D'Snowth's M*A*S*H Reviews

[D'Snowth]

Episode Information
Episode Title: "Deluge"
Episode Number: 96
Season Number: Four
Original Airdate: February 17, 1976
Production Code: G516
Writers: Larry Gelbart, Simon Muntner
Director: William Jurgensen

Episode Summary
The 4077th is suddenly in the middle of a very heavy deluge of casualties due to excessive and ever-increasing fighting, meanwhile Radar does some wheeling and dealing to get ahold of some more supplies, while Colonel Potter plans to have the nurses shipped out of camp for safety reasons, just as it starts to rain outside and a fire breaks out in the laundry room because of somebody flicking the ashes off his cigarette into the hamper. In the end, the 4077th is awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation.

M*O*R*S*E*L*S
* Although this is the twenty-fourth episode of Season Four, it was the sixteenth produced.

* The film quality of this episode is rather awkward.

* The first time Movietone News newsreel clips are featured in an episode; the clips featured include: Winston Churchill making a statement about the Korean War, footage of a Communist Fort firing off shells, Joe E. Brown making a public service announcement about donating blood, a presidential speech from Truman, France attacking Vietnam, footage from a Harvest Moon Ball, General MacArthur returning from Korea, Bob Hope golfing, Rita Hayworth announcing she's going to have her first hot dog, a ping-pong-playing-cat,

* Corporal Klinger's Latest Story of How He Tried to Avoid Being Drafted: When he was asked for his religion he said "Aztec", when he was told to stop joking he said "bring me a virgin, I'll cut her heart out", he said "ah" when they check his ears, he dropped his pants when they told him to stick out his tongue, and they called in a psychiatrist and he kissed him.

* Actual scenery outside the O.R. windows can be seen in this episode: basically a light blue backdrop with trees in front of it. They SHOULD be seeing the Swamp just outside the windows, with the other tents in the background.

* Margaret was born in an Army hospital.

* Father Mulcahy worked his way through divinity school as a B girl in San Diego.

* GOOF: Harry Truman is mentioned as still being president in this episode, yet earlier in "The Late Captain Pierce", news broke out about General Eisenhower just being elected president.

"Deleted" Scenes
* A brief scene where Klinger and a corpsman scrub out a tub in the Supply Room so Hawkeye and B.J. can remove fragments from a soldier's leg has been edited out.

* Quite a bit of the Movie Tone News reels has been cut.

* The scene where Radar helps Hawkeye during Triage while the audio from the footage of the Harvest Moon Ball has been cut.

* Margaret barging in on Colonel Potter in the Showers has been nicked for time.

* A brief scene where Radar offers two books The Tropic of Capricorn and The Tropic of Cancer for plasma has been cut.

Favorite Quote
RADAR: (Helping bring a casualty into O.R.) Take good care of him, doc!
B.J.: Friend of yours, Radar?
RADAR: Somebody said he's from Iowa!
B.J.: (Observes the patient) He's not from Iowa anymore.

Overall
Opinion: Another snooze-fest.
Rating: Click here

 

[D'Snowth]

Episode Information
Episode Title: "The Interview"
Episode Number: 97
Season Number: Four
Original Airdate: February 17, 1976
Production Code: G525
Writers: Larry Gelbart
Director: Larry Gelbart

Episode Summary
Real life war co-respondant, Clete Roberts, arrives the 4077th to asked the staff a series of 30 questions for the air; including... Do you see anything good at all coming out of this war? is there anything from home you've brought over with you to set up for yourself? what do you fell was the most difficult thing you had to adjust to over here? what do you do when you're not working? anything coming out of this war as far as medical or techincal development? do you get scared or frightened? how would you described yourself? can you describe what you do? how do you keep your morale up? how do you manage to stay sane here? how did you choose the military as a career? has the whole experience changed you in anyway? do you have respect for authority over here? what about the people you work with? do you agree with romanticizing war? do you have any heroes over here? what do you think of President Eisenhower? is there a lot of drinking around here? what do you think will happen when the U.S. leaves? do you get to meet the South Koreans? what do you miss the most? what about when the war is over? where is home? do you want to say hello to anyone back home? and do you want to see the people you work with after the war?

M*O*R*S*E*L*S
* Because this episode was supposed to play like a newsreel, it was filmed in black-and-white. Because of that, the network was afraid that the viewing audience would go crazy, so they had producer/director Burt Metcalfe do a voice-over disclaimer to "warn" the audience "the following is in black-and-white."

* Burt Metcalfe is Canadian.

* Also, because of the newsreel factor, this episode has no laugh track.

* After this season finished filming, series' creator/writer/producer/director Larry Gelbart left the series, thus putting producer Gene Reynolds in charge until his departure after the following season.

