Michael

Michael is a recurring character in Lead Balloon. He is the owner of  'Michael's Cafe' that Rick and Marty frequently eat at. He is socially awkward, possibly to the extent of having a mental disorder. He once mentions that he "hasn't really got" a social life. In fact, on one occasion when Rick asks where Michael hears the news about him, Michael reveals he has an alert set on his computer when news updates about Rick are uploaded, mentioning the alert tone "isn't so much of a 'ding' as it is a 'u-uh'"

It is implied that Michael lacked intimacy during his childhood; he once informed Rick and Marty that he was stabbed in the leg with a penknife by his brother, Christopher, who, according to Michael's father Ambrose "made alot of money out of apartheid" working in South Africa. Michael apparently was a big-city banker who went bankrupt during the global financial crisis.

Michael pursues many odd or arcane hobbies which puzzle Rick and Marty, such as metal-detecting, corresponding with women on Internet chatrooms, and attending 'Cuddle Parties' regularly, finding it "rewarding" and "healing". He becomes an official 'Cuddle Buddy' in the final episode of Series 2. Michael has also apparently experienced suicidal thoughts and/or feelings; when Rick rescues a man from committing suicide, Michael is able to identify strongly with the mindset of suicidal people, although he claims it is only "something he read."

In the episode "Gas" in Series 3, Michael's father, Ambrose, is revealed to be homosexual and in a relationship with his 'business partner' Colin. Despite Ambrose's efforts to prevent Michael from finding out, Mel accidentally reveals it while she is drunk, much to Michael's chagrin. Michael displays his homophobic tendencies during this episode, when he "perishes the thought" of his father being gay, before discovering he is.