Although it was famous for its cringe humor, The Office had its fair share of heart, too. Following an initial six-episode run that didn’t give Michael Scott any redeeming qualities and suffered as a result, the writers started making Michael more of a sympathetic character.
As Jim and Pam’s relationship developed, we got to see all the milestones – the proposal, the wedding, the births of their children – and every single one was a beautiful, heartfelt moment. The balance of cringe and sweetness is what made The Office work so well. So, here are the 10 sweetest moments from The Office.
JIM COMFORTS DWIGHT (“MONEY,” SEASON 4)
After Angela rejects Dwight and starts dating Andy, Dwight feels down in the dumps. He goes out into the stairwell to cry, and Jim comes out to comfort him. He tells him that he initially got transferred to the Stamford branch to get away from Pam after she rejected him.
It was one of the first moments between Jim and Dwight that revealed that deep down, underneath their petty rivalry, they’re actually good friends.
JIM TELLS PAM SHE MEANS EVERYTHING WITH A DVD (“A.A.R.M.,” SEASON 9)
When Jim gives up his job at the Athlead startup to return to his life as a husband, father, and paper salesman in Scranton, Pam feels guilty that she’s the reason he gave it up, and worries she isn’t enough to make Jim happy.
So, he gets the producers of the documentary to cut together a DVD of all their most romantic moments from throughout the series. He shows it to Pam to remind her that she means everything to him, and then gives her the letter that he wrote for her years earlier.
DWIGHT LETS PAM WIN (“CHINA,” SEASON 7)
In the B-plot of season 7’s “China,” Pam threatens to move the branch to another office if Dwight doesn’t stop abusing his power as the owner of the building. She talks to Jim about her fear of failing as the new office administrator after she failed as an artist and a salesperson. At the end of the episode, Dwight lets Pam win their standoff.
Although Dwight says he didn’t let her win out of compassion, we see footage of him overhearing her conversation with Jim and smiling as she sees how happy she is in his rearview mirror after her victory over him. One of the most heartwarming character dynamics in The Office was Dwight realizing that Pam is his best friend.
JIM PROPOSES TO PAM IN THE RAIN (“WEIGHT LOSS,” SEASON 5)
In the season 5 premiere “Weight Loss,” Pam moves to New York to begin her stint at art school. They’ve both agreed that they don’t want to be apart for the first few months of their engagement, but Jim can’t resist and decides to spontaneously meet up with her at a gas station equidistant from Scranton and New York, where he gets down on one knee and proposes.
We had already learned in “Goodbye, Toby” that he’s been carrying around the ring for years, waiting for the right moment, but in that case, the right moment was unwittingly hijacked by Andy.
MICHAEL AND PAM’S GOODBYE (“GOODBYE MICHAEL,” SEASON 7)
When Michael leaves Scranton to live with Holly in Colorado, he tells his employees that he won’t be leaving until the day after he’s actually leaving, in order to avoid difficult goodbyes. So, Pam doesn’t realize she’s missing her chance to wish him farewell when she goes to see a movie after a sales call.
But she rushes down to the airport to say goodbye to Michael. We don’t hear what they say, because Michael has removed his mic, in a heartfelt homage to Tim silently confessing his love to Dawn in the original British version of The Office.
ERIN MEETS HER BIRTH PARENTS (“FINALE,” SEASON 9)
Erin’s search for her birth parents – and for parental figures in characters like Michael, Phyllis, and Nellie – was one of the most emotionally charged character arcs in The Office’s nine-season run.
In the series finale, Scranton employees past and present attend a “Where Are They Now?” panel a year after the in-universe docuseries aired. They field questions from fans, and Erin is approached by both her birth mother and birth father (played by guest stars Joan Cusack and Ed Begley, Jr., respectively).
MICHAEL’S PROPOSAL TO HOLLY (“GARAGE SALE,” SEASON 7)
When it becomes apparent that Holly has to move back to Colorado to take care of her parents, Michael decides to propose to her to show his commitment to being with her. He lights candles around her desk in the annex, which sets off the sprinklers, and then proposes to her.
JIM CUTS HIS WEDDING TIE IN HALF (“NIAGARA,” SEASON 6)
When Pam’s veil tears on the morning of her wedding, she feels upset, like the day is ruined. But when she calls in Jim to comfort her, he takes a pair of scissors and cuts his tie in half, so they can be even.
It’s a prime example of why their relationship works so well. Whenever one of them is upset, the other one knows the perfect way to cheer them up.
PAM FINDS OUT SHE’S PREGNANT (“COMPANY PICNIC,” SEASON 5)
Pam is the Scranton branch’s best player in the volleyball tournament in season 5’s “Company Picnic,” but Dwight has to stall when she sustains an injury and has to go to the hospital. When she’s there, she unexpectedly discovers that she’s pregnant.
Both Pam and Jim are ecstatic to hear the surprise news, and the show expertly brought out the subtleties in Jenna Fischer and John Krasinski’s performances by removing the audio.
MICHAEL GOES TO PAM’S ART EXHIBIT (“BUSINESS SCHOOL,” SEASON 3)
In season 3’s “Business School,” Pam has an art show and invites everyone in the office. Roy comes, brags about being a great guy for coming to the show when no one from the office did, and then leaves. Oscar comes, his date derides Pam’s art as “motel art” without realizing she’s within earshot, and then also leaves.
No one else comes, and just when Pam is about to call it a night, Michael shows up, apologizes for being late, and tells Pam how proud he is. The praise is genuine, too, because he buys a painting of hers to hang in the office.