'The Office': Fools rush in

Last night's episode of "The Office" undoubtedly had Jim-and-Pam fans squealing.  After joking with Pam (Jenna Fischer) about proposing to her, Jim (John Krasinski)  held up a diamond ring to the camera and indicated that he was serious: He purchased it a week after they began dating.

This will be an unpopular opinion, but perhaps a point of view other than "OMG! JAM 4-EVER" will be permitted.

Don't do it, Jim.

At least, not now. 

It doesn't seem like it would be a great idea to rush into engagement with a girl who before him was involved in a rocky relationship with an emotionally unstable, long-term fiance.  While Pam beamed at the idea of being engaged to Jim someday, it seems quite possible that she could react unfavorably to a rushed-into engagement. "I want to, but not just yet," is what she could -- or rather should say. 

And in terms of looking at the episode in terms of its story arc, it cannot be a mistake that the other main plot of the show involved Michael (Steve Carell) blindly rushing to find a new relationship to replace his with Jan  (Melora Hardin).  He forced his co-workers to give him the numbers of single women, cold-called them, rejected two based on their looks and then was despondent after the day's work didn't work out. 

In essence: You can't jump the gun on romance. Take note, Michael AND Jim. 

Oh, and one more lesson Jim could learn from Michael: Workplace relationships are not a good idea.

--Claire Zulkey

(Photo courtesy NBC Universal)

Comments

[Mike]

This show is close to becoming depressing. The comedy is beginning to lack because Michael has been constantly depressed for 2 episodes. Hopefully this show will rebound back to being funny. They need to tone down Jan a little. The Michael - Jan dinner party went way too far. The character's awkwardness is starting to eat away at the plot of the episodes. The show needs to go back to the Michael-Dwight comedy dynamic. Maybe add a new temp to the Office? Have Jim and Pam breakup? This show is way too funny to keep up its recent sad tone.

[Chuck U]

This show has just lost it. The whole Michael telling everyone to find him a date thing is just so idiotic it's not even worth discussing. The wit of the first couple seasons is so long gone. This Office need sto be closed down.

[Nate]

Getting engaged to someone you have been close friends with for years and have been dating for nearly a year (I will estimate that as the length of PB&J's fictional relationship) could hardly be characterized as "rushing in". Kudos to the writers for adding some realism to a relationship instead of creating unnecessary and unrealistic drama.

As for those who think the show has lost its way, the show may never duplicate its astonishing Season 3 -- that will be remembered as one of the finest seasons in TV history -- but the show is still incredible. The dinner party episode was a classic; last night's wasn't as good, but an average episode of The Office is still the best comedy on television.

[Pete]

I actually liked the dinner party episode - but then again, I'm a fan of dark comedy. But I agree that the show does better with Michael in happy idiot mode. (As for office relationships, I first met my wife when we worked together - in fact, when we started dating our cubicles were two feet apart. Eleven years now, still going strong.)