#especially Dwight and Angela’s relationship

[dundermisfits]

Michael Scott Headcannons

Michael Scott x reader

Requested: @maleahoswick

***

• In the beginning, the relationship is kept secret until Dwight finds out about it shortly after you and Michael inform David Wallace

• Not everyone in the office is approving, Kevin is always on the lookout to see if it’s true, sort of how he spied on Pam and Jim. Angela doesn’t approve, she likes to believe that your love is fake

• Most everyone in the office is approving, even in the warehouse below, they all approve and it’s most surprising to know that Roy is one of those that is more supportive than others

• You and Michael seem to have everything in common but you honestly don’t

• When you’re sick, Michael will make you take a sick day, even if you’ve taken them all up he will make you stay home and rest

• Being insulted by the fact Ryan invited you and not Michael to his weekend campout was easy for you turn him down and say you wouldn’t be going if Michael was not invited

• Seeing that Michael is still a little vulnerable to Jan, you have no problem sticking up for Michael whenever she tries to pull a fast one on him, trying to talk him into leaving you, you just weren’t having it

• When it happened one too many times, you let her have it and from that point on, she stays from you both

• You take things slow in the start of your relationship. By about a year into it, you move in together and two years after, you both are engaged

• If you have to work any late nights, Michael will stay with you. But as each person is leaving, he’s doing it more in a way as your boyfriend than he is your manager, and that is something kept between the two of you

• If someone disrespects you in anyway, especially in front of him, Michael will get upset and start defending you immediately, putting that person in their place

• Michael is your comforter during panic attacks and surprisingly, so is Dwight at times if he’s there as well

• Sometimes he likes to leave little gifts on your desk before you arrive. It could be anything from your favorite chips, soda, to your favorite candy with a little note attached to it

• When you had gotten the iPod during secret Santa, you knew immediately it was from Michael and had sort of the same reaction as Ryan did in that episode, only you were more gentle about it

• It wasn’t like you didn’t appreciate it because you did, to you, it was always the thought that counted but truth be told, you were a little embarrassed this happened in front of everyone

• You both LOVED pretzel day, Michael would always wait in line for you both and would brings yours back when he returns because you were often busy with some work

• When you meet Michael, he was with Carol at the time, and because you weren’t there when she rejected his proposal, you comforted him as he told you about it

• This all happened before you got together, so when she refused while breaking up with him, you agreed to go to Jamaica with him, and that’s where things begin for you both

• Michael becomes overly protective of you after Roy’s attempt to attack Jim, so he bans Roy from the building unless escorted by Hank. Your safety to Michael has always been his top priority.

• Michael loves to brag about you and to show you off when given the open opportunity

• Threat Level Midnight was a blast to film

• Michael just loved you to pieces as you did for him

***

@dundermisfits

Requests: open

Characters:

• Michael Scott

• Dwight Schrute

• Jim

• David Wallace

• Angela

• Pam

• Karen

• Kelly

• Erin

[midnightsun-if]

So we've seen what our lovely older siblings think of our ROs, but I was curious about Persephone? Maybe even Blake too, though they might be the "no one is good enough for my bestie" type of person

Honestly, Persephone is the type of person who looks at the relationships and goes; if they chose you, and you chose them, and it’s actual love, then I don’t really have any other opinions about it— as long as you’re happy. There are two ROs she doesn’t particularly like/is wary of, but I don’t want to spoil anything… So, I’ll just leave it at that.

Blake on the other hand?

Koda: He’s a fun guy to hangout with, someone that wouldn’t a fly and would probably cry if he did. Honestly, Blake doesn’t know how they could dislike Koda— he doesn’t do anything to deserve such a harsh emotion. Plus free piggyback rides on a Kodiak Bear can never get old.

Scarlett: She scares them… Ever since The Incident, Blake has done their best to try and stay off her radar unless they’re near sufficient cover and can get away with teasing her. Now that their best friend is dating her? And they have the ultimate get out of a jail free card? It’s open season. (On a serious note, Blake admires Scarlett and has a kindred bond with her in some ways due to events that I can’t spoil.)

Cyrus/Cyra: Aiming high aren’t you? They’d be completely amused/amazed that you found love with the Crown Heir… In fact, they may even give you a high five. Blake likes C, even though they think they get in their head too much, but they can clearly see how much the Phoenix cares for you. Plus, the bird jokes write themselves which is another bonus for Blake.

Quinn: They had their initial misgivings towards the Grant Heir— as Blake knows a bit more about the Grant Pack than you do— but after meeting them? Blake could clearly tell that they’re nothing like the family in which they hail from, and Blake might actually feel bad for assuming that they would be. Blake, as it seems to be a pattern when it comes to shifters, would want to have a shoulder ride when Quinn is shifted… Then they’re completely cleared in your best friends book.

Caden: Blake knows absolutely nothing about Caden… You know that one meme— I think it’s from The Office with Dwight and Angela, where she just appears?— that’s them in a nutshell. Blake isn’t necessarily unsettled by Caden, but they do find it a little creepy the way they’re able to just vanish. And, yes, they know it’s a Phantom thing, but still! They’d probably gift Caden with a bell or something… All in all, Blake would see how Caden centered you and you brought them out of their shell— it’s a win win.

Sloane: They’re very up in the air about Sloane. On one hand, they have a badass wardrobe and overall aesthetic, and they just sort of look cool all around. On the other hand? They’re sort of a dick. But! The longer Blake is exposed to Sloane, and the level of care they show you, plus when Sloane actually gets comfortable around Blake, then Blake will understand that they had nothing to worry about to begin with. (They’d totally ask if a saddle could fit on Sloane’s lupine form for them to ride.)

Blake: 0/10, would not recommend.

Reginald/Regina: Blake finds their overall cluelessness about the supernatural world incredibly endearing— especially since they’re actively trying to learn more. The only time Blake would worry about the relationship is when the long term effects are discussed, and the potential courses that could be taken (and the results that could come about). They patiently answer all of R’s questions, while subtly getting them to agree to be on their trivia team for game night, and just generally enjoys their time with R.

Truly, as long as you’re happy then Blake is happy. That’s all that matters in the end.

[omegastorms]

I've been sick and have been binge watching The Office again as a comfort show. And I have been bored, so here's what I think The Office characters designations would be. Any thoughts are very welcome.

Michael: he's a beta that just desperately wants to be a part of the group/pack. I could honestly see a case to be made for him being an alpha but the idea of him having access to any type of alpha command is just....... no

Jan: alpha, and not a good one this lady isn't exactly what I'd call stable.

