The Best Dwight And Jim Moments From The Office
Few shows have had a cultural impact quite like "The Office" has. The beloved show ran for nine seasons on a straightforward premise: A documentary crew films the lives of workers at a small paper company in Scranton, Pennsylvania. What results is an unforgettable comedy classic. Judging by its continuing popularity, it's hard to believe "The Office" almost didn't make it past Season 1.
While "The Office" is an ensemble show at heart, it shines brightest when it develops specific character dynamics. Intriguing interaction is the key to any sitcom, and "The Office" is no exception: Whether it's Michael (Steve Carell) and Jim (John Krasinski), Angela (Angela Kinsey) and Phyllis (Phyllis Smith), or Jim and Pam (Jenna Fischer), watching particular characters' relationships develop is one of the show's true joys. While there are tons of delightful bonds on "The Office," none is funnier than the connection between Jim and Dwight (Rainn Wilson). From megadesk to miracle legumes, these are the best Dwight and Jim moments from "The Office."
The Jell-O stapler
Dwight and Jim's rivalry is present from the very beginning. In "Pilot" (Season 1, Episode 1), the dueling paper salesmen are already at odds. Dwight is especially annoying, as he puts up a barrier of pencils around his desk. It's pretty clear that Jim is exasperated by it all — if incredibly eager to retaliate. Thus begins the show's long-running history of pranks, particularly those pulled off by Jim at Dwight's expense. The very first one also happens to be one of the best (and simplest): Jim encases Dwight's stapler in Jell-O.
Dwight's fury and frustration is incredible to behold, though everyone else finds it hilarious. Dwight blames Jim, who responds, while casually eating Jell-O, "How do you know it was me?" This prank is so iconic, Jell-O even made an official "gelatin mold stapler prank kit," for those looking to pull it off on their own unsuspecting co-workers (via Philly Voice).
A phone full of nickels
"Conflict Resolution" (Season 2, Episode 21) is a truly hilarious episode of "The Office," as manager Michael decides to dive into every complaint every employee has made about someone else. When human resources rep Toby (Paul Lieberstein) reveals he's never sent any of Dwight's complaints about Jim to corporate (as promised), Jim realizes his constant pranking is a little much. One could certainly argue that, despite the many pranks still to come, Dwight and Jim's friendship starts to form in the wake of this revelation.
Michael tries to force a resolution between Dwight and Jim, which reveals a hysterical array of past pranks. Jim is so committed to messing with Dwight, he once paid everyone in the office five dollars to call Dwight "Dwayne" for an entire day. The funniest (and most surprisingly elaborate) caper, however, is the phone prank. Jim once tampered with Dwight's handset by slowly putting nickels into it over a period of time. Once Dwight got used to the weight of the phone, Jim took all the nickels out, ensuring that Dwight would smack himself in the face with a hunk of plastic. Though we don't get to see it play out, hearing Jim gleefully recount the moment is worth its weight in gold. There's no better example of the endless effort Jim will go to, in the hopes of amusing himself.
Closing a sale together
Jim and Dwight are often at odds with each other, especially in earlier seasons of "The Office." But "Traveling Salesmen" (Season 3, Episode 13) offers a different look at Jim and Dwight's testy dynamic, as the two are paired together to go out on sales calls. It turns out, they used to go on sales calls together all the time: Jim even shows us an adorable photo of the duo when they were younger.
At the start of their sales meeting, the pair seems off-balance. Jim begins the pitch while Dwight uses the client's phone, randomly shouts numbers, and puts the phone down. Turns out, this is for a reason. After the client begins to reject them, saying it makes more fiscal sense to go with "one of the big guys," Dwight reveals that he called one of the "big guys": They've been on hold the whole time. Jim proceeds to call Dunder Mifflin, where the ever-chatty Kelly (Mindy Kaling) answers instantly. This turns things around so completely that they close the sale. It's simply awesome to see Dwight and Jim actually get along and remind audiences why they're salesmen in the first place.
Impersonating each other
While the dynamic between Jim and Dwight runs the full gamut of emotions over the course of "The Office," one of their most laugh-out-loud scenes arrives in "Product Recall" (Season 3, Episode 21). We know we're in for something good from the very first shot, which sees Pam's face light up as Jim walks in. He's wearing Dwight's signature outfit, right down to the calculator wristwatch. Jim proceeds to deliver the legendary line, "Bears. Beets. 'Battlestar Galactica.'" It is this utterance that finally makes Dwight realize Jim is imitating him.
