Jim Halpert is the king of the friend zone. When we first met the coworkers of The Office, he was just a guy, who had a crush on a girl, who had a boyfriend. By the end, that had changed a bit.
The mockumentary of ordinary office employees hooked us for two reason: Michael Scott’s (Steve Carell) blundering, and Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam (Jenna Fischer).
Some fans claimed the show jumped the shark when the receptionist and the salesman finally got together, that it robbed the show if its driving conflict.
One thing is for certain: It's time for The Office to end, and we're sad to see it go. Let's reminisce with A Timeline of Jim & Pam's Relationship on The Office.
RELATED: The 50 Funniest TV Comedies of All Time
RELATED: A Timeline of Seth Cohen and Summer Roberts' Relationship on "The O.C."
RELATED: 25 Funny People Who Should Get Their Own TV Shows
Compiled by Nancy Stiles (@nancerdancer)
Jim Halpert is the king of the friend zone. When we first met the coworkers of The Office, he was just a guy, who had a crush on a girl, who had a boyfriend. By the end, that had changed a bit.
The mockumentary of ordinary office employees hooked us for two reason: Michael Scott’s (Steve Carell) blundering, and Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam (Jenna Fischer).
Some fans claimed the show jumped the shark when the receptionist and the salesman finally got together, that it robbed the show if its driving conflict.
One thing is for certain: It's time for The Office to end, and we're sad to see it go. Let's reminisce with A Timeline of Jim & Pam's Relationship on The Office.
RELATED: The 50 Funniest TV Comedies of All Time
RELATED: A Timeline of Seth Cohen and Summer Roberts' Relationship on "The O.C."
RELATED: 25 Funny People Who Should Get Their Own TV Shows
Compiled by Nancy Stiles (@nancerdancer)
Charmingly beta male paper salesman Jim Halpert lingers constantly at the desk of Pam Beesly's, office receptionist. He really does know how to make copies, but they're best friends. That is, until her burly fiancé Roy comes in from his job in the warehouse. Jig's up.
Rival salesman (and royal pain in the ass) Dwight steals a big commission from Jim, but he still calls it "not a bad day" after Pam falls asleep during a meeting. Perhaps his interest isn't so one-sided.
Jim and Pam bond over an elaborate prank on Dwight. It's surprisingly easy to get Dunder Mifflin's top salesman to hide in an box in the warehouse. Don't worry, he cut air holes.
When Michael organizes a basketball game between the office and the warehouse, Jim gets a little competitive with burly Roy. Unfortunately, Roy still gets the girl. Dwight wears a face mask, obviously.
Pam totally felt God in that Chili's during the Dundies, the bizarre awards ceremony for Dunder Mifflin employees put on by boss Michael Scott. Pam just wanted to show Jim how excited she was for winning "Whitest Sneakers." Right.
OK, maybe she was over-served. But drunk words are sober thoughts, right?
Jim often dies of boredom at work, and it's usually up to Pam to revive him. While Michael and Dwight are away, a game of Office Olympics seems like the right thing to fight a case of the Mondays. They play Flonkerton—the national sport of Icelandic paper companies. Less popular? Pam Pong.
A prank on Dwight backfires when Pam hurts Jim's feelings by suggesting he take a better job. "Seriously, if you left here, I would blow my brains out," she confesses. But, you know, that's just a common expression. Between friends.
Sexual. Tension. Was that weird today?
Dinner, candlelight, dancing...but it's not really a date if the girl goes home to her fiancé. And so the ballad of Jim and Pam goes on.
Pam thinks she's uncovering Dwight's (very real) affair with uptight accountant Angela, but backs off when she realizes a saleswoman, Phyllis, thought she was hooking up with Jim. Like, people can just be friends, OK?
Jim gets Pam the perfect Christmas gift, which she finally gets despite Michael's impromptu game of Yankee Swap. What she doesn't get? His heartfelt letter.
Jim tries to tell Pam his true feelings, but Roy sets a date for their wedding instead. Surprisingly, Michael gives Jim the best advice possible. She's engaged? BFD. Engaged ain't married.
Michael is the world's worst confidant. The pair goes to Hooters, because that's the best place for a great heart-to-heart. Eventually, Jim is forced to tell Pam he “used to" have a crush on her. Sure.
See, but Pam's got dreams of being an artist. Jim supports these dreams, but burly Roy doesn't. Seems like a clear choice, right?