Holly: alpha, but in the completely opposite way Jan is.

Dwight: an alpha and he takes it very seriously

Jim & Pam: I put them together because I think this is a very beta/beta relationship something about it just feels right

Kelly: this girl is an OMEGA and she is not afraid to use it to get her way.

Ryan: he is a beta that wants to be an alpha so badly

Stanley: omega

Erin: beta

Andy: yah the nard dog is absolutely an omega

Oscar: omega, and no his secondary designation doesn't make it easier for Michael to understand how same sex relationships work he's just as if not more confused.

Gabe: beta

Angela: omega and she'd be obnoxiously conservative about it too, especially to any other omegas she knows of who aren't following traditional roles.

Kevin: beta

Meredith: I'm honestly not sure, I feel like to me she's an alpha but I could also see a case be made for omega as well.

Creed: this guy could honestly be any or none. He's an enigma I could see this going anyway.

Toby: Toby is an alpha and that drives Michael up a wall even more so than he already is with him.

Phyllis: alpha. Bonus Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration, is also an alpha.

Darryl: idk what it is about him but in my mind this man is a proud omega

[artistic-mathematics]

my 2am analysis on Dwangela

okay I really don’t know why I decided to write a canon compliant Dwangela fic spanning the entire show like

I don’t even know how I’m gonna begin to write season 4′s stuff. like every time I even think about it I just want to vomit bc HIGHKEY if Dwight had just fed Sprinkles the medicine Angela told him to they probably would’ve gotten married in season 4 and all would’ve been fine but nope it took them eight whole seasons to even get engaged afterwards and then we got almost 0 content of them actually being in a healthy relationship again and it’s just like 3u5irefwngkjej54

this all stemmed from the fact that I genuinely think to this day, Dwangela is still misunderstood by the majority of the community. actually, Angela as a character is still misunderstood, which is crazy considering that this show ended over a decade ago and my first watch was like two months ago.

before anyone says anything YES, Angela was still a horrible person and I don’t really think I need to cite why, but I do think her motivations and eventual progression arc are just completely slept on (and also, season 9 finale Angela is a much, much better person than she was during the rest of the show).

I think the biggest thing I’ve seen from people is like “why did Angela end up with Dwight?” and they just tend to forget that Angela went through an entire character arc in literally just the last half of season 9. would it have been better if the show actually like shown more of it? absolutely. but it’s pretty obvious that Angela from S9E20: Paper Airplane is a completely different Angela from S9E22: A.A.R.M. is she still the greatest person? oh absolutely not, but I do think that her actions in this last half (starting from S9E16: Moving On) show enough growth and maturation that she deserved her own happy ending with Dwight.

(ALSO YES, IT’S A HAPPY ENDING. people who say that Angela is going to cheat on Dwight clearly misunderstood this entire plot line. I’ll get to that later.)

she hits rock bottom in S9E21: Livin’ the Dream and even then we can see a huge difference between this episode and S9E20. in the previous episode, she refused to accept help from Dwight (and by extension, Esther), but in this episode not only does she try to go out of her way to help Andy but she also accepts help from Oscar and actively reaches out for his hand, something that she’d deadass refused to do since season 3 when he was outed as gay. by accepting she needs help and then finally, FINALLY admitting out loud that she loves Dwight (something that she pretty much skirted around when possible, even back in seasons 4-5), she’s shown that she’s finally letting down the walls that she’d constructed for years and years. she’s finally letting herself be vulnerable, and that shit takes strength, especially from someone who’d spent so many years letting pride dictate her life and practically pretended to live a life that wasn’t hers just to save face.

(yes, she did it because she hit rock bottom. but then again, she literally didn’t even have to do that. she could’ve just kept digging a deeper hole for herself anyway, blaming Oscar and the state senator and still refusing to admit anything. would it have helped her? no lol, but at least she was able to analyze and recognize that her own actions were her downfall instead of continuing blaming others for her issues, which she had no problem doing throughout the show.)

another thing I’ve noticed is that people were like “she continued lying to Dwight about Phillip” and I’ma be real with you, I think that lie is the most ethical lie she told throughout the entire series.

let me explain.

actually, let Angela explain, because she outright explains this during Dwight’s proposal that she wanted him to marry her because it was her he wanted to marry. I don’t think this was selfish at all. sure, she probably should’ve told him -- lying about it is still shitty -- but what does she even gain from lying about it? she literally gains absolutely nothing here. she already admitted to Oscar (and by extension, herself) that she loves Dwight. if Dwight were to propose to her because of Phillip, there’s no world where she’d be unhappy in that relationship since she knows she loves Dwight.

but she doesn’t know if Dwight still loves her (yeah, they did make out like five episodes ago BUT remember he’s in a committed relationship now) -- and she was literally just in a loveless marriage. she was also in a loveless engagement, with Andy (and oh my god I might make a post about this at some point but I HAVE SO MANY GRIPES OVER THIS ENGAGEMENT. not at the writers, but just like how did this even??? like?????).

in S9E21, she makes it very clear that she’s accepted that Dwight and Esther are a thing. S9E22 happens some time afterwards (around a month or so according to Dunderpedia) and it’s probably long enough for Angela to realize that it’s genuinely serious, and I mean. just look at Dwight in that episode. he looks so happy.

when Dwight calls Angela into his office to propose that business marriage, I think all of these things came to her mind -- and let’s be honest, the last time they tried to make some business out of something that clearly should be romantic (cough cough sex contract cough cough) it, uh, didn’t go well. and so she lies. she tells him that Phillip isn’t his son, and that lie was enough. it sent his emotions into turmoil, enough so that he ends up calling Jim in and talking to him about it makes him snap to his senses -- that he still loves Angela, and now that Angela is actually available again he needs to go for it.

and of course Angela accepts. you can see her anger from Dwight almost running her off the road completely ebb away when Dwight yells “I love you!” she pauses and processes.

oh also for the people who think that marriage is terrible and that Angela is just gonna cheat on Dwight? the entire point of Dwangela was that Angela couldn’t commit to any of her other romantic relationships because she still loved Dwight. from seasons 2 through 9 she was still very much in love with Dwight, and only cheated on people with Dwight.

