1 [Report This]Date: March 15, 2022 10:53 am Title: "I hope that someone gets my message in a bottle"
Jim is really getting on my nerves.
He uses Karen as a buffer between Pam and himself,
but he can’t see that Pam is doing the same thing with Roy because of Jim. 🤦r05;a92;a039;
Jim can’t see that he’s the one pushing Pam towards Roy because he’s too busy thinking about his own hurt feelings, and treating Pam like trash.
I can understand why Roy would want an explanation for Pam breaking up with him right before their wedding. However, I can see why Pam wasn’t completely honest with Roy considering how crazy he can get, and especially since Jim was gone to her.
In many ways Jim is no better than Roy. Both guys are very selfish, juvenile and makes their relationship with Pam all about themselves. At this point in the season Pam (and even Karen) should have told Jim to F off.
Date: March 12, 2022 06:34 pm Title: "Secret secrets are no fun. Secret secrets hurt someone."
Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow! I mean seriously. This one just stings the whole way. Jim's still not able to be truthful. He's still leading Karen on because of his omissions. The only thing I can say for him here is that he didn't tell Karen he loved her, but other than that he's really not great here. Now I get the fact he's in the middle of probably the worse year of his life, but after awhile that excuse wears thin. His relationship with Karen should have ended there. But he's just to damn scared and thus he'll end up inflicting more pain on himself, on Karen, and sadly on Pam too.
The middle sections brought us up a little. Jim and Pam at least communicating, but it's still strained and while it kind of feel like "them" it's just...not.
Then Pam's section. To be set up with how she holds onto the memories of their Kiss. How it's the one and last thing of the real Jim and Pam she clings to. And then for hear from Karen that apparently to Jim it was, "just a kiss." That's a knife to her heart that stabs deep.
However, there was that tiny bit of foreshadowing I caught there. That when she finally does find her courage, she'll be ready to walk through fire. It'll be a refining fire too that will produce pure gold, but right now there's still a lot of slag over her heart.
Author's Response: Oof yeah, thing will definitely get worse before they get better. Ah, season 3. (Also, very ironic that you mentioned "gold" seeing as what's coming up...) Thanks as always for reading and reviewing!
Date: March 12, 2022 05:06 pm Title: "Secret secrets are no fun. Secret secrets hurt someone."
The bookending of the music references was a nice way to show just how they really are meant to be together:
J- Dating Karen is like singing a song he doesn’t know; he wants it to sound right, he just can’t find the melody.
P - He says it again, that phrase she’s been hearing over and over in her head, like one of those songs that burrows its way into your mind until it’s all you can think about. The melody is so familiar it’s soothing. Like any good earworm, however, she doesn’t know all the words, so her brain starts making them up, filling in the blanks. Here and now, it doesn’t matter what is right and what is wrong: this song – their song – is perfect.
I really am glad that he didn't say I love you - that he wasn't that kind of an asshole!
Yeah I wish they would just be brave again - him to be truthful to Karen and himself and let what he knows is a rebound end and her to finish that last text with what she meant to write.
Speaking of text - their text conversations both the ones before and after the kiss were so them - very in character with the banter.
NOw I don't know much about TLOR but I still enjoyed the way you made the ring the metaphor for the kiss.
Oh and I'm terrified of what you are going to do to me (in a good way) with what you've subtly alluded to coming next.
1 [Report This]Date: March 12, 2022 10:51 am Title: "Secret secrets are no fun. Secret secrets hurt someone."
Jim assuming that Karen would break up with him as soon as he confessed he still had feelings for Pam is a very good touch... and I do like this sense of Jim as just being kind of swept along into keeping it going at this moment. Fits a general pattern of passivity.
Yeah, Karen, Pam's actions don't make sense to us either. (But also, holy crap, lady, RUN. WHILE YOU STILL CAN. AND BEFORE HE LEAVES YOU CRYING AT A FOUNTAIN. HYPOTHETICALLY. His not being willing to say I love you is a good moment for Jim but also should be a MAJOR warning sign for Karen.)
The text message exchange is well done and seems like it would have fit in well with canon - both feeding Jim's hopelessness and allowing Pam to assume that the door is actually open. (It's also a really good illustration of the key problem with Season 3 Pam's approach - she's using the exact sort of signals she's told Jim not to pay attention to.) "He gets dressed, not realizing he’s rolled his sleeves up to his elbows" says it all.
Okay, and this Pam POV from Ben Franklin? Ow. OWwwwwwwwwwwWwwwww. OWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.
1 [Report This]Date: March 12, 2022 08:43 am Title: "Secret secrets are no fun. Secret secrets hurt someone."
