The witty repartee between Jim and Dwight on The Office makes up the majority of the dry humor this show thrives on. As Jim does anything and everything, except actually get work done, Dwight is constantly on the receiving end of Jim’s idle hands that produce the most well-thought-out practical jokes. Here are my official rankings of Jim’s excellent work:
20. When Jim convinced Dwight that he was the one smoking weed in the parking lot (Season 2).
As Dwight overreacts to the remainder of a blunt found in the parking lot, he conducts one-on-one interviews with every member of the office. During Jim’s interview, he convinces Dwight that the effects of marijuana were the reason he cannot remember leaving the drugs behind.
19. When Jim wraps Dwight’s desk in wrapping paper for the holidays (Season 5)
Dwight walks in the office to see his desk covered in wrapping paper. Dwight’s over-confident self says he’ll tear off the wrapping paper so quickly, making it a bad prank. Little did Dwight know, there was no desk under the paper and as he sits, he falls to the floor.
18. When Jim times Dwight’s every move, confirming that Dwight doesn’t waste any time at work (Season 5)
Dwight declares that he does not waste a single second of company time, so Jim gets a stopwatch to show Dwight that anything from yawning to going to the bathroom is wasting time. This forces Dwight to take extreme measures so he never has to leave his desk. This also forces Jim to get no work done.
17. When Jim hides Dwight’s desk in the bathroom (Season 2)
Jim leads Dwight to his desk using a game of “Hot and Cold”, ultimately ending the game with Dwight finding his desk in the men’s bathroom. Jim hooks up the phone to the bathroom having a call waiting for Dwight when he finds the desk. Jim then accuses Dwight of losing his desk.
16. When Jim does not inform Dwight that their pranking hiatus is over (Season 8)
Andy is sick of Jim and Dwight’s pranking and says the next person to prank the other, gets their bonus. So Jim and Dwight try to trick each other into pranking the other, and also try to get Andy to believe that they have been pranked. Andy calls off the pranking break, but Jim neglects to tell Dwight, thus having Dwight continue to prank himself trying to frame Jim.
15. When Jim convinced Dwight he had “Magic Legumes” (Season 7).
Jim makes it look like a packet of beans keeps reappearing when Jim tries to dispose of them, thus making Dwight believe they are magic. Jim gets Dwight to trade his telescope for the packet of “Professor Copplefield’s Magic Legumes”.
14. When Jim puts all of Dwight’s things in the vending machine (Season 2).
Not only does Jim put all of Dwight’s work-related belongings in the vending machine, Jim puts his wallet in there too, so Dwight cannot buy his things back. Pam comes over to purchase Dwight’s pencil cup and then Jim hands Dwight a bag of nickels to buy back his things five cents at a time.
13. When Jim gets everyone in the office to call Dwight “Dwayne” (Season 2)
Jim pays everyone in the office $5 to call Dwight “Dwayne.” Pure simplicity.
12. When Jim creates a fake radio show for Dwight to be a guest on, ultimately getting him to undress and have a melt-down (Season 9)
Dwight volunteers to talk about the state of Dunder Mifflin on a radio show, but when the guest appearance is cancelled, Jim recruits Nelly and Pam to host a fake radio show and force Dwight into mayhem.
11. When Jim gets Dwight to hit himself in the head with his phone (Season 2)
Dwight hits himself in the head with his phone and immediately suspects Jim. Michael thinks Dwight is being paranoid and does not believe him. Jim actually was gradually adding pennies to his phone to make it heavier, then one day took them all out, causing Dwight to hit himself in the head.
10. When Jim leads a 500 foot wire from Dwight’s desk to the top of a telephone pole (Season 5)
Jim buys 500 feet of wire at a garage sale and attaches it from Dwight’s computer to the top of a telephone pole. Jim, knowing that Dwight will follow the wire to wherever it leads, sends Dwight all around the office and outdoors, ultimately connecting the wire to nothing.
9. When Jim tricks Dwight into thinking the computers are talking to him (Season 4)
Dwight thinks he can outsell a computer, so Jim and Pam Instant Message Dwight, pretending to be the computer trying to destroy him.
8. When Jim turns Dwight in to Pavlov’s Dog, but with mints (Season 3)
Every time Jim’s computer makes a certain noise, he asks Dwight if he wants a mint. He does this repeatedly until one time the computer makes the noise and Dwight sticks his hand expecting a mint. Jim asks Dwight what he’s doing, and Dwight is extremely confused as to why his mouth his salivating.
7. When Jim and Pam learn Morse Code to convince Dwight theres a detonator in the office (Season 6)
Jim and Pam make various clicking noises in front of Dwight until he believes they are using Morse Code to talk about him. They then convince him there is a detonator in the office. Dwight accuses them of using Morse Code, and Jim assures Dwight that in their very little free time with raising a baby, they did not take the time to learn Morse Code just to talk about Dwight. Which is exactly what they did.
6. When Jim takes Dwight’s stationary to write letters from “Future Dwight” (Season 3)
When Jim leaves for Stamford, he takes some of Dwight’s stationary so he can write him letters from the future. Jim tells Dwight that at 8 am, someone will poison the coffee, which then causes Dwight to tackle Stanley in order to knock the coffee out of his hands.
5. When Jim puts Dwight’s stapler in Jell-O (Season 1)
While the audience is still getting to know the Jim and Dwight relationship, Jim puts Dwight’s stapler in Jell-O, and then proceeds to tell him to eat his way to the stapler. Dwight freaks out and expects Michael to punish Jim, but Michael appreciates the humor in the prank.
4. When Jim makes Dwight think that it is Friday instead of Thursday (Season 2)
Dwight makes a comment that he thinks tomorrow is Saturday, so Jim lets everyone in the office know to keep Dwight thinking that it is Friday, not Thursday. Jim talks about TV shows that are on on Thursday nights, “last night”, and ultimately gets Dwight to be extremely late for work the next day, messing up his perfect attendance.
3. When Jim writes a book telling Dwight how to throw the perfect Garden Party (Season Season 8)
When Andy wants to throw a Garden Party at Schrute Farms, Jim writes a book titled, “How to Throw a Garden Party” by James Trickington. This book gives Dwight obscure “customs” on how to throw a Garden Party that make him look ridiculous.
2. When Jim asks his actor friend to impersonate him while he is at the dentist (Season 9)
Jim gets his Asian friend to sit at his desk and pretend to be him. This new “Jim” kisses Pam, answers work calls, and is even featured in a family picture with Pam and two Asian babies. Dwight gets extremely angry.
1. When Jim impersonates Dwight (Season 3)
Jim comes to the office dressed as Dwight and acting like him. Jim beats him at his own game as he “out Dwights Dwight”. Dwight then tries to retaliate by impersonating Jim, sadly not as well as Jim does Dwight.