In early May 2007, I packed my camera like at the end of every other day at Dunder Mifflin. But after tomorrow, I wouldn't do it for another three months. Tomorrow was our crew's last day of filming for the third "season" of this still unaired office documentary. And considering how Dwight Schrute was about to take over the branch – at least until Michael Scott came back after inevitably losing a promotion – it would require at least three full months of rest.
I was one of those filming at Dunder Mifflin while the others went to New York to film Michael, Jim Halpert and Karen Fillipelli for their interviews at corporate. The results were bound to shake things up for Jim, his new girlfriend Karen and long time "will they or won't they" partner/ex-best friend Pam Beesley. After last week's beach games "episode" where Pam walked through coals and confessed how much he missed Jim, he was bound to make some kind of life changing choice. But I wouldn't be filming it, as I was still here along with Pam, waiting for word on what happened.
This "season" had been harsh on the receptionist, as she was the one dealing with unrequited love for Jim now, and yet trying to move forward and change anyway. "Fancy New Beesley" was the cute catchphrase she coined for it – which should catch on whenever this blasted project got on the air. Although I had to stay objective, I did hope she would be okay tomorrow.
She did seem excited for the start of Dwight's insane reign, but she was good at hiding her inner turmoil – or pretending she was. Three years of filming her almost non-stop clued me in on these things. And you don't document people for three years without having some feelings about them. For my part, I hoped I would film some kind of positive payoff for Pam after this dark time.
I saw her struggle when Jim moved to Stamford after she stopped their big kiss, crumble even further when he came back with Karen, go through that brief reunion with Roy, and then rise back up by confessing a few things this time. Although she wasn't really appreciated by the office – and not even by Jim that much lately – I was squarely on Team Beesley and I wanted to secretly cheer for her tomorrow. Whether her triumph involved Jim or not.
But for tonight, I packed up like I said earlier, then went to grab a quick dinner. On my way back, I drove past Dunder Mifflin and glanced at the parking lot – noticing that Pam's car was still there. Technically, I wasn't supposed to check this out, since all of tonight's footage for the show would come from New York. Yet since no one from the crew was filming at the office, I wouldn't be spotted if I checked on Pam.
I parked outside and headed to the building, using my special Dunder Mifflin key card to get in. Luckily for me, Dwight hadn't put in life-threatening safety measures yet, so I could browse through without being disturbed. That is, until I turned the corner to the office itself, running into Pam as she seemed to be locking up.
After we each gave startled yells, I repeated "It's okay" a few times to make sure Pam was calmer. "What are you doing here? Where's your camera?" Pam started. "I thought you were done filming tonight."
"I thought you were done working tonight, so I guess we're both off book," I tried to joke, although it probably wasn't the best opening punch line. "But seriously, I'm not filming. No one else is here either, I came alone."
"If you're not filming, why are you here?" Pam followed up. This was actually a good question, since I didn't have a real reason to be here. Since I wasn't filming tonight, what Pam did was her own business for once – and she certainly needed time to herself right now. Yet I came here to....see her anyway? Comfort her anyway? Do something else to violate the documentarian's code of not getting involved?
"I wanted to get a last look at the place before Dwight tore it down. And before he tears it down trying to repair it when Michael comes back," I used as an excuse. This made Pam laugh, so I took that as a promising sign.
"That's pretty much what I was doing! Great and fearful minds think alike, I guess," she commented, which I had to agree with. Of course, I didn't really believe this was the only reason she was here. I wondered if she thought the same about me being here as well. "But I'm sure you'll turn our apocalypse into comedy either way," Pam went on.
"Well, go out doing what you know," I offered. "But I'm sure it'll be fine. Even if Michael gets the job, his messes will be too big for even Dwight to make worse. No matter what, I'm sure everything will balance out for the best."
"That's a....good way to look at it," Pam responded, making me think I didn't use the best choice of words. In case I didn't, I wasn't sure what my next move was – or what I could say without getting in trouble.
"You know, if you are feeling bad and you don't want to show it to the cameras, you can get it out now. I don't know if that would make you less likely to cry tomorrow, but if you tried it, I wouldn't blame you." Great, creepiest advice ever....