Another great chapter (I feel this is how I start all of my reviews for this story)
“But now that it’s over between them he instead feels an unanticipated sense of relief; he doesn’t have to lie to her anymore, he doesn’t have to pretend.” I can just imagine how relieved Jim felt after his revelation in the conference room. I certainly breathed a sigh of relief the first time around hoping that was the end of it. Oh how wrong I was.
“He doesn’t even know what he wants anymore. “I guess... I just figured this was over.”” I thought this was just perfectly written for Jim’s state of mind.
“It doesn’t matter how much he likes Karen: she isn’t Pam.” Yes, so much this.
“She didn’t,” he says. It’s the one thing he’s certain of. “She doesn’t.” Oh Jim, you couldn’t be more wrong.
“But all it took was one good prank, one good laugh for him to realize the truth: that today is the first time he’s really felt like himself in months. And he liked it.” Again this is just so perfect.
“He wants to get over Pam. He wants to, badly. The only thing he wants more is to be with her, and that isn’t going to happen.” Oh I clutched my heart here.
I loved the whole text message interactions and them both worrying about keeping the conversation going. I always like to believe that Jim did text her back, at least one message the next day.
“He gets dressed, not realizing he’s rolled his sleeves up to his elbows.” I loved this.
The whole part of Pam replaying the kiss and changing it to what she wished it could was great. I wish it changed too!
Poor Pam thinking Jim lied to her about this kiss. I just wanted to hug her at that point.
“Fucking hell, what is she saying? Stop talking, Pam.” This had me laughing so much.
“And maybe just like the One Ring – just like Jim has done – she ought to finally destroy it for good.” Dear god no, don’t do that.
Can’t wait for the next chapter!
1 [Report This]Date: March 11, 2022 05:58 pm Title: "Secret secrets are no fun. Secret secrets hurt someone."
THE DAMN LOTR REFERENCE, TD.
THAT. DAMN. REFERENCE.
Goddammit, Jim. You *had* to spoil that one, sacred thing you and Pam shared to Karen? Ugh...
THANK YOU for Jim responding to Pam's text at Diwali. I've always been under the assumption that he never responded, but part of me believed he totally would have. I'm happy he did!
1 [Report This]Date: March 11, 2022 05:56 pm Title: "Pay no attention to the spirits that haunt this hallowed ground."
Oh Jim, you will *never* get over pranking.
And of course, you'll never get over that addiction to Pam.
UGH TD, THIS WAS BEAUTIFUL. I have an addiction to your writing. Sorry, not sorry.
Author's Response: Thanks, lady!
1 [Report This]Date: March 11, 2022 11:00 am Title: "Secret secrets are no fun. Secret secrets hurt someone."
The details in this story. EEEK they are so good!
“So… you made a move on her while she was with someone else and she told you no? That’s not really what you said before.”
I agree with you Karen that’s weird to kiss someone after they turned you down.
Author's Response: Thank you so much!
Date: March 11, 2022 10:35 am Title: "Secret secrets are no fun. Secret secrets hurt someone."
Jim is such an ass, and he can’t even see it because he’s too busy playing the poor me card.
Karen is a sad woman. Chasing after a guy who she knows really doesn’t want her, like a teenager with a crush. She took a risk of letting herself get hurt.
I have no sympathy for Karen when it blows up in her face.
Pam has every right to be hurt and angry at Jim.
By saying it was just a kiss to Karen made seem as though Jim only told Pam he loved her to get in her pants. If Pam were to start giving Jim the cold shoulder it would be understandable.
1 [Report This]Date: March 09, 2022 06:40 am Title: "Pay no attention to the spirits that haunt this hallowed ground."
Feels like this is the burst of oxygen they both needed to keep going. Pam getting Jim to smile at her because of the art contest and Jim getting Pam to smile because of the prank. As we know there are darker days yet to come to be sure, but for right now, there's at least a glimmer of light.
Thing is that had they followed that glimmer it probably would have led them to where they would eventually end up just that much quicker. Ah well, that's what S3 fix it fics are for. Great job as always getting into their heads and fleshing out the scenes.
Author's Response: Thanks warrior!
1 [Report This]Date: March 09, 2022 04:12 am Title: "Pay no attention to the spirits that haunt this hallowed ground."
So this was a chapter I was hoarding those beans for. I absolutely loved this chapter.
It wasn't just the way put me right there in that spot with Pam, wanting her to have a friend in Karen, but understanding how every conversation with her was going to sting. How hearing how Karen was in her own rehabilitation phase, not yet ready for another relationship until she found something perfect presented itself. Perfect that could have been Pam's perfect if she'd only just... yeah this hurt.
