Jim Stays Classy

Episode
New Boss (Season 5, Episode 18)

Pranker
Jim Halpert

Target
Dwight Schrute

Description
Dwight and Pam are in the midst of preparing Michael for his 15th anniversary celebration. Dwight thinks the festivities should start with a 15-minute round of applause, followed by a 15-minute moment of silence. Jim, hiding in the corner with a tuxedo and slicked-back hair wonders if it is classy enough. Jim thinks that on such a classy day that a classy man like Michael should be rewarded with a classy event. Michael agrees with all of Jim’s suggestions, because he is wearing a tux. Jim explains that Dwight sent out a memo explaining the dress code, and the tuxedo is a way to show how seriously he is taking it.

Reaction
Dwight is wise to Jim’s ideas, so he suggests having a string quartet play classy-cal music. Jim winces his disapproval, leading Michael to do the same and shoot down Dwight’s idea. Michael wants the opening of a car dealership, but Jim suggests Mr. Peanut. Dwight is quick to point out that Mr. Peanut is just a regular peanut (he just happens to have a cane, monocle and a top hat). Dwight takes it to the next level by suggesting a Michael-shaped ice sculpture covered in chocolate covered in strawberries. Jim points out that Dwight is trying too hard (classy is a state of mind, after all). Jim suggests the exact same ice sculpture idea and Michael jumps on it immediately, leading Dwight to slam the door of the conference room as he leaves. Pam, Michael and Jim agree…not classy.


Originality
6 – Jim had to know the tuxedo itself would set Dwight off. It was magnified even more by the fact that Michael took everything Jim said that much more seriously since he was wearing a tux. Jim should have gone the Mr. Peanut route and gone with a monocle, cane and top hat, then this would have been higher.

Length Taken
8 – Though it wasn’t extended as long as could have, extra points for getting Jim in trouble with new boss Charles Miner because he was still wearing the tux.

Special Awards
Right off the Bat Award - Jim gets 80% of his pranks done before 10:00 am.
Didn’t Think That One Through Award – Too bad Jim didn’t bring a change of clothes. That’s quite the first impression to make on the new boss.

The Red Wire

Episode
Prince Family Paper (Season 5, Episode 12)

Pranker
Jim Halpert

Target
Dwight Schrute

Description
Dwight begins to sort out some papers on his desk when he notices a red wire coming out of the back of his computer. Believing it wasn’t there before, Dwight asks Jim. Jim notes that computers have wires, though Dwight notices there isn’t one from Jim’s computer. Dwight continues his prodding and Jim, seemingly annoyed, goes on with his work. Dwight then sees where the wire is coming from and goes to town.

Reaction
After getting around his own desk, then Phyllis’ and Andy’s, he follows it down the hall and outside into the parking lot. Jim explains that he got 500 feet of red wire at the flea market (out by Dunmore High School). It was only $20 for the whole spool. What a deal! Jim turns and looks out the window at Dwight climbing a telephone pole, continuing to follow the wire. Jim reassures us of Dwight’s safety. Jim made it up there, Dwight will be just fine.

Originality
6 - Nicely done, but somewhat middle of the road. Jim happened to stumble upon that spool and went from there. Took a lot of duct tape to get that done as well.

Length Taken
4 - There could have been a fake bomb attached to the end. Come on Jim, that’s a missed opportunity.

Special Awards
Right off the Bat Award - Again, Jim wasting no time.
The Envelope, Please…Award - Jim putting on an acting tour-de-force in convincing Dwight he had nothing to do with it and it is a normal thing. Give that man an Emmy!
Smart Shopper Award - This is not the first time Jim has used a thrift store to prank Dwight. Remember this classic?

Jim Wraps Dwight's Desk

Episode
Moroccan Christmas (Season 5, Episode 10)

Pranker
Jim Halpert

Target
Dwight Schrute

Description
Dwight enters another day at the office to see his entire desk and belongings at his desk gift wrapped in festive paper.

Reaction
Dwight wants to know how Jim did this (he has a black belt in gift wrapping). Dwight is quick to mention they don’t give out black belts for that. Dwight thinks he can tear through it in about five minutes, while Jim thinks it will take longer. After all, if he can skin a mule deer in 10 minutes, this should be no problem. Dwight simultaneously drops his briefcase on his desk and sits on his chair, only to see his briefcase tear through the non-existent desk and his chair to crumble beneath his weight.

Originality
9 - It’s pretty good by itself as a prank just to gift-wrap his desk. But to, on top of that, make it appear that his desk is there and crush beneath the simple weight jumps it up a level.

Length Taken
8 - It’s very simple, but can you imagine the work that had to go into getting that one ready? Jim must have stayed up at the office last night finding some old cardboard boxes and a broken chair. Not to mention, how much paper was needed to get all that done? Bravo Jim, bravo.

Special Awards
Right off the Bat Award - Don’t waste any time there Jim. Dwight walks in, notices, says about three sentences, falls through, and prank over.
Short but Sweet Award - Maybe one of the shortest pranks in Jim’s history. It clocked in at less than 40 seconds.

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.