Dwight's reaction takes a full 180-degree turn in an instant. "Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, so I thank you," he declares. But then, Jim pulls out a bobblehead. This pushes things too far: Dwight shouts, "Identity theft is not a joke Jim! Millions of families suffer every year!" Jim calls for Michael, just as Dwight always does, which pushes Dwight into deploying one of the funniest "Michael!" deliveries in the whole series.
Dwight attempts to get revenge on Jim towards the end of the episode when he arrives at work without his glasses, dressed like his rival. Dwight's impersonation is far less committed than Jim's, proving that nobody can pull off a prank quite like the master. Still, watching Dwight's attempt to mimic Jim is hilarious, right down to his constantly staring at the camera. He even punctuates the end of the episode by sneering, "Ehhh, 'little comment.'"
A moment in the stairwell
Though "Money, Part 2" (Season 4, Episode 8) is probably best known for Michael's legendary declaration of bankruptcy, it also features a perfect moment between Dwight and Jim. Dwight is absolutely heartbroken over losing Angela in a cat-related incident. She twists the proverbial knife when, in front of Dwight, she tells Andy (Ed Helms) that he may ask her out on a date. Undergoing a complete breakdown, Dwight retreats to the staircase and sobs while pressing his face against the wall. In a surprising twist, Jim joins Dwight in the stairwell and opens up about his own pain.
Jim reveals that he left Scranton because Pam's relationship with Roy (David Denman) was too much for him to bear. "I just couldn't take it," he says quietly, "I mean, I lost it, Dwight. I couldn't sleep. I couldn't concentrate on anything. And weird stuff, like, food had no taste." Jim concludes this heartfelt, eye-opening moment by saying, "It is something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy, and that includes you." Dwight turns around and reaches out — but Jim has already left. This crucial scene is vital to the development of their relationship: Despite all the constant one-upmanship, Jim and Dwight really do care about one another.
A fake sales call gets real
Poor (and ultimately fraudulent) survey results in "Customer Survey" (Season 5, Episode 7) lead to one of the funniest moments in "Office" history. After Dwight and Jim receive terrible customer feedback, Michael decides to simulate a sales call to help them brush up on their skills. Michael claims he needs to take more of a "micro form of management," which Jim hilariously "reminds" him is called "microgement."
Michael sets Jim up as the client and Dwight as the salesman. Dwight is asked to avoid being "aggressive, hostile, or difficult." Though Jim needs to improve his survey scores too, he simply cannot turn away a quality pranking opportunity. He takes on the persona of an older man named Bill Buttlicker, which immediately draws Dwight's ire. Michael demands Dwight take things seriously, and Dwight tries to pitch, but Jim pretends to be hard of hearing. This eventually causes Dwight to scream into the phone, "Buttlicker! Our prices have never been lower!" Krasinski brilliantly plays the whole thing with the utmost seriousness, making it all the funnier. That's not even the end of it: Jim offers to buy a whopping $1 million of paper products, as long as Michael fires Dwight. Despite this being an entirely made-up scenario, Michael plays into it completely and seems to be very seriously considering firing Dwight for a fake sale as the scene reaches its perfectly absurd conclusion.
Dwight's special Christmas present
Christmas is always a wild time on "The Office." Audiences are blessed with seven Christmas-themed episodes over the course of the series, each of them a winner. Though "Moroccan Christmas" (Season 5, Episode 11) veers into darkness, as its main plotline focuses on Meredith's (Kate Flannery) struggles with alcoholism, it boasts an uproarious cold open.
Dwight has been blessed with a Christmas surprise: Jim has completely covered his chair, desk, and office supplies in festive wrapping paper. He quickly dismisses Jim's efforts and derides his rival's jokey claim that he has a black belt in gift wrapping. He's confident he can unwrap it all in five minutes, but Jim isn't so sure. Dwight, in true Dwight fashion, scoffs — he's skinned a mule deer in "less than 10 minutes" — but his words are interrupted when he puts down his briefcase and tries to sit down, collapsing the entire construction. This leaves Dwight on the floor, and audiences overwhelmed by laughter.
Kelly's birthday debacle
Dwight and Jim are forced to work together once again in "Lecture Circuit" (Season 5, Episodes 16 and 17). As the new heads of the Party Planning Committee, they are faced with throwing a birthday bash for Kelly. This is trickier than it sounds: They initially forget her birthday, and are forced to come up with something really special to make up for it.
Unsurprisingly, Jim and Dwight are absolutely not cut out for the high-stakes world of party planning. They struggle with just about everything: Getting food, collecting money for the gift, hanging decorations, and even spelling Kelly's name correctly. This leads to some truly unforgettable moments, including Dwight hanging a banner that reads "IT IS YOUR BIRTHDAY." The hideous, barely-filled brown and grey balloons taped to the ceiling set things off perfectly.
