🚨 ATTENTION ALL OFFICE FANS! ASSEMBLE IN THE CONFERENCE ROOM RIGHT NOW! 🚨
Last night, I decided to binge-watch The Office for the billionth time, because duh. And in the show's pilot episode, I noticed something ~very subtle~ that I'd never caught before, and I need to tell someone.
About 16 minutes into Episode #1, Pam's (then) fiancé, Roy, appears on screen for the first time. You might remember this scene.
The way the shot is framed, we see Jim and Pam being flirty at the reception desk, and then Roy walks into the office and comes between them. It's our very first glimpse at this love triangle in action. Symbolic AF!!!
BUT WAIT. Do you notice anything ELSE in the shot? Look realllllllllly closely...
A MOTHERFUCKIN' BOOM MIC!
Now, it's totally possible that this was a mistake, and the writers never meant to send a message with this. BUT. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
Nine years after this episode aired, we actually MET that boom mic operator — Brian. And we learn that he's got some kind of ~feelings~ for Pam.
In fact, every time Brian drops his boom mic on the show, it has SOMETHING to do with Ms. Beesly.
He drops it to flirt with her.
And to protect her.
And to comfort her.
In fact, Brian's boom mic is the source of a LOT of drama that goes down between him, Pam, and Jim.
So in this very ~symbolic~ introduction to Pam's dating drama, we're not just seeing the Roy/Jim tension — we're also getting a sneak peek at a new love triangle that will emerge...nine years later.
Still not convinced? Here's what showrunner Greg Daniels told Screener about why his team wrote the character of Brian into the show:
...When you think about the fact that Jim and Pam are such soulmates, it’s really hard to imagine there would be any other human being who would be a threat to their relationship. But if you imagine that there was somebody off camera the entire time who predates Jim, and who has been watching and listening to Pam for longer than Jim has, then you start to go, "Oh. That could be interesting."
[Emphasis mine.]
So, was that mic slip a total accident? I dunno, maybe! But intentional or not, it's still pretty freaking cool if you're a total Office nerd like me.