also I don’t think Dwight ever stopped loving Angela, either. I mean like, he seemed to really like Isabel and went through an entire talking head where he compared Isabel and Angela to each other but as Jim said to Dwight in S9E21, “you just have to forget about all the logic and fear and doubt” -- and the thing is, I don’t think love ever made sense to Dwight after he broke up with Angela in season 5. it also makes sense as to why Dwight broke up with Isabel so brutally as a result, treating her like absolute garbage the day of Pam and Jim’s wedding.

also I think people forget that like, Dwight was very in on the cheating??? Angela knew she was engaged to Andy in season 5 and knew she was engaged (and eventually married) to the state senator in season 8, like he obviously was a part of this too lmao? and there was a whole episode where people shat on Michael for dating a woman who had a husband and how he was a horrible person LIKE. he knew she was in a relationship and still chose to do what he did. I’m not saying that it’s his fault entirely bc it’s still like 95% Angela’s fault but Dwight buddy, come on, idk what you expected

anyway I go sleep now I just had to get this out before I passed out lol

[empress-of-snark]

I’ve always thought that the JimxPam proposal is v Jancy coded (as is a lot of their relationship tbh). Maybe as an up-and-coming freelance photographer (which I hope happens soon😁) Jonathan gets offered a high-profile but long job like being a band’s tour photographer or some Nat Geo expedition for a few months, or Nancy goes on a long assignment in DC or smth for her new magazine. They’re both ready to get married but they agreed to wait until after the job to get engagd, but one day they decide to meet in the middle for lunch and they realize they just can’t wait any longer.

I hope someone writes an Office AU abt these characters someday, there’s actually some similarities. IMO Jancy are Jim and Pam, Steve is Andy, Chrissy is Angela (but nicer), Eddie is Dwight (but weird in a v different way), Robin is kind of a mix of Kelly and Erin, and maybe Murray could be Michael. Idk, but it’s interesting to think about.

I adore Jim and Pam’s proposal and I totally agree it’s very Jancy-coded! As referenced in my last chapter, I think Nancy prioritizes communication and joint decision-making in a relationship, so I like the idea of them mutually agreeing to wait to get engaged/married, except that Jonathan gets impatient lol. The actual proposal is still a romantic surprise, but they’re fully on the same page about their relationship.

(And honestly, I have the same views about engagement/marriage. Knowing that your partner is going to propose doesn’t take away the thrill of actually getting proposed to, and a step like that should definitely be discussed beforehand.)

Anyway, I would read the hell out of an Office AU! Murray as Michael is actually a hilariously fitting choice because I think he’d still be a dysfunctional boss, but for entirely different reasons. And I especially love Jonathan, Nancy, and Steve being Jim, Pam, and Andy, because I can’t help but think of the episode where Andy briefly tries to date Pam, and Jim gives him awful advice about what she likes in a man lol. Jonathan would absolutely sabotage Steve like that, and I can picture Nancy glaring at him from reception while he just grins 😂

[literallylivingfortuesday]

So I've been watching the office US recently ive got to season 5 here are my notes:

found a fic for jim/pam/ryan -and once ryan has done a tone of growth ofc- OT3!!! polyarmory is cool. I'm envious of their kids having a whole other parent, also seems easier to manage a schedule with 3 parents

S5 e10, Jim and Pam getting close enogh to kiss then whispering threats about the chair/photocopier, even as an aroace, that was hot. I want to write something about that, but like I have to finish my dissertation first :(

Jim and Pam, now that they are together, have a healthy relationship, this never happens to tv characters ??

Why was Jim so 'ooh i couldn't wait to get engaged' like dude it's just a patriarchal social construct

(Coincidently I think the detachment for the state is quo norm might be why I like their ot3 because they all grow and learn to be better ppl and better parents together and then realise that they love eachother, are better together and choose to do be happy despite it being untoward especially as in fanon they're living in texas - from my limited understanding, not a great place to be queer)

Pam is almost unrecognisable from who she was in s1 and I love that for her

god I hate Dwight sometimes

god do I hate Michel more must of the time

twice the show has mentioned or indirectly mentioned housing prices, jim buys his parents house- and they haven't even shown him like Scrimping to save for a deposit!! And their shopping habits haven't changed since they brought it bc their broke now.

Why does Michael hate Toby so much? Like sure he's boring, but he's not done anything gut hatred worthy

~Also at one point Andy in an interview said something along the lines of 'why trust some idiot when you can trust a guy who a and b and has a $400 a month apartment' if you could find somewhere to rent for £400 a month it would be a beach hut /garage, a fucking tiny room in someone else's house, or it would be at your parents house. It's fucking insane.

Fucking hell ryan he's so manipulative!! I think I might have liked him in season 1 bc he, like jim and pm were played as the 'normal' real ppl as opposed to the Caricature characters like Michael, Dwight, Angela or Creed

Creed is a funny character, but i would Not feel comfortable in a room with him

[phoeeling]

Gay ships aren’t the only important type of representation. Even if Hunter wasn’t implied bi and Willow wasn’t implied pan & they were both straight, Huntlow still delivers two types of important representation: a plus-size WOC in a loving relationship isn’t something that is seen very often in cartoons. Plus-size characters are usually written off as jokes and don’t get to be in romantic relationships.

Also a m/f couple is still queer if both of them aren’t straight so let’s cool it with calling them “heteronormative”, especially since they aren’t… like at all. Just because Hunter saved her once this episode while she was having a breakdown doesn’t mean she’s suddenly a damsel in distress.

is that really what you got from what I said? That’s completely unreasonable, irrational and shows poor reading comprehension. And oh, my fucking god, “”queer”” couples can still be heteronormative, and M/F couples can still subvert heteronormativity.

I know I’m going to probably get hate for this, but. yeah, hey, as a plus-size woman, can it with calling Willow “plus-size”; she’s chubby. Stop holding her on a pedestal like she’s the Ultimate Fat Representation. this is SPOP and Glimmer all over again.

and omfg with the ‘implied bi/pan’ it’s not implied unless they actually show attraction, otherwise it’s just coincidental colour palettes. Colour design is even, often, a different category of work from designs. People who design things (I.e the sweater Hunter sewed) do not inherently choose the colours.

Edit: and you know what? I’m fucking sick of people acting like something being “important representation” means it doesn’t have to be well-done, and I’m tired of people acting like criticizing something they like is a crime. M/F ships CAN be good! I like a lot of M/F ships! InuKag! Nick/Jess! Cece/Schmidt! Dwight/Angela! Michael/Holly! Micah/Angella! They CAN be good, and well written. It’s a possibility!

