Pam Pong Round 52: Fun Run

(So, yeah, I know I’m skipping around, but I’ve decided to restart my episode reviews/Pam Pong scorecards starting with Season 4 and working my way backwards. I also am adding discussion questions to my Pam Pong posts. So here we are.)

Previous Round, The Job: Despite Pam’s beach confession, Jim goes forward with his plans to interview for the New York job, as well as remains involved with Karen. But a note with a shinny yogurt lid and well timed question from the CFO makes Jim decide to come back to Scranton and ask Pam out to dinner. Formal scorecard to come.

Pam Pong Scorecard
Episode 401-02: Fun Run

We first see Jim at his usual spot leaning at reception, with his rolled up sleeves and shaggy hair in tow: +2
Pam is also there, her hair loose and her usual cardigan noticeably absent: +2
Flirting occurs after Pam admits to clicking on a link for a celebrity sex video: +1
Jim broke up with Karen after his interview: +5
He however claims he’s single and looking: -3
Pam claims she talked Jim through his breakup and “it’s nice to be good friends again”: -3
Smiles are creeping out in both their talking heads, however: +2
Plus Kevin is convinced they’re “hooking up”: +2
Pam and Jim then discuss their (separate) weekend plans: -2
Kevin can’t get any clues to Jim and Pam’s status when she comes over to accounting to invited everyone to visit Meredith: -1
Jim and Pam are next to each other for most of the day: +1
Kevin determines that if Jim and Pam aren’t together now, they never will be: -1
Pam insist to the camera crew that she’s not seeing anyone: -2
However, she picks up Jim a block away from the building: +3
And they kiss when he gets in the car: +5

Halftime Score: +11, Michael said it in the first minute: Jim is back. He ended his relationship with Karen, and isn’t regretful about it. His hair is floppy, his sleeves are rolled, and he is back at his Season 2 desk. On the flip side, Pam is continuing her transformation into “Fancy New Beesly” with her newly loose hair, her non-cardigan attire, and a cute little butterfly necklace. They both insist they’re “just friends” but their “remarkable good moods” make the cameramen all the more suspicious as they follow Pam and get the proof their looking for in a pickup and a quick kiss.

Part 2
The next day, the cameras catch Pam smiling at Jim: +1
And they reveal they have car footage from the day before: +1
Jim continues to try to deny they’re more than friends: -2
However, Pam breaks and reveals they’re dating: +4
And they’re practically giddy after that: +1
Pam has to ask Jim to confirm her claim that it’s going really great: -1
But Jim does affirm that is it “going really great”: +2
Jim and Pam are back to joking around after Pam catches Michael dressing in his office: +1
And Jim is shirtless in his next talking head (okay, not really related, but it deserves some sort of score): +1
Jim takes Pam’s hand during the Fun Run: +3
And they hold hands for most of the rest of the time: +1
They visit an estate sale, adding a little more fun to the ridiculousness of the race: +1
Jim is a bit annoyed at Michael being “a downer” when they find him sitting near the finish line: -2
And Pam’s words to Michael are sweet, but not particularly inspiring: -1
But they’re still having “a nice day”: +1

Final Score: +22, Jim and Pam have finally become “more than that” and we’ve never seen them happier. Though Season 3 was marred with bad timing and misinterpretations, neither Jim and Pam’s non-verbal communication nor their humor connection fully disappeared, and that has helped them reestablish their friendship and is helping to guide them through this new territory of “dating.”

But as great as things are going, it’s hard to ignore the signs of the hurdles that remain for our beloved pair. The symbolism of Pam picking up Jim is apparent: she is the “driving” force of the relationship right now. She is the one giving swooning looks to Jim, as well as the one that admits to the cameras that they’re dating. Jim is happy, but he’s also holding back. He has not forgotten that the last time he gave his heart to Pam, she shattered it. A lot more trust and confidence needs to be established before he will dare to fully give his heart to Pam again. Right now they’re in the “honeymoon” stage of their relationship, which is where they should (and need to) be right now, but they can’t stay there forever.

New! Discussion Questions:

1. What’s your opinion of Jim going into a relationship with Pam so soon after ending things with Karen?

2. Why did the camera crew break the forth wall to reveal that they “caught” Jim and Pam?

3. The last year marked a major change in Pam as she is now much more assertive, confident, and able to take care of herself, is Jim comfortable with the changes she made?

4. Are Jim and Pam too caught up in each other? (In other words, how are they engaging with everyone else in the office?)