Jenna Fischer Called This One Of Her Worst Acting Moments On The Office
The first few seasons of NBC's hit show "The Office" featured a memorable "will-they-won't-they?" love story between Dunder Mifflin receptionist Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer) and salesman Jim Halpert (John Krasinski). The show brilliantly built the relationship over the span of three seasons. Jim finally confessed his love to Pam at the end of season 2, only to be turned away by Pam, who was engaged at the time. After a brief stay at the Stamford branch for part of season 3, Jim returned with a new love interest.
As the third season came to a close, the show teased that the pair might finally become a couple. And while the buildup of Jim and Pam falling in love was masterful, the actual reveal of their relationship is a different story, at least to those that lived it. Jenna Fischer calls the moment Jim and Pam's relationship was revealed one of her worst performances in the entire series.
It came in the final seconds of an episode
The episode in question is the show's season 4 premiere, "Fun Run Part 1." The prior season ended on a cliffhanger of sorts, with Jim returning from a Dunder Mifflin corporate interview to ask Pam to dinner. Fans that had been clamoring for three seasons to see the pair become a couple would have to wait just a bit longer.
In the episode's cold open, Michael Scott (Steve Carell) runs over Meredith Palmer (Kate Flannery) in the parking lot, cracking her hip. The unexpected trip to the hospital reveals that Meredith has rabies after being bitten by a bat ... and a raccoon and a rat, on "separate occasions." God bless you, Meredith. Michael believes the office is cursed and spends the rest of the episode trying to rid the office of the curse.
Knowing their office mates, Jim and Pam spend the rest of the episode acting as if nothing about their relationship has changed. In the episode's first "talking head" cutaway Jim says, "As for me and my current romantic life, I am single now, and looking." Pam confirms his story, admitting the pair had dinner a couple of times and remain good friends.
Like many of the show's understated moments, it's not until the final seconds of the episode that fans finally learn that Jim and Pam are actually a couple. As perfect as the love story build between Jim and Pam was, Jenna Fischer believes the scene revealing their relationship just didn't work.
'It's one of my worst acting moments on the show'
"Fun Run Part 1" ends with Pam driving away from the Dunder Mifflin lot, only to pull over down the street. After briefly putting her head down on the steering wheel, Jim gets into the car, and the two kiss, revealing that the two are a couple.
Jenna Fischer discussed the scene on the "Office Ladies" podcast with co-host Angela Kinsey (Angela from "The Office"). Kinsey pointed out that the scene is problematic from the start. Even though Pam is trying to hide her relationship with Jim from her co-workers and the documentary crew, she barely leaves the lot before meeting him.
"Pam, do better, you drove like four car lengths and then pulled over," Kinsey joked. "And then what, are you just going to leave your car there? Because it's not that far from work."
Fischer revealed that a permitting issue only allowed them to drive a short distance in the street for the shot. The actress had a bigger issue with Pam's actions in the scene. She recalled that the scene called for an emotional moment to further the misdirect the audience from Jim and Pam's relationship. Fischer said:
"I'm going to say when I watched that back, it's one of my worst acting moments on the show. The idea was that I was sort of like, 'Oh, what a day.' I needed to pull over because, oh, what a day this has been. I need a moment to collect myself. I mean, it didn't work. I don't think it worked."
Show creator Greg Daniels might have gotten a bit carried away trying to hide Jim and Pam's relationship until the very last second, but the scene still works as a memorable yet subdued reveal of one of TV's most beloved couples.