As the main character on The Office, Michael Scott is one of the most iconic and memorable television characters of the last twenty years. The series definitely changed television in many ways and influences comedy and pop culture to this day.
Michael was a cringe-worthy, annoying boss that was turned into a likable character over the seasons. But there are definitely things about him that were underrated by fans and the show itself and also things that were really overrated.
Underrated: He actually had some character development
While The Office might be a comedy series, characters have to grow somewhat for the show to be really interesting. This can be hard to do in comedies because the issues characters have are often what make them funny.
The Office managed to actually give Michael character development in a believable way.
Overrated: He’s not as funny as fans think
While Michael is sometimes funny, most of the jokes or funny moments involving him care more about him being cringe-worthy or inappropriate.
It’s a certain style of humor that some people love and some people can’t stand. However, especially in early seasons, the things he did and said don’t even seem that funny anymore.
Underrated: He actually ed things about his employees
Michael Scott definitely would never be considered a good boss by most real-world metrics. However, he does have moments where he really cares about his employees.
He re lots of things about them such as what they like to eat, the events they have going on, and things about their lives. While he could be a little too involved, this was endearing at times.
Overrated: It makes no sense that he was able to keep his job
Since this is a comedy series, it’s not exactly supposed to be realistic. Fans have to be able to suspect a lot of disbelief to enjoy the show, and this is all right as it makes things so hilarious.
However, there were some aspects that just went too far. Saying that Michael was the best manager at Dunder Mifflin with the most successful branch was ridiculous, and the show shouldn't have taken this route.
Underrated: Because he did really care about his job
Micahel was often clueless and horrible at interacting with people. He was also sometimes lazy, but, while in the real-world he likely wouldn’t have been very successful, he did love his job.
His ion for the company was pretty impressive given that it was a mid-sized paper company and what many would consider to be an awful job.
Overrated: He wasn’t as likable as some fans think
While many fans couldn’t stand Michael at first, they grew to love him over time. This is largely in part to how the character is written.
While he seems completely obnoxious in earlier seasons, he’s shown as rather sympathetic and likable over time. However, he never really stops doing a lot of awful and inappropriate things, and many fans seem to forget this.
Underrated: Because he was willing to give up Dunder Mifflin
Given how much Michael loved his job and how it was basically his entire world, the fact that he got to a point where he was willing to leave the job behind was great character development.
When he found happiness with Holly and was willing to move away, it showed he had reached some maturity and was moving forward into a new phase of life that would give him the family he always wanted.
Overrated: He treated many of his employees rudely
While there were times that Michael could be really kind to his employees, he definitely played favorites. He was quite rude to many others such as Phyllis and Kevin, and he was downright abusive to Toby.
He harassed Pam and made fat jokes about many of the employees. He definitely created a toxic work environment.
Underrated: He was actually a good boyfriend to Holly
In most of Michael’s other relationships, he was an awful partner. He had many unhealthy relationships, but he finally got things right with Holly. He wasn’t always perfect with her either, but he did really love her and tried to make her happy. For the most part, they got along well and were good for one another.
Their relationship was really rather endearing all things considered.
Overrated: Because he was too inappropriate
At the end of the day, Michael made so many sexist, homophobic, and even racist jokes over the seven seasons he was the main character. So, while he might have some good moments and character development, it’s hard to completely forgive these things. He also made so many innuendo-filled jokes that should have gotten him fired.
In a lot of ways, he wasn't a good person at all, and he shouldn't have been allowed to treat people so poorly