[pynkhues]

Not sure if it’s true but apparently there is a office reboot happening. If you were on the casting team who would you pick for the main cast? 🎭

It certainly sounds like the US reboot might be happening, anon! Funnily enough, Amazon Prime is actually making an Australian version too right now (it's wrapped shooting - my sister did some dailies on it right at the end of filming - but it doesn't come out until next year) and they've genderflipped Michael Scott which I'm mmmm, unsure about? Here's the first poster though if you're curious:

But yes! A reboot! I think of the core cast, I'd probably go:

Randall Park as Michael Scott

Funnily enough, he was actually in the original US adaptation as Asian Jim, but I think he'd kill it as Michael. Michael really is a complicated character in the US version, and finding the balance between the obnoxiousness, the callousness, and the genuine kindness and vulnerability that lies at the heart of the character isn't easy, but it's something I think he'd do (and does in other roles!) so well.

Jimmy O. Yang as Dwight Schrute

He kind of feels like an obvious choice given a lot of his previous roles, but I think he's got a good screen presence and an ability to make roles his own, which is what anyone tackling Dwight would need to do - Rainn Wilson's performance is pretty distinct, after all! I feel he could really nail it while bringing something new to it too.

(Also Dwight and Angela are lowkey my favourite relationship dynamic on the show, haha. I'm not sure yet who I'd cast as Angela. Maybe Andrea Bang?)

Alisha Boe as Pam Beesly

I've had a really big soft spot for Alisha Boe since 13 Reasons Why which is, y'know, not a good show, but I always think she did the best she had with the material she was given. I watched Poms for the first time a few weeks ago too which, yes! Also bad! But she was as charming and watchable in that as a lot of that wildly stacked cast was, which speaks for itself. That warmth, playfulness and sort of gentle self-consciousness of Pam is something I think she could do really well in, especially opposite...

Taylor Zakhar Perez as Jim Halpert

LOOK, I don't think he's the best actor, but I do think he's extremely charismatic and likeable on screen, which is 95% of the battle with a character like Jim, who on paper can actually be pretty unlikeable (like, don't get me wrong, I do like him, but in the hands of an actor less charismatic than John Krasinski [who btw I think is also more charismatic than talented], I think his actions would be read pretty differently than they are. Plus he sells the yearning in Red White and Royal Blue! And that's really what a sitcom like The Office and a ship like Jim and Pam need!

[vendimeyers]

I’m never going to get over that scene in season 9 of the office after Dwight and Angela spent the entire day taking care of his weird, dying aunt and then kissed on her porch and then Dwight suggests that they get together again despite the fact that she’s married but Angela turns him down even though:

Her husband is gay

Her husband has already cheated on her before

She has already cheated on her husband with Dwight before

They are both aware of all these things

So in her mind she would probably feel completely justified in running away with Dwight if she wanted, something he even points out “he probably won’t even notice that you’re gone” but despite all that she turns him down because she finally knows how much it hurts when someone cheats on you and how wrong it is. And even though she doesn’t love the senator, and she knows he doesn’t love her (and doesn’t even find her attractive due to the fact that he’s gay), she made a vow when she married him, and even though she and her husband both already broke that promise she has finally decided at that point that she has to be better. And there is literally no logical reason for her to do turn Dwight down other than the fact that she made a promise to be loyal to a dude that didn’t even deserve it.

And then, after she turns Dwight down and explains why she can’t be with him, he does something he had never done before and accepts it. Even though it would have been so easy for him to bring up all the reasons she could feel justified in cheating on the senator with him, and it probably broke his heart to do so, he finally respected her choices and the boundaries she set before him. He didn’t do that when she first broke up with him, and he didn’t do that when she started dating Andy, he didn’t even do that when she was engaged to the senator. But finally, after so long of not respecting her boundaries and other relationships, and having so many reasons not to, he finally agrees to let her go.

And even though that’s the scene where Dwight and Angela seemingly end things romantically between them for good, that was the scene where I knew they would make it. Because they finally overcame the innate character flaws that were keeping them apart:

Dwight had to overcome his superiority complex. When he got the temporary opportunity to be manager in earlier seasons he immediately started treating Angela worse because he viewed her as an inferior, which is the same mindset that lead him to killing her cat (an animal that held no value in his mind) and why he refused to respect their breakup and other relationships because, even though he loved her, his innate sexism still lead himself to see her as an inferior. And even though he still retained some of this complex by the end of the series “I don’t have coworkers, I have subordinates,” and probably even some of his sexist beliefs, he finally learned to see the value in those around him and treat people he saw as inferiors with the respect of equals.

Angela had to overcome her hypocrisy. She spent years judging others for not upholding values that she herself didn’t uphold. She judged Pam for dating multiple people in the office even though Angela not only also dated multiple people in the office, she cheated on one with the other, and then she judged Jim and Pam for conceiving Cece out of wedlock even though she also conceived a child out of wedlock with someone she wasn’t even in a relationship with, she judged everyone for gossiping even though she partook too, the list goes on. And the fact that she was willing to string Dwight along while she was dating and then engaged to Andy basically meant she wasn’t emotionally mature enough to retain a relationship with either of them. So in the final season when she finally learns to make her actions align with her values instead of judging other people when their actions don’t align with her values, it shows a tremendous amount of growth, and a readiness to finally be in a committed relationship.

The way that scene illustrates the growth the two of them have undergone is incredibly beautiful, and even though they don’t get together right then, it is incredibly romantic just in changes of the way they treat each other from the earlier seasons. Also, “the 80 or 90 years left I have in this life, I want to spend with you” is freak’n adorable and that’s a fact.

[herecomesshawn]

Angela would be dominant with Michael [especially if it was a one night stand]. I feel like Angela isn't submissive with partners until she 100% trusts them and feels comfortable being vulnerable with them. Sometimes she just fucks people to get out her frustrations and has zero emotional attachment.

I think Michael enjoys being dominant by others more than being dom himself (Dwight excluded), and Michael never is dominant in any of his relationships. On the contrary, Angela likes to be in charge of her relationships. Perfect one-night stand match! I'd say.

And they have absolutely no emotional attachment to each other. Which is kinda cute lol, tho if this happens, Dwight will pretend he is happy for Michael and secretly tries to kill himself.💔

[zalrb]

Can I beg you to talk about Jim Halpert's great traits and moments? Tumblr's hatred for him has grown to Ross Geller levels of over the top-ness, and while I get that Jim has major flaws and should have been kinder to Dwight, not made unilateral decisions without consulting Pam, and not been so smug and self-superior around his coworkers, I think we also saw on a lot of occasions that he's a good guy overall. He's smart, independent and goodhearted--he really does care about people even when he doesn't want to and wants them to be happy.

