While The Officeseason 9is disliked by most audiences, it features the best scene of the show’s central couple Jim and Pam. Season 9’s final episodes are a culmination of some of the greatest storylines in the series’ eight-year run, including Jim and Pam’s slow-burn romance. The characters go through a rough patch that finally comes to a head in the penultimate episode, making it one of the most memorable moments in their long relationship.

SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY

Throughout the last season of The Office, the writers decided to add storylines capitalizing on Jim and Pam’s marital struggles, a choice that wasn’t beloved by viewers who spent multiple seasons waiting for them to finally come together. The original plan for Jim and Pam’s The Office season 9 storyline could have been much worse. What audiences got to see was that Pam didn’t love the idea of Jim taking on a new job at a sports marketing company in a different city and wasn’t immediately supportive of this career change. Jim was displeased by this as he had always been supportive of her. Then, there was the introduction of Brian, the boom operator who comforted Pam after she gets into an argument with Jim. Nothing ever happened between them, but it further added to the ongoing stress of their relationship. While things start to get better for Jim and Pam in the final episodes, she begins to feel guilty for wanting Jim to stay at Dunder Mifflin. In episodes 22 & 23 “A.A.R.M”, Pam starts to worry that she isn’t enough for Jim. This shocks him, and he decides to make one final grand gesture to show her how he feels.

While Jim and Pam are struggling, the newly-appointed regional manager Dwight is also forced to make an important decision. He is currently in a relationship with Esther but contemplates marrying his former girlfriend Angela because he believes her baby is his son. When he proves his theory to be correct, he asks Jim for advice on how he should make his decision. Putting their somewhat friendly rivalry aside, Jim tells Dwight he needs to put everything aside and ask himself who he loves more. Dwight and Angela’s relationship was the show’s second main romance, so Jim giving Dwight this advice based off his experience with Pam shows how much his bond with her could inspire other people.

How Jim & Pam’s Best Scene Wraps Up Their Story

The culmination of Jim and Pam’s relationship occurs when Jim breaks the rules and asks the documentary crew to put together a video of his greatest moments with Pam to the tune of “Open Your Eyes” by Snow Patrol. The video shows highlights from their relationship going back to the first season and also including the moment he told her he loved her. Capping it off, Jim gives Pam the contents of the teapot gift he gave her in season 2. He ends this surprise by telling her she “is everything” to him, putting an end to her worries and their marriage struggles. This scene is cathartic, not just because of how devastating it was to see them go through hard times. It’s essentially a “thank you” to the audience for watching the series, sharing a bond with these characters, and feeling something when they watched Jim and Pam fall in love.

There are many reasons the scene was framed as it was. One of The Office editors David Rogers admitted that this scene was inspired by fan videos that had been posted on the internet. Another editor, Claire Scanlon, revealed the reason “Open Your Eyes” was chosen to be included was because it sounded similar to “Sing” by Travis, which was heard in season 2, episode 7 “The Client” when Jim and Pam listened to the song together. The note that was in Pam’s teapot was a note that John Krasinski wrote for his co-star Jenna Fischer telling her how great it was working with her over the years. This scene shows that Jim and Pam would be together long after The Office came to an end.