The Office Superfan Episode That Confirms Phyllis' Crush On Jim
Fans of the American version of "The Office" are almost as gossipy as the Dunder Mifflin staff, and whatever combination of characters you can think of, someone has a hot take on it. People may not often talk about Phyllis' (Phyllis Smith) relationship with Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam (Jenna Fischer), but in a thread on the r/DunderMifflin subreddit, u/ExodicCredulity suggests that Phyllis intentionally sabotaged Jim previous relationship with Karen (Rashida Jones) in an attempt to push him toward Pam. They reference Season 3, Episode 13 ("Traveling Salesman"), where she tells Karen about Jim's crush on Pam: "She acts like she's just talking casually, but I feel different," the thread reads. "There are many instances leading up to that point that show Phyllis knows Jim and Pam have [a] 'thing,' and that she's all for it."
However, some other threads in the same subreddit discuss the way Phyllis seems to look down on Jim and Pam, such as u/whatsakipper, who asks: "Why does Phyllis throughout the series insuate [sic] Jim and Pam are in financial trouble when Jim is a way better salesman than her?" In another thread, u/Fiery_And_Salty asks why when Jim tells Phyllis he bought his parents' house in Season 5, Episode 9 ("Frame Toby"), she seems "disdainful" of the area of town it's in.
However, since Peacock released extended superfan episodes on its platform in 2020, fans are learning new things about "The Office" from previously-deleted scenes that have been inserted back into the show. One of the shocking revelations is that Phyllis has always had a crush on Jim.
Jim is on Phyllis' cheat list
In the superfan version of the Season 3 episode "Beach Games," Phyllis reveals that Jim is on the list of people that her husband, Bob Vance (Robert R. Shafer), would let her cheat with. In the episode, Michael Scott (Steve Carell), being told he's being considered for a job at corporate, assumes his promotion is already a done deal and turns the staff's scheduled beach day into a series of games to help him choose his successor.
The employees refuse to take his games seriously until he finally reveals what they're there for, at which point we see a talking head segment in which Phyllis explains why she would like Jim as a boss: "I think Jim would be a good boss. Plus he's eye candy. It's okay, Bob Vance knows that he's on my list. George Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jim, and that British guy that got in trouble with the [sex worker]." Little does Michael know at the time that Jim has no interest in taking over as regional manager as he is also being considered for the same position as Michael at corporate.
One Reddit user, u/Theluckygal, had an even more scandalous theory that came long before the superfan episodes were released. In the Season 2 episode "Sexual Harassment," when Phyllis asks if she has to report a relationship even if it's just a one-night stand, the camera zooms in on Jim who is smiling, possibly laughing, and looking guilty because he is Phyllis' one-night stand. While the theory is certainly juicy, it's hard to imagine Phyllis with anyone but her husband, just like it's hard to imagine Jim with anyone but Pam.