* This is the first time Clete Roberts interviews the staff of the 4077th; he would return in Season Seven for the two-part clip/flashback show "Our Finest Hour".

* This episode was partially improvised: Clete Roberts asked the cast members a series of thirty questions, the cast member answered the questions, in character, and after filming was done, a script was written for the episode, and the footage that had been filmed had been cut and edited as scripted.

* At one point, Roberts asks the members of the 4077th what has changed them the most during their stay in Korea, and Father Mulcahy replies with "When the doctors cut into a patient, and it's cold, you know, the way it is now today, steam rising from the body... and the doctor will... will warm himself over the open wound... could anybody look on that and not feel changed?". Larry Gelbart considers that to be his line of the entire series.

* At the moment, the 4077th's efficiency rating is at 97% so it's dropped a percent since last time.

* Margaret doesn't appear in this episode.

* Frank Burns is the only one who dressed up for his interview.

* Corporal Klinger attended Toledo Waite High School with his wife, Laverne Esposito.

* Klinger also mentions his favorite hot dog joint, Paco's Hungarian Hot Dogs for the first time in this episode.

* B.J.'s daughter's named is revealed in this episode as Erin.

* Klinger's father's name is Butch, his sister's name is Yvonne.

* Radar mentions his Uncle Ed for the first time in this episode.

* GOOF: B.J. mentions he did three amputations before he had his first breakfast at the 4077th, yet however, a week passed before he set foot into the O.R. for the first time, so unless he was dreaming, he probably would've been suffering from malnutrition by then.

* GOOF: Although the entire episode was filmed in black-and-white, the still shots the closing credits flash over are in color.

"Deleted" Scenes
* This entire episode has been butchered a bit for timing reasons.

Favorite Quote
FATHER MULCAHY: When the doctors cut into a patient, and it's cold, you know, the way it is now today, steam rising from the body... and the doctor will... will warm himself over the open wound... could anybody look on that and not feel changed?

Overall
Opinion: A VERY interesting episode.
Rating: Click here

Wellp, I think I'll take a break from the reviews for the weekend, but I'll be back next week, and ready to start Season Five!

 

[D'Snowth]

Time for Season Five!

Episode Information
Episode Title: "Bug Out -- Part 1"
Episode Number: 98
Season Number: Five
Original Airdate: September 21, 1976
Production Code: U801
Writers: Jim Fritzell, Everett Greenbaum
Director: Gene Reynolds

Episode Summary
While a new Latrine is being dug out in the Compound, Radar receives word on the phone that the 4077th is to partake in a practice bug out: something that's supposed to be kept hush-hush... no such luck, because Corporal Klinger happens to be hanging around when Radar receives the news, and he ends up telling Margaret and Frank Burns in the Mess Tent, and they end up telling Hawkeye and B.J. Pretty soon word spreads all over camp about the bug out, which starts to annoy Colonel Potter, who assumes it's simply just a rumor, so while he gets Hawkeye to perform surgery on a severly wounded soldier who was injured in the middle of his back, thus making him unmoveable for at least twenty-four hours, Colonel Potter sees just how the rumor has gotten out of hand when the kitchen shuts down, and the enlistedmen refuse to dig the new Latrine because of the bug out. So Colonel Potter orders for everyone to fall out so he can put everyone at ease that the 4077th is NOT bugging out, that is, until Radar receives news on the phone that a battalion of Chinese are about to make their way through Ouijongbu, and the 4077th is ordered to be completely bugged out by the next three hours, so while Frank is put in charge of the bug out, Colonel Potter takes a ride in a chopper to scout the new location for the 4077th, meanwhile, Hawkeye is faced with a problem since his patient won't be able to be moved to another hospital for another day, at least.

M*O*R*S*E*L*S
* Gene Reynolds is promoted to executive producer in this episode, which can be seen during the opening credits.

* Also, the chopper footage of the opening credits have been changed to the ones that will be used for the remainder of the series' run.

* This actually isn't the first time the 4077th has had to bug out; when Frank was put in charge during Colonel Potter's absence in "The Novocaine Mutiny", B.J. relates the story of Frank ordering the 4077th to bug out and move ten miles down the road, then move back to their original spot the next day.

* This episode marks the first of two appearances of corpsman, Kelsey.

"Deleted" Scenes
* The opening sequence with Hawkeye and B.J. overseeing the digging of the new Latrine has been nicked for time (cutting out Father Mulcahy's blessing).

* The scene where Klinger enters Radar's office for his new box of cigars when Radar gets the call to bug out has also been nicked for time.

