Pam continues to glow as happiness emanates through every pore of her body.   She is just beaming with contentment as her relationship with Jim continues to grow and evolve.  She knows she is where she belongs and has never been more at home.  Although, this was a very Jim-centric episode, Pam’s behavior throughout the episode still offers insight into both Pam herself and JAM.  FNB continues to spread her wings as she continues to try new things and stand up for herself.  She isn’t afraid of her emotions, nor does she walk around in constant fear. She has confidence in herself and Jim, which serves as the means to keep JAM on track.  

She continues to take the lead in the relationship, however, she is much more subtle.  She feels Jim gaining strength and by the end of the episode, she knows Jim has taken one of the reins. Pam has known from the start that Jim’s fears were holding him back and she offered all the time, patience, and reassurance he needed.  It finally paid off as Jim rushed towards her with a passionate kiss.   

For the first time since CN, she can “feel” him.  Pam has been waiting for him to come back in that way and it appears he finally found his way.  She isn’t wondering how he feels anymore. She felt a big shift in Jim and now comes the new challenge of figuring out his new set of needs. Jim may have joined her in the lead, but Pam knows Jim is still learning to trust her.   

Communication continues to build as non-verbal cues are continually exchanged at an increasing rate.  As external emotional honesty becomes more of a reality on both sides building communication has never been more important.  Some strong emotions are getting ready to surface beyond the constraints of internal awareness.  Those feelings are going to need a strong foundation of verbal and non-verbal communication.  As it stands now, communication lines are progressing perfectly.  Pam is actually communicating with Jim without even realizing it, by simply being herself.  Through her humor, warmth, and newfound sense of adventure, Pam exhibited every single reason why Jim loves her.  It’s no wonder he found his way back to her.

Schrute Farm Reservation: 

Pam most likely sees Jim’s amused face and overhears the conversation between them.  She can’t resist the urge to have a little fun.  She calls Dwight and asks about getting a room at Dwight’s bed and breakfast to entertain both herself and Jim.  Jim’s smile proves she hit the right note.  She took the time to look up Dwight’s B&B on Trip Advisor to add to her little joke.  Dwight asks, “How many in your party?”  Pam confusingly answers, “Two?”  She didn’t actually intend to book a room, as she was just playing around with Dwight.  However, she doesn’t dispute Dwight’s booking.  Her curiosity and sense of adventure override her original intent of just joking around.  Jim is noticeably surprised at her actions, but Pam is undeterred.  She smiles in response to Dwight’s list of activities and  briefly looks at Jim, “telling” him to relax.  It all sounds so ridiculous, but she’s a good sport and this could be fun.   Aside from that, Pam knows Dwight is going through a tough time.  She has a soft spot for Dwight as he nurses his broken heart. Visiting Dwight’s B&B is a show of support as well as personal entertainment.   

Pam’s intention may have been simply to play with Dwight, but she inadvertently took a big step with Jim.  In another show of taking the lead she arranged for them to go away together as couple.  It wasn’t her intention, but Pam shows no fear when it becomes apparent that she will be spending the night with Jim at Dwight’s farm.  It’s another example of how Pam continues to take the lead in the relationship.  She’s taking it to a new level by finding the courage to explore uncharted territory.  She’s not afraid to take that next step and see where it goes. 

Dinner with Michael:

As Michael heads out for the day, Kevin asks him attend his band’s gig, but Michael says he can’t  because he has “a thing tonight.”  Apparently, Michael’s “thing” has been happening for a while.  Both Jim and Pam are dying to know just what the “thing” is all about.  There lines in this scene seem very contrived  with the sole purpose of getting Michael to spill his secret.  They’ve likely noticed Michael’s odd behavior and want to get to the bottom of it.  With perfect synergy they do their best to crack Michael’s secret.  Pam sends Jim a strong non-verbal cue geared towards getting Jim to say something to Michael.  Jim acknowledges her cue immediately and steps into action, “Uh, Michael.  That reminds me, uh, if the invitation still stands, Pam and I would love to have dinner tonight.”  

Pam smiles to back up Jim’s claims, but it’s clear there isn’t genuine anticipation to spend an evening with Michael.  Michael is genuinely disappointed as he again explains he has “a thing tonight.”  Jim feigns his own disappointment with barely detectable sarcasm, “Darn it.”  Pam follows with her own version of fake disappointment with “Shoot.”  She eyes Jim with a strong face, to let Jim know they have to try harder.  They’re losing the battle. Michael offers to move dinner to the weekend, but Jim refuses, “No, we can’t.”  Pam picks up the signal and moves into action, “We only had tonight free and we really wanted to spend it with you.” She exudes warmth as a way to rile up Michael enough to tell his secret.  It almost works as Michael’s frustration grows.  He is truly upset, but he doesn’t drop a single clue.  