Thankfully, Dwight and Jim do actually know how to work together. They come up with a truly creative gift: Kelly gets to choose between an hour of watching TV, or an hour-long nap. Despite the difficulties they face, it's great to see Dwight and Jim turn things around in the end.
All hail megadesk
While Jim is away on paternity leave, Dwight creates "megadesk" by putting all three of their desks together. This gives him the ultimate advantage in productivity — at a terrible cost. As Dwight reveals in "St. Patrick's Day" (Season 6, Episode 19), "Getting hooked on megadesk was my own damn fault, but I don't care about assigning blame. All I care about is megadesk." Tragically for Dwight, Jim returns from paternity leave and immediately dismantles the beloved project.
Throughout the episode, Dwight tries to enact revenge on Jim by making him feel like he needs to be home with his child. Dwight even invokes his troubled cousin Mose to make Jim feel guilty, and reassembles megadesk at every opportunity. Finally, the tables turn: Dwight walks in the next day to find "quaddesk." Jim has placed all of Dwight's belongings in a tiny hole beneath his epic setup, resulting in Dwight meekly crawling to answer his ringing phone. It's a perfect end to their duel, and very much symbolic of what "The Office" does best: Absurd, yet surprisingly grounded comedy.
Dwight's magic beans
When "The Office" fans remember "Garage Sale," (Season 7, Episode 19), the first thing they think of is Michael's proposal to Holly (Amy Ryan). But this classic episode also contains one of Jim and Dwight's very best moments. The Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin is putting on a garage sale to raise money for their parties. Dwight uses this opportunity to embark on a mission: He will trade and barter his way to the best object in the sale, which he has determined to be a telescope.
There's something in his way, though — magic beans. To put it more accurately, as Jim is quick to point out, he is stymied by "Professor Copperfield's Miracle Legumes." Jim tells Dwight that he got them in Jamaica, and, through a combination of doubt-planting and solid acting, makes him think the beans possess real magic. Most theatrically, Jim destroys the package in front of Dwight after being apparently horrified by their inexplicable presence on his table. But when Dwight comes back to Jim's table, the legumes are fully intact and on display once more. Dwight now wants them, and Jim agrees to give them to him — in exchange for the telescope Dwight worked so hard to obtain.
Room service in Tallahassee
Season 8 brings some major changes to "The Office." Steve Carell is no longer on the show, new characters are introduced, and a bunch of Scranton's finest take a trip to Tallahassee to work on a special project. One of the newbies and trip-goers is Cathy Simms (Lindsey Broad), Pam's maternity leave replacement. It doesn't take long for Cathy to reveal her intentions: She wants to sleep with Jim.
"After Hours" (Season 8, Episode 16) makes good on this hook with some classic cringe comedy. Cathy comes to Jim's hotel room, claiming problems with her heat have forced her out. Her attempts at seduction become increasingly overt, much to Jim's discomfort. Finally, Jim recruits Dwight to help him out by telling him they have bedbugs. This results in one of the funniest moments of the entire show: Jim describes the bedbugs as "smug," complete with a hilarious strut. Cathy eventually gives up her pursuit, leaving Jim and Dwight to watch TV and enjoy the room service desserts she ordered.
The bestest mensch
"Finale" (Season 9, Episode 24) isn't just the very last episode of "The Office" — it's also one of the best. Dwight, firmly installed as manager, is getting ready to marry Angela. As their friendship has grown considerably, he makes Jim his best man — or rather, his "bestest mensch." While this gives Jim a prime opportunity to deliver some serious prankage, he opts for some "guten pranken" instead.
These delightful surprises are many and varied. One is a bazooka, which Dwight gets to fire. Another involves taking Dwight's bachelor party to Kevin's (Brian Baumgartner) bar, so that Dwight can make amends for firing him. Thanks to Jim, they repair their relationship, and Kevin is invited to the wedding. While these japes are positively delightful, Jim's final "guten pranken" might just be the most heartwarming and surprising moment in the entire series.
Shortly before the ceremony, Jim reveals that he cannot fulfill the duties of the "bestest mensch." While Dwight is shocked, he's even more surprised when Jim reveals why: He's invited Michael, Dwight's favorite person in the entire world, to serve in his stead. The three proceed to share a perfect moment. Jim's devotion to Dwight's happiness on his wedding day is the perfect end to their beautiful, twisted, and utterly hilarious relationship.