* Cho-Man-Chin trying to swindle Colonel Potter into buying new land for the 4077th has also been nicked for time.

* Colonel Potter's speech to the camp about rumors has also been nicked for time.

* Frank chewing Klinger out for not tearing down his tent when he was supposed to has been nicked for time.

* Colonel Potter up in the chopper scouting for a new location has been nicked for time as well.

Favorite Quote
COLONEL POTTER: Why didn't I shoot my foot and stay in Honolulu?

Overall
Opinion: A rather depressing episode.
Rating: Click here

 

[D'Snowth]

Episode Information
Episode Title: "Bug Out -- Part 2"
Episode Number: 99
Season Number: Five
Original Airdate: September 21, 1976
Production Code: U802
Writers: Jim Fritzell, Everett Greenbaum
Director: Gene Reynolds

Episode Summary
While the rest of the 4077th finished packing up what's left of the camp, Hawkeye stays behind to watch over his patient in Post-Op, Margaret, feeling since she's Head Nurse, decides to say behind as well, meanwhile Radar stays behind as well in case they might need him. And so, with all the trucks, buses, and jeeps overflowing with, and the camp looking like a desolate ghost town, the rest of the troops move out on their way to their new location. Margaret is scared at the prospect of being captured by the enemy and being raped, but Hawkeye tries to comfort her, which is hard to do since they're stuck in camp with absolutely nothing except for two meagar cans of teeny weenies, two cans of Spam, a can of dehydrated potatoes, and an extra pair of shoelaces. Hawkeye, needing a belt, treats Radar to a bottle of Grape Nehi at Rosie's Bar since it's still open, though even Rosie is getting ready to bug out as well. Meanwhile, the rest of the gang ride up to what looks like an abandoned school house to set up the new hospital, when B.J. and Colonel Potter discover that a group of bimbos have set up house inside, and refuse to leave... on one condition: they let them have all of Corporal Klinger's dresses. Klinger, naturally refuses to give up the dresses he spent the better part of the past three years making, but Colonel Potter talks him into giving them up to serve Toledo. Finally, after a long, restless night, a chopper arrives for Hawkeye's patient, so now Hawkeye, Margaret, and Radar are ready to catch up with the others, until their only jeep suddenly dies; things really begin to get scary when they hear a rumble coming towards the camp. Thinking it's the enemy, they try to find a hiding space to avoid being captured, only to find it's the rest of the gang coming home! Apparently the Chinese screwed up, retreated, and now everyone's back to Square One, so everyone starts to set up camp again, and the next day, things are back to abnormal at the 4077th.

M*O*R*S*E*L*S
* Rosie is played by Frances Fong in this episode.

* B.J. has a racing cockroach named Blue Velvet.

* The abandoned school has would later be used in Season Six when Father Mulcahy and Klinger drive to it to pick up stolen penicillin.

* Klinger says he's spent the past three years building up his dress collection, which would have to make this episode set during the final days of the Korean War, which would be hard to believe, since Charles would replace Frank Burns next season, and Charles is supposed to have been serving at the 4077th longer than Frank has.

* Radar's mother's car is a Nash.

* The Latrine had to be dug an entire foot lower because Frank fell into it.

"Deleted" Scenes
* The scene at Rosie's Bar has been nicked for time.

* Hawkeye and Radar bumping into agents from Army Intelligence learning that the new front being where the 4077th once stood has been nicked for time.

* Father Mulcahy blessing the new location for the 4077th has also been nicked for time.

* B.J. and Colonel Potter trying to get the bimbos out of the school house has also been nicked for time (cutting out Frank having his whistle confiscated by Colonel Potter).

Favorite Quote
HAWKEYE: Radar, when all this is over, I'm going to adopt you.
RADAR: Thanks, but I've already got my mother and my Uncle Ed.
HAWKEYE: I'll sleep on the couch.

Overall
Opinion: A rather depressing episode.
Rating: Click here

 

[D'Snowth]

Episode Information
Episode Title: "Margaret's Engagement"
Episode Number: 100
Season Number: Five
Original Airdate: September 28, 1976
Production Code: U803
Writers: Jim Fritzell, Everett Greenbaum
Director: Alan Alda

