Current Events > You know, Michael Scott really was just the worst (Office spoilers)

(+) Yeah! (+)

I hated his character. I realize he was supposed to be insufferable but that really didn't change the fact that he was one of the main reasons I didn't watch the show

Michael makes the show, dropped it in the sixth season. Grew to hate jim and pam as it went along, moving away when michael was about to drop into the pond and not telling him what the meeting between him and wallace was about.

brent grows on you.
---

Jim and Pam went from cute to insufferable pricks
---

BlueBoy675 posted...

They do specifically say that he's a great salesman which is how he got his position in the first place, but a horrible manager. They even show him closing tough sales with little to no effort plenty of times.

Yeah, Michael is the epitome of the idea that people get promoted all the way up to a job they're mediocre at and then get stuck there.

But I do think that Scranton being profitable was sort of in spite of him rather than because of him.
---

cjsdowg posted...

Touch posted...

And its not like he was completely inept at being a boss either. That one episode indicated that the Scranton branch was the only Dunder Mifflin that was making a significant profit or something of that effect.

I think that is just because they had good sales people under him. I don't see him doing anything to get better sales.

Michael is also known to have been a strong salesman before he was a manager.
---

ClunkerSlim posted...

Instead of going over the numbers he shows a video he made about the branch being family. Everyone is stunned but when they ask him about the report he says, yeah. Here it is. The manager next to him though doesnt have his branches report even though hes supposed to be more normal.

I don't think that's true, I'm pretty sure the other manager was just meant to be massively incompetent.
---

Phyllis didn't ask Michael to walk her down the aisle. Phyllis asked him to push her dad's wheelchair.
---

pegusus123456 posted...

BlueBoy675 posted...

They do specifically say that he's a great salesman which is how he got his position in the first place, but a horrible manager. They even show him closing tough sales with little to no effort plenty of times.

Yeah, Michael is the epitome of the idea that people get promoted all the way up to a job they're mediocre at and then get stuck there.

But I do think that Scranton being profitable was sort of in spite of him rather than because of him.

idk, the show really changes perspectives on michael all throughout

I'm pretty sure his handling of the michael scott paper company is ultimately supposed to show that he is not a good manager day to day but that he does well under pressure, which they nod to later when jim and michale become comanagers and jim gets the day to day job and michale gets "big picture stuff" (and also later they show how jim is better at day to day stuff and michael is better under the crunch explicitly before it goes under and get sold to sabre)
---

Dblade3k posted...

Phyllis didn't ask Michael to walk her down the aisle. Phyllis asked him to push her dad's wheelchair.

Yeah you're right. The point of him being a horrible person still stands though
---

I really liked to Stanly yelled at him. Scott was calling out Stanly to talk about the Urban line.
---

Michael was supposed to be unlikeable
---

1NfamousACE_2 posted...

Michael was supposed to be unlikeable

I think someone already mentioned this, but he's meant to be unlikeable only to a point. He's much more sympathetic than david brent, the uk character he's based on
---

Balrog0 posted...

1NfamousACE_2 posted...

Michael was supposed to be unlikeable

I think someone already mentioned this, but he's meant to be unlikeable only to a point. He's much more sympathetic than david brent, the uk character he's based on

Wasn't the UK office on for 1 season?
---

1NfamousACE_2 posted...

Michael was supposed to be unlikeable

I never felt Michael was unlikable.

I feel he's much more a character of empathy.

You can tell he's got maturity issues but that stems from his upbringing and that he never accomplished anything he really wanted to.

You can tell he means well and has a good heart when it comes down to it. As seen by his commitment to Jan even though she used him. His friendship with Dwight, Jim and Pam. His eagerness to be apart of the birth of C, help out where he could. His methods of trying to fix things always backfires but you can tell he genuinely cares. Example being when he tries to make Oscar feel accepted. He is so oblivious some times it's hard to fault him completely.

How he looked out for Ryan and Pam when he got their jobs back after he sold off TMSPC.
---

I'm currently making a ranking list of every office episode, and we have Scott's Tots in the top 15.
---

1NfamousACE_2 posted...

Wasn't the UK office on for 1 season?

2 seasons I believe.
---

Theres actually a subreddit for people who cant watch that episode
/r/CannnotWatchScottsTots
---

Season one MIchael is also a lot more dickish than later on since he's more directly based on the UK equivalent.
---

I love Michael and Ryan's weird unrequited gay love story.
---

TheCurseX2 posted...

I love Michael and Ryan's weird unrequited gay love story.

Ryan, who's hotter than Jan, but in a different way.
---

TheCurseX2 posted...

I love Michael and Ryan's weird unrequited gay love story.

"Well I...would have sex with Ryan. Cause he's gonna own his own business."
---

BlueBoy675 posted...

I like Parks and Rec more but yeah the Office is good stuff

Parks and Rec was....good, but like, TOO arcadey. If you know what I mean.
---

chrono625 posted...

I never felt Michael was unlikable.

I feel he's much more a character of empathy.

You can tell he's got maturity issues but that stems from his upbringing and that he never accomplished anything he really wanted to.

You can tell he means well and has a good heart when it comes down to it. As seen by his commitment to Jan even though she used him. His friendship with Dwight, Jim and Pam. His eagerness to be apart of the birth of C, help out where he could. His methods of trying to fix things always backfires but you can tell he genuinely cares. Example being when he tries to make Oscar feel accepted. He is so oblivious some times it's hard to fault him completely.

Yeah, but he's not always like this. He is actively mean to both Andy and Erin when they try to be his friend because he thinks theyre weird and annoying. And he's really mean to Dwight throughout the entire series and doesn't treat him like a friend at all until very late in the show.

imo he's definitely not meant to be likable at least, I'm pretty sure you are supposed to feel bad for him but also not that bad idk

F1areaGaman posted...

Parks and Rec was....good, but like, TOO arcadey. If you know what I mean.

I do not know what you mean
---

Michael isn't supposed to be 'worst boss ever.'

That's Jan. If you think Michael is presented as the worst boss ever, watch the episode "The Deposition."

Bonus? It's one before "Dinner Party."

The whole series introduces one 'more horrible boss than Michael' after another.

First Jan, who fucks her subordinates (plural) and then fucks them over on performance reviews without warning. Then Ryan, who literally breaks the law and drives the company into bankruptcy. Then Robert California, who robs the company. And on and on.

By the end of his time on the office, the main characters genuinely are sad to see him go. Because they've seen what they COULD have to deal with.
---

Darkman124 posted...

Michael isn't supposed to be 'worst boss ever.'

That's Jan. If you think Michael is presented as the worst boss ever, watch the episode "The Deposition."

Is Jan supposed to be 'the worst boss' or just 'the worst' period?
---

Balrog0 posted...

Darkman124 posted...

Michael isn't supposed to be 'worst boss ever.'

That's Jan. If you think Michael is presented as the worst boss ever, watch the episode "The Deposition."

Is Jan supposed to be 'the worst boss' or just 'the worst' period?

yes
---

Michael was the best, I stopped watching the show when he left.
---

ClunkerSlim posted...

Hes a hell of a lot better person than BBCs David.

---

You took meeee by the haaaand!!!
---

TheCurseX2 posted...

I love Michael and Ryan's weird unrequited gay love story.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lzLpYJhkGY
---