Wait, Was Jim Halpert Moonlighting As Jack Ryan All Along? Let's Investigate

To say that 2018 is proving to be the Year of John Krasinksi would not be a total understatement. Not only did his directorial debut of A Quiet Place prove to be a box office success, but he's now gearing up to star as the titular character in Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan, which premieres on Amazon Video starting Friday, Aug. 31. But while you may think Krasinksi has come a long, long way from his days of playing the lovable Jim Halpert on The Office, I'm here to tell you that the characters of Jack Ryan and Jim Halpert actually have a lot more in common than you may realize. In fact, I'm now semi-convinced that Jim was leading a secret life as a CIA analyst throughout the entire series.

That's not to say that the characters don't have any differences between them. (Their names, for starters, are complete opposites.) But if you really do some digging and take an in depth look at these two fictional figures, you'll notice a lot more similarities than you do differences. It's a shocking revelation to be sure, but it may also make you want to watch Jack Ryan all the more. Because if there's one thing this world needs, it's more Jim Halpert-like characters in it. So let's just take a moment to break down the various comparisons that can be made between Jack and Jim:

Job Description

While Jack works behind a desk and writes reports, Jim works behind a desk and sells paper. Both men end up moving away from this type of work over time to new and exciting ventures, but for a while, paperwork was definitely their shared area of expertise.

Work Attire

Button-up dress shirts seem to be the typical dress code for both characters, though Jack goes on to add a bulletproof vest to his overall look (for safety purposes), while Jim wears the hell out of a tie. (That is, when he isn't too busy dressing up as Dwight instead.)

Special Skills

Jack Ryan will learn to become a talented interrogator. Jim, on the other hand, is a master in the art of pranks — which, if you think about it, also involves getting into the mind of your opponent and using their weaknesses to your advantage. He's also a master of disguise.

Personality

Sure, Jack doesn't seem into breaking the fourth wall and starring directly into the camera (and into my very soul), but he does seem like an overall good guy who wants to stop innocent people from getting hurt. It kinda reminds me of how dedicated Jim was in helping to find the man who flashed poor Phyllis. (OK, so fighting against terrorism is definitely more important, but you get where I'm trying to go with this.) Long story short: these are two guys you can't help but root for.

So as you can see, Jack and Jim are basically like two peas in a pod. If it were possible they would totally be best friends — a spinoff series I would be very interested in watching, for what it's worth. So even though there has yet to be a revival of The Office in the works, at least take comfort in knowing that Krasinksi is bringing a little piece of Jim with him into his latest endeavor.