Pam gave it her best shot, but came up empty handed.  Jim tries one more time by asking, “What have you got going on tonight?”  Unfortunately, Michael evades his efforts, “You wouldn’t understand, it’s a secret.”  Realizing defeat Jim jokes around by echoing Michael’s answer, “I wouldn’t understand or it’s a secret.”   Pam acknowledges the failure as well by repeating the same line “You wouldn’t understand, Jim, it’s a secret.”  Her voice is also playful, but her joke is also drenched in defeat.  Better luck next time.  

Arriving at Schrute Farms:

As Jim and Pam arrive at Dwight’s farm, they playfully discuss different names for the B&B. Pam begins by calling it the “Beets Motel,” much to Jim’s delight.  She smiles at his amusement, clearly happy to impress his sense of humor.  His response, “The Beets Motel? That is . . .Wow,” likely brings a smile to her face.  As if there was ever any doubt, they share the same sense of humor and this proves it once again.  She playfully says, “Thank you,” clearly proud of her creativity and ability to make Jim smile.  Jim tries to take a crack at it and says, “Borsht Hotel.” Pam  thinks it’s cute, but it’s not enough to impress her, “Ehhhh.”  The ideas, however, keep coming to her, “Embassy Beets . . . Radish Inn.”   

Jim is again amused and impressed as he says, “How are you doing this?”  She tries to suppress a giggle as she answers, “I don’t know.”  The humor of their situation is good motivation for her to keep coming up with names, but her primary reason is the fact that Jim loves it.  He’s smiling and that’s reason enough for her to keep playing.  As always, humor brings them together.  This scene is a golden example of how Pam reminds Jim of why he loves her. She is simply being herself, with the confidence that Jim likes (loves) her just as she is.  As Mose, runs along the side of the car, Pam becomes even more aware of just important a sense of humor is going to be for the night.

Checking In: 

Pam sits comfortably on the couch inside the house as Dwight begins to explain the availability of three rooms, “America, Irrigation and Night time.”  Pam looks at Jim briefly, but takes the lead and requests Irrigation.  She is weirded out by her surroundings but still very amused.  In all likelihood, Irrigation sounded like the most interesting to her and peaked her curiosity.  Jim is all too happy to play along as he compliments her choice of the room.  Dwight asks if they have any special needs and Jim immediately jumps in with a joke, “Yes, we will be requiring a bedtime story.”  

Pam loves to see Jim’s sense of humor come out to play.  It’s wonderful to see him having fun with the situation at hand.  It’s like watching an artist create a masterpiece.  She can barely hold back a smile as Dwight refuses to comply.  Jim persists, “Not even Harry Potter?”  She is further delighted as she looks over at him.  His respond to Dwight so perfect she can hardly stand it. Pam is happy to see Jim is having fun despite finding himself in Dwight’s bizarre world.  To add to the weirdness is Mose coming out from a corner as Dwight tells him to get Jim and Pam’s baggage.  Their surrounding could be any more ridiculous, but the possibility of humor remains.     

Dwight leads Jim and Pam to their room which is full of pipes and other implements for water as per the irrigation theme.  The propensity for humor only grows as Jim and Pam take a look at their surroundings.  Dwight explains, “As of this morning, we are completely wireless here at Schrute Farms.  As soon as I find out where Mose hid all the wires, we’ll get that power back on.”

As Dwight takes his leave, Pam can’t help but wear a disbelieving smile. Half of her is amused, while the other half is horrified.  What universe have they entered?  Although there are plenty of reasons to leave, Pam wouldn’t trade it for the world.  Everything is so horrible, it’s funny.  With Jim by her side it looks to be a fun and memorable evening no matter what happens.  Pam knows Jim well enough to be confident this quirky form of entertainment is right up their alley.

First Night Away:

Pam tries to make herself comfortable on one of the small beds in the room.  Jim plops down on an identical bed across from her, causing it to complain with a loud noise under his weight.  She shifts her weight and rocks back and forth, as she is a little nervous.  The weight of her decision to spend the night with Jim is beginning to make itself known.  She is well aware that this is a big “first time” in their relationship. It’s a big step to go away together and she’s now realizing the seriousness of taking this step.  On top of that, this setting isn’t exactly ideal.  “Two” beds surrounded by irrigation tools isn’t the most romantic atmosphere.  Her nervousness is mirrored by Jim as they sit silently for a moment.  There is a lot not being said as they avoid eye contact.  