Honestly, this whole thing is stupid to me because what's really going on is that Jim is one of the more realistic characters on the show so he gets more flack than the other characters because they're extremes, because, like Dwight exhibits sexist tendencies

He cheats with Angela on Andy

He actually treats Phyllis pretty shitty

He tricks Angela into marrying him the first time around and this was after having killed her cat

Angela is homophobic, xenophobic and constantly slut shames

she abandons Andy in a pond in the middle of nowhere

but hey let's pile on Jim because he hates his job and pranks Dwight - which everyone in the office either actively participates in or sits back and watches for entertainment (besides Angela)? Like Ross, it’s arbitrary. Especially considering that the show does bring up Dwight's feeling about Jim pranking Dwight, Karen essentially calls him a child for doing it, Jim feels both grateful and guilty that Dwight protected him from Roy because of the pranks.

And I'm also tired of hearing how Jim feels superior to his colleagues when what it actually is is he doesn't care about his job, which many of us have felt

it's basically Stanley and his crossword puzzle

the person who feels superior to their colleagues (besides Angela) is Ryan

Like the WHOLE THING is just ridiculous to me because Jim isn’t only his more negative qualities, when Michael wants to put the blame for the Golden Ticket idea on Dwight a) Jim tells Dwight that he deserves better b) when Michael tries to backtrack when David Wallace congratulates Dwight, Jim doesn’t let him

he also does his best to help Dwight through his breakup with Angela

(just like how Dwight ends up being grateful for Phyllis trying to help him with Angela even though he’d been terrible to her)

after pranking Andy who was transplanting his experience with Angela and Dwight onto Jim’s relationship with Pam, he expresses sympathy toward Andy about what he went through

he knows Kelly enough to know exactly what to give her and is genuinely pleased that she’s happy

he helps Michael with Holly so he doesn’t appear to be too inappropriate and has genuine moments with him when he realizes things from his perspective and that it’s not as easy as he thinks it is to be in Michael’s position

and even before that, things like, despite not initially inviting Michael to his party, when Michael gatecrashes, instead of letting it just be awkward and uncomfortable and leaving Michael hanging, he just embraces the fact that he’s there

and then there’s the fact that things are played for comedic effect -- the pass Michael gets for all of the racist, homophobic, sexist things he says while also being an overbearing, manipulative boss because it’s comedy but Jim doesn’t get a pass for pranking Dwight and not making some of the best decisions, like a nuanced character should, is just like, honestly tumblr is SO annoying.

[spookymultimedia]

In celebration of aromantic spectrum awareness week I'll be sharing some of my aro-spec hcs for The Office. This is for fun and to talk aro language and terminology that may be lesser known. I encourage you to please listen to aro-spec experiences and reflect on your baises or assumptions on attraction and love.

Mose Shrute [The Office]: He is aromantic,asexual, aplatonic and anatractional. He doesn't want to partner up or have a long term relationship with anyone. He doesn't feel any kind of attraction towards others. He doesn't feel the need to seek out friendships. He would enjoy owning a dog or living adjacent to family but for the most part he's happy to live alone. He might enjoy holding conversations about topics he likes or play games with others but he doesn't feel anything towards anyone. He's neutral and wishes you well. He doesn't like the word love and doesn't feel that he experiences it.

Garreth Kennan: He is aroflux, aceflux. His romantic and sexual identity fluxates through a spectrum of attraction. He might have a crush on someone one moment and the next moment he may feel little to no romantic attraction. Sometimes the idea of emotional intimacy sounds nice but then later it's repulsive and uncomfortable to picture himself in that situation. He also identifies with queer because for him his attractions towards the same and opposite gender are too nebulous and atypical for him to to decipher. Sometimes he's attracted to the same and opposite gender sexually but feels little or no romantic attraction and feels repulsed by any romantic connection with them. Friends are nice.

Angela Martin: She is demiromantic, greyromantic, cupioromantic/cupiosexual, and asexual. She rarely experiences romantic attraction and it's only possible for her to experience romantic attraction after a deep emotional connection. She doesn't experience primal attraction. She does desire a romantic and/or sexual relationship. She feels favorable towards sex in specific settings and contexts but might feel repulsed by the general topic of sex in other cases. Or she might say something sex negative while having an active sex life because she's such a hypocrite <3. She can have a sexual relationship with someone and feel no romantic attraction towards them but might develop romantic attraction towards them overtime but that's typically rare for her. No matter what she's always asexual.

Queerplatonic relationships and queerplatonic attraction isn't limited to arospec identities but are important to discuss when it comes to atypical relationships outside of romance.

Dwight Shrute: He has a very queer relationship with friendships. He has many acquaintances but they tend be people who he has little in common with him or may not even be good people. He's slow to being friends with others, especially deep friendships. His relationship with Pam took years before they became best friends. However, he occasionally clicks with someone and they usually became his favorite person to be around. MICHAEL THIS IS ABOUT MICHAEL. He feels an attraction to Michael that is very strong but for him it is not romantic or sexual. It feels somewhat platonic but something more intimate than that. He's very invested. He may describe this as a queerplatonic attraction.

Now Michael doesn't feel a queerplatonic attraction but does enjoy a queerplatonic relationship with Dwight. He trusts Dwight with his life and seeks comfort in him. He enjoys regularly cuddling with Dwight and having platonic dates with him. He might even call him a partner but usually doesn't because he knows people will assume something homosexual which is not at all what's going on. Even after Michael moved away he regularly called Dwight and kept in touch with his life.

Dwight also has a queerplatonic relationship with Oscar. They enjoy spending time together regularly to talk and while they aren't as physically close as Dwight was with Michael, Oscar does like to kiss Dwight on the forehead or cheek. It's a very friendly gesture for Oscar. [in many Latin cultures brief kisses on the cheek are common greetings between friends, this overwhelmingly common in women but Oscar is queer so I wouldn't expect him to adhere to typical masculinity.] They love hugging and giving each other big hugs. Most of their affection is shown through actions and words more than physical touch though. Oscar likes to push Dwight to express himself more, find pride instead of shame in his transgender identity and to have fun. Oscar is an important part of Dwight's family as a godfather to his child and often plays an active role in taking care of the child. Alot of this is just headcannon but its nice to think about.

[multifandomaddictedfangirl]

“This ewpresses how loudly I love you!”

