.........They Belong Together.....

SPOILER ALERT FOR FANS OF THE AMERICAN VERSION OF THE OFFICE! THE EPISODE IS "BOOZE CRUISE"

This past Thursday night I watched Will & Grace and of course, The Office. Will & Grace was funny because it was a spoof on The Sound of Music but I have to say, The Office stole the entire night.

Overall, the episode was hilarious and of course, filled with awkward silences. Meredith lost her top (again), she should really stay away from alcohol….I think she may like the happy sauce a little too much. I mean, she did cheer when Michael announced that they were going on a “Booze Cruise” (also the title of the episode). My feelings towards Dwight haven’t really changed at all; he was still the lovable but annoying kiss-ass. He better wise up and stop treating Angela the way he has because I gather that not many women pursue him on a regular basis. Rob Riggle was awesome in his guest starring role as the captain; I hope to see more of him in the future. Michael’s dancing was priceless and I still have no idea how I did not bruise a rib from all the laughing I did. Despite the wonderful performances, Pam and Jim shined during this episode.

Here are Jenna and John behind the scenes! Thanks to Jenna for the pic!

Up until this episode, we had mostly seen the playful/comical side of their relationship with a little bit of flirtation in between. Great comedic chemistry can also lead to excellent romantic and dramatic chemistry as well. In “Booze Cruise” that’s what I saw and felt. When Pam and Jim were alone on the deck of the ship, it started out light hearted with her making fun of the fact that his girlfriend Katie was a former cheerleader then it slowly shifted into an awkward but tense silence between them. This was the first defining moment of their relationship because for the first time we really felt how much Jim loves Pam and wants to be with her, yet he’s so morally correct and afraid of her reaction, he doesn’t verbally express himself. Instead, he stared at her with this quiet but intense yearning in his eyes as if his mind and heart were wrestling with one another. Pam looked at him with anticipation wanting him to open and honest but then as the moment wore on she grew hesitant and probably thought of her fiancé Roy. So, she excused herself to go inside. With both hands, he gripped the railing and hung his head low. That scene alone proved to the undecided that he does not have a crush on her; the man is so in love it kills him and now, us too.

Both Jenna and John also known as Pam and Jim or “Jam” both blew me away with their performances. Although Pam did great, I have to side with John because his facial expression during that scene broke my heart. At the same time, I was on the edge of my seat thinking "My God, he is either going to kiss her or say those three little words!" He kept me guessing yet made me empathize with him but it was very difficult to watch because of its realism. Only truly talented actors can convey such emotion without uttering a single word and with that simple expression John proved himself to be a great dramatic actor. Bravo John!

Jim had such a great arc in this episode. Moments after that “Look of yearning” incident, he was at the bar with the captain, Michael, and Pam’s jackass of a fiancé Roy. He was asked by Michael, who he would save if the office building were on fire. Then the camera followed his stare which of course went to Pam. At that moment, he realized that he needed to tell her and lied to Michael by saying, “the customer” before heading towards Pam. As expected, he was cutoff by a drunken Roy setting a wedding date for the wedding. His pained expression killed me because he was so damn close and just like that, it was ripped away from him. This was one damn torturous episode for him and all the Pam and Jim shippers out there.

As wrong and cold as this may sound, I was thrilled when he broke up with his girlfriend Katie. He didn’t sugarcoat his answer when she asked him if they were going to be engaged like Roy and Pam and he flatly replied with a no. It was quick, deadpan, blunt and classic. Honestly, if the writers had Jim pretend to be heartbroken while breaking up with her, I would have lost respect for them and the character of Jim because it’s not in his nature to be phony. Although I did feel a little sorry for Katie because she was oblivious to how invested he was in their relationship. She was clearly upset and hurt, which is understandable because she didn’t see it coming and like I mentioned before, he was very blunt with his words.

By this point, I was depressed and definitely feeling Jim’s pain because well, I’ve been in his position. BUT the ending made up for it. Despite all his flaws and shortcomings, Michael does have a heart. And I love the rare moments when we actually get to see that side of him. When he told Jim to “Never give up” it brought him and me, hope when it was really needed.

As much as I love my friends from across the pond and my dear Mikey, I don’t care what they say this show is one of best comedies on television. Yes, it’s loses half a point on originality since it’s a British import but Ricky Gervais did give it his stamp of approval. The writing is excellent and episodes like this one show that. I guess the reason why I was so open to the show is because I kept it separate from its British counterpart. Since the show is a comical take on REALISM in an AMERICAN office it should be treated as its own show.

I’ve been a shipper of numerous couples since Joe and Helen on Wings. Since then, I’ve added Ross and Rachel, Buffy and Angel, Sydney and Vaughn, Kimber and Christian, JD and Elliot and now, Pam and Jim. After watching all these couples, seeing all the clichés, I’m not a cynic and I’m still so invested in these relationships, especially in the beginning or the “will they or won’t get together”. Moments like the one with Pam and Jim are only effective if the writing, acting and direction are well executed. In the case of Pam and Jim, it was because their performance moved me along with their fans.

I believe this will be one of many moments where I’ll say “They belong together” but I’ll sing it to the tune of “We Belong Together” by Mariah Carey, yes I know, I’m cheesy! And I’m not ashamed to admit it! Anyway, the door is now open for Jim because for the first time, she expressed feelings of doubt in her relationship with Roy to our beloved Jim. I cannot wait to see how this will play out in episodes to come…..”We Belong Together..” Ok I’ll stop!