The worst and most egregious storyline fromThe Office’s later seasons proved that the writers had run out of ideas and it was time to end the series for good. The case could be made thatThe Officeshould’ve ended when Steve Carell departed from the cast. Michael Scott was both the beating heart of the series and the funniest character in the ensemble; once he was gone, it didn’t feel like the same show anymore (and it certainly wasn’t as much fun without him).

ButThe Officestill delivered some great episodes after Michael left, so there was clearly still some juice left in the tank. Throughout seasons 8 and 9, as many TV shows do toward the end of their run,The Officegradually declined in quality. These seasons brought bizarre storylines like Dwight filling Stanley with tranquilizer darts and Clark creepily conning Erin into a fake news audition at his apartment, whichdidn’t fit the tone ofThe Office’s earlier episodes. Butit wasn’t until Jim and Pam had marital problems thatThe Officeneeded to finally call it quits.

John Kransinski as Jim Halpert and Jenna Fischer as Pam Beesly in The Office.

Jim And Pam’s Marriage Problems Risked Ruining The Office Forever

Jim And Pam’s Love Story Was The Driving Force Of The Show

Throughout seasons 8 and 9,The Officewriters began introducing problems with Jim and Pam’s marriage. It started in season 8 when Cathy tried to seduce Jim in Tallahassee, but it got much worse in season 9. Jim lied to Pam about taking a job at his friend’s startup in Philadelphia, he invested their life savings in the business without asking her, and he moved to Philly to enjoy his dream job while leaving Pam to look after the kids by herself, which made her miserable.

The 10 Most Frustrating Jim & Pam Moments In The Office

Jim Halpert and Pam Beesley won over audiences with their wholesome love story in The Office, but there were still some frustrating moments from them.

In the earlyseasons ofThe Office, the driving force of the story was Jim and Pam’s love story. Audiences were desperate to see them get together, and that waiting was paid off with beautiful scenes like the proposal, the wedding at Niagara Falls, and the birth of their first child. It wasone of the most touching love stories on television, and viewers fawned over this couple for years.By bringing them to the brink of divorce with intense arguments and bitter resentments,The Office’s writers risked ruining thatlove story.

Jim and Pam are sitting on a bench outside the office in The Office

The Office Messing With Jim And Pam’s Marriage Was A Sign It Was Time To End

When the writers ofThe Officestarted meddling in Jim and Pam’s marriage and destroying their relationship, they should’ve realized it was time to call it quits. When it gets to the point wherethe writers have to create conflict out of nothing and risk mischaracterizing their protagonists, then it’stime for the show to end. It would’ve been better forThe Officeto die a good sitcom than to live long enough to see Jim become the villain.

The Office Poster Michael Scott