"So you don't want me to save my tears for the cameras?" Pam asked without seeming creeped out. "Wouldn't you get in trouble for asking that?"
"Well, they have no way to prove I did....unless you didn't cry, I guess," I semi-joked. "Okay, this isn't as funny as I wanted....so I'll just say straight up that it's okay to cry over Jim. Not, not that you'll have reason to cry over him, we don't know that for sure!" Great, craziest and stupidest advice ever...
But again, Pam just laughed a bit and didn't look like she was crying. "Wow, filming Michael for three years has rubbed off on you." That was more disturbing in a few ways than Pam crying. However, she went on to say, "Really, though, I'm fine. I'm not feeling my best, but I'm okay. I mean, I said what I had to say, it's out of my hands now, and I'll....have to take the good with the bad tomorrow. Whatever that might be."
"Well....I guess that's logical," I conceded. "I mean, it wouldn't make sense if you regressed at the end, after all you've overcome this year. The audience wouldn't be satisfied either....at least that's what they'd say if you had one yet." Pam chuckled for a second before I went to backtrack. "Not that you should do stuff for people who might never see this! I mean....well, for people who are watching, like me, we'll be glad to see you're okay before we leave for the summer."
"You will? I thought you guys had to be objective," Pam reminded me.
"We have to act objective, but we don't have to feel it. I mean, we're fans of you guys too. I'm even a fan of Michael and Dwight, of old school Jim, of Oscar and Kevin and Stanley and Phyllis...and Angela, Kelly and Andy sometimes! And I'm a big Pam Beesley fan too....both the fancy version and the old one. So I look forward to hearing happy vacation stories from you when I get back."
I ran through the dozens of reasons to feel embarrassed, stupid and crazy for saying that – at least until Pam smiled at me. "Thank you....it's good to know we have the cameraman demographic on our side." She laughed heartily before going back to being genuine. "Really, that....does mean a lot."
I smiled back, relieved that I wasn't dying of humiliation yet. But a bit more of me was just happy to see Pam smile, which hadn't happened as much this year. It was sad that we didn't catch her smiling – whether it was a sneaky smile, a bemused smile at Michael and Dwight's insanity, or just a genuinely happy, pretty smile. Wait....
"So you really are a fan, huh? Even from when you first got here?" Pam asked to – thankfully? – interrupt my train of thought. "Well, I didn't say I was a super fan, did I?" I said, more confident that she would take it in jest.
Pam reopened the office so we could sit down, as I went on the couch next to her receptionist desk, which she naturally sat back at. Although it wasn't even her ideal place to sit at during work hours, she still endured it to chat with me. I gave her my accounts of all the moments I filmed, and I made sure she knew about the non-Pam moments I didn't film before I gave my behind-the-scenes take on them.
But inevitably, she had to ask if I was the one who filmed the "Casino Night" kiss and aftermath with her and Jim almost a year ago – and I admitted I wasn't. Again, I went out of my way not to upset her with these sensitive subjects, yet she went into them anyway.
"Really, I'm on my way to being fine....even if I'm not all the way there yet. If I learned anything this year, it's that I can't define my own success by other people....well, not as much. I did that with Roy and look how that turned out. Then I did it with Jim and that finally collapsed. I mean, if I'm Fancy New Beesley, I have to take charge on my own sometime, right? As soon as I work out the right way to do it, I'll be good," she assured.
"I'm glad to hear that....both as a fan and a documentarian. It should give me good stuff to watch next year in both areas," I predicted.
"Yeah....I mean, I couldn't even do that fashion show at lunch last year without being nervous. Not that I'd be comfortable doing that in this office again. But maybe I can show off like that somewhere else," Pam exclaimed.
"I know you'd make quite an impression if you did. I filmed you in that dress last year, so I should know," I stated just before I saw how that might be interpreted. "That is, um, in an objective way. Not a Kevin or Creed way either." Not too much better either.
"Well, whatever way you meant, thank you," Pam compliment "I'm not used to the other ways that much."