“It’s TOO loud”

[morethanthatfic]

Just be honest, do you think Jim and Pam are a healthy couple? I know they're not the best and superior of the show, but I would like to know how good of a match are they after a heated fight with some online peers.

I am admittedly biased but yes I do.

The trend right now seems to be watching The Office and trying to find fault with every little thing Jim and Pam did (especially Pam) and problems in their relationship. But as far as a couple that started off as a will-they-won’t-they on a sitcom they are pretty healthy, even during their troubles in the final season.

I’m sure some people point to their messy beginnings as a sign that they aren’t a healthy relationship, but during the messiness of Pam feeling stuck in her actually very unhealthy relationship with Roy as Jim can only watch and pine is something very important: Pam and Jim are friends, they genuinely like each other. Jim is physically attracted to Pam of course, but he also likes her sense of humor, her warmth, her talents, and Pam feels the same for Jim. So when they do finally get the timing right (timing is arguably the biggest, most important theme in the Jim and Pam story) they have that solid foundation of friendship. The other important thing in their messy getting-together is that 3rd angsty season. Pam for a lot of reasons was not in the right place to start a relationship with Jim after Casino Night, she needed that year to learn who she was outside of a relationship and learn how to look to herself for validation rather than to others. Jim notably says he’d save the receptionist but ultimately the receptionist has to save herself (and Pam does).

Now to them actually being a couple. So many shows throw wrenches in the works with their couples to keep the drama up and the plot interesting (we don’t even need to look further than the Office for examples as Dwight & Angela and Erin & Andy are always making up and breaking up for contrived reasons) but once Pam and Jim got together, the show (wisely, I think) largely left them alone and let their relationship progress at a natural pace without manufactured drama. With their strong friendship foundation we see Jim and Pam become a loving and healthy couple in S4. They support each other, they love each other’s company but they still give each other enough space to be their own person, they tease each other a bit and give each other a hard time but it’s always playful and loving and never to cut the other one down (unlike Roy’s teasing of Pam and even on occasion Karen’s teasing of Jim). Pam and Jim’s great strength as a couple is how well they know each other and are in tune with each other. They know what the other is feeling and thinking just from a look. They’re so in tune that when things are even the tiniest bit off they immediately and deeply feel it, like the episode when Pams in New York and their phone calls keep getting interrupted, resulting in them calling each other and leaving virtually the same voicemails.

As many issues as the show had by its 8th season, Jim and Pam’s relationship is still very healthy and loving. It’s a little worrisome when Pam gets hung up on Jim just admitting already he finds Cathy attractive, but the episode finished with them learning Jim has high blood pressure and Pam realizing how dumb her hang up is and instead wanting to get Jim to a doctor. People want find fault in Pam for this storyline but this is how sitcoms often work, a character makes a mistake, antics ensue, character learns their lesson by the end.

There’s a great deleted scene from later in the season that I think beautifully illustrates the strength and health of their relationship which is this scene of Pam calling Jim in Florida when Cathy is in his room.

Pam’s thrown off when Cathy answers the phone, but she calmly asks Jim what’s up and Jim answers using a little coded language to communicate Cathy invited herself and won’t leave. Pam doesn’t respond with any accusations or insist on having words with Cathy, she actually kind of amused at the situation Jim’s found himself in and trusts him completely to handle it.

Now remember when I said Pam and Jim’s great strength is their non-verbal communication, how in sync they are and well they know what the other is thinking and feeling from a look? They depend on this almost too much, to the point that when they actually need to verbalize their feelings and communication they struggle. This weakness rears it ugly head in Season 9. The opportunity to join Athlead comes up and together they decide no, but then Jim decides unilaterally to join anyway. It’s not a stretch to imagine Jim didn’t communicate at the start how interested he was in Athlead, we’ve seen before Jim will talk himself right out of things if he overthinks them resulting in his impulsive streak. And maybe Jim could have salvaged it by telling Pam then and communicating how important it is to him but instead he convinces himself not to tell Pam “until it’s real”. This sets off a whole string of Jim makings decisions without Pam and Pam feeling she had no choice but to just try to keep up and feeling inadequate when she starts falling behind. Jim is normally so in tune with Pam he knows right away when she’s upset or having a hard time but he gets so wrapped up in Athlead he fails to see Pam is struggling.

As many problem as the Athlead storyline had writing-wise, it was pretty bold to take Jim and Pam, the sweet dependable heart of the show, and put their marriage to a real test. We are not used to a sitcom couple having a real sustained conflict like this where there’s no bad guy (much as people want to put the blame squarely on one of them, typically Pam, they both handle it poorly) and where the conflict isn’t exaggerated to a comedic effect. I assume this is the point that your peers want to call Jim and Pam an unhealthy couple, and they do have trouble and start getting into some unhealthy habits (namely avoidance), but what would be unhealthy is to just let the issues go unaddressed until it’s too late. Another thing about sitcoms and love stories is they so often end when the couple gets together, giving the false impression the work is over. But relationships and marriage take work, they need all parties to be actively participating and learning and growing to last. Jim and Pam reach a crossroads where they can just keep going as they are and drift apart or they can “stay and fight” and that’s the choice they make, which is the healthy choice.

[somedayonbroadway]

wAIT I REALLY WANNA HEAR YOUR OFFICE AU IM VERY CURIOUS LOL

For more Mood Boards and AUs, click here!

Yes!!!!! Fun story, I did this one once, but I didn’t like it at all, so I’m redoing it now and I’m stoked!

The Office AU

Characters

Jack Kelly — Jim Halpert

Katherine Plumber — Pam Beesley

Spot Conlon — Dwight Schrute

Racetrack Higgins — Angela Martin

Albert DaSilva — Andy Bernard

Morris Delancey — Ryan Howard

Henry — Kelly Kapoor

Hannah — Meredith Palmer

Medda Larkin — Phyllis Vance

William Hearst — Stanley Hudson

Oscar Delancey — Oscar Martinez

Darcy — Toby Flenderson

Obadiah Weisel — Creed Bratton

Specs — Darrel Philbin

Crutchie Morris — Erin Hannon

Todd Kloppman— Michael Scott

Okay so…

Jack Kelly

A salesman at a local paper company, a job he originally sees himself as getting out of fairly quickly despite sticking around for ten years.

He’s a talented, but insecure artist, longing to go to school for art and eventually make a living off of his work

Growing up, Jack has two older brothers who are difficult to get along with as they both were jocks and loved to pick on him

Also growing up, Jack had an abusive father and a mother who walked out on him at a very young age.

