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PUBLISHED February 22, 2022, 4:51 PM ONE
Even in a beloved sitcomThe office,some things just don't age well. The series first premiered in 2005 on NBC as an adaptation of a short-lived BBC series. After a rough first season, it lasted nine seasons before ending in 2013. Today, it's fondly remembered as the show we all devoured.when it was on Netflix. But especially today, not everything from the show translates wellJim and Pam's relationship.
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The officeis a mockumentary sitcom that chronicles the lives and times of employees of the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Regional Manager Michael Scott (Steve Carell) lives under the illusion that he is a good boss and friend to his employees, despite his general incompetence and lack of social awareness. He and the other Dunder Mifflin employees have their own workplace drama throughout the series. But after all these years, do Jim and Pam still remain a couple to root for?
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Are Jim and Pam from 'The Office' in a toxic relationship?
A big part of workplace cultureThe officeremains perfectly recognizable even today, but some of the early humor has aged about as gracefully as Michael trying to do parkour. The show contains a lot of casual transphobia and creepy Donald Trump references, which may be difficult for some to revisit in the early 1920s. An aspect ofThe officeWhat has become quite divisive among fans is how healthy the relationship is between Jim Halpert (Johannes Krasinski) en Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer).
Jim and Pam are two Dunder Mifflin employees who have a close bond at work. We find out almost immediately that Jim is in love with Pam, but his romantic overtures are often tested by the fact that she has been engaged to Roy Anderson (David Denman) for several years. Because Roy often ignores Pam's feelings, Jim thinks he has a chance to win her heart. Ultimately they end up together. By the end of the series they are happily married with two children.
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Some have done so in recent yearsOfficefans have looked back on the relationship unfavorably. In aReddit-thread, some have interpreted Jim's feelings as sinister. One user stated that Jim was "disturbingly obsessed" with Pam at first, hiding his true feelings behind a decent friendship. The same user accused Pam of openly flirting with Jim despite her engagement, only to reject him for another season before agreeing to go on a date with him.
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They continued to reference later seasons, accusing Pam of having too much control over Jim's career path.
The thread sparked a lot of debate among fans, with many taking sides over the toxicity of Jim and Pam's relationship. We're here to say that their relationship isn't the worst in TV history, but it's far from perfect.
The rocky start to their romance is fairly indicative of their arcs. While stuck in a dead-end job, Jim naturally focuses on what he cares about at work. Meanwhile, Pam's rejection of Jim's advances stems from her character flaw: she is afraid of drastic changes. Roy is emotionally neglectful during their engagement, and during Pam's journey she realizes that she could be happier during her relationship with Jim.
In season 3, things start to tilt towards toxic.
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After Jim requests a transfer to the Nashua branch, Nashua employee Karen Filipelli (Rashida Jones) develops feelings for him. She takes those feelings with her as more Nashua employees are transferred to Scranton. When Jim and a newly single Pam reunite, their romance is thwarted by the fact that Jim actually invites Karen to be with him.
Even after openly admitting to Karen that he still has feelings for Pam, Jim would rather pursue a relationship with Karen.
Pam is guilty of that. Despite her attempts to rekindle her relationship with Jim, he fails to reciprocate her feelingsratherfeels the same. Again, it's because he chooses to be unhappy with Karen instead of being honest with Pam.
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This causes Pam to briefly reunite with Roy, who had done his best to become more caring during Pam's absence. In that sense, both Karen and Roy act as rebounders for two people who could spare so much emotional turmoil by simply admitting their feelings.
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It is only thanks to Pam's revelation in "Beach Games" that she is able to overcome her complacency and speak honestly to Jim again. But by the time they actually go on a date, they've both put other people through the wringer.
By the end of the series, they've worked out a lot of their kinks. They even go so far as to quit their jobs at Dunder Mifflin so Jim can pursue a new career path in the series finale. In other words, the two learned to communicate with each other long after it might have proven more useful.
In retrospect, we are still happy that Jim and Pam are together. It's just that their path to get there isn't without several casualties that could have been avoided.
At least Jim and Pam aren't nearly as bad as Michael and Jan.
All nine seasons ofThe officecurrently streaming on Peaco*ck.
