I thought he only slouched because of the whipping? I mean, if someone whipped me like that I'd be hunched over for a few days.

Personally, I think he's one of the best fictional characters on television. Sure, he's a depraved, sick individual, but as others have mentioned the hints of vulnerability make him relateable and sympathetic. I care about this character, I wonder about how he functioned before meeting Cesare. I worry about what he'll do after Cesare dies.

I think he's more masochist than sadist. Before the whipping scene with Cesare he's got a scene with Juan. To paraphrase-

Juan: My only problem is whether to torture you now or later.
Micheletto: I pity you your choice.

He's goading him. Then he not only tells Cesare to whip him, but whip him harder. Watch that scene; he's done this before. He doesn't need to be tied down to keep from breaking away.

I thought Maria's murder was done more to frame Della Rovere than anything else. He could have silenced her by cutting out her tongue.

I think turning his back in the baths was a mistake on his part. A fluke. Well, nobody's perfect. It was the set up for some great interaction between him and Cesare. It takes guts to tell your boss you failed and you can tell he's a bit apprehensive about Cesare's reaction. Really good power play between the two characters.

So to sum it all up, I adore this character, but he scares me.

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