Jim and Pam are unable to talk for a whole day due to Jinx, the rules of which are unflinchingly rigid. Cue longing gazes.
Jim and Pam finally kiss at Casino Night! This will be great, right?
It does not work out as planned.
Jim transfers to Stamford and Pam calls off her wedding to burly Roy. Then, as Jim returns to Scranton, Ann Perkins new coworker Karen swoops in to date him. We. Were. So. Close.
Reunited, and it feels so "meh." Sorry, Pam; if you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it.
Pam takes the high road and helps Jim and Karen though a rough spot in their budding relationship, but she isn't as OK as she seems. And no, it's not PMS.
Pam leaves Phyllis' wedding with burly Roy after watching Jim and Karen together. And can we just mention that Pam and Roy's "song" is basically the most depressing Jewel song ever. Fail.
After Pam and Roy get back together, he finds out Jim kissed her while they were engaged and goes beserk at Poor Richard's. Jet ski money? Gone.
Roy—so burly—storms into the office to confront Jim, but Dwight saves the day. Roy is fired, but still, he's lucky Dwight only used pepper spray and not those Chinese throwing stars. Or the crossbow.
Pam finally gets the courage to tell Jim she called off her wedding for him, despite burning her feet on hot coals. Karen is not amused.
Jim goes to New York to interview for a job at corporate. Pam sneaks him a note of encouragement from Season 1. Yogurt lid = turn down big promotion, apparently.
And then: a moment three years in the making.
Pam claims she merely talked Jim through his breakup with Karen, but as Kevin puts it, "Are you kidding me?" The camera crew catches them red-handed. PB&J!
They admit it. Let the bells of Dunder Mifflin ring!
When newly promoted former temp Ryan comes to town, he's awkwardly rebuffed after asking Pam out to dinner. Even though he wears cool guy clothes and smells like Pierce Brosnan.
Jim and Pam have a very different roof date from their just-friends days. Downstairs, there's essentially a pizza hostage situation transpiring, complete with Artie from Glee.
Jim basically liked Pam since he met her. And she really did give him a fair warning about Dwight.
Pam and Jim spend their first night away together at Schrute Farms, Dwight's beet farm. Meet Cousin Mose. He has nightmares and likes to throw manure.
Jim teases Pam about asking her to marry him, but he's not joking. He got the engagement ring a week after they started dating. THIS IS INSANE, but also cute.
Michael throws a huge party to celebrate the departure of his nemesis, HR rep Toby, for Costa Rica, and Jim pays for fireworks so it's extra romantic when he proposes to Pam. Preppy salesman Andy ruins it when he takes the opportunity to propose to a very reluctant Angela.
Pam starts a three-month design program in New York, and they don't want to start their engagment apart, right?
Pam fails art school, and faces another three months in New York. Instead, she comes home. 'Cause Jim's not the boss of her.
Jim buys Pam his parents' house so they can retire. Unfortunately, it's full of shag carpeting, wood paneling, and a super creepy clown painting that is integral to the structural integrity of the house. It's a testament to their relationship that she still loves it.
Jim accidentally breaks up Pam's parents by telling her dad how much he loves her, and how he feels when she walks in a room. It's OK, though, because Jim and Pam are soulmates. (This episode also involves Jack Black making out with Cloris Leachman. Seriously.)
Does anyone actually decide to get married over cereal and morning breath? Either way, Michael's cafe-disco reminds them that they like cheesy, and they want a wedding, so they decide not to elope.
Send in the subs...Pam's pregnant!
Everything at their wedding goes wrong: Jim reveals Pam's pregnancy, Andy tears his scrotum, Pam tears her veil, and the bridal party rips off that terrible Chris Brown wedding dance. But Jim fixes it by cutting off his tie. Which in real life would make the bride cry more, but whatever.
He also fixes it by taking her to Niagara Falls for their actual wedding. Watch this episode and try not to cry. We dare you.
Jim loses it a little bit when Pam refuses to go to the hospital despite her contractions. But he's fine.
Everything goes well and Pam and Jim have a girl. They accidentally breastfeed the wrong baby, but besides that.
Jim gets upset not when he learns Pam went on two dates with hot new salesman Danny when he was in Stamford, but when he finds out that Danny never called Pam back. And who wouldn't call a dork like that back? She's Olive Oyl!
At a party, Dwight is the only one who can comfort Jim and Pam's crying newborn. He agrees, despite the fact that she married his worst enemy. Jim doesn't exactly appreciate this.
