"It's Fine, I Accept It": The Office Star Reflects On The Karen Criticism In Jim & Pam's Complicated Love Triangle

Rashida Jones talks about playing Karen in The Office, who is one of the most controversial characters in the sitcom. The Office ran from 2005 to 2013 and is one of the most successful sitcoms of all time. Since episode 1 of the series, viewers rooted for Jim and Pam, played by John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer, to start dating. However, in season 3, Jim instead started dating Karen. Even though Jones only had a main role in one season of The Office, she had minor appearances in other seasons.

Almost two decades after first appearing on The Office, Jones reflects on her role in the sitcom during an appearance on the podcast Good Hang with Amy Poehler. Poehler argues that Jones had a tough job on the sitcom, since she was very likable, but all the fans already wanted to see Jim and Pam together. Jones appreciated the compliment, but admits that it felt like everyone hated her when she was starring in The Office. Read their full comments and watch the podcast below:

Jones: I had done a year on The Office, and they let me go. Which made sense, it made sense.
Poehler: You had such a tough job there because everybody wanted Jim and Pam, and then guess who shows up? A very likable, cool — and everyone was like, 'Oh no wait, I love Karen.'
Jones: That’s nice. It did not feel that way. People did not like me. Like, fans were not about it. But they had to create tension for the relationship to be earned later. So I was the third point in the triangle — it’s fine, I accept it.

Jones' Karen Was Very Important In The Office Season 3

Jim & Karen Hit It Off In The Office Season 3

The finales of seasons 2 and 3 of The Office are arguably two of the best sitcom season finales of all time. At the end of the season 2 finale, "Casino Night," Jim and Pam finally have their first official kiss. However, this did not lead to them getting together. In fact, Jim transfers to the Stanford branch where he meets Karen after their kiss because Pam rejects him. It is understandable that Jones felt like nobody liked her character, since viewers were waiting for Jim and Pam to start dating.

Even though she gets in the way of Jim and Pam being together, Karen is a great character.

Jim finally does ask out Pam in the season 3 finale, which leads to them being the best couple in The Office. However, before this, Jim dates Karen throughout most of season 3. Even though she gets in the way of Jim and Pam being together, Karen is a great character. The backlash against her character was definitely extreme when season 3 was airing, but Karen is undeniably very important to the overall story.

Our Take On Jones' Comments About Her Role In The Office

Jones Was A Great Addition To The Office

Rashia Jones pulling a face down the camera as Karen in The Office

Even though Jones felt like nobody liked her character, her joining the show led to amazing opportunities for her. For example, after appearing in The Office, she went on to star in Parks and Recreation, another sitcom that was created by Greg Daniels along with Michael Schur. Jones' Ann Perkins was one of the best characters in Parks and Recreation, and she starred in six seasons alongside Poehler, the host of the above podcast. Even though Jones felt like everyone hated her character in The Office, it led to more great roles for her.

Source: Good Hang