Porky was Jake Harper's pet guinea pig in "Go East On Sunset Until You Reach The Gates Of Hell".
Season 1[]
When Alan and Judith are helping Jake move into Charlie's house, Jake runs back outside and says that "Uncle Charlie hasn't met Porky yet!" Charlie asks Alan if that's a "Rubenesque 19 year old girl", but Alan clarifies that Porky is Jake's pet guinea pig. Charlie is distressed at the thought of "vermin" being in his house. Jake comes back in holding Porky's cage and introduces Charlie to him, pointing out his feces. Judith tells Jake to put Porky in his room, which he does.
Later that night, Alan asks if Charlie is going to Disneyland with them the next day. Charlie says he is not thrilled to have "one small rodent" in his house, and asks why he would drive "50 miles to see their kingdom".
The next morning, Jake holds Porky and wakes Charlie up by speaking to him in "Porky's" voice. When Charlie says he "does not like to start his day with a squealing creature in his face", Jake apologizes, takes Porky back and tells him Evelyn is in the house.
Jake later tells Alan he feels homesick and is taken back to Judith's house, but Porky is left behind. By the time Alan realizes he forgot to bring Porky back, Porky has died. Alan breaks down in grief, seeing himself in the dead guinea pig. Charlie suggests that they throw Porky into the ocean and get drinks. Alan is offended by the suggestion, but agrees. They put Porky into the ocean (offscreen) and watch him get eaten by pelicans.
It is unknown how Jake reacted to Porky's death and burial at sea. He was never mentioned again for the rest of the series.
Trivia[]
- Alan mentions that Porky was Jake's "fourth Porky in three years", implying he has had three other guinea pigs who died of unknown causes. This may suggest a pattern of neglect by Jake.
- How Porky died is not mentioned. He may have died of natural causes or, as suggested, as a result of neglect.
- Porky was most likely named after Porky Pig. This is evident when Charlie tells Alan that Porky died, as he says "Buh-dee, buh-dee, buh-dee, that's all, folks!", which is Porky Pig's iconic catchphrase.
- Porky Pig would later appear in the show in the series finale.
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