Wally The Rat - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

OH Nuts! · 02-28-2010, 10:50 PM

In every ep I've seen of Adv. of O & H Wally is lazy, unreliable, a freeloader and an expert at weaseling out of responsibilities. But he was never really malicious except in one ep I've seen "The Exploding Book". In that ep Wally is downright disgusting as he tries to sabotage David as a competitor for a girl they both like. WHY any girl would even consider going out with BOTH Wally and David is something I'll never understand as David is so much more appealing - on every level. A question for my fellow fans: are there any other eps where Wally is a downright disgusting rat fink? Usually he's just an irritating mooch.

matt77b · 03-01-2010, 01:42 PM

In "A Bedtime Story," when he's supposed to be spending a week in a bed as part of a fraternity stunt initiated by a Dean, he sneaks out of bed and Rick ends up having to take his place.

OH Nuts! · 03-01-2010, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by matt77b

In "A Bedtime Story," when he's supposed to be spending a week in a bed as part of a fraternity stunt initiated by a Dean, he sneaks out of bed and Rick ends up having to take his place.

Yep, that's our Wally; always weasling out of responsiblity when he's not busy eating you out of house and home - but even here he was nowhere's near as awful as he was in "The Exploding Book" imo

Jude The Obscure · 03-01-2010, 05:06 PM

Yes, after watching "The Exploding Book", I really didn't see why David and Ricky would continue to be friends with him......but of course in sitcom land, all is forgiven in 30 minutes or less.......except for maybe Ginger....."I'll sweetie pie you!"

ILUVO&H · 03-01-2010, 09:22 PM

The Exploding Book was still a very early Wally appearance so that probably explains why the writing for him is different. He was more sneaky and underhanded in that episode than he typically was later on.

I agree with OH Nuts, how on earth could there be any competition between Dave and Wally???

I think one of my favorite Wally episodes is Wally's Penpal. Wally has a female penpal he's been writing for years. He boasts about himself to no end, and sends the girl a picture of Rick saying it's him. Penpal comes to town and the gig is up. Hilarious scene where the frat boys try to turn Wally into Rick!!
They make him stand on box to be taller, they get soot from the fire place to darker his eyebrows, give him a guitar, comb his hair back, tell him to suck in his gut. The pic of him standing there at the end always makes me laugh. As does Wally on stage lip syncing Have I Told You Lately That I Love You while Ricks singing in the kitchen.

I loved the Frat episodes.

OH Nuts! · 03-02-2010, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ILUVO&H

The Exploding Book was still a very early Wally appearance so that probably explains why the writing for him is different. He was more sneaky and underhanded in that episode than he typically was later on.

I agree with OH Nuts, how on earth could there be any competition between Dave and Wally???

I think one of my favorite Wally episodes is Wally's Penpal. Wally has a female penpal he's been writing for years. He boasts about himself to no end, and sends the girl a picture of Rick saying it's him. Penpal comes to town and the gig is up. Hilarious scene where the frat boys try to turn Wally into Rick!!
They make him stand on box to be taller, they get soot from the fire place to darker his eyebrows, give him a guitar, comb his hair back, tell him to suck in his gut. The pic of him standing there at the end always makes me laugh. As does Wally on stage lip syncing Have I Told You Lately That I Love You while Ricks singing in the kitchen.

I loved the Frat episodes.

I love the Frat episodes; I think they're my favorites. I don't have the Pen Pal ep & wish I did. Sounds like a fun ep!

Goldilocks · 03-08-2010, 07:58 PM

I see Wally as the "George Costanza" of the 1950's.

OH Nuts! · 04-22-2010, 03:13 PM

Oh, and here's are two more eps where he's a real stinker. In "Rick Makes A Loan" he takes advantage of Rick's good nature. Rick thinks when Wally asks to borrow some $ from the treas. he means $5 or $10 but Wally takes advantage of a poor pledge and borrows $100 - virtually the whole treasury. And what really MAKES this bad is Wally's unreliability - esp. when it comes to repaying debts.

And in "David's Golf Story" Dave makes a hole in one but Wally steals the credit in a story so he can score with a very pretty editor(ess) in chief. But Dave wins out in the end.

Yes, as Jude was saying WHY would the boys want to be friends with an irritating creep like Wally? But as pointed out, they were in sitcomland where logic doesn't have to make sense. (Did I just make an oxymoron??--anywho that also sounds like a good description of Wally) IMHO Wally is LUCKY to have g/f at all - esp. Ginger who is kind of attractive in her own way. After seeing Wally in action so much, its easy to see why Ginger is almost always on his case.

