Jim & Pam are Getting Married – THE OFFICE Wedding
October 8, 2009 by Kath Skerry
Somebody, somebody, somebody, somebody, somebody’s getting married.
It’s time to put on those fancy dresses and those dapper suits. Jim Halpert and Pam Beesly are getting married today. It’s odd yet quite pleasing to be able to write those words. In the world of television, it’s not often that our favorite couples get their happily ever after. But in this case one of the best TV love stories of all time also happens to be one of the most realistic.
It took four years for Jim and Pam to make it to the alter. But those four years were well spent. They allowed the couple to form the strongest of friendships. The years gave each of these characters to grow as individuals. The years also allowed the couple to realize that despite others that have come in and out of their lives, they are happiest, and at their best when they are together. It took them awhile to get to the place where things were right to move forward, but ever since Jim burst into the conference room to ask Pam out on a date, the two have never wavered and never looked back.
In the beginning there was Roy. Then there was Stamford and Karen. But when Jim and Pam finally got together there was no more drama. Yes, they were separated when Pam left to give her dream a shot in New York, but there was never any doubt that they would make it. We have the writers to thank for that. They could have easily dragged the couple along the route of most TV twosomes, breaking up, getting back together, always navigating obstacles, and the audience would have been along for the ride. But it would be disingenuous to their relationship. In real life sometimes two people that are meant to be actually find each other, fall in love and that’s that.
In protecting the Jim and Pam relationship, the writers created a new standard in TV relationships. The easy and lazy go to is to compare every small screen couple to that of Maddie & David of “Moonlighting”. The show famously soured when the will they/won’t they couple finally did. But Jim and Pam have been together for over two seasons of television and they haven’t soured. The show hasn’t been ground to a halt by their coupledom. They remain interesting and funny characters, both as individuals and together. And most importantly, the writers haven’t let their love story dominate the series.
I’ve read arguments from those that think that there is too much focus on Jim and Pam. I disagree. I think at times some fans placed too much of an emphasis on the couple, letting the trials of Jim and Pam affect their perception of the episodes on the whole. And of course if you looked only at the NBC promos you would think that THE OFFICE is nothing more than soapy love story. But if you take an honest look back at the series, the writers showed restraint in ensuring that the show stayed true to its premise. THE OFFICE was never about the romantic foibles of the salesman and the receptionist. It’s been about this strange mix off slightly off folks that all found their way to this mid-size paper company in Scranton, PA.
The relationship between Jim and Pam has allowed THE OFFICE to be more than just a sitcom. They were the anchor that allowed the viewers at home to really care about these characters. Watching their relationship evolve over the years grounded THE OFFICE and allowed it to be more than just a ‘workplace comedy.’
So thank you Greg Daniels. Thank you OFFICE writers. And thank you Jenna Fischer and John Krasinski for letting us fall in love.
The beauty of Jim and Pam’s relationship has always been in the small moments. Tonight as they celebrate their biggest moment to date, I thought it could be fun for all of us who have been on the journey with these two, to celebrate some of our favorite moments.
Please share your favorite Jim and Pam moment from the past six seasons. Here are a few great moments to jog your memory.
I’ll start us off.
There are so many wonderful moments, but for me none more special than when Jim declared his love to Pam outside in the parking lot during Dunder Mifflin’s casino night. It was such an unexpected moment, both for the characters and for the audience. I remember everything about watching that moment unfold on TV. I gasp, teared up and was awed by the emotions played out so perfectly by John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer. That episode aired on May 11, 2006 and here we are more than 3 years later and I still have that episode on my DVR. If you hit play it’s cued up to Jim’s “hey can I talk to you for a second”. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched that scene along with the passionate kiss the two shared at the end of the episode. It was one of the most special moments of my television history.
As for tonight’s episode, well John Krasinski said in our live chat earlier this week that “I think this might be one of our biggest tear jerkers yet!” Needless to say I’m readying a permanent place on my DVR.
