look worried.”  This not only throws Dwight further off the scent of a prank, but it also distracts him from annoying Jim.  Jim is immediately at her desk, to plan the next move.  

Pam quietly reads Dwight‘s message out loud, “Here's a suggestion computer. I assume you read binary so why don't you zero one one, one one one one, zero one one zero one one.”  She is slightly amused by Dwight‘s response, but her delight is geared mostly at Jim as she wonders how he’s going to respond.  Jim doesn’t disappoint as he finds the perfect response, “Okay. Um, while you were typing that I searched every database in existence and learned every fact about everything. And mastered the violin.”  She smiles, thoroughly impressed with Jim’s witty response.  There are so many things to love about him and his quick-witted humor is just one of the reasons she is hopelessly in love with him.  He gives her another reason to smile as he adds, “Oop, and sold more paper,” after he noticed the numbers on the dry erase board go up in the computer’s favor.   The humor between them in undeniable as they share a little laugh at Dwight’s expense.  It’s not hurting Dwight, and it’s actually motivating him further to reach his goal.  Win-Win-Win!

A little later, Pam listens carefully as Jim whispers some crucial information into her ear just before he leaves to drive Michael to New York.  She waits until Jim and Michael take their leave before putting her information to use with a new IM, “Oh. I didn't realize we could use the leads we stole from Staples.”  Dwight’s horrified look in response to her message is immensely satisfying to Pam.  The camera pans over to her as she leers at him with a scheming smile.  She doesn’t condone Dwight’s method of stealing contacts, so pranking him has taken on a whole new meaning.  Now, he deserves it.  She can’t wait to tell Jim all about Dwight’s reaction as she smiles to herself.   

Pranking Dwight has been full for most of the day, but Pam’s moral center again finds a soft spot for Dwight despite his annoying attributes and theft of contacts from Staples.  The broken heart he carries around again reaches out for Pam’s sympathies.  Angela comes up to Pam’s desk and asks if Pam can fix her up with a new man.  Pam knows Dwight overheard the conversation and can see his hurt face.  A sliver of his pain ripples through her face as her brow knots.  She feels bad for him and decides enough is enough.  The prank was fun and Dwight did deserve it, but her moral center won’t allow her to continue when Dwight is so clearly hurt.  She decides to wrap up the prank on a positive note by sending him a little boost in an IM, “You beat me. You are the superior being.”  Dwight may have lost Angela, but Pam can at least try to restore his self-esteem.  She had the power to make him feel better and she jumped at the chance.  Pam likes a good prank, but she also knows when it’s time to stop.  Dwight needed someone to look out for him and she took his call for help.  Pam is all about warmth and compassion.  No matter how much she’s changed, these characteristics are central components of her character.

Break Room:

In what appears to now be a normal activity, Pam and Jim are eating lunch together in the break room.  Michael appears in the doorway and addresses both of them, “So. This is the dealio. God has smiled upon me and given me two tickets to the big party in New York tonight. What are you doing this evening?”  Pam is immediately excited.  Her face lights up at the prospect of going to a fancy party in the city.  FNB is in full stride here, as Old Pam wouldn’t be too keen on venturing into such uncharted territory.  She looks to Jim with a still excited expression on her face.  Non-verbal communication takes over completely as Pam silently asks, “Do you want to go?“  while also letting him know she really wants to go the party.  Jim answers her non-verbally with an unmistakable affirmative expression.  Both are surprised at Michael’s offer, but jump at the chance to spend an evening together at a party in the city.  She nods her head and slightly mouths, “Yeah?”  She is thrilled to see him nod “yes” back to her.   She already has romantic visions of spending the evening in an exciting city with Jim by her side.  It’s a chance to be alone and get away.  

Michael can’t help but comment on Pam and Jim’s silent conversation, “Look at that. They have their own little language now. Like twins.”  He couldn’t be more on target as Jim and Pam can speak to each other with just a look or a simple expression.  They’ve always had this skill, but Michael never noticed.  Season 3 took a toll on this mode of communication, but it’s clear they are quickly approaching the previous standard from Seasons 1 and 2.  Re-establishing this link is crucial in rebuilding and creating verbal communication lines, which have always been a weakness.  In addition, Michael calls them twins, which is also very fitting.  They are two of a kind in terms of personality, humor and mutual understanding.  

Pam has changed over the last year, but not at the expense of who she is at her core.  Likewise, Jim changed over the last year, but he is finding his back home a little bit more everyday.  They may have been on separate paths last year, but they mirrored each other almost every step of the way.  They both have so much to learn about one another, but at the same time, they continue to know each other better than anyone else.  That kind of ready made communication and understanding is worth it’s weight in gold.  

