The Office has such a dedicated fan base that their best episodes are well known, but one of them was close to being given a huge change, potentially altering the narrative for the rest of the series. The show first aired 19 years ago, serving as a remake of the original UK version. The very first episode was the same as its predecessor, but the rest went on to branch off with varying subplots. In Season 1, viewers get to learn of the dynamic at Dunder Mifflin, involving the office romance between Pam and Jim. At this point, there was an unspoken connection, but the creators were still able to highlight their compatibility. Jim and Pam were both well-written characters, and audiences loved finding out what would be for them with each episode. Even Jenna Fischer and John Krasinski were sold on their roles. They both confessed to hoping each other would land the respective parts after liking their audition together.
“The Dundies” is one of the show’s more important episodes, particularly for the first season. It starts out as a typically outlandish Michael Scott event, whereby he rewards his colleagues for random achievements. The plot goes deeper than the surface topic, as Pam and Roy have an argument, leading to her getting drunk and kissing Jim. One actor felt the episode should go in another direction.
Jenna Fischer Wanted Pam to Tell Jim How She Felt Sooner
One whole season into a show, surely the series must be safe from getting the chop? Apparently not. By the start of Season 2 of The Office, the cast and crew were still of the mind that the show could be taken off-air. As a result, Jenna Fischer felt the best course of action would be to bring a momentous part of the plot forward. Reported in Mashable, Fischer pitched an idea to Greg Daniels in which Pam would tell Jim how she really felt in the episode “The Dundies.” The actor found the drunken kiss pretty unfulfilling. She believed an alternate ending would be fair to viewers if it was canceled. That way, they wouldn’t be left on a cliffhanger. Instead of the “Chili’s kiss,” Jim and Pam would kiss properly, confirming their mutual feelings.
If they want to see what happens with Jim and Pam, they’re just going to have to order more episodes.
Fischer wasn’t met with the response she’d hoped for. Daniels said, “No. If they want to see what happens with Jim and Pam, they’re just going to have to order more episodes. I don’t want to give them a choice.” As fans well know, the series carried on and totaled nine seasons. Even though it would’ve given viewers a definitive ending to Pam and Jim’s plot if the series had finished, it might not have been very believable. Just seven episodes in, Pam and Jim would’ve gone from being firm friends who had an undeniable connection while Pam was engaged to Roy to suddenly confessing everything. Their romance needed a longer run up.
Changing the Episode Would’ve Impacted the Whole Series
Had Daniels gone ahead with Fischer’s suggestion, only to find out that more episodes had been given the green light, then the whole series would’ve changed, and what viewers now know about the narrative would’ve been ruined. Jim and Pam were the core love story, as well as being one of the best long-running story lines. After “The Dundies,” it was pretty much two seasons before Jim officially asked Pam out on a date in “The Job.” Prior to them getting together, the pair had a long journey to go on, and other characters were entangled. Playing Pam’s fiancé, Roy, David Denman’s time on The Office would’ve been a lot shorter, and his character wouldn’t have had as much of an impact. He was the wedge between them that couldn’t be ignored. Without his link to their relationship, Roy’s role would’ve become redundant. With such a large cast, it was necessary for a few villainous characters to be scattered among the Dunder Mifflin workers, and Roy was one of them. He wasn’t a committed partner to Pam and only confirmed how right Jim was for her.
| Rotten Tomatoes |
IMDb |
| 81% |
9/10 |
Karen is another character that had a significant story because of her relationship with Jim. After he moved to the Stamford branch to get over Pam, he worked closely with Karen, and they became an item. Once they transferred back to Scranton, where Pam was still working, the three were caught in a love triangle until it eventually became clear that Jim still wasn’t over Pam. In terms of big moments between Jim and Pam (and before Karen was on the scene), “Casino Night” wouldn’t have been anywhere near as exciting had the two previously expressed their love. Jim unexpectedly told Pam he was in love with her, and she wasn’t prepared to hear it. She was still with Roy, but they did end up kissing later that night. It was a superlative end to the season and one that viewers always remember. So many of the greatest points of the series would have been lost just by cutting Jim and Pam’s story short. Something else would’ve been needed to replace their plot, although it’s hard to imagine what else could’ve got the same reception.
The Cast Disagree on When Jim and Pam’s First Kiss was
Anyone who knows The Office will remember Jim and Pam kissing during “Casino Night.” Finally, there was no question of whether anything could ever happen between them. Jim took the plunge and made it clear. However, that wasn’t their first kiss. “The Dundies” kiss came first and is sometimes overlooked because of the context. Pam was drunk, and it wasn’t particularly romantic, nor did she seem fazed by what happened. The actors are also in debate over which kiss is truly the young couple’s first. Fischer doesn’t consider “The Dundies” smooch to be their first, while John Krasinski does. Fischer explained, “The intention was that Pam was going for his cheek, and it was one of those moments where he moved his head in a way that I wasn’t expecting, and I just followed through. That was what was in my head as Pam, so I wasn’t thinking that I was intending to kiss his lips. Pam kind of doesn’t register it.” That is exactly how the scene reads for audiences. Pam wasn’t intentionally trying to make a move on Jim, it just happened by mistake, hence why she didn’t really react to it.
…Jim, who is not drunk, was very aware that they just kissed on the lips.
Fischer told of Krasinski’s point of view: “John said that Jim, who is not drunk, was very aware that they just kissed on the lips.” Jim’s face does imply that he was pretty happy about the kiss, although he probably did realize that Pam was tipsy, so might not have known exactly what occurred. Angela Kinsey was in agreement but saw the validity in both arguments: “I agree with him, though. I see both sides. I see for you as a drunk person that you just kind of hug, and you’re a little bit sloppy, but I see for him as a sober person that this person he’s in love with just kissed him.” The moment was joyous for Jim. It gave him some hope that there might be a chance of them two becoming a couple. Perhaps the reason Pam didn’t recoil after the accidental kiss is because, deep down, she really did like Jim romantically, so it wasn’t actually a problem for her. It might not be a turning point in their relationship. However, it was the first time their lips connected, so it was technically their first kiss despite the second one being way more romantic. In any case, going from being friends to being together played out beautifully. Writers didn’t drag their journey on for too long. It’s clear to see why Fischer believed they should deliver the alternate ending for “The Dundies,” but it would’ve changed everything, and not for the better.
