Jim And Pam From 'The Office' Almost Weren't #CoupleGoals After All (It Came Down To This One Scene)

We all know and love The Office – from Michael’s painfully awkward antics to Stanley’s hilarious eye rolls to Dwight’s iconic weirdness. The Office is like the ultimate comfort show, asking viewers simply to sit back and enjoy the ride, rather than taking us on an emotionally draining, dramatic journey.

And one of our favorite parts of The Office, of course, is Jim and Pam’s sweet romance, going from crushing coworkers who’d exchange the tamest of flirtatious comments to a full-fledged family of four by the end of the series.

We all loved the idea that a swoony-worthy, committed, loving romance could be fostered in such a normal (even unromantic) place as an office in a small town in Pennsylvania, filled with normal, down-to-earth, working-class people. Jim and Pam quickly became #CoupleGoals for viewers.

But apparently, the show’s writers almost ruined that with just one scene.

Jim Was Supposed To Cheat on Pam

Jim and Pam, like any couple, hit their rough patches throughout the series’ 9-season run – especially after getting married and becoming parents. In fact, in Welcome to Dunder Mifflin: The Ultimate Oral History of The Office, written by actor Brian Baumgartner (who played Kevin) and the show’s executive producer Ben Silverman, it was revealed that Jim was supposed to cheat on Pam.

In the season 8 episode “After Hours,” Jim is in Florida on a work trip and is intensely pursued by Cathy, Pam’s replacement while on maternity leave. While Cathy does everything she can to get Jim to cave, she ultimately fails – but both Greg Daniels, the show’s creator, and showrunner Paul Lieberstein (who played Toby) had originally wanted Jim and Cathy to make out.

But John Krasinski Refused To Shoot the Scene

John Krasinski (who played Jim, and whose real-life romance with wife Emily Blunt always has us swooning) was all for creating conflict between Jim and Pam, even suggesting they get “borderline-separated” before reuniting. 

But he revealed that when it came to Jim actually cheating on Pam with Cathy, that was a line he wasn’t willing to cross. “That’s the only time I remember putting my foot down. ‘Cause [Greg] was saying, ‘You’re actually going to make out with her in this scene.’ I remember saying things I never thought I’d say before, like, ‘I’m not going to shoot it,’” he said.

Krasinski was convinced such a plot point could ruin the relationship in the audience’s eyes, taking them to a place they’d never be able to come back from: “I remember saying to Greg, ‘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 cheating, they’ll never come back.’”

Krasinski’s Decision Is Refreshing and Respectable

There’s no denying that TV shows thrive on conflict, drama, and surprising plot twists; the writers have to keep the show going somehow, right? We don’t tune into a show every week to watch nothing happen. But even so, there are times when producers and writers go too far in their attempts to keep the audience intrigued, to make headlines with the scene nobody expected, even risking what everyone loved about the show in order to make a splash. 

And Krasinski was right: Having Jim cheat on Pam would’ve been too far. We couldn’t have forgiven Jim, a character we’re supposed to love and root for, for cheating on Pam – right after birthing their child, no less. It would’ve sacrificed the show’s magic for the sake of shock and ratings.

Most shows would’ve had Jim cheat – part of what made The Office special to so many was its wholesomeness, its hopeful attitude towards life’s struggles, and its positive outlook. The Office always made us feel a little better after watching an episode.

We’re All for Anything That’s Pro-Marriage

Marriage is difficult, and Jim and Pam’s moments of tension, misunderstandings, and distance illustrated that well. Their relationship changed after getting married and having children. We’re all for truthfully depicting a relationship, showing all the struggles that come with trying to make a marriage work, especially once kids are involved. 

But what we’re not for is implying that cheating is okay, or something that “just happens” even to the best of couples. Krasinski’s insistence on not having Jim cheat is wonderfully pro-relationship, showing viewers that even in the middle of a marriage’s most trying time, we still have the ability to make the choice to be faithful, responsible, selfless, and mature – no matter what our feelings say in the moment.

Closing Thoughts

In a culture that so readily shows spouses cheating on each other for views, drama, or supposed “authenticity,” we couldn’t be happier that in the end, the show’s creators allowed Jim to make the choice to keep his vows and work on his marriage. The Office just wouldn’t have been the same otherwise.

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