Upon beginning to work at Dunder Mifflin, Jack finds himself falling for the quiet receptionist

Finding out that said receptionist is and has been engaged, he starts on the hardest waiting period of his life

Jack is the prankster of the office, choosing mostly to blow off his actual work and mess with his desk mate Sean whom he calls “Spot” just to mess with him more

This catches on until the whole office calls Sean “Spot”

Jack often gets bored as he claims that he hates his job and is looking for ways around actually doing it, especially in the beginning

He’s a huge baseball fan, though he admits he wasn’t a huge fan of playing sports even though he was on several teams in high school, as he wanted to be able to match his brothers’ accomplishments.

His sarcasm is a sort of escape from the world around him.

Does not like costumes very much

Everybody loves Jack except for Spot, who is convinced that Jack is his worst nemesis.

It takes Jack a long time to admit his feelings for Katherine, the receptionist he’s fallen in love with, and when he does, he is overall rejected, prompting him to request a job transfer

Eventually moving on, Jack ends up dating one Davey Jacobs from another branch of the company before that branch is closed and he’s moved back

He’d always been scared about being openly bisexual, but he liked Davey

Eventually, he realizes that despite liking Davey, he’s still very much in love with Katherine and breaks up with the other man, asking Katherine out on a date.

Davey eventually becomes his best friend

After asking Katherine out finally, the two end up staying together and getting married

Jack proposes at a gas station in the rain when he eventually goes away to art school for three months

Together, Jack and Katherine have two kids.

They find out they’re pregnant on accident before they are married

He often lives spontaneously, never running anything by anyone and hoping for the best

Eventually becomes one of the most trusted people within the company

Is forever devoted to Katherine

His father dies before his wedding and Jack can’t bring himself to cry and, when faced with going back into his childhood home, finds he can’t do it

Becomes protective of his friends, including his coworkers (especially Crutchie once he begins working there)

Is attacked at one point by Katherine’s ex-fiancé

Is very soft and romantic

Is often teased for being bi, especially by the “traditionalists” in his office who claim he practically has slept with everyone in the office

Brushing things off fairly easily, again using sarcasm and jokes to mask his feelings

Is slightly protective of Henry who is very young and naive and continuously goes back to a relationship that is toxic for him

Finds humor in any situation he can.

Genuinely likes to make people happy and will do a lot to make that happen

Katherine Plumber

Is shy and quiet when she starts working at Dunder Mifflin

Is often referred to as boring and solemn

Is in an endless, slightly abusive relationship that she’s convinced is meant to be for eight years, ever since high school.

Grows up as an only child with well off “normal” parents who end up divorcing each other when she and Jack are engaged

Is the “hottie” of the office and is one of the few women who work there, the youngest actually

Jack often has to subtly get people to stop harassing her

She enjoys writing and even has her own blog and publishes her own journals online. Jack reads every single one of them

Is very close with her mother and has a strained relationship with her father who does not like Jack and likes her previous fiancé better

Katherine is very meek and shy towards the beginning of her career, but often gravitated towards Jack because he brought out the humorous, adventurous side of her

Had been dating the same man since her freshman year of high school, despite him bringing his brother on their first date and abandoning her at a basketball game having forgotten about her.

Despite being engaged for three years, she often jokes that there’s no end in sight

Tries to convince herself that Jack is like her brother in the beginning to deny her own feelings for him

Jack teaches her how to fight, telling her that she’s a woman who often walks alone in New York City and she needs to have some training on her side

She comes from a rich family who she denies funds from in an attempt to be independent.

After Jack admits his feelings for her, she lets him kiss her, resulting in her calling off her wedding without explanation

Losing touch with Jack for a long few months, Katherine finds herself wanting to be more assertive, saying what she wants and making sure she gets it

Realizing she’s in love with Jack after seeing and accidentally picking up a call from him over the months he was gone, she embarks on a waiting period similar to Jack’s as Jack is in a relationship with Davey and she fears it will never end

Davey and her actually end up becoming pretty good friends, and after Jack and Davey break up, he becomes a sort of confidant and best friend to the both of them. After a while, obviously. David’s not too happy with Kath after Jack breaks up with him

During Jack’s relationship with David, Katherine ends up going back to her ex, lasting for a while before she wants to be honest with him.

She tells him about Jack’s kiss resulting in him having a hissy fit and starting a bar fight and later attacking Jack at their workplace.

Jack and Katherine start to grow closer again after this

Once they start dating, Katherine starts to break through her shell

When Jack goes away to art school she’s disappointed he didn’t propose to her but ends up accepting his proposal when meeting him halfway

She finds out she’s pregnant after twisting her ankle playing volleyball, which she’s rather good at, at a company picnic before the wedding

Jack and her run away from their own wedding when things go wrong and get married on a boat before having the wedding they planned

While going into labor, Katherine admits she’s terrified and sees herself as unfit to be a mother before Jack promises her that they’re in this together

She has two children with Jack

Her and Race have a strained relationship despite the fact that they both constantly try to be friends

While she often helps Jack on his pranks with Spot, she is kind to Spot and is one of the only people who knows about his secret relationship from the start

When Jack starts a business that takes off in Santa Fe, she and him begin to fight but eventually get over their single rough patch and end up drawing closer together

She stands up for herself and her family above all else

Spot Conlon

Is a born and raised traditionalist according to everyone else

Lives on a beat farm

Believes that there are strict rules for men and women that should be followed as he’s basically been brainwashed since he was born

Is in an on again off again relationship with a man, which he is at first ashamed of, as men were not supposed to sleep with other men

Is a purple belt in karate

Is the highest ranking salesman at Dunder Mifflin

Believes his biggest nemesis to be Jack who is constantly trying to prank him in various ways, ranging from simple and childish to well thought out and expertly orchestrated

Main goal in life is to become the manager at Dunder Mifflin despite being loyal to the current manager who’s not quite as big an idiot as Michael Scott is

Is named Assistant Regional Manager but if often referred to as Assistant to the Regional Manager

Volunteer Sheriff’s deputy for a while

Wants to be the leader of his workplace but would also do what needs to be done in order to protect his coworkers at any cost (ex: saving Jack from getting beaten to a pulp by Kath’s ex)

Is an expert paintball player

Falls in love with the head of accounting (his on again off again relationship) and is actually able to make his partner happy

Had a somewhat abusive and distant father and basically raised himself and his younger cousin Vince

Spot enjoys having control over things, making life a bit harder for the people around him as he enjoys acting as somewhat of a vigilante.

