Last week, I wrote about why Jim Halpert (from "The Office," if you really didn't know) is one of the most terrible characters in the history of TV. It all stems from the way he flagrantly disrespected the sanctity of a couple's engagement and went after Pam (engaged, at the time) in the most obnoxious way possible. But it doesn't stop there.
Cue season three. The season revolves around Jim transferring to a different branch because Pam denied him after he kissed her at the end of season two. In doing so, he also caused Pam to call off her wedding—jeez, you kiss her, then leave her single? What's your end game here, guy?
Terrible career move aside (who uproots themselves and changes career paths all for one girl. grow some thicker skin, man), Jim meets Karen at the new branch, and the two begin dating. However, once that branch shuts down and merges back with Pam's branch, it becomes clear that Jim is only dating this girl to make Pam jealous; he even makes a point to tell Pam on his first day back, "Hey, I'm seeing Karen, so buzz off" (I'm sort of paraphrasing). That, in itself, is pretty messed up; he even admits to Karen that he still has feelings for Pam after leading her on to the point of encouraging her to transfer with him. If that's not a **** move, I don't know what is.
On the topic of bad career moves, at the end of the season Jim interviews for a better position in the company, but blows his chance all because Pam writes a note telling him good luck. This man needs to set his priorities straight; he manages his crushes as if he's in high school despite being a grown man.
But in season three, his true nature starts to come out, Pam stuff aside. The guy is a jerk; one moment that especially stands out in my mind is when Jim comes back to his original branch and starts saying, "hey," to everyone, including the introverted and awkward HR rep, Toby. Toby greets Jim with a closed fist, as if to give him a fist bump. Jim, being the schmuck he is, doesn't reciprocate with a fist -- no, he looks at Toby like he's growing two heads and goes, "Oh, is this like a new thing, now?" What follows is a heartbreaking scene of rejection as Toby retracts his fist and insists that it was a stupid move. What was stupid? Trying to be friendly without subjecting yourself to the germs on the palm of someone's hand? If Jim was such a great guy, he wouldn't have made Toby feel dumb like that -- he would've just bumped the fist.
Nothing else major happens through seasons three or four that make Jim an overall bad person. There are a few pranks that get way out of hand (how can a guy who spends so much time on bullying Dwight get any work done or have any life outside of work) including making Dwight climb up a telephone pole. But for the most part, season three leads into the fourth season where Jim finally starts dating Pam and his superiority complex shoots through the roof. Other than that, nothing major happens. He just continues to be a smug guy who think he's infinitely better than everyone in the office despite not having any more money, education or status than any of them. But it's nothing compared to what follows as the show goes on.