Jim Tracks Dwight's Time

Episode
Business Ethics (Season 5, Episode 2)

Pranker
Jim Halpert

Target
Dwight Schrute

Description
Holly is in charge of a business ethics meeting when the subject of “time theft” comes up. She explains this is a situation where sitting around and doing nothing is on par with stealing in business. When Oscar admits he sometimes takes a long lunch (or siesta as Michael puts it), Dwight calls on his firing. Jim calls out Dwight, asking if he’s ever stolen company time. Dwight replies he hasn’t (though Michael calls him a thief of joy). Next time they are at their desks, Jim has a stopwatch and tracks how long Dwight takes to yawn. When Dwight confronts and begins to mock Jim, he notices the watch continuing to tick away the seconds. Once he returns to work, Jim logs a 17 second personal conversation.

Reaction
Dwight tries to focus to start, but Jim eggs him on. While sitting at his desk, Dwight overhears Jim start a conversation with Andy about Battlestar Galactica. When Jim mentions that it is just so-so, Dwight turns to confront, but Jim is there with the stopwatch to keep him at bay. He mentions all the cool monsters like Klingons and Wookies (causing Dwight to silently turn again) and tells Andy that is basically a shot-for-shot remake of the original series. He continues on, all while Dwight is boiling inside, about the story being about this guy named Dumbledore Calrissian who needs to return the ring back to Mordor. Even Andy mentions that that doesn’t sound right. This pushes Dwight into a working frenzy. Jim’s notes detail that he sneezed while keeping his eyes open and then he peed in an open soda bottle under the desk while filling out expense reports. Later, Jim notes a 19-minute, 48-second personal break that Dwight took. When asked, Dwight is unfazed and accepts the theft, all while Angela straightens her shirt in the background.


Originality
6 -Dwight’s pride in his work ethic is his downfall, but Jim has to be praised for his perfect job of driving Dwight crazy without having to hear anything in response. Dock him a point for the hypocrisy.

Length Taken
7 - This could have definitely gone farther. Jim started keeping track of small times and then went on to see if things could get escalated to a high level with his Andy conversation. He eventually sent Dwight into working overdrive, but that eventually made him go do his relaxing thing downstairs. Jim just wanted a little admission from Dwight that he was stealing company time and isn’t completely ethical.

Special Awards
Take it Like a Champ Award - Dwight gets this one because he never takes pranks well, even when they end. But, Jim was trying to make a point, and Dwight understood. Unfortunately, we know why Dwight isn’t completely ethical (enter creepy sex-grin here).
Blind Assist Award - To Andy, for knowing so little about Battlestar Galactica that the whole scene worked in Jim’s favor

Kevin is Special

Episode
Goodbye Toby (Season 4, Episode 13) & Weight Loss (Season 5, Episode 1)

Pranker
Dwight Schrute

Target
Holly Flax (and Kevin Malone by proxy)

Description
Good ole’ Toby Flenderson is on his way out of Dunder Mifflin. Michael is ecstatic but is also apprehensive of his replacement Holly; thinking she will be much of the same. Michael and Dwight look on and agree that some good old-fashioned hazing is in the books for the new HR rep. Though Michael is too blindsided by love at first see of his ears to remember to haze, Dwight wastes no time. In the midst of introducing Holly to the accounting department, he mentions that Kevin is there on a special work program, because he is “special.”

Reaction
Holly introduces herself to Kevin and asks what he does. He replies that he does the numbers and then offers her an M&M. Holly declines, but that doesn’t stop Kevin from explaining why he keeps them on his part of the desk. Later, Kevin can’t decide what he wants from the vending machine between pretzels and chips. Holly helpfully and gently helps him decide that he can get anything on the top row. Kevin believes he is going to bang Holly, because she is cute, helpful and really seems into him. During the party, after Phyllis asks Kevin to go to the store, Holly notes that Kevin drives his own car, also mentioning she has one too. Before leaving, Holly says how proud she is of him. He smiles suggestively at the camera. At the end of the night, when Michael misses the hints of Holly asking him to go eat, Kevin goes in his stead (to eat pie). At least she buckles him in the car. By the time the big weight loss competition get’s going, Kevin almost does the math faster than everyone else in stating that when Pam got off the scale it dropped 226 lbs. He was off by a little, but Holly was there to congratulate (after all, math is hard). Unfortunately, this all comes to a head when Angela starts berating Kevin for a clerical error he made. When Holly comes to Kevin’s defense, the truth about his mental condition comes out and, needless to say, Holly is a little embarrassed and walks away to seclusion.


Originality
7 -Despite the nature of this one, Dwight must have analyzed and rationalized the scenario. He figured out that Kevin’s mannerisms are somewhat “special” and also knew that a gentle soul like Holly would handle it so delicately that it would continue to play out. What a great job by Dwight…that is, if it just wasn’t so damn wrong. Not to mention, Dwight never has to fess up to anything.

Length Taken
10 - Poor Kevin. What is worse, him having everyone thinking he is special-needs, or the fact that he mistakes this as attraction and a sure-fire sign of banging.

"Special" Awards
I‘d be Crying if I Wasn‘t Laughing Award - Easily the most depressing prank ever pulled
Going the Distance Award - This might be the longest developing/lasting prank since Jim put quarters in Dwight’s phone. How long could have this gone on?
You’re Not Helping Award - Come on, Phyllis. He knows he has to take off his shoes, don’t reinforce things.