Jim speaks up and lets Michael know, “Sure, we’ll go.”  Pam is delighted to hear him say it out loud with so much enthusiasm.  It’s going to be a fun evening and she is riddled with anticipation. Unfortunately, Michael misrepresented the condition of the tickets.  Thinking he’s found himself a ride to the party he says, “Alright. Well fight it out amongst yourselves. I was thinking Pammy but boys night out is also good.”  Jim is confused and asks, “Oh I'm sorry. What?”  After a few seconds, Pam catches on and realizes the real motivation behind Michael’s offer, “One of the tickets is for him.”  The appeal of a fancy party in New York has suddenly worn off in a big way. Michael leans over to Pam’s ear and annoyingly tells her, “Just let me know who the winner is,” in his innocent, yet creepy way.  

As soon as Michael leaves the room it becomes “serious” business in regards to just who is going to be stuck with Michael.  Dodging Michael immediately becomes a game.  Both knew what the other was thinking and are quick to say, “Not it,” in total unison.  It’s a tie with no clear winner.  Jim follows up with a hasty, “Nope,”  but Pam won’t let him win.  She points at herself and playfully proclaims, “I won.”  Pam knows she has a victory in the bag regardless of whether or not she said “not it” first.  Jim protests with the same playful air, “Definitely not. If anything it was a tie.”  Pam comes right back, “Tie goes to the girlfriend,” with a flirty little smirk at the end of her statement.  She knew she’d win this game before Jim even responded.  There’s no way he’d make her deal with Michael for an entire evening in New York by herself.  It was a given from the start that Jim would be the one driving Michael to New York.  However, it was still fun to engage in playful banter.  The playful banter was cute, but perhaps the most interesting part of this scene, was Pam’s use of the word “girlfriend.”  This is the first time either one of them has referred to their relationship with such a strong adjective.  

The most either has ever used prior to this are the descriptors of “dating” and “official.”  Once again, Pam is the one to use a stronger relationship indicator.  She continues to be in the lead when it comes to defining and maintaining the status of their relationship.  Her reference brought zero reaction from Jim, which indicates this is something they’ve talked about.  That in itself is very telling that verbal communication lines are being established.  By telling Jim ties go to the girlfriend she is in effect fully expecting him to fulfill his role as her boyfriend and relieve her from Michael.  His lack of protest goes to show he is only too happy to live up to her standards. 

She knows Jim has not intention of seriously fighting her on this which allows her to smile at him playfully.  She knows he’ll take care of her, which is an indicator that trust is building between them.  FNB may be able to take care of herself, but she’s not above allowing Jim to be there for her when she needs him.  Unlike Jim, she trusts him almost completely, despite the unknowns between them.  The real challenge is showing Jim he can trust her to take care of him, especially in terms of his heart.

Conference Room - Roof Request:

After the satellite party festivities have begun, Pam finds herself taking care of Michael by informing him of Ryan’s instructions for the webcam introductions.  Just when she needed it the most, she feels Jim lightly touch her arm to redirect her attention towards him.  In soft-spoken voice he asks her, “Hey, quick question. If I take a pizza, do you think you could take some sodas and some napkins up to the roof?”  Pam smiles at his surprising and welcome request, “I’m all over it.”  She makes her way to the stacks of napkins and paper plate and starts taking needed items as Jim works on getting them a pizza.  It’s not a fancy party in New York, but for Pam it’s even better.  Their first rooftop “date” (The Client) is full of beautiful memories, but it’s tarnished by her response to Jim calling it a date.  Now is her chance to make a piece of the past come back to life in a positive way.  Furthermore, the chance to escape a work party and just be alone is very appealing.  She is all too happy to be in the bubble away from everyone and everything with Jim all to herself.

Rooftop Date:

In a scene reminiscent of the first rooftop date, Pam and Jim sit on lawn chairs as they enjoy the pizza and sodas pilfered from the party.  The quiet of the roof creates a warm atmosphere where they can feel each other.  The roof is almost a sacred place that is just between them.  Returning to that location for a real date is a way to bring the past into their relationship without the hurt.  Exploring the past is becoming a trend between them that started in DMI.  The re-emergence of humor based communication and discussing Dwangela created a safe place to begin discussing the past.  However, they are careful about what elements of the past come to light.  They are choosing to focus on happy memories that brought them so close to each other in the first place. As they rebuild their connection, they are remembering all the reasons why they love each other.  Reminiscing on this level will help when it comes time to find a place for the pain of the past to reside.  Pam is in the middle of the difficult process of showing Jim she won’t hurt him again.  

By bringing up the positive aspects of the past and reinforcing them with the happiness of their current relationship, she stands a stronger chance of gaining his trust.  The pain of the past may not be am in depth topic of discussion but it’s impact will be felt.   Remembering the best of the past can help to reconcile the pain.  The rooftop “date” from The Client was a sweet moment between them that Pam remembers fondly, (up until the disaster of the following day).  It’s likely a moment she replayed over and over again after Jim left for Stamford.  Jim was right, it was their first date and it was wonderful.  Pam can’t help but grasp onto the second chance that lies before her as she finds herself on the same roof with the same man, but without constraints.  

