The Office: 10 Times Michael Was Actually A Good Person

It’s not hard to notice all the blunders and cringe moments Michael Scott in the The Office has. In fact that’s what makes his character so fun to watch on screen, we love to root for the underdog. Sometimes however, his true heart shows through and we see a side of Michael that is truly endearing and well meaning. Whether he’s handing out laptop batteries or asking his ‘nana’ for a loan he’s well meaning but that doesn’t always come through.

Tossing aside his never ending feud with Toby Flenderson, here are 10 times Michael was actually a good person…

10 A Father-Like Figure To Erin

Once Pam leaves after having her baby, we’re introduced to Erin, who is a sweet but somewhat scatterbrained new secretary. Michael is initially thrown off by this due to years of having Pam behind the desk. After a brief period he begins to warm up to her and she fits in well among the crazy day to day at the Scranton branch. Michael takes Erin under his wing in a way and becomes protective over her new relationship with Gabe.

After an awkward party at Gabe’s apartment, Michael puts his foot down and tells Erin he doesn’t think Gabe is good enough for her. She is initially taken back by this but eventually the two laugh it off and she thanks Michael for looking out for her, especially since she doesn’t know her own parents. This is an important moment for both of them and shows how important being a father one day is to Michael.

9 New Manager

Season seven sees Michael leaving Dunder Mifflin for a new life with his love, Holly Flax. This of course stirs up all kinds of emotions for the office and the hesitation of accepting the new manager. Knowing this will be a hard transition for everyone Michael decides to say goodbye one by one in a special way. He gives his client list to Andy, plays paintball with Dwight and gives advice to all his co-workers.

It’s almost fitting that one of Michael’s most vulnerable and touching moments is in his last episode on the show.

8 Scott’s Tots

While this may not seem like a great moment for Michael, the gesture behind it is truly a noble one. “Scott’s Tots” is considered by many fans a hard watch due to the cringe inducing nature of Michael denying kids a college tuition. However for all his faults he did promise to pay for their school as a way to get them to pursue education a better future. This highlights his need to help people out even if it’s not something he can feasibly do.

This ordeal ends with Michael offering the students free laptop batteries instead of their schooling which as you can imagine does not end well. Nevertheless this is a pure moment for his character, despite it’s lacking logic.

7 Caleb Crawdad

With news of Dunder Mifflin possibly going under, Michael devises a murder mystery game to distract the office from the bad news. He puts on the persona of ‘Caleb Crawdad’ (complete with a thick southern accent) and informs everyone he needs their help to solve the case. Jim is not happy at first with this choice to ignore the issue but eventually sees the benefit after Michael explains how much they all need this “stupid little game.” Going out of his way to keep his employees happy is a check in the right column for Michael for sure.

6 Going Back For Dwight

After a tough decision for Dwight he decides to resign rather than risk outing his relationship with Angela. This was spurred on by Andy who wanted Dwight out of the way so he could become Michael’s right hand man. Eventually this leads to Michael finding out about Andy pulling the strings and decides to go and convince Dwight to come back to Dunder Mifflin. He finds him working at Staples in a position he clearly isn’t suited for.

Michael apologizes sincerely and explains his mistake and lapse in judgement. Another fantastic moment where we see his serious side come out, if only for a brief scene.

5 Never Ever Give Up

Out on the lake during Michael’s ‘booze cruise’ Jim is witness to Pam finally setting a date for her wedding, which tears him up tremendously. His own date for the event turns out to be far from his type and a connection is just not there. This adds up to Jim seeking a friend in Michael who is also wrestling with his own troubles. He explains to Michael his feelings for Pam for the first time. In this tender moment Michael reassures him telling him to “never ever give up” and that things could change between Pam and Roy. Advice is not usually his strong suit so this comes out of left field in a way that cements the bond between these two.

4 Standing Up For Ryan And Pam

With the downfall of his own paper company, Michael is forced to allow Dunder Mifflin to buy out his small but threatening business. This puts Pam and Ryan’s jobs in jeopardy as they would only receive a payout instead of a safer bet of stable jobs. Michael is urged by them to fight for either more money or a spot back in the company, which after a few tries he takes very seriously.

Michael steps up to the plate and not only wins their old jobs back but secures both Pam and Ryan sales positions in the process.

3 That’s What She Said

It had been been forever in the eyes of fans since Michael Scott left The Office, so they were treated to a surprise cameo in the series finale. Dwight is set to finally marry Angela after their on-again off-again relationship at his sprawling beet farm. All the familiar faces we’ve grown to love are there with new stories and happy endings to draw the show to a close, except one important absence. Jim, who knew Michael was set to show up decided to surprise Dwight with his old friend. Dwight turns around to see and says “I can’t believe you came” to which perfectly Michael responds “that’s what she said.” It was a perfect bookend to the trio and made Michael a truly great friend.

2 Pam’s Art Show

Throughout the show Pam has always tried to pursue her passion of being an artist and getting out from behind the reception desk. This blooms into her submitting a collection of her paintings to a local art show, including one of the Dunder Mifflin building. She waits patiently for hours for any of her office mates to arrive all the while her art is ridiculed by the patrons of the exhibition. Finally a friendly face appears in Michael, who is over the moon about her work and buys one to hang in the office. It ends with Michael letting her know he is really proud and they share a hug that’s very hard to not shed a tear watching.

1 The Dundies

This may seem like an odd inclusion but as wild and out of control as Michael’s Dundie awards got, they were his way of rewarding his employees. The importance of these awards to Michael is shown as he teaches his replacement how to host. Just like in reality sometimes the best intentions don’t come across that way as most of the office crew don’t much like the wild night at Chili’s. This doesn’t stop Michael from showing his appreciation in the weirdest way possible and makes his love of his ‘family’ that much more apparent.

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