St. Denis Medical Stars Weigh In: Are Matt And Serena The New Jim And Pam?

The calendar might say 2026, but watching NBC on a Monday night feels a little like 2005.

The time warp is courtesy of "St. Denis Medical," a mockumentary-style comedy that'd be easy to describe to non-viewers as "'The Office,' if it took place in a hospital." Both NBC shows have their quirky ensembles and talking-head interviews — and "St. Denis" now seems to have its own Jim-and-Pam romance, in the form of smitten nurses Matt (Mekki Leeper) and Serena (Kahyun Kim).

Matt and Serena's blossoming romance was especially reminiscent of Jim and Pam's in the March 30 episode, which ended with the pair's long-awaited first kiss. The milestone took place at night in the St. Denis parking lot, much like Jim's momentous confession of love to Pam took place in Dunder Mifflin's parking lot in the Season 2 episode "Casino Night." (Their first kiss followed a few scenes later, albeit indoors.)

"I watched that ['Casino Night'] scene over and over again," Kim tells TVLine. "It's so funny being on the other side now and trying to dissect it. Like, what did they do? How did they do it? But with romantic storylines, what's important is the story behind it. Yes, the kiss itself is also important, but it's really their dynamic. Jim and Pam, they're very similar from the get-go. Serena and Matt are just so different, and then they come together."

She'd like to formally settle any debate about the two pairings, too: "I mean, I think we're cuter. I'll say it!"

Leeper isn't ready to take quite so firm a stance — "I don't know that I'm going to sit here and say we're cuter than the most iconic sitcom couple ever made," he laughs — but he's also acutely aware of the Jim-and-Pam comparisons, and he's grateful for them.

"The pressure is there, and we're doing it at NBC, so of course that's brought up to us," Leeper adds. "And part of the reason we get to do this at all is because they made that show. More than anything, it's just like, hey, it's really nice that there are fans of this that are watching, and you just want to do a good job as Matt and Serena for everyone who watches."

Matt and Serena do trump Jim and Pam in one way, at least: Now that they've kissed and admitted their feelings for each other, there's nothing — least of all fiancés named Roy or new girlfriends named Karen — keeping them from starting a real relationship in Season 3, and Leeper and Kim are both excited to do so.

"I love that Jim and Pam are lucid, well-written, funny characters, but I think Matt and Serena are kind of weird," Leeper admits. "They're bizarre characters in a lot of ways, so I'm excited to see these weirdos date a little bit."

For Serena, the relationship won't just be weird because the people in it are oddballs; it will be weird because it's healthy, Kim says.

"He's the guy, you know what I mean?" she teases. "When you date and date and date, and then this amazing person is here, but it's different, and probably perfect for you, and then you're like, 'Oh, I can't do this because I'm going through a lot of human emotions and have had a lot of trauma and toxic behaviors that are ingrained in me.' ... [Serena] had to have that learning curve. That's why this was the moment it had to happen. She had to figure out for herself that this was right for her."

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