David Wallace of The Office

One of the Most Underrated Characters

By Mel E. FurnishPublished 2 years ago • Updated 2 years ago • 3 min read

David Wallace: One of the Most Underrated Characters of The Office

** SPOILERS AHEAD **

David Wallace is a nice guy, and let's be honest, who else could have the same amount of patience for Michael as David has? David often displays a state of composure when faced with difficult situations and people.

When Jan quits and unleashes her rage on him during an interview, he maintains a calm demeanor as he gets civilly blunt. He paints out the reasons, and when she tries to deflect with an accusation, he still harbors excellent poise as he tries to shut it down carefully.

After the deposition, David talks to Michael and expresses his humanity through sincerity and honesty. David apologizes to Michael for the situation he was caught in, and he confesses to Michael that he believes he is a good guy.

Michael and Wallace have several "moments" where they connect on a vulnerable level, like Jim and Wallace. Wallace has many significant unacknowledged instances where most of us wish our boss would have with us when we make mistakes.

He's a classic example of Mr. Good Guy, who unfortunately gets taken advantage of at times. One example, he gives Andy multiple chances, and then after it all, Andy quits and sh*ts on his car, yet David remains a good person.

We don't see much of Wallace beyond the work, but we do catch glimpses of his home life in the middle of the show. His wife is cross with him after he is canned, and Michael visits him as he remains chill and complacent. You can see her watching them in the hot tub. We can assume she is upset that he isn't "doing more" and has seemed to accept a leisure life at home.

After David had first introduced his idea of "Suck It" to Michael, Michael leaves saying: "That's not the David Wallace I remember. That is some sort of weird creature... that lives inside of David Wallace's house." David follows Michael out of his driveway, hugging the robes tightly as he waves while Michael rushes away.

We then see a clip of him singing a theme song for his invention with his son playing the drums - this is an excellent insight to see that David is also a father figure who seeks to include and treat his son like another human being. They are having fun together for his thing, and at the end, he yells his name and gives him a joyful high-five.

Wallace got screwed over by the corporation's poor choices, but in the end, fortune came his way and his "Suck It" invention turned him into a millionaire. Michael mocked his idea, but of course, the military loved it and was willing to pay a pretty penny to use it for other purposes.

David may have been sneaky to spread the negative information about Dunder Mifflin-Sabre to their customers. Still, he deserves a win, especially against a greedy company that once fired him after he worked to be such a great boss. Leaders should follow the example he sets to make them more approachable.

While you sometimes need to have a firm stance on matters, you also should be someone who people are comfortable being around; at times, it's good to let loose and have fun. Jim and David shoot hoops for a bit during the party they hold at their house: a great example of a relaxed leader who is genuine with his employees.

David Wallace may get tricked by Robert California late in the show, but overall, he is a good character with compassion and a good understanding of managing people.

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