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Respectfully, I think you are totally wrong. Pam's speech was so on the money. I have no problem believing she would say what she said to Jim. She didn't tell him she loved him, she said she missied him and wanted his friendship. I think that was huge and he (and the audience) needed to hear that and I think she knew it. She didn't want to be ashamed of how she felt and she wanted everyone to know. There is nothing wrong with that.

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Yes, I did buy it. It did not feel forced. It was a brilliant moment, one that perhaps is as great as last seasons finale. Sir, I respectfully disagree.

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the boss question- it would be toby, absolutely toby. he's like the delphi oracle of dunder mifflin- he is always, always right about everything. and is so quietly awkward and adorable about it too.

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Kit nailed it, Toby's the nicest guy on the show (Jim's pranks are kind of dick-ish sometimes).

I tend not to care too much about the soap opera parts, so I definitely agree that a two piece would've enhanced that scene significantly.

http://popculturejunk.blogspot.com/

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The reason Pam's speech wasn't out of character is because the show has allowed her character to grow--something many shows are afraid to do. Over the course of this season, we've seen a real evolution of Pam that makes the show feel all the more real. If you were hoping for stagnant characters, I think Everybody Loves Raymond just came out on DVD.

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This episode made me feel like I was at the actual Dunder Mifflin beach-day. Just plain frustrating and a waste of time.

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I, too, believed the speech was totally out of character. When I saw the previews, I had assumed the speech followed a heavy dose of wine coolers, in which cased I would have bought it, but after walking (running?) on hot coals? I think not. As for the next boss, if you can see Michael as a regional manager, you can put anybody in that slot EXCEPT Jim. It would be interesting to see how Stanley would act with that responsibility.

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The speech seemed natural, and not an attempt to be another "I love you" moment for one specific reason: she never said anything about missing Jim romantically. She never came out and just said it straightforward, which just seemed right. It seemed it might have been heading that way when she said "I canceled my wedding because of you", and there was clearly the implication of romantic yearning for Jim, which I'm sure all participants in the triangle will delve into in the finale. But all Pam said was that she missed Jim as a best friend, and following her art show reprimand, it basically boiled down to a "You're being kind of a jerk" speech than a "I love you" speech.

But while her walking across the coals seemed a strange thing for Pam's character to gain courage through, I found the speech to be perfectly in her continually more honest personality. And it was specifically because she wasn't confessing her love in public, but was instead reprimanding the group for their collectively being jerks to her, not coming to her art show, and pretending she doesn't exist, and then extended that anger to Jim especially since he used to be her best friend. And she called Jim a jerk in a relatively light way that didn't seem inappropriately public, again, because it was an extension of calling everyone a jerk. That, to me, seemed perfect and natural. She might have even been starting an "I love you" speech when she started to address Jim, said "I called off my wedding because of you", and scaled back to "we used to have fun". That's realistic. She's not courageous enough to say her deepest feelings of love in front of everyone, fire pit or not. Saying everyone and especially Jim's a jerk? Took a moderate level of confidence needed from said fire pit.

If Jim had never confessed his love for her on Casino Night, would we be analyzing this as a "I love you" speech? Probably not. Because it was a "You're being a jerk" speech. Overall, if I had any problem, it was that she did this speech because she walked over coals, which seems too intimidating for Pam whether the Internet proves it's easy or not. But like much on The Office this season, it just tip-toed that "Oh, come on!" line, and I still accepted it.

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It would have been out of character if she had said it in front of people she didn't know. But these are people she has been working with for years and I think there is always a time when a timid person like Pam always let's people know what they are feeling like.

What was weird was the fact that she was talking to Jim in front of everyone...

But wow, what a fun episode. Especially seeing Stanley being bored ("Sit in the back of the bus"), then getting really excited (His battle with Jim was priceless...especially when they replayed it), then getting bored again.

Creed eating the fish raw...that guy is super creepy...I love it!

And yes, where was the two piece bikini????

WILLMAAAA!!

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I thought Pam's speech was a little forced, but it was still well-done on Jenna Fischer's part.

As a female, my take on Karen's reaction was that at first she was shocked, then she started to face reality. She looked like she was realizing that she was losing Jim. She did seem a little territorial, but I think she's no longer in denial about Jim and Pam's relationship.

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I think the speech seemed to lack the punch of the Casino Night finale because this was a declaration of friendship, not of love. This speech was a glass of white wine while Jim's revelation last year was a shot of whiskey.

On the topic of interpreting women, I loved Pam's arms-at-45-degrees-to-her-body chick-run. Adorable.

Oh, and I pick Stanley for manager. Because of all the great things that his people have...no, just kidding. I think he'd be a no-B.S. kind of guy. Although after seeing that look in his eye...

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Boo! Stop raining on Pam's parade! (walking on coals is easy...psh). I totally bought it: it was in the moment and a result of her adrenaline as well as a logical progression of her character arc. In other words, IN CHARACTER.

BTW this was the best. episode. ever. An Office bus sing-a-long cannot fail to be.

