Just Have A Little Faith

when wentworth miller captions this photo with a ❤️

- Michael never manipulated anyone into doing anything they didn’t want to do. What he manipulated was the outcome of what they did. 

- Michael never pretended to like anyone he abhorred, no matter what he needed from them. Not for one second did he pretend to have a pinch of respect for T-Bag or Bellick or Abbruzzi or Tweener. 

- Michael cared deeply – for people, not about winning. When he cried over Westmoreland dying, that wasn’t manipulation (in fact he almost put his own escape in jeopardy). When he tried to save that guard’s life, he wasn’t manipulating anyone (again, in fact, putting their escape in jeopardy). When he let Tweener into their escape plan, it wasn’t because it would benefit him (it actually harmed the escape), it was because he felt guilty. When he saved Sara’s life during the riot and almost got himself killed, it was because he cared for her.

- Michael struggled to or straight up refused to manipulate those he cared for deeply. He gave Westmoreland the cat with no strings attached except hope (Westmoreland ultimately decided to help because of his daughter). He could’ve taken the keys from Sara when he kissed her but he didn’t because he couldn’t. He couldn’t disguise a real kiss as manipulation.

- When Michael asked her to leave that door open, it was out of desperation. It wasn’t manipulation because he knew she liked him enough to do so – his real manipulation had already failed and this was all he had left.

What the show is trying to do is very clever – trying to make us believe that Michael is a genius sociopath, really – but let’s not forget that we know better. There is no one who feels more deeply; no one whose motivations and intentions are purer. He was not cold, he was not two-faced; he was not obsessed with winning.