He’s the boss no one really wants. He’s the guy who we try to avoid during parties. He’s the one who comes up with brilliant ideas only to backfire in the most miserable way. To whom am I referring? Michael Scott, of course. And Michael Scott is this week’s Wednesday Warrior.
I’ve been binge watching The Office episodes on Netflix lately. I can’t get enough of the show. It has fast become one of my favorites, not only because of its ridiculously talented cast but also because of the awkward moments each episode presents and how the characters make you squirm in your seat hoping the situations would never happen to you.
Part of the cast is Steve Carrell who plays Dunder Mifflin‘s branch manager Michael Scott. As crazy a character as you might think Michael is, he actually means well.
So he may be a tad crazy at times, but that doesn’t mean he’s the worst boss in the world. Just misguided. With all that goes on at his branch, or rather, with everything he puts his employees through, Michael should have had a pile of resignations on his desk long ago. Surprisingly, with every weird and wacky idea he comes up with, he manages to survive unscathed.
How does he do it? How does he serve up one cringe-worthy moment after another and live to tell his story?
I mean, how can I forget the time when he was planning to jump off his building into a blowup castle usually reserved for kids’ birthday parties, all in the name of safety? Or how about the time he organizes a beach party requiring everyone to walk across a bed of burning coals? That really went well. Or the time when he gave out golden tickets as coupons for free paper. I won’t tell you how that went.
Michael Scott certainly is brilliant. And yes, I may be saying it sarcastically but he’s proven repeatedly that he can still pull a rabbit out of a hat and surprise everyone. I’ll reference the fifth season’s episode Broke. I’m not going to get into the details for fear of spoiling it. In that episode, though, he is the boss everyone wants. He wasn’t cringe-worthy. He wasn’t embarrassing. He acted like a real boss who had thought things through right to the very end. Like I said, I can’t tell you about the episode, but I was pumping my hands in the air celebrating his awesome win.
Then, as unbelievable as it is, Michael has his moments when he shows his soft side. He’ll sit with his employees, lending an ear to all their problems. He quickly becomes the most sensitive human being on earth. Big kudos goes to Steve Carrell for being able to bring Michael Scott to life. Had anyone else played him, I’m sure the character wouldn’t have had the impact on the show as it did.
Whatever anyone thinks of Michael, whether his is the biggest buffoon, or the smartest guy in the room, he knows how to call his troops to action. Even if he sometimes appears misguided, his enthusiasm is infectious enough that others will go ahead and follow him. Few people in this world possess that talent.
But you know something? What I like most about Michael is that he makes me laugh. And that is the biggest reason I watch The Office.
Have you watched The Office? Who is your favorite character? Do you like Michael? Why? Why not?
Looking to God 
I love Michael Scoot. He is a fascinating character & the way he evolved during the show was amazing to watch. Dwight is my favourite though.
I certainly love Michael as well. He’s been able to change my attitude about him from be controversial to being sensitive. Great character! Love Dwight as well 🙂
I liked Michael and Pam grew on me. I thought,she can’t be that nice, but she actually was. That’s a true testament to the actor.
Pam and Jim were the only characters, other than Dwight, who hadn’t changed throughout the season. Pam, especially, was the perfect character to represent the audience’s normal, ordinary life. She’s great!
Oh I love the Office and I think michael is really funny.
Certainly a great show!
So this must be the American version of The Office. The original British version with Ricky Gervais set a trend for this documentary style sitcom and was written to take a swipe at two things: the proliferation of ‘fly on the wall’ documentaries, and the state of trend-obsessed British middle management.
I don’t think Gervais ever intended his character David Brent to be sympathetic. His charm was a front to hide his incompetence and it was a trait that millions recognised. As much as I dislike Gervais David Brent is a comedy character that really hit the nail on the head and showed up everything that’s wrong with British management. I don’t know if Americans recognised those flaws in Michael Scott, or even if the character was written for that reason, but Brent was, at the end of the day, a monster!
I’m watching it now with James Spader as the new boss in The Office after Michael left. The way you’ve described Gervais is the way Spader’s acting. I’m not too keen on the change, but we’ll see where the show goes for now.
That’s awesome about Michael Scott 😉 I love ‘The office’ 😀
Yeah, he’s one of my favorite TV characters, and such a great guy!
Yeah 😀 I loved him in ‘The incredible Burt Wonderstone’ 😉
I have yet to see this. Looking forward to it!
Have you seen the original ‘The Office’?
I have not! I’m hoping to catch it on Netflix–not sure if it’s available though.