Mainwaring and Wilsons relationship

They both had their issues with each other. Mainwaring resented Wilson's privaleged background, and thought he wasn't serious about his role as sergeant and that he wasn't firm enough with the men. Wilson, for his part, was disdainful of Mainwaring's pompous attitude and thought he was the smarter of the two. But in the first episode, you notice it's Wilson introducing Mainwaring to all the people assembled, and he seems to be very genuine with his comments. I imagine the two of them learned to be freinds and to value each other's strengths. Mainwaring might have been a pompous ass, but he was unfailingly patriotic and brave. And Wilson, despite being somewhat diffident and seemingly disinterested genuinely cared about the platoon and was just as loyal as Mainwaring. They're just two very different people who share a similar mission and have to learn to respect and value one another's differences.

Well, I want to say there was some comradeship between the two of them after all the trials they went through, but it really seemed the dislike ran incredibly deep. It seemed very much that they tolerated each other in order to get the job done, but that was as far as it went.

Remember in the A.Wilson (Manager) episode, Mainwaring's resentment of Wilson shows through to the extent he won't even shake Wilson's hand to wish him well after Wilson gets promoted. Plus, it turns out in that episode Mainwaring has blocked several times Wilson's promotion in the bank.

The resentment ran deep, particularly on Mainwaring's side, not just because of Wilson's higher social class and perceived easy life, but because Mainwaring was doing his duty sticking it out in what seemed a rather loveless marriage, while Wilson had been merrily carrying on unmarried with a widower for several years behind society's back. No doubt what Mainwaring considered to be shirking responsibility.

Also, in spite of the fact that the stength's of each helped the other out on several occasions, I don't think either would admit that, certainly not Mainwaring, and there wasn't any real respect for the other. Mainwaring thought Wilson was a bit of a cad, and Wilson thought Mainwaring a bit of a fool. I kinda wish they had had a moment of mutual understanding in the last episode, but they never did.

i think Wilson might have been closer to upper than upper middle, having aristocratic relatives etc. it was always a bit of a mystery to me how he ended up as a bank clerk - not the kind of thing someone of his social class normally did. he had obviously come down in the world, but we never learn why. mainwaring clearly resented his priviliged background and had a bit of a chip on his shoulder, but at bottom he seemed to be quite fond of wilson, and wilson of him.