With Rainn Wilson starring as the unusual radio broadcaster, Dr. Demento, in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, it is easy to recall his other quirky character, Dwight Schrute, on the beloved show, The Office.
While The Office is widely known for its cringey comedy, sarcastic humor, and mockumentary style, it was Jim Halpert's (sometimes) harmless pranks on the bear lover and beet farmer, Dwight Schrute, that showcased his gullible nature and the show's ability to keep the fans laughing at even the most insignificant parts of the episode. Whether it was hiding office supplies in Jell-O, or making small comments scattered throughout the episode, fans could always count on both Jim's simple and more elaborate pranks as some of the best childish hilarity seen in the show.
When Jim Puts Dwight's Stapler In Jell-O
Introducing the dynamic between Dwight Schrute and Jim Halpert, episode 1 starts off with Dwight calling Jim out for putting his stapler in Jell-O for the supposed "third time." This prank introduces the fans to Jim's motivation behind his pranks on Dwight, but also his dedication to making Dwight's life as frustrating as possible.
Despite being a seemingly insignificant prank compared to some of his others, what sets this one apart is that Jim manages not only to annoy Dwight but to embarrass him in front of the newly introduced temp, Ryan Howard: a double whammy.
When Jim Convinces Dwight He Has Mind Control Capabilities
The Office has had some wild storylines, and this prank could fall into that category. After Dwight states to Pam that roulette is a game of chance rather than skill, Jim proclaims that he can always count on winning as he has mind control abilities. After asking for proof, and with the help of the office assistant Pam, Jim successfully "moves" the coatrack with his "mind."
Obviously, mind control is a ludicrous idea in the eyes of fans, but it is exactly the unrealistic aspect of this prank that makes it truly spectacular. The prank was able to showcase both Dwight's gullible nature and overactive imagination, while also illustrating the ingenuity and meticulousness of Jim's plan.
When Jim Wraps Dwight's Desk In Wrapping Paper
In the holiday spirit, Jim manages to wrap Dwight's desk, and everything around it, in wrapping paper ... or so it seems. After telling Jim there is no such thing as a "black belt in gift wrapping," a nod to Dwight's martial arts training, something he brags about on a near-daily basis, Dwight proceeds to sit in his supposed chair, only to find out it's all cardboard, falling to the ground.
One of Jim's more simple pranks, but fulfilling nonetheless, the scene is a direct parallel to the iconic "pulling the chair out from under you" prank from elementary school days.
When Jim Hides Dwight's Desk
Dwight's desk, along with all of his belongings, have vanished from the office, but it seems that this was the straw that broke the camel's back. All of Jim's pranks had finally gotten to him, so Dwight storms to Michael's office to "tell on" Jim, but upon approaching, Jim starts playing the "warmer/colder" game with Dwight, stopping him in his tracks.
What begins with the fans wondering whether Jim would be punished for his innocent pranks, ends with Dwight accepting his fate and taking Jim's call from the men's restroom. From the tonal shift from the start of the prank to the end to Dwight accepting his new bathroom office, fans fully appreciate this simple prank.
When Jim & Dwight Are Forced To Make Practice Sales Calls
Die-hard fans know that Michael is just a tad bit immature, but this practice sales call was not one of those moments. After receiving feedback on the way both Dwight and Jim perform sales calls, Michael forces both men to participate in sales call role-play, and of course, Jim just had to take advantage of this perfect prank opportunity. While Michael is maintaining his uncharacteristically serious demeanor throughout the role-play, Jim creates the persona of "Bill Buttlicker" and proceeds to antagonize Dwight throughout the call by making him talk louder, putting him on hold, and insulting his character to the point where even fans believed Bill was a real inquirer.
Even though the name should've been enough to know it was a prank, because it was done at the spur of the moment and Dwight and Jim were able to make the fake call feel real, this prank ends up being one of the most realistic pranks in the series.
When Jim Convinces Dwight He Is Being Recruited By The CIA
Some of The Office's more complex pranks require Pam's assistance, the seemingly innocent office assistant. For some time, Pam had been writing to Dwight, "recruiting" him into the CIA. Come Christmas, Jim is gifted with the opportunity to determine Dwight's "mission" from the CIA. Of course, what better way to spend a Christmas party than to have Dwight stand on the rooftop of an ice cream social, waiting for a non-existent helicopter to arrive and take him away.
This prank not only showcases Dwight's love for following the rules but also adds a refreshing twist to Jim's pranks. While many of his previous pranks take place within the confines of the office and within a short time frame, this one followed Dwight and the prank throughout the episode and through multiple locations, adding an extra element of suspense.
When Jim Reinforces The Idea That It Is Friday Instead Of Thursday
Dwight is perceived as the best character on The Office, and it could be because of his advice that oftentimes backfires in his face. After giving Jim "advice" on how to get a pay raise, Jim learns that Dwight thinks the day is Friday instead of Thursday. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Jim reinforces this false ideology throughout the day.
What makes this prank truly spectacular is that not only does it play into Dwight's gullible nature, but it landed in Jim's lap, and naturally, he took advantage. Furthermore, this prank is scattered throughout the duration of the episode, so by the end, when Dwight comes stumbling into the office on Friday half-dressed and fully pranked, fans feel a full sense of appreciation for having seen this prank unfold throughout the episode.
Fake Jim
How this one worked is still up to debate, but for part of the day, Jim replaced himself with another version of himself ... aka Jim and Pam's actor friend, Steve. Of course, this required extensive planning, as a suspecting Dwight would, of course, metaphorically pull out his volunteer Sheriff's hat, and investigate the so-called Jim Halpert. After a series of tests from Dwight, it seemed that despite being confused, he accepted that the real Jim was in fact fake Jim.
This elaborate prank was quite the feat, as it required both planning and last-minute preparations on Jim's part. Because of the time constraints set on preparing this prank, and fake Jim's ability to pull off the iconic side-glance and pass Dwight's tests without real Jim in the room, this prank is one of the best, despite Jim not actively participating.
When Jim Sends Dwight Faxes From His Future Self
One of the more complex Jim Halpert pranks was when Jim revealed that from time to time, he sends Dwight faxes from Dwight's "future self." What makes these faxes unique is that they usually have to do with the safety of Dwight's co-workers, exposing Dwight's moral compass, causing him to step-in, and "save" someone.
Some of the best pranks happen when Jim is not even in the room, and this was one of those moments. This was not only one of Jim's best ongoing pranks, but it played into Dwight's ability to believe anything and everything if adequate proof (in the mind of Dwight) was presented.
When Jim Dresses Like Dwight
When auditioning for The Office, John Krasinski actually auditioned for Dwight. In this full-circle prank, both John and Jim found the perfect opportunity to imitate the iconic character. After Jim finds a pair of Dwight's glasses at the drugstore, he comes to work impersonating Dwight. Not only that, but he takes on all of Dwight's mannerisms, down to calculating the cost of his outfit on Dwight's iconic watch/calculator. By the end of the episode, however, Dwight pulls an Uno reverse, dressing like Jim and pranking him for the day.
Dwight is known to be oblivious to even the most obvious pranks, and Jim plays this to his advantage, however, Dwight getting back at Jim for all the pranks pulled on him, while also being fooled for the entire cold-open, is what makes this prank peak comedy.