The Office is one of the most beloved and rewatched shows across all streaming platforms. It helped to transform the way we look at the traditional sitcom and paved the way for shows like Modern Family and Parks and Recreation .
The success of the show hung largely on the tremendous efforts of fan-favorite John Krasinski — aka Jim Halpert. During a recent appearance on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon , the late-night host brought up a troublesome fan theory that made Krasinski uncomfortable.
RELATED STORIES
‘The Office’ was one of the most important and iconic sitcoms of the ’00s.
The show not only helped pioneer mockumentary filmmaking, but also launched the careers of countless stars — including Steve Carell, Ed Helms, and John Krasinski.
In ‘The Office’, Krasinski played the affable Jim Halpert.
Jim was an instant hit with fans, thanks largely to his penchant for pranks, his overall goofball nature, and his tendency to break the 4th wall with his signature smirk.
Recently, while making an appearance on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’, the late-night host brought a polarizing fan theory to John’s attention.
Jimmy revealed how the article argued that Jim wasn’t the hero of the series, but rather was the villain — a proverbial wolf in sheep’s clothing.
“Wait, what? Did you make that up?” Krasinski asked, sounding perplexed.
Fallon then proceeded to explain to Krasinski how Jim’s behavior, especially toward Pam, could be seen as manipulative. “When you ask it like that, it makes me uncomfortable ,” Krasinksi said.
The pair quickly laughed off the ludicrous notion, with Krasinski adding “That’s why I did Fantastic Four — to balance it out. I had already done the villain.”
But what if the idea isn’t so ludicrous? Is it possible that Jim really was a Dr. Doom-caliber villain and we were all just too enamored by his charms to notice?
Let’s begin by examining some of Jim Halpert’s more questionable behavior.
First of all, it’s all but confirmed that Jim, at best, had a drinking problem and at worst was a closeted alcoholic — with a bad habit of driving drunk .
One of the first examples of this takes place when Jim, Andy, and Karen stay late to finish their paperwork.
When Andy pulls a bottle of Jagermeister from his desk, Jim happily indulges in shot after shot. At the end of the night, he attempts to ride his bike home and crashes into a bush.
Later on in the series, he attends a party at Robert California’s house and gets wasted on red wine.
The final shot of the episode shows Jim getting into his car, peeling out of the driveway, and driving right over the lawn.
For the show’s first two seasons, he constantly pursues an engaged woman.
After he finally wears Pam down and she breaks up with Roy, he leaves town and takes a new job at Dunder Mifflin, Stamford. When he returns, he treats her with passive aggression and indifference.
Jim is also ego-driven, self-interested, and openly disrespectful to his superiors.
Jim made a mockery of Michael Scott by constantly undermining him and attempting to make him look bad. He even chose not to save Michael from falling into a koi pond, just to prove a point.
When it comes to his own job performance, Jim couldn’t care less when it comes to pulling his weight.
We’re told that Jim is an incredible salesman, but how can that be? He has total disdain for everything Dunder Mifflin does and never denies himself an opportunity to slack off — as we saw in Season 2’s “Office Olympics.”
Jim also has a superiority complex when it comes to his co-workers.
From day one, Jim has always maintained an air that he is better than everyone with whom he works. The only two people who manage to escape his scrutiny are Pam and later on, Darryl.
But what really makes Jim a villain, more than anything else, is the fact that he’s a cruel bully.
The first time we meet Jim, he’s putting Dwight’s calculator in Jello. He messes with Dwight’s business cards, tricks him into dying his hair blonde, and even goes so far as to make him believe that he’s being scouted by the CIA.
There’s also a throwaway line of dialogue in Season 8’s “Christmas Wishes” that all but confirms Jim is often drunk at work.
Andy tells both Dwight and Jim that if he catches one of them messing around, he’ll give that person’s Christmas bonus to the other.
“Ah god, now I can’t drink at this thing,” Jim says to the camera. ” I get really pranky when I drink .”
If Jim’s pranks are triggered by his alcohol intake, it’s safe to presume that he’s been sneaking drinks while at work.
Remember when Jim put Dwight’s stuff in the vending machine ? He was drunk. That time that he moved Dwight’s desk into the bathroom? Drunk. Jim Halpert is not the hero, but rather he’s a villainous drunk — and quite possibly the true Scranton Strangler!
Obviously, this is a pretty intense and slightly out-there theory, but still, it’s worth thinking about!
