The Office did a great job of fleshing out and developing its characters. And while everyone else went from average white-collar employees to slightly cuckoo people, the boss, Michael Scott, had a kind of opposite trajectory.
Steve Carell's iconic character was completely insufferable in the early episodes of the show, bringing egocentricity, offensive humor, absurd decisions, and an upside-down view of the world every time he entered the room.
But as the plot unfolded and Michael's staff became more chaotic, he himself got these random instances of actually being a nice person who's good at his job.
Though they were rare, they provided a nice glimpse into Michael's character and made viewers change their minds about him. Here are five The Office scenes that actually made us admire Michael Scott.
Negotiating The Michael Scott Paper Company Buyout
S5E25 Broke
Leaving Dunder Mifflin and starting his own paper company was a pretty childish and questionable thing to do. But the way Michael made the best of the situation deserves respect. While Pam and Ryan were freaking out about going out of business, Michael walked into the room and played Wallace like a child.
By the way, did you know that Broke was the first episode directed by Steve Carell? Maybe that's why Michael looks so good in it.
Hiring Danny Cordray
S7E5 The Sting
The idea of posing as potential clients to learn the tactics of the best salesman in the area was incredibly stupid. Especially since they asked Meredith to play a boss. But the move to convince Danny to work for Dunder Mifflin is exactly why Michael is in the manager position. And when the whole sales team ganged up on him, Michael didn't back down.
'Look, I am not going to exclude good people from our staff simply because they are threatening to you. And unless you have a better argument than that, I suggest you leave,' are the words of a real leader.
Telling Andy About Angela's Affair
S5E12 The Duel
Let's face it, Michael was the only good friend Andy had in the whole office when he told him about the Angela-Dwight affair. Yes, Angela should have done it herself, but the statute of limitations has expired for her. She would probably never confess, and others would have let them get married just because they were afraid of Andy's anger issues. These people are not really friends, are they?
Distracting Everyone With A Game
S6E10 Murder
'I do declare!' is not the only thing that makes the Murder episode so good. Michael's management skills and extensive experience in fooling around come in handy when rumors start to circulate that Dunder Mifflin is going under. People are stressed and Jim, as co-manager, proves to be completely helpless in the situation.
The game of Belles, Bourbon, and Bullets comes at just the right time, and the fact that Michael does it all on purpose shows just how badass of a manager he really is.
Spilling Truth
S5E19 Golden Ticket
The whole Golden Ticket thing was anything but sane, and Michael certainly showed his worst side there. But one scene really hit home. When Michael overhears people talking about him behind his back, he confronts them and spills the beans.
He suggests they imagine another, less loyal boss in his chair and reminds everyone of all the things he lets slide, like taking long vacations, having workplace relationships, or keeping employees they don't really need.
The moment not only showed Michael as a self-aware person, but also helped the sitcom's creators explain why exactly people kept working at the office. Basically, everyone benefited in some way from Michael's lackadaisical management style, and he knew it.