Jim's Brothers Criticize Pam's Career

Episode
Employee Transfer (Season 5, Episode 5)

Pranker
Jim Halpert’s Brothers and Pam Beesley

Target
Jim Halpert

Description
Jim and Pam are having lunch in New York with Jim’s brothers Tom and Pete. Pam asked Tom and Pete to come early so they can play a prank on Jim. Pam’s idea is to tell Jim that, before ceramics class, she took off her engagement ring and when she changed back out of her smock, it wasn’t in her pocket anymore and lost it. Jim’s brothers have a better idea. The remember that they did a prank to Jim in high school to his girlfriend at the time. They would wait for Jim to get there and begin to “dog” Pam for being an artist and not making any money. They go on stating that her having a hobby instead of a job. Pam notices they came up with that idea really fast. Pam arrives again later to trick Jim into thinking everything is fine. Into the lunch date, Jim’s brothers begin by asking how much money an artist makes, stating there isn’t much money in the arts. Jim defends Pam, but his brothers continue, saying that Pam should pay the check by drawing a picture on a napkin. Jim calls his brothers out, but they and Pam chalk it up to fun. Later, one of Jim’s brothers shows a picture of Jim’s niece, who plays the trumpet. The other brother can’t help but note that she probably doesn’t want to be a career musician. How many trumpeters can you name (Miles Davis, Chet something, Dizzie Gillespie)? He goes on to say there are jobs and there are hobbies.


Reaction
Jim continues to defend Pam’s honor. Pam might feel that prank isn’t necessarily a prank and also begins to defend herself. Right when everything looks like it’s about to blow up, Tom and Pete burst out laughing. They admit to the prank and to the fact that Pam was the mastermind. “Got you,” she replies. Pam later admits she wanted to go towards the ring direction and even shows how she put makeup for the ring around her naked finger. Jim admits that anything would be better than what happened. Jim then gets a text message from his brother, “Pam cool, welcome to the family.” Pam says they should prank Tom about being bald for Thanksgiving.

Originality
3 -Well, despite the general mean spirit behind the prank, they freely admit that they have done this before. Dock a few points since it’s been done before.

Length Taken
8 - Wow. This is the most uncomfortable I’ve been during a prank since Karen laid the wood to Jim after the office attacked the Utica branch. Why couldn’t they have gone with Pam’s idea? That would have been so much better.

Special Awards
Lost Potential Award - Pam’s prank could have been something worth while but Jim’s brothers were ready for their own first. Maybe Jim freaks out when he thinks Pam has lost her ring. That could have exposed Jim as overly emotional. Sigh, we’ll never know.
Worth it in the End Award - At least Jim’s brothers like Pam. If they didn’t like her, who knows where we would be with this one.