There’s a little bit of tension and uncertainty as they survey their surroundings, carefully avoiding the sight of one another.  This is a big step, so it’s only natural that both are trying to find their way around the awkwardness.  In this situation, it doesn’t matter how comfortable they are around one another.  The first night away together is a big step and little scary.  Especially, considering it wasn’t really planned.  Jim is the first to break the silence, “Mmmmmm . . . I’d say one in six.”  Pam is a little startled and confused, “What?”  She’s not sure what he means by that as she stares him down.  Jim is quick to respond, “Oh, I thought you asked me what our chances were of being murdered here tonight.”  Pam is clearly relieved as she laughs.  

In an instant he brought back some comfort in an awkward situation and she genuinely appreciates that.  He knows exactly what she needs without asking, which greatly calms her. They continue to take in the surroundings of their room, although still a little nervous.  However, they are nervous “together.”  Even though their surroundings and the situation itself is a little odd, it fits them perfectly.  The humor of their surroundings further their ability to connect as they work past the awkwardness and take the next step.  

Bedtime Story:

It continues to be a less than romantic evening as Jim’s request for a bedtime story comes to fruition.  Dwight is sitting on one of the small beds reading an excerpt from a Harry Potter novel as Jim, Pam and Mose listen.  Jim is propped up against the headboard, while Pam lays back on him.  She is perfectly content with his arms wrapped securely around her.  Even with a frightened Mose at the foot of the bed, everything is perfect.  She is right where she wants to be with Jim surrounding her.  

Pam’s fingers lightly caress Jim’s forearm as she relishes in the closeness of the moment.  It’s all about being together for her.  The circumstances and oddities of the evening don’t matter.  Every moment with him  is special and means something.  Despite the imperfection and all out weirdness of their first nigh away, it’s perfectly “them.”  Both are wearing slight smiles, even after eyeing Mose.  This is something they will share and laugh about for a long time to come.

A Bump in the Night:

A loud repetitive banging wakes Jim and Pam.  The light flips on in their bedroom window as Pam’s curiosity refuses to rest.  Jim asks, “Wait, you’re going out there?,” with a great deal of hesitance.  Pam easily answers, “Yeah” as if this is the most natural thing in the world.  She then playfully calls him a coward.  Pam couldn’t have called it any better, as Jim’s fears are essentially making him a bit cowardice when it comes to his heart and his emotions.  While Jim waits safely in the room, Pam is brave enough to go out and explore.  She’s not afraid of what she’ll find or what could happen.  This goes for mysterious sounds and her new relationship with Jim.   This is what gives her the lead in the relationship.  While Jim is afraid to explore all his feelings, Pam is willing and able to search for what’s hiding in the dark.  Her emotions don’t scare her and neither do Jim’s feelings for her (once he finds them).  

Later the same night, another noise causes the light to go on again in Jim and Pam‘s room.  This time it’s a painful moan echoing through the house.  Pam is done exploring for one night and tells Jim, “It’s your turn.”  In another beautiful stroke of symbolism, Pam’s words speak the truth. Pam has essentially been carrying the weight of JAM ever since Jim returned from New York in The Job.  It’s time for him to at least grab one of the reins and help steer.  She needs to see he is more than just a passive participant in the relationship.  It’s his turn to not only explore, but take care of her (just as she takes care of him).  Pam is strong and confident, but she still needs Jim to offer reassurance of where they are going as a couple.

Break Room - Michael:

Pam is next to the coffee station in the break room, completely obscured by Kevin as Michael walks into the room.  Failing to notice Pam’s presence he proceeds to say the exact wrong thing (shocker), “ What'cha talking about? . . . . Okay, I know what's going on. You're talking about Jim and Pam, if they're having sex, what it looks like, I know, I think---” Instead of getting flustered and embarrassed, FNB steps out and simply calls Michael’s name as a way to signal his inappropriate comments.  Her transformation continues to stun as Old Pam would have been horrified.  Pam is clearly comfortable in her own skin, no matter what the situation.