Dan Tullis · 04-24-2010, 06:35 PM

I could never understand why another Wally - Cleaver - had a rat like Eddie Haskell for a best friend. Wally Plumstead is downright charming compared to Haskell.

OH Nuts! · 04-25-2010, 04:46 PM

I don't know...to me both are pretty awful, but if I must pick, Wally Plumstead is a little less nauseating.

biffbronson · 04-26-2010, 08:55 AM

I liked how, in the episode "Painting from the Past," Wally raids Kris & Rick's refrigerator on his mission when he's hired by Rick to swipe the painting. I think it typified how he often gave in to his desires -- with his waistline paying the price...!

Skip Young (1930-1993) seemed to be typecast in the fun, fratboy type -- in an early My Three Sons episode, he played a fraternity guy as well. Even then his actual age was significantly higher than the group of actors.

ILUVO&H · 04-26-2010, 05:25 PM

Even though Wally could be a crumb he was really a very good natured guy, who meant no harm. He just was always trying to find the easiest way out all the time. Today he'd be called a slacker. I liked Wally he was a funny guy and had a great laugh. They really needed someone to be the 'screw up', and get Dave and Ricky in different jams.

OH Nuts! · 04-26-2010, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ILUVO&H

Even though Wally could be a crumb he was really a very good natured guy, who meant no harm. He just was always trying to find the easiest way out all the time. Today he'd be called a slacker. I liked Wally he was a funny guy and had a great laugh. They really needed someone to be the 'screw up', and get Dave and Ricky in different jams.

Guess we disagree because now with three examples in tow, his good nature to me is in question. But he does serve a purpose, he does make everyone else look good in comparison AND he makes me enjoy even more those eps where he's absent.

Dan Tullis · 04-26-2010, 10:23 PM

Somebody needed to be the cut up. In the early shows, it was pip squeek Ricky. The more mature Rick and Dave were too low key to be the cut ups. Of course, Ozzie had his wacky pals, too - Thorny and Joe.

biffbronson · 04-27-2010, 08:26 AM

That's a good and valid observation. In the better sitcoms, it seems that there was always a need for comedy relief when the main characters became somewhat more serious -- for example, in the late seasons of The Andy Griffith Show, Goober tended to serve that need. Even in a drama like Gunsmoke, we had Festus as an amusing sidekick. These guys made valuable contributions.

I've never found Wally annoying, although his laugh takes some getting used to...! Most of the other fraternity guys were played pretty straight. Although I loved the other occasional funny stuff, such as when one of the misc. college guys misunderstood when Kris was saying to him "You love Ginger," as Kris had misidentified him. He then came on to Kris a bit, asking "Are you Ginger?" It was a cute exchange. And all of that came out of a storyline involving Wally.

02-28-2010, 10:50 PM	#1
OH Nuts! Member Forum King Join Date: Feb 15, 2005 Posts: 133,383	Wally The Rat In every ep I've seen of Adv. of O & H Wally is lazy, unreliable, a freeloader and an expert at weaseling out of responsibilities. But he was never really malicious except in one ep I've seen "The Exploding Book". In that ep Wally is downright disgusting as he tries to sabotage David as a competitor for a girl they both like. WHY any girl would even consider going out with BOTH Wally and David is something I'll never understand as David is so much more appealing - on every level. A question for my fellow fans: are there any other eps where Wally is a downright disgusting rat fink? Usually he's just an irritating mooch.

04-22-2010, 03:13 PM	#8
OH Nuts! Member Forum King Join Date: Feb 15, 2005 Posts: 133,383	Oh, and here's are two more eps where he's a real stinker. In "Rick Makes A Loan" he takes advantage of Rick's good nature. Rick thinks when Wally asks to borrow some $ from the treas. he means $5 or $10 but Wally takes advantage of a poor pledge and borrows $100 - virtually the whole treasury. And what really MAKES this bad is Wally's unreliability - esp. when it comes to repaying debts. And in "David's Golf Story" Dave makes a hole in one but Wally steals the credit in a story so he can score with a very pretty editor(ess) in chief. But Dave wins out in the end. Yes, as Jude was saying WHY would the boys want to be friends with an irritating creep like Wally? But as pointed out, they were in sitcomland where logic doesn't have to make sense. (Did I just make an oxymoron??--anywho that also sounds like a good description of Wally) IMHO Wally is LUCKY to have g/f at all - esp. Ginger who is kind of attractive in her own way. After seeing Wally in action so much, its easy to see why Ginger is almost always on his case.
	Last edited by OH Nuts!; 04-26-2010 at 06:18 PM.

