Why Some Fans Think Jim And Pam Should Have Never Gotten Together In The Office

When it comes to sitcom romances, it often takes a while for the power couple of the series to reach their full potential. Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) and Amy Farrah Fowler (Mayim Bialik) from "The Big Bang Theory" didn't get engaged until Season 11, while it took until the "Friends" series finale for Ross Geller (David Schwimmer) and Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston) to finally get back together after a multi-year split.

As for Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) and Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer) from "The Office," they're no exception. Prior to becoming an item in Season 4, Pam was engaged to Roy Anderson (David Denman), while Jim dated colleague Karen Filippelli (Rashida Jones). All the while, they boast a flirty bond and effortless chemistry, and quietly exude jealousy when the significant others are around. It's not until Season 6 that they're happily married and the proud parents of daughter Cece. 

In the final episode of "The Office," Pam shares her regret that they didn't get together sooner: "It's just so hard to accept that I spent so many years being less happy than I could have been. Jim was five feet from my desk and it took me four years to get to him."

Jim and Pam may be one of the most iconic TV couples ever, but that doesn't mean they are universally loved. Some fans of "The Office" wish they never took their friendship to the next level.

The overarching opinion of viewers is that Jim and Pam are soulmates. But some fans on Reddit aren't afraid to voice their unpopular belief that the relationship wasn't the fairytale some make it out to be.

In a thread dedicated to their take on the couple, u/Curlyyogagirl1 highlighted what they feel are the flaws of both characters. "Jim is, in a sense, disturbingly obsessed with the receptionist in his workplace. He makes up excuses to talk to her, pretends to be her friend when he has ulterior motives ..." they argued. They went on to clarify, "this would be okay if he was, let's say, doing this for a few months to try to hook up with a single woman who hasn't openly denied his advances. But the depravity of Jim persists for YEARS, to an openly engaged woman." As for Pam, u/Curlyyogagirl1 sees her as controlling and selfish. There are a number of fans who agree, particularly after Pam's behavior in Season 9. 

In a separate thread on unpopular "The Office" opinions, u/americanslang59 said they would have been content if the love story between Jim and Pam fizzled out before they even started dating. "They both deserved other people," this user said.

And as it turns out, had things gone a bit differently, these Jim and Pam skeptics may have been proven right. The book "Welcome to Dunder Mifflin: The Ultimate Oral History of The Office" details a scrapped plot that would have seen Jim cheat on Pam with Cathy Simms (Lindsey Broad), Pam's maternity leave replacement at Dunder Mifflin. But it seems that, unlike certain fans, John Krasinski had too much love for Jim and Pam, as he refused to shoot such a scene (via New York Post).