The Unraveling Of Jim And Pam's Marriage

Jim and Pam's relationship in The Office is considered one of the most iconic TV romances of all time. So, it may come as a surprise to fans that the couple were originally supposed to break up in season 9. The show's creator Greg Daniels and actor John Krasinski, who played Jim, were both keen to introduce a risky and high-stakes plotline that would see the couple split up midway through the season, only to reconcile in the series finale. However, this idea was not universally loved by the writers, and the plan was eventually scrapped due to negative fan reactions.

John Krasinski pitched the idea of Jim and Pam's divorce to Greg Daniels

John Krasinski, who played Jim Halpert in The Office, pitched the idea of Jim and Pam's divorce to Greg Daniels, the show's creator. Krasinski felt that the couple, who got married and had kids, had hit a lull in their relationship and that a split would be an interesting storyline to explore. In an interview, Krasinski said:

> My whole pitch to Greg was that we’ve done so much with Jim and Pam, and now, after marriage and kids, there was a bit of a lull there, I think, for them about what they wanted to do. For me, it was, ‘Can you have this perfect relationship go through a split and keep it the same?’ which of course you can’t. And I said to Greg Daniels, ‘It would be really interesting to see how that split will affect two people that you know so well.

The breakup was supposed to occur in Season 9, as revealed by writer Brent Forrester:

> Greg really wanted to do something extremely risky and high-stakes, which was [that] the documentary airs and we see what effect it has had on these characters, and there was going to be a reunion episode where you see that Jim and Pam have split up by this time, and they will have their reunion in the reunion episode.

However, the idea was ultimately scrapped as it was thought that it would be too painful for fans to see the beloved TV couple break up.

Mindy Kaling was an early supporter of the couple's split

In the book, *The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s*, it is revealed that Mindy Kaling was an early supporter of Jim and Pam's split. Kaling, an actress and writer on the show, was interested in breaking up the couple as early as season five.

Kaling and John Krasinski, who played Jim, were advocates for the couple's demise, arguing that it was a realistic evolution for the couple. They believed that introducing conflict into Jim and Pam's relationship would create interesting storylines and add complexity to their characters.

The plan was for Jim and Pam to split up midway through season nine, with the reunion occurring during a later episode. However, this idea was not universally loved by the writers and was ultimately scrapped due to negative fan response.

Kaling and Krasinski's pitch to showrunner Greg Daniels reflected their desire to explore a more nuanced portrayal of relationships and challenge the notion of a "perfect relationship." While their idea was not implemented, it showcases their willingness to take risks and push creative boundaries.

The introduction of Brian, a documentary crew member, was meant to provoke the idea of Pam having an affair

In the ninth and final season of The Office, Jim and Pam's relationship is tested as Jim decides to quit Dunder Mifflin, move out of Scranton, and co-found a sports marketing company with his friends. In the episode "Customer Loyalty", Jim and Pam have a fight over the phone, after which Pam, in tears, looks off-camera and utters the name "Brian". The show then introduces Brian Wittle, the boom operator who has been working with the documentary crew since the first episode. Brian consoles Pam and urges the crew to turn off the cameras.

Brian was first seen during season 9 as Pam and Jim's relationship grew strained after he took a job in Philadelphia. The writers of The Office even wanted to introduce a relationship triangle between Pam, Jim, and Brian. Brian was meant to provoke viewers into thinking that Pam would consider an affair. In the episode "Couple's Discount", Brian reveals that he and his wife had recently separated, adding dramatic tension and causing the audience to question if Pam would have an affair with Brian given her rocky relationship with Jim.

However, the idea of Pam and Brian hooking up did not go down well with viewers. Writer Owen Ellickson said, "People just absolutely did not like that. They were bothered that there might be some triangle that Pam and Jim would be involved in and even more insulted that we thought they might believe that." Show creator Greg Daniels turned on a dime after the negative response, and the writers pivoted away from the idea, with subsequent episodes undergoing "decently sized edits" to remove any suggestion of cheating.

John Krasinski, who played Jim, also grew to dislike the idea, realising that it would be "too painful" for the "ultra fans" of the show. Writer Brent Forrester said, "We had to pull the ripcord on it because it was so painful to the fans of the show. [...] Jim and Pam splitting up is too painful for them to sustain all the way to the reunion. We have to get them back together immediately."

The idea was scrapped due to negative responses from viewers

Jim and Pam, the beloved couple of NBC's The Office, were originally intended to break up in the final season of the show. The idea was pitched by John Krasinski, who portrayed Jim, to the show's creator, Greg Daniels. Krasinski argued that it would be interesting to see how a split would affect two characters that the audience knew so well. Daniels himself wanted to do something "risky and high-stakes" and shake things up for the show's finale. The plan was for the couple to split up midway through season nine and then reconcile in the series finale.

However, this idea was not well-received by everyone involved. While some writers, like Mindy Kaling, were enthusiasts of the split, it wasn't universally loved in the writers' room. The introduction of a potential love triangle between Pam, Jim, and a documentary crew member named Brian was meant to provoke viewers into thinking Pam would consider an affair. However, this idea spectacularly backfired due to negative responses from viewers.

The episode where Brian saves Pam from an assault was particularly unpopular with the audience. Writer Owen Ellickson recalled that "people just absolutely did not like that. They were bothered that there might be some triangle that Pam and Jim would be involved in and even more insulted that we thought they might believe that." The negative response from viewers caused the writers to pivot away from the original plan. They had to make decently sized edits to subsequent episodes to remove any suggestion of cheating and reconcile Jim and Pam's relationship.

Ultimately, the idea of breaking up Jim and Pam was scrapped due to the negative responses from viewers. The writers realized that the audience was deeply invested in the couple and that it would be too "painful" for the fans to see them split up. This decision demonstrates the significant influence that viewer feedback can have on the creative decisions made by writers and producers of television shows, especially for a show with a dedicated fan base like The Office.

John Krasinski later grew to dislike the idea, realising it would be too painful for fans

John Krasinski, who played Jim Halpert in The Office, initially pitched the idea of Jim and Pam's marriage coming to an end. However, he later grew to dislike the idea, realising it would be too painful for the show's dedicated fanbase.

Krasinski had been an early advocate of the couple's demise, arguing that it would be a realistic evolution for Jim and Pam, whose relationship had hit a lull after marriage and kids. He proposed that their perfect relationship could not remain unchanged and that it would be interesting to see how a split would affect the beloved characters.

However, as the idea developed, Krasinski had a change of heart. He recognised that the fans were deeply invested in Jim and Pam's relationship and that showing them break up would be too hurtful for the audience to bear. He understood that there was a threshold to how far the show could push its viewers, and the risk of losing their loyalty was too great.

In an interview, Krasinski recalled:

> "I remember saying to Greg [Daniels], 'My feeling is there is a threshold with which you can push our audience. They are so dedicated. We have shown such great respect to them. But there's a moment where if you push them too far, they'll never come back. And I think that if you show Jim and Pam splitting up, they'll never come back.'"

Ultimately, the show's writers decided to keep Jim and Pam together, opting to introduce relationship problems without a full-blown split. This decision was made with careful consideration of the impact on the fans, ensuring that they could still enjoy the beautiful couple they had come to love.

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