But then her old Jim shows up for her, even if just for a blip, to join in her pride and happiness about winning the art contest.
For me though, the jewel of this chapter was their conversations. Pam's holding on to her little tidbit about Dwanglea and her silent pleading that he would just ask her WHY.
Jim's POV side where you gave us such delicious banter but also the little bit of holding back -not taking any chances with her anymore. On and also gave us these lines:
'He’s glad she doesn’t have someone holding her back anymore: dead weight in a warehouse jumpsuit callously crushing her dreams.'
He smiles, and his cheeks hurt. He supposes that's what happens to muscles you don't really use anymore. (oh Jim)
Closing it all us with the cell phone prank -tbh - not sure I got why he needed her on the show's version but you explain it perfectly - it wasn't about her help as much as getting HER to notice and smile -'Her smile is like oxygen; when he sees it he suddenly remembers how to breathe properly.'
The whole bit about them being in step, not missing a beat, how he hasn't found this unspoken dance with Karen yet.
Then more great banter and then closing it up with this :
'The pranks aren’t his addiction, they’re just his enabler. His real addiction is Pam.'
This was a fantastic chapter - I gave it one (I know I'll be needing some for later) but it gave me a sugar high as if I had ingested a whole bagful.
Author's Response: Your review made my day. Thanks as always! 💗
1 [Report This]Date: March 08, 2022 09:21 am Title: "Pay no attention to the spirits that haunt this hallowed ground."
Ouch. The opening of this remains extremely painful.
"Pam immediately regrets having brought up Jim at all. Twice." Yep. You're not subtle, sister. And “in between boyfriends” being a Karen-ism is a nice touch. This is again a situation where I feel pretty bad for both of them - you can just sense Karen trying to bond and to find out more about Jim here.
Ugh. I remain deeply mad they cut the Pam won an art contest story, and this just makes the whole thing a worse loss. Let Pam have a win dammit!
"He isn’t here, that’s all she knows. He may as well be on the moon." OW.
"for the next several minutes it feels the same way it always did: their familiar back and forth, this dance they do, two-stepping around the very large elephant in the room." LOVE this metaphor.
"While she desperately wants him to, she knows it has to be her turn. But “Yeah, me too,” is all she says." ARGHHHHH.
I think you did well capturing how disastrous this call would have felt for a Jim who is determined to move on. Oh, and the discovery that *Pam* is his real addiction... damn. (I'm also pleased you found a way to make Pam's participation in this prank make a difference, as opposed to being just for the hell of it... on screen it's not totally clear why Jim *needed* a partner.)
Author's Response: I’m glad you picked up on Pam’s “job” in that prank. It never really confused me why he gave her the phone, what confused me was why they were so loud about it all in front of Karen 😆
1 [Report This]Date: March 08, 2022 09:10 am Title: "Pay no attention to the spirits that haunt this hallowed ground."
Another great chapter 👏
“He can’t help but reach out to instinctively tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear, but then jerks his hand away like he’s touched a hot stove.” Ugh this was such a great line and captures so much of what Jim’s experiencing. Loved it
“His real addiction is Pam.” YES, so much this
In the midst of this all, “I dusted off an oldie” made me smile so much and immediately made me think of that blooper! So great
Can’t wait for the next chapter!
Author's Response: Thank you so much! I’m so happy you picked up on that blooper reference!
Date: March 04, 2022 04:45 am Title: "There's such a thing as good grief. Just ask Charlie Brown."
Ok first off - lay off the Libras!!!! We often see what others miss being so in tune with deeper meanings and being so observant. Jim, however not showing his Libra qualities this whole season.
But poor Jim and poor Pam. Oh how my heart aches for both of them after reading what they each were struggling through.
'Unfortunately, alone with his thoughts is not the best place for Jim to be. Alone with his thoughts only makes him realize he misses Pam more than he misses Karen. Alone with his thoughts only reminds him that he’s no better off now than he was last May.'
This really got to me somehow even if it was apparent all that season in the show. You did a great job of bringing out wishy washy Jim - this time in his wavering with Karen but how dare you have them kissing in the sacred parking lot!
Oh and she wants to tell Toby - that was rich.
Her lack of interest in his past with Pam annoys him for some reason.
I'm so on board with this. It's one line that says so much.
Re: the flashback where things starts with Karen-the whole bit about the signals and being wrong before and being careful makes a lot of sense and feels very real. I love that he thinks he wants to evolve and dating Karen is the way to do it, but more so because he thinks it is what Pam is doing.