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I do disagree, I think Pam's speech has been building since the beginning. If you rewatch Season 3 she's been getting more and more brave and daring. She's been coming out of her shell. I agree it was maybe just a little much, but it *is* a TV show, and with her, I buy it, the same way I buy Jim and Pam still wearing mics during their moment last season, and the documentary crew managing to hide in the Office. It wasn't as romantic, but it was liberating, and definitely one of my favourite moments. I could see next season Pam moving up to sales, or maybe being appointed some kind of advertising or graphic design person in Scranton. Don't know how that'd really work, but hey, they'd find a way. Or maybe Karen gets the promotion and it basically all goes back to the way it was, save for Andy?

I definitely agree on Michael, too. There are some eps from this season where I have to fast forward parts; I can't stand Michael when they go too far with him. They hit a good balance, and it will be an interesting bit when he doesn't get the job. I don't know, I can't see him getting the job, unless Steve Carrell wants to leave. Then you'd have to do an outside hire, cause no one from the Office can really, plotwise/dynamic wise, step up to be boss. I mean, Gareth, in the BBC series, I can almost believe. But Dwight? No way. Jim would be the logical, obvious choice. Andy wouldn't get past the screening process, and Stanley would just be boring. I think I'd like to work under Creed. He'd just kind of let everyone do their jobs and do weird things in his office.

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"You cannot tell Toby in the beginning part of the episode that you'll be "wearing a two-piece" at the lake and then NOT WEAR A TWO-PIECE!"

My thoughts exactly. I loved the episode, but if they're gonna tease us like that they should follow through. It's the least they could do after Meredith flashed us.

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I agree with the first two commenters. She said he had been her best friend and she missed that. And after Michael had treated her so poorly on this trip, she was flush with the success of walking on the coals, and she was proud that she was the only one who had done it. So, I totally bought it. And she did not say anything against Karen. She was talking about friendship. And yes, Andy floating down the river in the sumo outfit, and Angela "not hearing" what he wanted was hilarious, especially when Michael was talking and you could see the little speck of Andy in the background, floating away.

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Okay, technically Dwight walked on the coals, but his was not very successful, was it??

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The first sing along reminded me of the Tiny Dancer scene in Almost Famous.

They just had to tease us with Pam saying that she was wearing a two piece and then not show her in it. Bastards!

Pam's speech was awesome. I've been waiting all season for her to do something like that. Jenna nailed it.

Jim was really being an asshat in regards to his treatment of Karen tonight during the egg race. It's one thing to make them think they need to step over a hole, but entirely another to make them go into the water.

"Voldemort." "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named." "Voldemort, Voldemort, Voldemort."

The two singing scenes reminded me of Almost Famous with Tiny Dancer and Planes, Trains and Automobiles with 3 Coins in a Fountain segueing into The Flintstones.

Angela getting her revenge on Andy was priceless especially with Andy being the background of Michael's talking head and he identifying himself as with Dunder Mifllin and the spotlight going away from him.

Stanley trying to get involved and giving up had me cracking up as well as Creed and the fish.

Great episode!

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There's another way to look at the speech too...it definitely wasn't a planned moment, and when Pam ran to the group to tell of her fire-walking achievement, I don't think she really knew what else was going to come out of her mouth. First she was just addressing the group, telling them how it hurt that none of them came to the art show, and then after seeing Jim she must have wanted to unload her baggage there. And yet she still did it in her tentative "Pam" way - it wasn't a major declaration of love, she just said she missed him and their friendship...but it was still a big step in her own way.

Real characters do surprise us from time to time, its called growth. Our little Pam surprised us, but it was completely real and believable.

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i like your recaps, butu i got to agree with the majority on this one, pam's speech was just spot on. jenna hit every beat in that monologue.

i had been complaining about "where's the fun gone between jim and pam?" well once again the writers got me because they wanted me to feel that so that when pam said it to jim i'd really feel it. kudos.

jim has really sucked this season. he has been such an ass right up to and including going for that job at corporate and rubbing michael's nose in it. also, what was with jim and karen applying for the same job together on the same phone call. how did the cfo not think that was totally weird and inappropriate? especially since they probably shouldn't have even known about the job. whatever...fancy new beasly is a goddess and she set jim straight. he looked like a puppy being scolded for peeing on the rug and rightfully so.

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ok, i just rewatched pam's speech, and i dont think it was forced. i think ever since the break up with roy, and jim got with karen, Pam really had been ignored most of the season.
It bothered me that Jim didn't go to the art show, and i think it made sense for Pam to finally be heard. I think in all of her excitement, her speech accidentally sounded "i have feelings for jim" but it was meant to be "lets be friends again"
i think The Office writers were being REALISTIC when making Pam's speech, because if you ever tried to say something in public on a whim, you'll almost always say something you regret or say things differently than you mean...
i would LOVE to see a similar Toby speech to Micheal! now that Pam is getting braver id like to see toby show a little back bone!
and for all the guys (or girls, not that theres anything wrong with that) who were upset not to see pam in her two peice, heres a video with Jenna Fischer wearing a two peice (wait till the middle part, its a funny video!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOOcoTJHRnc
"these are gonna make your little caboose look like POW!"

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