For the (almost) seven seasons he was on NBC’s The Office, simply uttering his name would conjure visions of a bumbling, insensitive man-child, completely unaware of his own caustic nature, which was unfunny at best and horrifyingly offensive at worst. However, for all his many faults, Michael Scott (Steve Carell), the Regional Manager of Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch, was able to prove on a handful of occasions that he could be brilliant. So, for a moment, let’s ignore all those times he made us cringe and take a look at those few, fleeting moments when Michael Scott really was the smartest guy in The Office.
Hiring Danny Cordray
A rival salesman from Osprey Paper, Danny Cordray (Timothy Olyphant) had proven himself an expert at sniping potential clients away from the Dunder Mifflin team. So, as a way to observe his sales techniques, Jim (John Krasinski) and Dwight (Rainn Wilson) set up hidden cameras in a fake office and had Meredith (Kate Flannery) pose as the manager of a fake company because obviously she’s who you want for a secret mission of some delicacy. Unsurprisingly, the meeting gives way to Meredith’s inappropriate flirting, destroying the whole plan, causing Danny to leave in disgust.
Before he does, though, Michael stops him and not only admits to being impressed by his superior sales technique (high praise coming from him), but Michael talks him into taking a job at Dunder Mifflin. And to heap more praise on Michael, he also impresses when the other salesman protest, showing an impressive amount of authority when he refuses to bow to public opinion.
Negotiating terms of his buyout
After Michael strikes out on his own with Pam (Jenna Fischer) and Ryan (B.J. Novak) to form The Michael Scott Paper Company, they have some short term success siphoning off Dunder Mifflin’s clients to help them stay afloat. Those happy times don’t last, though, as an accountant points out an error in Ryan’s pricing structure, putting the new company on the fast track towards bankruptcy.
When Michael is brought in for negotiations with Dunder Mifflin’s CFO, David Wallace (Andy Buckley), for a buyout (after some last minute coaching by Jim), Wallace tries to strong arm him with a low-ball offer. Michael’s response is one of his best moments when he tells Wallace coldly, “I don’t think I have to wait out Dunder Mifflin, I think I just have to wait out you.”
His sales call with Andy
Okay, so he doesn’t exactly come out ahead on this one as a normal, seemingly surefire, sales call is completely derailed by Andy (Ed Helms), thanks to his obnoxious behavior.
In the car ride afterward, having not come around at all, Andy snidely asks “do we even want that guy buying our paper?” Michael, clearly concerned over the meeting’s outcome, humorlessly responds with a “yes,” proving that to Michael, there actually is a time for antics and a time to “shut up” and do the work.
Stealing Dwight’s biggest client
After Dwight takes Michael’s beloved Rolodex during the brief existence of The Michael Scott Paper and leaves behind a raw fish in the vent, Michael decides to retaliate by stealing Dwight’s biggest client from him, all while making him listen in via speakerphone the entire time. It’s a moment that not only showcases his excellent salesmanship and his ability to think on his feet, but most surprisingly, it shows Michael at his most deliciously devious as he crushes the spirit of his protege-turned-enemy.
The meeting at Chili’s
It was arguably Michael’s finest hour, starting with him boldly rescheduling a meeting with a Lackawanna County official (Tim Meadows) that had been set for the Radisson, moving it over to Chili’s — “the new golf course,” according to Michael’s as-yet-unpublished letter to the editor of Small Businessman Magazine. While Michael’s direct supervisor, Jan (Melora Hardin), would have approached the meeting (on which the fate of the Scranton branch probably rested) in a much more conventional manner, Michael’s penchant for bad jokes, novelty neckties, and Awesome Blossoms actually seems to win the official over, and before long, the two are acting much more like old friends than business associates.
Near the end of their night, when everyone is filled with fried onions and blended margaritas, Michael muses about the uncertain role of the independent paper company in an increasingly corporate world. While Jan briefly attempts to interject, Michael, for all his lacking self-awareness time and again, discretely hushes her, allowing him to close the sale and become the paper supplier for all of Lackawanna County. It’s not only great news for the Scranton branch, but it serves as the spark that begins the long, torrid love affair between Jan Levinson and Michael Scott, reminding us all that his moments of brilliance rarely come in waves.
