Binghamton joins the 73 crew, when he learns that a Washington VIP - With a reputation for turning war heroes into politicians - Is coming to Voltafiore for a visit.
Guest Cast
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Binghamton joins the 73 crew, when he learns that a Washington VIP - With a reputation for turning war heroes into politicians - Is coming to Voltafiore for a visit.
This episode, well, if it wasn't for it being the series 'finale' would be totally forgettable. It carried on the tradition of the series last two seasons of over-the-top interactions between Lead Bottom and the crew. In this episode Wally is trying to finagle a spot on the ballot as a military hero when the war ends. Perhaps another mild poke at JFK, who had done just that after the war, but was a real naval hero himself and didn't need to fabricate his past. Wally, of course, goes overboard and his self-serving use of the PT 73 crew is hard for even them to swallow. In 4 years and 138 episodes (and 3 feature films) Wally has abused and whipped on the crew so often by this episode it's beyond belief that they would take him at his word. Yet, they do, for some other reason, and work with him probably thinking that the war will go on forever and that their only hope to get rid of him is to support his war hero act.
As always, things are going good for the Commander and it looks like he might finally get what he wants when, surprise, his scheme falls apart and he doesn't. At the end, the series final scene, he is left back at the base holding the 'bag' while the crew goes off to fight the real war. Wally being left behind, holding the gear as if he is a REMF (Rear-Echelon M other F...) and not the war hero he claims to be. That scene sums up the series plot line: that he is actually the main guy (in his mind, at least) while McHale and his crew of misfits (in reality) are the real heroes. To note, this theme runs thru many American movies and tv series of the post WWII era: that the common man actually fought and won the real war in the trenches and that the officers like ole' Wally were just unneeded props providing overhead and structure. The Wally's of war went home to enhanced personal creed from their service, while the men just went back to what they left behind. The typical POV most Americans had of what they really were, not warriors and some cheap PR campaign of their exploits, but of men who did their duty, some of it really harsh and horrible, won the fight and returned home.
I'm not sure if a series like McHale's Navy could be made today. Or, done as it was then. Trading in on the above view of Americans at war, and using many of the stereotypes of the period, the series would end up being PC'd to death to the point where it wasn't even funny. Good clean humor, with unintended swipes are various ethnic groups or class structures, formed the backbone of the series. It's hard to imagine it with a redesigned crew to take in minorities, females in non-traditional roles, authority figures not acting properly and all sorts of references to the 'Japs' deleted. Indeed. Although the interactions between Wally and Ensign (Permanent Grade) Parker are so trite and fabricated they are totally unbelievable, and the schemes of the crew so predicable that they aren't even funny along with the 'saved by the bell' endings always happening at the end to foil Wally's plans to get rid of the PT 73 crew the writers never tried to change to overall tone of the series. Even with its vicarious connection to PT boat veteran John F. Kennedy sitting in the White House (during season 1 [1962-1963] and part of season 2 [1963-1964] the series carried on 'as is'. One critic at the time, with the New York Times, who hated the series and campaigned for its removal from ABC said after JFKs death it became a sort of national therapy session and a way to remember JFK and his times as a young man who had his life taken just when the WWII generation had reached its highest point of leadership. He said the series changed gears in the minds-eye of viewers who managed to ensure it remaining on air until the end of season 4 [1964-1964 was season 3, 1965-1966 season 4]. It's ratings had slipped so bad by the end of season 3 it was on the list to be cancelled but was given a final season, however with its new location [in Europe] but the same crew. The head of ABC at the time [programming] said at the time that he hated to have to cancel the series, feeling as if he was taking away probably the last reminder of JFKs time in office. However, cancelled it was. Some of the cast held out hope that another feature film was in the works but that too was dropped. After April, 1966 the series went dark, never to return. Well, unless you count the 1990s movie.