Is in a relationship with the head of accounting, Race, until he murders Race’s cat and is dumped, sending him spiraling into depression

Upon this break, Race starts dating and gets engaged to Albert DaSilva, a salesman who came back with Jack

Towards the end of that engagement, Spot wins Race back in the event of having an affair before both Spot and Albert have enough and walk away

Eventually Spot ends up in a relationship with a friend of Katherine’s named Riddle (@bexlynne’s amazing OC)

Moves from this relationship back to Race after a while and then back again until eventually realizing that Race is the only one for him and running Race off the road to propose to him.

Regards Katherine as his best friend despite her marrying his worst enemy

He loves Katherine’s kids who grow up calling him “uncle Spot” against Jack’s wishes

Learns sign language for his boyfriend

Knows German as he mostly spoke German growing up

Is fairly closed off

Will do anything to protect the people he cares about

Racetrack Higgins

The head of accounting at Dunder Mifflin

Raised in a very religious home for most of his life before being moved around in different foster homes, most of which were bad

Is mostly deaf with one hearing aid that allows him to work normally even though he often shuts the thing off to actually concentrate

Learns sign language from a teacher at his school who wants him to be able to actually communicate in a proper way that he can easily understand.

Is often cold towards people who talk down to him or talk slower so he can try to read their lips

Owns several cats

Head of the party planning committee

Craves validation

Is perceived as homophobic before his romance with Spot Conlon is found out by Katherine

Has a strained relationship with Katherine who he constantly tries to be friends with when he’s in a good mood.

Bottles up his emotions as best he can out of force of habit

Hates people who put their relationships on display as he views it as indecent

Is unapologetic

Is in an on again off again relationship with Spot Conlon who often calls him “Monkey”

After this relationship officially ends for the first time, he is asked out by Albert DaSilva

Accepting this, he finds he’s easily annoyed by Albert but likes how sweet the man can be when he tries

Eventually Race begrudgingly accepts a proposal from him, one that spoils Jack and Kath’s original plan for a proposal

Has an affair with Spot towards the end of the engagement, leaving Spot and Al to fight over him in an old fashioned duel

Jack finds Race crying in the bathroom and looks up the signs to promise he won’t tell anyone

Race connects with the receptionist that takes over for Katherine, as Crutchie also grew up in the foster system, but has a much more positive outlook on life

Race tries to protect him, much like the rest of the office

Later, after Spot’s next relationship, they end up sleeping together again only for Spot to move on eventually

Race is later hit on by a politician who eventually asks for his hand in marriage.

Race agrees, only to later find out that the man was in love with someone else and eventually get dumped and kicked out.

Oscar, whom Race has never truly gotten along with, offers to put Race up while he gets back on his feet, resulting in Race admitting to him that he’s still in love with Spot

When Spot runs him off the road to propose to him, he gets down on one knee and signs to him, making Race cry

Race and Spot adopt a son together and live on Spot’s farm

At the wedding, Jack is Spot’s best man, Katherine is Race’s

Oscar is named their son’s godfather

Race has a really hard life that he refuses to open up about, but he turns out alright in the end

If you’d like to hear about more characters or see any scenes, just let me know!

[jjayolsen]

Best Friendship Moments

1. Season Two, Episode Twelve: The Injury

When Pam tells “Oscar” how Dwight’s doing in the hospital so that she can discreetly pass the information to Angela who was just eavesdropping on her phone call with Jim.

What adds to this moment is that Pam went out of her way to allow Angela to continue to believe no one knew about their relationship and keep her privacy.

2. Season Two, Episode Fifteen: Boys and Girls

When Jim gets upset with Pam for not going for the Graphic Design internship in NY and telling her “You gotta take a chance on something sometime Pam” and asking if she really is ‘fine’ with her choices. While we feel it’s more related to her engagement to Roy and not just the job, in both instances it is truer friends who push you to do more and be better for yourself.

3. Season Two, Episode Eleven: Booze Cruise

When Jim tells Michael he “used” to have a thing for Pam and describes her as funny, and warm and Michael responds” BFD--engaged ain’t married. Never, ever, ever give up”.

4. Season Nine, Episode: Couple’s Discount

When Darryl tells the homophobic Nail Salon worker how Oscar and him work as a couple, grabs Oscar’s hand, and how “Him and me, all right, we are crazy in love. More in love than your small mind can comprehend. And we have two disposable incomes and no kids, and we’re taking our business elsewhere”.

5. Season Four, Episode Four: Money

Jim and Pam throughout the episode trying to help Dwight feel better in relation to his breakup with Angela; especially at the end when they smile to each other after Dwight uses his ruler to knocks anything of Jim’s hanging over his desk because to them it means ‘Dwight’s Back’.

Pam signing up for just about everything when staying at Beet Farms.

When she won’t help set up Andy with Angela because she doesn’t “see them together”.

Their detailed and positive but not too much review on TripAdvisor, following up with the fact that they really enjoyed their stay.

Jim goes and tries to talk to Dwight after Angela agrees to go out with Andy and tells him how he couldn’t sleep, couldn’t taste food and how it’s something “he wouldn’t wish on his worst enemy” and that includes Dwight.

6. Season Three, Episode Four: Grief Counseling

When Pam and Dwight both go out of their way to prep the bird funeral; Pam creating a decorated casket out of a tissue box and Dwight playing a song on his recorder.

7. Season Three, Episode Twelve: Traveling Salesman

When Angela asks Pam to go out for a coffee so she can gush about “Noelle and Kurt” aka her and Dwight. Even if Angela was unsure if Pam knew who they were really talking about, it doesn’t matter; Angela had great personal news and she wanted to share it with Pam.  

8. Season Seven, Episode Ten: China

When Dwight “lets” Pam win in regards to the standards of the building after he overheard Pam telling Him how she felt like a failure as she failed art school, and being a salesman.

9. Season Nine, Episode Sixteen: Moving On

While driving Toby home from the doctor after getting strangled by the Scranton Strangler, she calls him brave, twice.

“You offered your neck in search of the truth. The proud neck of justice—isn’t that the expression? Well, anyway, it was—it was very brave. It really was quite brave.”

10. Season Seven, Episode Twelve: Classy Christmas, Part 2

When after Michael storms away from Holly because he’s upset that Holly would have a long-distance relationship with AJ and not with him, Holly does to follow Michael but Erin blocks her.

Good friends know when you need your space and will help and protect you to get what you need.