This is her chance to rewrite the past and make this rooftop date count without any doubt.  It appears the nostalgic feel of the roof has inspired their conversation of recalling the moment where each knew they liked the other.  It’s impossible to know who started this line of conversation, but it’s clear right from the start that Pam has fallen into the task of providing Jim with assurances of her feelings.  She does most of the talking as he asks the questions.  He asks her, “Do you remember what you said to me on my fist day of work, just before you walked me over to my desk?”  She smiles widely at his question. The warm memory of his first day is crystal clear in her mind, “Yeah . . .“ Jim gives her a shocked smirk at her affirmative response.  She loves it that he thought she wouldn’t remember.   To her credit, Pam remembers every moment she had with Jim.  Without hesitance she recites the line, “ . . . enjoy this moment, because you're never going to go back to this time before you met your desk mate Dwight.”  She smiles as she speaks, given the pleasant nature of the memory.  

Jim loves it that she remembers it like it was yesterday.  He softly says, “And that's when I knew.” She looks away smiling feeling the warmth of Jim’s emotions.  She always knew he had feelings for her for a long time, but it was amazing to hear he had them the first day they met.  Jim prods her a little further by asking, “You?”  She doesn’t hesitate with her answer.  Almost a year without him has given her plenty of time to replay every moment she ever spent with him.  She knows exactly when she liked him, “You can up to my desk, and said, this might sound weird, and there's no reason for me to know this, but that mixed berry yogurt you're about to eat has expired.”  She knows his every word as if she had spoken them herself.  She looks away from him as she conjures up the memory.  Her eyes are almost watching it play across a screen in front of her.  It’s a nice memory for her and she’s happy to revisit it.   

It isn’t until the end of her story that she looks Jim in the eye.  His silly statement about an expiration date was the moment she knew and she wants him to see it in her eyes.  Pam may not know the extent of Jim’s insecurities or the blocks on his emotions, but she can feel them to a certain degree.  She knows he needs to see that her feelings for him apply to both then and now.  This goes back to her disastrous apology on CN, “I’m sorry you misinterpreted things.”  She has to show Jim he was right all along to alleviate his doubts about how she feels and his fears of getting hurt again.  By referencing such an early memory between them, she is providing Jim the truth he deserves to know along with reassurance that she continues to have the same feelings.  

He looks at her a little confused and disbelievingly asks, “That was the moment that you knew you liked me?”  She looks at him warmly and says, “Yup.”  Her voice is soft but still reassuring. The moment she described was very special to her and she wants him to know that.  She allows the emotion of her memory to fill her eyes, for Jim and Jim alone to see.  Jim responds to Pam facial expression, but he remains perplexed by her chosen moment.  It wasn’t romantic or a grand gesture, it was just him being a total dork.  After a few moments of contemplating he asks, “Can we make it a different moment?”  She is amused by his question and smiles widely in his direction, “Nope.”  The same warmth and emotion she showed him earlier is still on her face. She loves him for being a dork and her face is telling him she’s glad he’s back.  

The fact that Jim and Pam have begun to talk about emotions, even if on such a light level, is highly encouraging given their troubled past of emotional honesty.  The very carefully chosen word, “like” is the stepping stone to delving into much deeper emotions that exist between them. Pam is well aware of her feelings, but she is careful to let too much out too fast.  She knows Jim isn’t ready.  His fears of getting hurt keep him from exploring his feelings for Pam on too deep a level at this point.  This sweet and light conversation gives both the opportunity to scrape the surface of emotional honesty without waking up any fears.  

Instead, they are slowly exploring the reality of their feelings while building a foundation of trust and communication.  Opening up to one another is a slow process, despite the connection they share.  The relationship is still very new and new communication lines have just begun to develop.  The past harbors an entire point of view that neither knew about the other due to barriers of fear and morality.  Just as the rooftop is a gentle reminder of the past, so is the conversation.  As they remember past events, the emotions of the past are bound to pay a visit. Establishing positive memories for emotions will help immensely as emotional honesty becomes more of a reality.  The pain of the past will become less of an impediment if positive memories outweigh the negative.

As the party winds down in the conference room, Jim and Pam remain on the roof happily encased in their intimate little world.  Jim suggests a toast to cap off their evening, “A toast, better make it good. To avoiding a class two felony charge.”  Pam holds up her can of soda and completes the toast.  Jim may have been joking around, but the toast itself is symbolic of a toast to JAM.  It’s a new beginning where the past doesn’t necessarily weigh them down.  It’s part of who they are as a couple and they are beginning to embrace it.   The past has it’s painful memories, but it is also full of every reason why they fell in love. 

The Bottom Line:

The past is upon us to build the future.

- - -

Questions to Ponder:

1)  What is the most important thing Pam needs Jim to know about her past point of view? 

2) Should Jim and Pam continue to explore the past?  Do they need to address the negative aspects in equal measure (think beyond CN!)? 

3) Is Pam doing a good job of assuring Jim she won’t hurt him?  Should she be doing anything differently?