Dwight and Pam’s Friendship Is One of the Best Parts of ‘The Office’
Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) is one of the most loved characters on The Office for how over-the-top he is. We love to watch his absurd reactions, be it in his battles with Jim (John Krasinski) or how shamelessly he sucks up to Michael (Steve Carell). It’s hilarious to watch the trouble he gets into by pretending to be a confident uber male when in reality he knows so little. That kind of performance can only stay the same for so long, however, before the joke gets old. After a while, it’s simply repeating the gag. Naturally, over the course of nine seasons of The Office, the many employees of Dunder Mifflin evolved and grew, and Dwight was no exception. It took some effort on his part, but by the final season, we get the best version of Dwight. He marries Angela (Angela Kinsey), becomes the Scranton manager of Dunder Mifflin, and he even tells the world his best friend is Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer). It’s an odd friendship that the pair have, but without Pam, Dwight would have never become the man we see him as in Season 9. Just as important, Pam needed Dwight too.
In the earliest episodes of The Office, Pam’s most prominent role is as the go-between (or sometimes the one who eggs on) in the fights between the salesmen across from her receptionist desk, Jim Halpert and Dwight Schrute. Jim is constantly pranking and trolling the insufferable Dwight, partially as a way to impress Pam. Dwight is often bested and frustrated, but it’s okay because, well, he deserves it, as a frequently selfish man who thinks he is the ultimate male. He would be an unbearable character if it wasn’t for the lighter moments we also get from him. A lot of that comes from his interactions with Pam.
Dwight has a weak spot for Pam. She might frustrate him as everyone else does, but he holds back in his criticisms of her. They’re never as harsh. He respects her. One of the best early examples of this is the famous scene from the Season 3 episode, “Back From Vacation.” Pam is in love with Jim, but having rejected him, he has moved on to dating Karen (Rashida Jones). Watching the two together is so painful for her that she retreats to an empty hallway to cry alone. Dwight finds her, and we wait for him to make fun of her, but instead, Dwight wants to know who hurt her. His friend is in pain and the person who caused it is going to have to answer to him.
When Pam tells him it’s nothing, his anger drops, and in a very touching moment, Dwight hands Pam a handkerchief and sits beside her. He consoles her in the best way possible, by simply saying nothing and putting his arm around her. He looks so hurt watching Pam cry, as if he could cry too. Of course, in typical Dwight fashion, he almost ruins the moment by misunderstanding the situation. “So you’re PMSing pretty bad, huh?” It’s such a big laugh to see him get it so wrong, but what’s important is that he showed how much he cared. You’re not going to get the same reaction if Dwight had found Phyllis or Meredith crying. Pam has an effect on him.
Much later in the series, during the Season 7 episode, “Viewing Party,” we see yet another big example of how much Dwight cares for Pam still four years later. Here, during an office party at Michael’s to watch Glee, Jim and Pam’s baby, Cece, won’t stop crying. Dwight takes her and gets her to calm down instantly. Pam is in shock. Dwight could have easily made fun of the couple and their stress, but instead, he chooses to help out. Sure, he’s quick to point out how great he is and finds any opportunity to degrade Jim in the process, but there’s more to it than just trying to show off.
“I’ve always considered us to be very good friends, great friends,” Pam tells him. Yeah, she’s trying to manipulate him into helping her, but she means it, and he knows it because he feels it too. So much so, that when Angela has made it known that she wants to be with him that night, Dwight turns her down to help out with Cece. That’s how much he cares about Pam’s happiness. He turned down his own chance of happiness at that moment to help his friend.
We see so many of these moments, small and large, from Dwight over nine years. It’s not a one-sided friendship, though. Pam might be annoyed and frustrated and completely confused at times by Dwight’s irrational behavior (who wouldn’t be), but she also cares about him, seeing how hard he tries, and noticing the good person beneath the hard exterior. When Dwight has a sales meeting with a woman, Pam goes with him to help. When Dwight gets a concussion, she helps him, with the bonus reward that a concussed Dwight is a nice Dwight. Dwight’s peculiar behavior forces Pam out of her comfort zone. She has to put in the effort to be his patient friend.
Pam’s biggest moment with Dwight comes in the Season 8 episode, “Last Day in Florida.” During a golf game, Jim learns that Robert California (James Spader) is going to fire Dwight from Dunder Mifflin. Jim is stunned. Pam is in shock too when Jim calls her. Here, we see not only how much Pam cares for Dwight, but that Jim does as well. Pam lets Jim know that he needs to do whatever it takes to stop Dwight from getting himself fired. She could’ve let things play out. It wasn’t her business, and God knows Dwight has brought his ousting on himself so many times over the years. Pam can’t let that happen. She doesn’t want to lose her friend. And she doesn’t want Dwight to lose a job that means everything to him.
By Season 9, Dwight has finally achieved his dream and become the boss of the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin. He takes it with humility (or as much as he can possibly show). He has grown so much, proudly making Jim his number two. When he is a jerk and fires Kevin (Brian Baumgartner), he feels bad and makes up with him. He even finally proposes and marries Angela.
That all happened because of his friendship with Pam. She is the only one who believed in the best of him. Even Michael made fun of him. It all leads to two of Dwight’s kindest moments about Pam. When Jim and Pam decide to leave Dunder Mifflin, Dwight is crushed. They are his family. He in turn decides to fire them before they can quit. It seems a selfish and cruel moment. Maybe Dwight hasn’t grown so much after all. But then he reveals to them that if they’re fired they can get paid severance. It’s his final kind act, the only thing he can do for them.
In one of the ending scenes, Dwight is in his new office, talking about his new subordinates and what they mean to him. He saves Pam for last, even over his new bride, Angela. “And office administrator Pamela Beesly Halpert is my best friend.” It’s not tough for him to say it. His head is held high. He’s smiling. Dwight Schrute, the man who spent so long only caring about being better than everyone else, is now a man in charge, a married man, and a man with a best friend.