Oh wow the chapter with Michael and Pam though - I was really into that-maybe because I usually love their relationship but here, even if it was naivety and innocent blunders at play, I was a bit irked at Michael for not having a filter and not understanding the hurt he was causing. And Pam's not understanding why Jim would be confiding in Michael (again- guess he also has a way of bringing out the truth in Jim - he's Jim's Delilah) - guess in canon she never did learn the extent of what went down on the boat (unlike in 360). I do think you nailed Michael in him thinking Jim is his best friend (oh and how sad is that).
Wrapping up the chapter with Pam grieving her friendship with Jim says so much about the actions to come from her. Looking forward to how you portray them.
Author's Response: Ha, sorry, I didn't mean to slander Libras. I think Jim did use his Libra qualities (or attempted to), he just rarely arrived at the correct answer. Poor Jim.
1 [Report This]Date: March 03, 2022 08:24 pm Title: "There's such a thing as good grief. Just ask Charlie Brown."
Oh hi, just me singing your praises again.
I love how you describe Jim and Karen's origins and Jim's thought process of knowing he's not over Pam but desperately trying to be. Poor dude.
As always, very believable and very well written and very...ouch. I loved it
1 [Report This]Date: March 03, 2022 08:08 pm Title: "You're left thinking about the girl you really like, the one that broke your heart."
"She waits for “Beesly” to tumble off his tongue. It doesn’t."
Oooof. My heart.
"He makes it to lunch and congratulates himself on not breaking down at any point throughout the morning, especially after spotting the mug in the kitchen cabinet emblazoned with the quote “Friendship is certainly the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love.” There was, unfortunately, no mug with helpful advice for the person who had lost both."
Why are you so good at breaking my heart?
But seriously, your writing is fantastic here. You can *feel* the ache from both of them and it's heartbreaking in the best way.
I also love how you mention Pam being single and how she likes it, despite missing Jim because that's 100% my headcanon. I think that summer especially was super important for her.
Author's Response: I'm so glad someone mentioned the mug because it's one of my favorite parts! And yes, Independent Pam is a thing of beauty, I wish we saw more of it.
1 [Report This]Date: March 03, 2022 05:29 pm Title: "There's such a thing as good grief. Just ask Charlie Brown."
TINY.DUNDIE. THE GRIEVING PROCESS?! REALLY?! YOU'RE GONNA HIT US WITH FIVE STAGES OF GRIEF OF PAM AND JIM'S FRIENDSHIP?! OUCH!!!!!
Oh my god, this was utterly brilliant. If you keep this up, I'm gonna be a broken mess on the floor (but please keep doing this).
I also can't wait to hear more about Karen's holidays and her family's disdain of her moving
1 [Report This]Date: March 03, 2022 03:47 pm Title: "There's such a thing as good grief. Just ask Charlie Brown."
"He can’t quite put his finger on it but for a moment he has to remind himself which year it is." Ouch. This is a very strong Jim Season 3 vibe.
"She claims she has unpacking to do but seems a little distant." !!!! I really am going to need to reread this all in light of the ***** *******.
"“I still don’t know how you did it.” He bites his lip. He can’t tell her how he did it." Again, very effectively making me hurt for both Karen *and* Jim here. As noted earlier, I also think you did well putting Jim's odd reaction to Karen wanting to move several blocks away form him in a more understandable context - this is genuinely a LOT all at once. "He’s run out of yeses for the time being" sounds about right, as does the idea that there's way more pressure on this relationship than there would be if she hadn't moved.
“Are you kidding? I’m sure she’s told the security guard and everyone at Vance Refrigeration by now.” Fact check: TRUE.
"omitting the fact that whether she knows it or not she’s already entangled in workplace romance drama." Oh, Jim. Buddy. This is not a good look on you.
"But the way she looks at him makes him weak. The way she looks at him always makes him weak." RUDE. And again, this thing about how he's trying *not* to interpret everything as a coded overture... yep. That's Season 3 Jim all right. And him interpreting this as a return to normal is PAINFUL knowing what's really happening out of his eyeline.
"But he’s replayed those precious seconds over and over again in his mind so many times by now that he knows Pam's kiss like a favorite song." OW.
"It doesn’t feel like a lie. The last few months have felt longer than the four years that preceded them." OW. AGAIN. They're just... ugh. So close to avoiding so much pain here and they just can't pull it off.
This is SO Michael. He's so well meaning and so damaging all at once. And it finally occurring to him that Jim told him not to say anything when Pam follows up is genius.
Pam going through the full stages of grief is such a great tie-in with canon...
1 [Report This]Date: March 03, 2022 12:53 pm Title: "There's such a thing as good grief. Just ask Charlie Brown."
Jim treating Pam like trash, while acting as
if he’s so sweet and innocent is the main reason why I couldn’t stand him in season three(and nine).