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Filed under #1 featured, Jenna Fischer, Jim Halpert, John Krasinski, Pam Beesly, The Office, TV News
Kath – I couldn’t agree with you more. Having watched The Office from the pilot episode forward, for me, Casino Night remains one of the greatest episodes of television EVER. I too have watched that parking lot/darkened office scene more times than is probably normal/healthy. I think the thing that has always stuck with me about that episode is that you kept thinking it was over and then they gave us a little more. I never imagined Jim would tell Pam he loved her in the parking lot, but figured for sure that was the end until the next season. Then we got the little Michael VO and I thought, ok for sure this is over now. Then we see Pam on the phone and the camera pulls out and, again, I think they are going to leave us with that. And then boom, in comes Jim and plants a huge kiss on her. I am swooning just typing this!!!
Is it 8 PM yet??
I can’t wait for the episode tonight! Is it 9:00 yet? I have to say my favorite Jim and Pam moment is probably Casino Night as well. The acting by John Krasinski is amazing. Another moment I love is when Jim shows the camera the ring during his talking head in Chair Model “bought it a week after we started dating”. 🙂
I love that video Kath! It’s awesome. There are so many memories to choose from. I like a lot of the small moments where it showed how much they care about each other. In the episode where Packer pranks Michael’s office and Michael displaces Jim to a desk by Kelly, I love it at the end of the day when Jim is sad he didn’t get to talk to Pam all day and he thinks she didn’t notice and he checks his voicemails and they are all from her. It’s too cute. I tried to find a clip, but couldn’t find one.
I love the episode when Pam calls jinx on Jim and he has to buy her a coke or he can’t talk — and the vending machine is out of coke! So he makes it through the day without saying a word until she goes out, gets a coke and has him pay her back for it. And then they say hi to each other and my heart melts. It’s those hi’s that kill me.
Ooh, one more quick one! In the Survivorman episode when Michael is out of the office and Jim tries to change the birthday cake custom, there’s a a great moment when Jim tells everyone they need to talk about the cake thing and Pam goes “Conference room?” And at first he replies yes, but catches himself. I love that.
Count me in as one who thinks there is occasionally too much Jim/Pam focus on this show. I love The Office, but the hype around this episode is getting out of hand. I know most of the audience has been wanting this to happen since the beginning; they’re giving the audience what they wanted now, and as a result I think the show is dangerously close to jumping the shark. I am very concerned that this episode will be absurdly melodramatic, and lacking in the weird, and sometimes dark humor that made the show effective in the first place. NBC is overhyping this episode in an attempt to draw attention back to a fading network, and the quality of the show is going to suffer as a result.
The Fonz is strapping on his water skis right now, and it makes me sad.
You’re not the only one. I’m just disappointed that Jim seems to have lost a lot of his humor since he and Pam got together.
I love this show, I love this couple, and I’m so excited it’s ridiculous.
“NBC is overhyping this episode in an attempt to draw attention back to a fading network, and the quality of the show is going to suffer as a result.”
I guess what I’m trying to understand is how NBC’s promo has anything to do with the quality of the episode. The two aren’t related.
I’ve reacted pretty negatively to the promo, and maybe that’s not fair. However, the promo is all that viewers have to go on at this point. Yes, promos are sometimes misleading. Sometimes they are not, though. If the episode sticks with the same tone that’s presented in the promo, this episode will be a sentimental, maudlin mess. If the episode manages to walk the tightrope between heart touching and bitingly satirical, like the best episodes of The Office do, then I’ll be happy to admit that I’m wrong. I’m not sure, based on what I’ve perceived as uneven quality of episodes over the this and last season, that they will be able to do this. I hope they can, but I’m doubtful. We’ll find out tonight, I suppose.
MY favorite Jim & Pam scenes, were the ones on the rooftop. I really loved the scene where they told when they knew they liked each other. I also LOVED the poker scene where pam takes jim out of the tournament, but obviously, the last 10 minutes of casino night has topped my list for the past couple of years. Its jolts my stomach to this day, even after i’ve seen it probably somewhere close to 3,000 times. Its the best. I love it. So excited for tonight 🙂
Booze Crusie hands down… so well played by Jenna and John and just… heartbreaking. I hated that episode (and by hated I mean REALLY loved :-p ).