04-26-2010, 08:55 AM	#11
biffbronson Sentimental Fool Forum Star Join Date: Aug 22, 2009 Location: Near Notre Dame Posts: 10,512	I liked how, in the episode "Painting from the Past," Wally raids Kris & Rick's refrigerator on his mission when he's hired by Rick to swipe the painting. I think it typified how he often gave in to his desires -- with his waistline paying the price...! Skip Young (1930-1993) seemed to be typecast in the fun, fratboy type -- in an early My Three Sons episode, he played a fraternity guy as well. Even then his actual age was significantly higher than the group of actors.
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03-01-2010, 01:42 PM	#2
matt77b Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Mar 17, 2009 Location: All over the USA... Posts: 173	In "A Bedtime Story," when he's supposed to be spending a week in a bed as part of a fraternity stunt initiated by a Dean, he sneaks out of bed and Rick ends up having to take his place.

03-01-2010, 05:06 PM	#4
Jude The Obscure Retired Eternal Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Dec 10, 2006 Posts: 7,520	Yes, after watching "The Exploding Book", I really didn't see why David and Ricky would continue to be friends with him......but of course in sitcom land, all is forgiven in 30 minutes or less.......except for maybe Ginger....."I'll sweetie pie you!"

03-01-2010, 09:22 PM	#5
ILUVO&H Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jun 08, 2008 Location: New York Posts: 505	The Exploding Book was still a very early Wally appearance so that probably explains why the writing for him is different. He was more sneaky and underhanded in that episode than he typically was later on. I agree with OH Nuts, how on earth could there be any competition between Dave and Wally??? I think one of my favorite Wally episodes is Wally's Penpal. Wally has a female penpal he's been writing for years. He boasts about himself to no end, and sends the girl a picture of Rick saying it's him. Penpal comes to town and the gig is up. Hilarious scene where the frat boys try to turn Wally into Rick!! They make him stand on box to be taller, they get soot from the fire place to darker his eyebrows, give him a guitar, comb his hair back, tell him to suck in his gut. The pic of him standing there at the end always makes me laugh. As does Wally on stage lip syncing Have I Told You Lately That I Love You while Ricks singing in the kitchen. I loved the Frat episodes.

03-08-2010, 07:58 PM	#7
Goldilocks Member Forum Regular Join Date: Sep 08, 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 693	I see Wally as the "George Costanza" of the 1950's.

04-24-2010, 06:35 PM	#9
Dan Tullis Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Apr 15, 2009 Location: Seahurst, WA Posts: 180	I could never understand why another Wally - Cleaver - had a rat like Eddie Haskell for a best friend. Wally Plumstead is downright charming compared to Haskell.

04-25-2010, 04:46 PM	#10
OH Nuts! Member Forum King Join Date: Feb 15, 2005 Posts: 133,383	I don't know...to me both are pretty awful, but if I must pick, Wally Plumstead is a little less nauseating.

04-26-2010, 05:25 PM	#12
ILUVO&H Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jun 08, 2008 Location: New York Posts: 505	Even though Wally could be a crumb he was really a very good natured guy, who meant no harm. He just was always trying to find the easiest way out all the time. Today he'd be called a slacker. I liked Wally he was a funny guy and had a great laugh. They really needed someone to be the 'screw up', and get Dave and Ricky in different jams.

04-26-2010, 10:23 PM	#14
Dan Tullis Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Apr 15, 2009 Location: Seahurst, WA Posts: 180	Somebody needed to be the cut up. In the early shows, it was pip squeek Ricky. The more mature Rick and Dave were too low key to be the cut ups. Of course, Ozzie had his wacky pals, too - Thorny and Joe.

04-27-2010, 08:26 AM	#15
biffbronson Sentimental Fool Forum Star Join Date: Aug 22, 2009 Location: Near Notre Dame Posts: 10,512	That's a good and valid observation. In the better sitcoms, it seems that there was always a need for comedy relief when the main characters became somewhat more serious -- for example, in the late seasons of The Andy Griffith Show, Goober tended to serve that need. Even in a drama like Gunsmoke, we had Festus as an amusing sidekick. These guys made valuable contributions. I've never found Wally annoying, although his laugh takes some getting used to...! Most of the other fraternity guys were played pretty straight. Although I loved the other occasional funny stuff, such as when one of the misc. college guys misunderstood when Kris was saying to him "You love Ginger," as Kris had misidentified him. He then came on to Kris a bit, asking "Are you Ginger?" It was a cute exchange. And all of that came out of a storyline involving Wally.