Andy’s Move on Angela:

Pam is watching as Angela takes notice of Andy’s present on her desk.  Dwight is noticeably effected by Andy’s success in gaining Angela’s attention.  Pam looks over at Jim just as he looks up at her.  Both feel bad for Dwight.   Pam raises her eyebrows as a way to speak to Jim.  She wants to do something to help, but is at a loss on what to do, “Poor Dwight.  What do we do?” Pam knows what it is to hurt and it’s hard to see someone hurt as much as Dwight is at the moment.  Both Jim and Pam may tease Dwight constantly, but they do care about him.  

Dwight’s Recorder: 

Out of concern for Dwight, Jim and Pam make their way downstairs to check on him and make sure he’s okay.  They watch as Dwight pathetically plays his recorder while slumped against the garbage can in the parking lot.  Pam’s compassion for Dwight is apparent on her face as she watches with genuine worry.  She says, “Man, Angela really had a hold on him,” to Jim who watches Dwight silently.  Pam’s statement is quite ironic considering she has a similar hold on Jim without even realizing it.  She knows Jim had strong feelings for her on CN, but she never knew just how much of a hold she had on him.  Dwight’s behavior is a personification of Jim’s pain playing out right in front of her.  She may have an understanding of Jim’s previous pain, but she can never truly know just how much he was hurting following the events of CN.  Especially, since he has kept many of his feelings locked up since returning home.

Trip Advisor:

Jim and Pam finally come up with a way to try and make Dwight feel better.  They log on to Trip Advisor and write out a glowing review for Schrute Farms. Jim is able to goad Dwight into checking the website as Pam looks on with a hopeful expression.  She really hopes their efforts will help Dwight feel a little better.  Just as they work together to take care of Michael, they will take care of Dwight as well.  

The scene cuts to the break room where Jim and Pam sit together with the review print out sitting in front of the.  They proceed to read off their comments which includes praise for everything from the smell of beets wafting in their bedroom to the wonders of the table making demonstration.  Pam is very proud of what they wrote, despite the light sarcasm in their comments.  They knew exactly what to write to lift Dwight’s spirits.  The stay at Schrute Farms was weird, but they managed to turn the bizarre into a positive review.  The review may have been for Dwight’s benefit, but Jim and Pam are also making a little joke for themselves.  Every comment they make is poking fun at the weirdness they endured.

As they read their comments, flashbacks of their stay at Schrute Farms break into the scene.  The quirkiness of their visit matches up with their comments as they watch Mose pound on beets in the kitchen and while they watch Dwight make a table.  There’s even a peek into Jim and Pam’s room in the morning, where it’s evident they have pushed the two small beds together to make one large bed.  Odd sounds at night apparently didn’t prevent them from finding the romance in simply being together.  The bubble functions even amidst the insanity of Dwight’s beet farm.

Dwight is still sad after reading the review, but is appreciative of their review, “I’m glad you enjoyed your stay.”  Pam can see the review helped, but Dwight is still sad.  She adds, “We really did.  It was fun,” in the hopes of cheering Dwight up a little bit more.  Her motives for this comment rested in Dwight, but Pam really meant every word.  She really did have a good time. Everything about their little trip was weird, quirky, and odd, but that’s what Jim and Pam love. They were in it together and laughed the whole time.  It’s another little something just between them in the privacy of their little bubble.

Dwight Walks Out:

After Angela accepts a date with Andy, Dwight walks out of the office hurriedly trying his best to hold back his hurt feelings.  Pam can’t help but notice and her heart goes out to him.  She says his name with a tone of concern, but he ignores her call.  Pam looks over at Jim with a worried face that tells him, “Go after him.”  When no on else will care for Dwight, both Jim and Pam will answer his cry for help. 

The Kiss:

Pam is dealing with some paperwork as she notices Jim enter the office.  With her usual warmth she greets him, “ Hey, I was thinking about dinner. . .”  Before she can finish her sentence, Jim hands lightly frame her jaw line as he leans in for a surprise kiss.  She never saw it coming, but she is quick to recover from the shock.  She easily goes along with it as she brings her hand up to rest on his neck, much the same way she did on CN.  The kiss itself is highly reminiscent of that evening, only this time there is no hesitation or fear.  In only a few seconds an eternity of tenderness passes between them.   

As he pulls away, she looks up at him in awe with a euphoric smile, “Where did that come from?” She hasn’t felt that kind of passion from him since CN.  His love literally wrapped around her with a surge of electricity.  Pam has been waiting for him to come back in that way and it appears he has finally found that part of himself.  Her smile widens as she searches his eyes for any clues to his actions.  It doesn’t take long for her to find the answer.  The sparkle in his eyes tells her all she needs to know.  It’s clear to her that his emotions are unlocked.  He hasn’t looked at her like that in a long time.  She can finally “feel” him.  She always knew his feelings were there, but she was waiting for him to brave enough to let them out.  