Jim is the one who started the problem with Pam in the first place. I can’t say I blame Karen’s parents for not being happy about their daughter moving to another state for a guy she hardly knows.
Typical Michael making everything about himself.
Even though Pam is grieving for her friendship with Jim, that grief can help her move on, and become indifferent to Jim and Karen’s relationship. 🤔
Pam doesn’t need someone in her life that will treat her like someone less than worthy. That’s what Roy did.
1 [Report This]Date: March 03, 2022 11:27 am Title: "There's such a thing as good grief. Just ask Charlie Brown."
Ughhh Karen and Jim making it official in ‘their’ parking lot really stung me.
“omitting the fact that whether she knows it or not she’s already entangled in workplace romance drama.” So so true
I loved how seamlessly Pam’s actual talking head fit with the rest of the dialogue. You’ve written all the dialogue just brilliantly here.
God my heart can’t take much more of this
Date: March 03, 2022 11:02 am Title: "There's such a thing as good grief. Just ask Charlie Brown."
Once more you're doing a great job of filling in what we didn't see on camera. The way their thoughts are still constantly revolving around each other. They're both still so lost in a world of assumptions, pain, and doubt. You can tell Jim is doing his best to move on with Karen and has been for a while with that flashback scene. His heart still isn't fully in it though. Almost as if he's doing his best to convince himself that what he's doing is right. From his perspective it probably feels like it. Pam rejected him twice. Told him he was misinterpreting. Rather than reach out to him, he finds out she's going out on dates. Really, he has every reason to think Pam wants nothing to do with him romantically. So, he keeps trying to go along with Karen hoping it'll work out. His fear and doubt are still holding him back though.
Same with Pam. The flashback scene with Michael was somewhat brutal to envision. However, I did like that she went in and told him right to his face that what he said was painful for her. For a moment Michael loses his selfishness and realizes that he was out of line. Nice way to bring that in. Pam realizing what Jim had to go through while she was with Roy must have hurt too. She knows what will fix things, but she doesn't quite have the courage to reach for it yet. It's coming, but she's not there in her journey yet. So she tries to be the friend he was to her. But with her knowing how she feels and now how he felt, I get why it would cause her to break down like that.
Excellent job getting into their heads even if it stings the whole way.
1 [Report This]Date: March 01, 2022 01:27 pm Title: "You're left thinking about the girl you really like, the one that broke your heart."
This was such an interesting perspective on Jim’s thoughts of why he accepted the CIA gift eventually. I really felt bad for Pam when he did that knowingly, but then I thought of how many Pam made him feel like that unknowingly.
Thank you for sharing your work and I can’t wait for future chapters. d84;a039;
1 [Report This]Date: March 01, 2022 01:24 pm Title: "That was what today was supposed to be. The loving union between people."
You are now my favourite writer. No offence to basscop69 and boredhwswf who are like my all time favourite and all other incredible writers out there.
Season 3 angst is something I’ll never get over and I just adore all the work which dwells into their minds and hearts, sharing their take on what happened beyond the cameras.
It was hurtful, painful, full of yearning and heartbreaking but they had to dip that low in their relationship arc to come up ever so in love.
This is awesome !
Author's Response: Thank you so much for your kind words! Glad you're joining me on this journey and thanks so much for reviewing!
Date: February 28, 2022 09:15 pm Title: "You're left thinking about the girl you really like, the one that broke your heart."
Ok so not quite as painful as last chapter. What I like here is that even though thing are still not great between them, their connection still remains. Jim's prank on Pam sending Andy after her and Pam's Christmas gift were some of the real highlights we got. A much needed break from, well everything. The extra bits you put in in the elevator and parking lot were great too. Pam's trying to reach out to him. He's still hesitant to be sure but even now I think deep down he knows his feelings for her haven't changed.
The flashback scenes seemed fitting too. Pam's finally looking out for what she wants. It may be a bit bleak when one is first starting out, but it just leaves more open canvas on which to paint. Jim though was still reeling in his flashback. That Andy was the one to give him that post-it note to smile was a nice touch. Andy can be a bit much, but he is a decent guy. Nice to see him looking out for someone he would consider a buddy.
Great job as usual.
1 [Report This]Date: February 28, 2022 06:39 pm Title: "You're left thinking about the girl you really like, the one that broke your heart."
You know me and my love for independent Pam in season 3 where she does everything that she couldn’t when she was with Roy…
I love the insight to her new, single life!!
BUT OUCH THE MEETING OF KAREN THOUGH 😭😭😭 Ugh ouches…
Still, TD, keep amazing us with this fic please