Would it be easier if you had half an hour to chat with the person before you jumped into writing code? A lot of companies prefer pair programming so they can

Would it be easier if you had half an hour to chat with the person before you jumped into writing code? A lot of companies prefer pair programming so they can talk through problems with a candidate, both to get a feel for how they approach their work, and to make sure they aren't blocked on anything, given the limited amount of time. Was your interviewer talking with you while you paired?