In this brief moment they speak to each other with nothing more than locked eyes as they silently share emotional honesty.  She knows what he’s trying to tell her and she lets him know it’s safe to love her. The bubble is in full swing as Jim and Pam transport themselves into their own little world.  Non-verbal communication is finally rebuilt to the point of being able to convey raw emotion.  This is a major development that will help Jim and Pam get closer to verbalized emotional honesty.  Jim may have unlocked his emotions, but Pam is still going to have to afford him a little more time and patience as he finds the courage to tell her.  

Her mouth falls open as joyful shock continues to course through her.  The man is full of surprises and now she has one more reason to love him.  She can’t believe he did this in public, it’s not like him to be so impulsive with PDA.   Pam looks around her to see if anyone is watching.  It’s almost as if she’s checking to see if this is real.  She’s working off the logic that if someone else saw it, then it really happened.  She is a little embarrassed as she hides behind her paperwork.  She’s not used to having her love life on display.  However, it turns out she is too happy to care what anyone thinks.  Jim doesn’t seem phased as he starts to pick up Pam’s previous reference to dinner, “Uh, dinner . . . . Let’s see, maybe we should try the, uhmm, new Italian place where the dry cleaners used to be.”  She redirects her attention on him, still in awe of his behavior.  She answers, “Okay.”  still wearing a goofy smile.  

She can’t stop looking at him in wonderment as she’s tries to figure out what brought on this shift in Jim.  She decides to let it be, realizing it doesn’t matter what brought him to this point.  All that really matters is that he’s here now.  Pam knows he is joining her in steering the relationship by taking hold of one of the reins.  She’s no longer alone in leading the relationship.  His kiss let her know he doesn’t need her to run the entire show by herself anymore.  Pam feels the weight lift in the simple knowledge that he is by her side, rather than following behind.  He turns to walk away towards his desk as Pam watches with a glowing smile.  It only took Jim a few seconds to make her float above the clouds.

**Talking heads** (see below)

Pam takes a seat at her desk unable to wipe the smile from her face.  She is gushing like a teenager as she once again hides behind her paperwork.  The giddiness is hard to control as her cheeks flush.  She glances at him again, while practically pinching herself to ensure this is all real.  Pam has never been loved like this before by anyone.  She can’t help but wonder if it’s really possible to be this happy and this much in love.

Talking Head:

Pam is still trying to quell her giddiness as she sits before the camera.  She tries to play it cool, but fails miserably within seconds.  She chooses to sidestep the kiss by simply referring to dinner, “Jim’s just really passionate about Italian food.” A smile slowly forms on her lips while she simply glows.  It grows wider as her thoughts refuse to leave Jim.  She is beyond thrilled that she can “feel” Jim once again, the way she used to so long ago.  His passion is for her and it’s beyond her wildest dreams.  There is no question in her mind that he loves her.  He may not have said it, but she felt it rush over her.  

Back to Normal:

Dwight finally returns to his desk and begins making a sales call.  Pam watches as Dwight grabs a ruler and uses it as a tool to shove Jim’s overflowing paperwork out of his desk area.  Jim looks over at her and offers one of his patented smiles pairs with twinkling eyes.  Pam’s smiles widely back at him.  Her joy is in response to Dwight’s apparent return to normalcy. She knows she and Jim had a part in helping Dwight find his way out of misery.  However, Pam’s smile is geared mostly towards Jim.  Just as Dwight has found his way back, so has Jim.  She can see the man she fell in love so long ago smiling back at her.  Pam is overjoyed to see bits and pieces of the Old Jim falling back into place.  The most important pieces have finally found their way home and she is ready to give him all he needs.  She can’t wait to love him the way he loves her.

The Bottom Line:

A stay at Schrute Farms proved Jim and Pam can survive anything and still find love, (as if the last year wasn’t proof enough!).

- - - 

Questions to Ponder: 

1) Do Jim and Pam truly share the lead in the relationship at this point?  Does Pam still need to be the dominant force in JAM? 

2) Is the bubble growing or shrinking?  Are the events of Money simply another round of euphoria or are Jim and Pam becoming more grounded?

3) Would Jim and Pam take so many steps towards emotional honesty if it wasn’t for Dwight’s heartache?  How does his hurt benefit JAM?

4)  What elements of communication remain amiss?  

5) Is there enough trust between Jim and Pam?