The Office is a TV show many are familiar with, either from actually watching the show, or seeing gifs and memes of the characters online. I think what makes The Office such a timeless classic—and what enforces people like myself to watch it over and over again—are the subtleties, some of which you only catch after rewatching the show a couple of times. We see these subtleties in the cinematography itself, as well as in the less-noticeable development of the characters.
In the first two seasons, the only character with a moderate amount of development is Michael, while others such as Meredith or Angela barely even begin to see development in the second or third seasons. Besides Michael, the only other characters that have a main focus in the first season are Jim and Pam.
Within the very first interview with Jim, we are quickly introduced to the despondency with which he regards his job. “I’m boring myself just talking about it,” he responds when asked what, precisely, his job entails. Jim wants more. He wants to be more than a paper salesman. Perhaps the craving isn’t as present here as it is in further seasons, but the desire is there. Pam also says something similar in her first interview. “I don’t think it would be the worst thing in the world if they let me go,” she says in response to the downsizing rumors. However, later on in the episode, we see her crying when Michael jokingly fires her. How she presents herself versus how she actually responds to this event are incongruent, showing that beneath the false exterior, there is a part of her that wants to keep the job.
Season two opens with a bang. The Dundies. For years, Pam and her current fiancé, Roy, have won the Dundie Award for the longest engagement. This sparks a reaction in Jim. He convinces Michael not to have that particular award at this year’s Dundies. He is always caring for Pam from a distance, always the one playing the role of a boyfriend without any return. This shows how truly selfless Jim is when it comes to Pam, something that is evident throughout the entire series. In this episode, we also see for the first time the “soft spot” Pam has for Michael. During the Dundies, when Michael is prepared to shut down the event, Pam is the one who begins to clap, prompting Michael to keep the show going. Pam is consistently able to see the “good” in Michael, and the man behind the narcissistic exterior.
As aforementioned, The Office thrives on its subtleties. We see this especially in the way they portray Jim and Pam missing each other at the beginning of the third season. When Michael says something humorous, Pam turns to where Jim used to sit in the conference room, laughing, for only her face to fall when it’s Ryan sitting there instead. Another example is Pam gazing at Jim’s old desk, her face sad, longing, but not in a way that is overtly obvious. Mirroring this, Jim’s gaze is also drawn to the empty seat beside him in his new office’s conference room. He smiles, but it quickly fades: this signifies that they are both missing one another, and not in a way of acceptance.
Season four begins, and Jim and Pam are finally together. Unfortunately, this means that the development of their characters remains relatively stagnant until the final season. Yes, they buy a house, get married, and have a few kids along the way, but these are all developments of their relationship, not necessarily developments of the characters themselves.
Finally, we enter the eighth season. The final season. Jim and Pam’s possible relationship struggles in the coming future are alluded to within the very first episode (within the very first scene of them together, actually). This is a moment where the development of both characters begins moving along once more. Jim is determined to start a business in Philidelphia, while Pam is immovable in her choice to remain in Scranton. They both want the best for their family, but in different ways. Pam isn’t willing to let go of her job. She isn’t willing to accept change, while Jim needs change. His self-worth is determined by the importance of his job.
It’s a satisfactory end to a show when they tie something from the beginning into its final moments. Incorporating Jim’s longing to be more than a paper salesman into the last season gives his character an arc that it may not have possessed otherwise. We see this perhaps with more subtlety represented in Pam’s character as well. When the show concludes, she is a seemingly successful artist, fulfilling that part of her character’s individual goals that were introduced in season one.
There are many more studies that can be done regarding the evolution of characters from The Office, as the subtleties displayed are truly endless. Jim and Pam are two of the most developed characters I have watched on a comedy show, and continue to evolve even beyond the boundaries of the small screen.