Pam confesses to Jim that she is afraid she's a failure because she failed art school and sales. Jim, of course, is having none of that. She's kind of right, but still.
Jim is the king of the meaningful gift (ahem, teapot), so for once, Pam goes all out and makes him a Jim Halpert comic book.
And instead of pebbles from the beach in Jamaica, he surprises her with jewelry. It's like a reverse Gift of the Magi. Or something.
It's Valentine's Day, and after a champagne lunch, Jim and Pam realize they're basically the only ones who have never done it in the office.
So they decide to take a little walk...over to Ryan's closet office.
Yeah, a walk. Here comes baby No. 2!
The office is in a frenzy over a list made by new boss Robert California. Pregnant Pam gets pretty upset when she turns up on the loser side, until she see Jim's list: Pam, Cece, and the new baby one one side, everything else on the other. Does he just have a drawer full of grand gestures?
Pam enlists Dwight's help to see if Jim is attracted to her replacement. Dwight decides to do this by testing for boners, obviously (it's soft).
Jim is sent to Tallahassee along with Dwight and new girl Kathy for a special project. "That marriage is not good," she tells a friend. "Definitely we will. It's three weeks in Tallahassee, what else is there to do?" The chick isn't subtle.
Like, AT ALL. Jim loves Pam, so just take your homewrecking ways elsewhere.
Dwight sets up free family portraits, and Jim is convinced he just wants to do something terrible to Cece and Phillip. Luckily, they bring in the kids anyway and look adorable, even though Jim is on the lookout for Dwight bringing the crazy.
The documentary about Dunder Mifflin is coming to a close, and Jim and Pam assure the crew that they have enough footage—nothing will be changing for them. FALSE! The show will try to convince us that Jim and Pam are going to break up. But we all know that is impossible.
Jim and Pam go to Roy's wedding, where he's a completely changed man from the violent, thoughtless fiancé she once knew. They get worried they know too much about each other, which is really just manufacturing couple problems. Stop it!
Jim has the opportunity to start a sports marketing company in Philly—aka his dream. The problem? He doesn't tell Pam about it until afterward. Now this is an actual issue.
With Jim spending a few days a week in Philadelphia, Pam is essentially playing the part of a single mother—with a full-time job and two young children. It's not pretty.
Pam gets the chance to visit Jim at his new company when Darryl, a Dunder Mifflin employee, goes in for an interview. Darryl totally kills a bunch of fish, but somehow Pam's the one who feels awkward.
The reason? Pam realizes she may have to move her family to Philadelphia. Uhh duh—what did she think a job in Philly meant?
Jim misses Cece's ballet recital, and Pam messes up the video. Somehow this causes Jim to yell at her for like the first time ever. We get it, the new job is stressful. But it's stressful for Pam, too.
Enter rugged boom mic operator Brian.
Brian rescues Pam from the vandal who defaced her mural. It's obvious he's in love with her, and Jim's away...
At dinner, Brian reveals that he and his wife are getting divorced. Convenient! They realized it was over when they stopped fighting.
Jim's going to go back to Philly so they don't fight on Valentine's Day, but Pam won't let him. Thank GOD. Stop toying with our emotions!
The office documentary is finally coming out, and in the promos, Jim and Pam are billed as the lovers. "Some of us have changed so much," she says. Noooo! Remember, Pam!
After the couple decide to go to marriage counseling, Jim confesses to Toby that if Pam won't move to Philly, it's probably over. What?! This can't be the Jim Halpert we know and love.
Counseling is helping, but Pam is honest about her feelings about Jim's job, which is not what he wants to hear. And then this happens, interspersed with scenes from their wedding because the writers obviously just want us to break down. It worked.
Jim returns to Scranton to rekindle his romance with Pam. It works! This was almost too easy.
That is, until there's a big opportunity at his company in Philly. Darryl tells Jim they'll be traveling around the country. "This is everything," he says, but Jim refuses. Pam overhears from the bathroom.
When Darryl tells Pam everything Jim's missing out on, she confesses to Jim that she's afraid she's not enough for him. A few seasons ago, we would have said she's crazy, but Jim has really been a douche for a few eps.
To prove to her she is enough, Jim enlists the help of the film crew to make a montage for Pam. PB&J's Greatest Hits! You can add your favorite cheesy love song.
He also gives her the teapot letter he wrote in Season 1.
