‘The Office’: Fools rush in

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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