While The Office featured an interesting cast of characters who worked for Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, none was quite as beloved as the Manager of the Scranton branch, Michael Scott. When the mockumentary sitcom first introduces Michael, he is self-absorbed and cares little about his employees. However, by the end, he is kind and ecstatic to be living the life he always dreamed of. How did we get from pilot Michael to finale Michael, you ask? It’s time to find out.
Here are ten of the biggest ways Michael Scott changed over the course of The Office.
He Became The World’s Best Boss
In The Office pilot, Michael pretends to fire Pam just for kicks. She cries, he laughs at her, and then she leaves upset that he played such a cruel joke.
While Michael continues to make insensitive gestures towards his employees through the rest of the first season, the writers gave him a bigger heart beginning in Season 2.
Michael started to care deeply about the little details of his employees' lives, feeling that in some ways, they were like a family to him. He begins to remember the little details about the people he manages, even things like the name of Angela’s cat, Sprinkles.
He Became Careless Instead Of Mean
On a similar note, Michael’s meanness melts into cluelessness early on.
In Season 1’s “Diversity Day,” for example, he mocks Kelly’s Indian heritage in the name of comedy. Later on in Season 3’s “The Return,” however, he throws a Mexican-themed party for Oscar not to mock him, but because he thinks he will appreciate the gesture.
While ignorance wasn’t an excuse for many of the insensitive things Michael did in later seasons, it did help him become slightly more likable. While his naivety wasn’t attractive, it did prove that he wasn’t ill-willed.
He Dressed Better
Michael’s Season 2 personality shift was accompanied by a fashion transformation.
In early episodes, Michael wears collared shirts that are tight and slicked-back hair that makes him look to be balding. The new-and-improved Michael opts for comfortable suits and a more natural hairstyle.
This makes him look less schemey and more inviting.
He Became Succesful
Dunder Mifflin went through a lot of big ups and downs as a whole, and Scranton directly felt the effects of this. In the Pilot, Michael discovers that his branch might be downsized. A little later, Scranton is nearly absorbed by the Stamford branch. Even further on, Michael is demoted to co-manager alongside Jim.
However, just because Michael had many career setbacks didn't mean he never found a way to climb back to the top. Not only did Michael reclaim his regional manager position (and come up with a few strong ideas along the way), but he also garnered the respect of his employees, the thing he most desired. They say goodbye with a Rent-inspired thank you song.
He Became A Small Business Owner
Speaking of success, Michael found some unconventional achievement during Season 5 by opening the Michael Scott Paper Company.
Michael's business nearly fails due to the fact that it is making no money. However, it's still refreshing to see Michael step out and take a chance. Additionally, he manages to make a small fortune in the end after Dunder Mifflin buys out Michael Scott Paper Company.
He Figured Out His Love Life
Michael has a lot of trouble with women. Though he is very passionate about the ladies he dates, they don’t always feel the same — that is until he meets Holly.
Holly is an HR representative who has a quirky sense of humor that is similar to Michael’s. Holly’s kind nature is a breath of fresh air, especially after Michael spent so long holding on to Jan, a woman who simply wanted to use him. It was good to see him figure out his priorities.
He Learned To Make His Own Decisions
Michael is historically known to be a bad decision-maker. He hates to be the bad guy to his employees, and so he develops into a push-over. For example, in “Boys and Girls” (S2E15), the warehouse employees consider unionizing and Michael fails to stop their idea, forcing Jan to shut it down instead. Later, he enters into a bad relationship with Jan and is constantly forced to do whatever she pleases.
However, by Season 7, Michael has learned what he actually wants in life, and that is Holly. Even if it means leaving the Scranton branch, to Michael, she is worth it.
He Learned To Open Up
Michael frequently uses humor to lighten the mood and deflect his real feelings. Though this doesn't totally go away, he progressively sheds his sarcasm to get real at the critical moments.
Before Michael ended up with the woman of his dreams, he went through a lot of difficulties that he commonly shared with Pam. He even manages to briefly (and accidentally) relay his inner hurt to Toby during a mandatory session in the episode "Counseling" (S7E2).
He Acted Fatherly Toward His Employees
Though Michael doesn't have any kids of his own during his seasons as a primary character, he ends up acting like a father figure toward many of his employees (and not just Pam when he dates her mom).
Though Michael already treats his Scranton employees like family, he ends up going even further and developing parental bonds with them. He lets Jim learn from his own mistakes after leaving for the day in "Survivor Man" (S4E11), he stands up for Dwight at his wedding, and he even pretends to be Erin's real dad, realizing there's a void in her life caused by being an orphan.
He Became An Actual Father
While we never get to meet any of Michael's real children, it is revealed in the series finale that he has a few kids whom he cares for dearly. He loves them so much that he pays for two phone plans because all of his photos of them won't fit on one.
It's endearing to see Michael go from a reckless bachelor to a caring father. While he always seemed destined for this fate, it was sweet to see it become a reality.