No doubt about it, tonight is going to be sentimental so if that’s not your thing it might be best to RSVP your regrets and we’ll save you some cake. But think about coming because Michael Scott is going. To a wedding. And I don’t think you’re going to want to miss that. No skiis tonight Fonzie, not with the falls and all… too dangerous. I think it will be romantic and funny and painful just like it should be but most of all I think it will be rewound… many, many times.
For sitcoms, I do think NBC tends to promote in a style that’s much more corny and sentimental than the episodes turn out to be. A lot of Sarah McLachlan during Friends promos comes to mind.
One of my favorite Jim & Pam moments: In “The Initiation” when Jim is working in Samford and he accidentally calls Pam while trying to reach Kevin for a fantasy football question. They haven’t spoken in months, and the resulting conversation is so fun. Right back to joking around with each other. This is when “Fancy New Beasley” was born.
I think my fave Jam is also from Casino Night, but at the beginning, when they play the prank on tuxedoed Dwight. Pam gives Jim that little wink!
There are about 1000 moments in second place, though. Fun question GMMR!
My question for John the other night (that didn’t get asked :-() was that the fans obviously have all these favorite moments but from his perpestive as an actor what was his? What do you think it might be?
Mine is Booze Cruise when John witnesses the proposal and his speech about her being his best friend, mybestfriend was my NBC name and still is.
I recently read this article about how the resolution to “will they or won’t they” WASN’T what killed Moonlight:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2009/09/what_really_happened_to_moonli_1.html
But I’m glad that The Office is proving it doesn’t have to be true, and that it isn’t always wisest to keep putting up obstacles until the final episode.
Obviously, I meant MoonlightING, not the vampire show.
Watching that video had made me so excited to see tonight’s show. I’ve been really impressed with how the show has handled Jim and Pam’s relationship since the episode where Jim asks her out to dinner. As you mentioned Kath, they didn’t go the obvious route of breaking up just to get back together. They’ve had some issues to work out, but they’ve done that as a team right from the get go. I like that.
And to those who feel there is too much of a focus on Jim and Pam, I have to disagree. I actually feel the focus has been diminished significantly in comparison to pre-relationship seasons. There has definitely been episodes that focused mainly on them, but in the bulk of episodes, the main focus has been elsewhere.
Maggie – those ‘hi’s’ kill me EVERY TIME.
Last poster (whose name is too long for me to type right now, lol…) I agree – I feel like the focus has moved away from them as a couple since they’ve been together, and that’s okay. I loved every single moment of them coming together though, and I’m ready for them to have their big moment tonight.
I think my fave Jam is from Casino Night, but at the beginning, when they play the prank on Tuxedoed Dwight. She gives him that little wink, and I loved it.
There are about 1,000 other moments in 2nd place, but i really just loved that part.
So Kath… you were right all along!
Tonight’s episode was fabulous! I, like many others have waited so long for Jim & Pam to come together. Jim reminds me so much of one of my sons (I have 4), and Pam being every mom’s (& son’s) dream; throughout the episode my eyes were filled with tears & my heart with happiness. Believe it or not, I’m not a “TV watcher” but their flirtations certainly caught my attention over time while my husband channel surfed! I’ve imagined that the producers or writers must be Doors followers!!
fav jam moment: the editing of “the job” at the end was phenomenal. How her talking head is being heard over us seeing Jim drive home alone. And how she was so overwhelmed she forgot the question. I knew nothing would stop them from happily ever after, after that moment.
BUT The most romantic line in television history :
-shows the ring- “I bought it one week after we started dating”
jim and pam’s first anniversary!!! who would have thought, one year later i would still be watching that video and thinking how happy i was that my two favorite characters were finally getting married!!
The fake proposal – the one when they’re deciding where to go to dinner – makes me giddy every time I watch it. These two are such lovable characters and the scene shows that they get each other’s humor. 🙂 So happy for their wedding! (Just watched their wedding yesterday. Yup, I’m a late The Office bloomer!)
Ηighly energetic blog, Ӏ enјoyed thаt a lot.
Wіll theгe be a pаrt 2?