Episode Summary
Margaret returns from the 4077th after spending the weekend in Tokyo attending a nurses' seminar, ecstatic with news: she's engaged to be married to one Lieutenant Colonel Donald Penobscott! While almost everybody is happy for her, they're also scared at how Frank Burns is going to take the news, which he doesn't take too well; he claims he's happy for her, because since he loves her, he only wants the best for her, and for her to be happy, but pretty soon, Frank begins to loose his mind: ripping the doors off the Mess Tent, buddying up to Hawkeye, B.J., and Radar, then stabbing Margaret's finger with his scalpel in O.R., then finally, after hearing about what an "Army hero" Donald Penobscott is, Frank finally blows his cork my sneaking out of camp in the middle of the night, dressed in a camoflague uniform and twigs taped to his helmet, and armed with a loaded rifle and grenade, and comes back to camp the next morning with "Prisoners of War". Colonel Potter releases the Koreans since they're SOUTH Korean, and warns Frank his crazy behavior is sending him towards a Section 8, until quick thinking saves the day when Radar gets Frank's mom on the phone. The next day, Frank seems to have calmed down, but he decided to "get back" at Margaret by asking Hawkeye if he'd like to double date tonight, and plans to go out with a new nurse that's been stationed at the 4077th, who Margaret thinks is too young for him. "I know, I thought a little youth might be nice for a change" he says to her rather coldly.

M*O*R*S*E*L*S
* Larry Linville appears to be gaining a little weight, and his hairline seems to be receding a little as well.

* Corporal Klinger and Father Mulcahy do not appear in this episode. As a matter of fact, Father Mulcahy would be absent a lot this season due to William Christopher suffering from Hepatitus off camera during this season. An episode would later be written about the 4077th dealing with a Hepatitus outbreak, which has taken its toll on Father Mulcahy.

* This episode really marks the beginning for character changes for both Margaret and Frank Burns: on the one hand, Margaret is engaged to be married, which proves that she's not really in love with Frank anymore, and is ready to actually have a life of her own with her own family; meanwhile Frank slowly "de-evolves" into rather a one-dimensional character as he spends the remainder of this season acting pathological, and paranoid.

* Margaret and Penobscott would later be married in the final episode of this season, however, over time, he proves to be unfaithful, and a womanizer, leading up to them getting divorced in the beginning of Season Seven.

* Apparently, Frank is supposedly up for a promotion to Lieutenant Colonel. Believe it or not, Frank DOES receive a promotion, but only after he's transfered back to the States at the beginning of Season Six.

* Margaret's tent has been redecorated, and will remain this way for the remainder of the series' run.

* Donald Penobscott attended West Pointe.

* Frank's hometown is finally revealed in this episode as Fort Wayne, Indiana, though this would be cut from syndication, thus making it revealed later in reruns.

* An unusually hysterical laugh track is played after Frank unwittingly, and accidentally bite the head off his grenade in the Swamp.

* Frank's father only pretended to like him.

* GOOF: Frank "clucks" Gene Autry's hit "Back in the Saddle Again" in the Swamp, yet he gets the song all wrong after the first stanza.

* GOOF: Hawkeye mentions wanting to go step into the den to watch TV, however, it's my understanding that even though the television was invented sometime in the 30s or 40s, it wasn't a common household object until the 1950s, so there's actually a chance that Hawkeye hasn't even had any experience with a TV.

"Deleted" Scenes
* Margaret meeting with Colonel Potter in his office has been nicked for time.

* A dazed Frank entering the scrub room where Hawkeye, B.J. and Colonel Potter are scrubbing up has been cut in half, leaving out Frank complimenting Radar on dabbling in the black market for penicillin.

* The scene in O.R. has been cut short: cutting out Frank stabbing Margaret's finger with his scalpel. This causes for a rather unusual, and scary comment later in this episode when Frank says to the Colonel "I haven't given her a thought since I stabbed her!".

* The following scene in Post-Op where Hawkeye treats Margaret's wound, and talks down to her for being insensitive in front of Frank has been completely cut.

* The brief scene where Frank hides outside the Officers' Club disguised as a bush when a guard unwilling dumps his coffee on his head has been cut.

* Colonel Potter seeing Frank in his office about his unusual behavior has also been nicked for time.

Favorite Quote
FRANK: WHAT HAS HE GOT THAT I HAVEN'T GOT? !
MARGARET: Lips!
FRANK: LIPS ARENT'T EVERYTHING!

Overall
Opinion: Nice way to lead up to Frank's departure at the end of the season.
Rating: Click here

 

[D'Snowth]

Episode Information
Episode Title: "Out of Sight, Out of Mind"
Episode Number: 101
Season Number: Five
Original Airdate: October 5, 1976
Production Code: U806
Writers: Ken Levine, David Isaacs
Director: Gene Reynolds

Episode Summary
On a freezing winter night, Hawkeye is asked to fix the stove in the nurses' tent, only to have it blow up in his face! His face is badly burned, but worst of all, the flash from the blast has caused him to lose his vision. So Hawkeye, worried he may lose his nickname, tries to play it cool, he meets up with Lieutenant Tom Straw, another patient in Post-Op who has also lost his vision from a grenade that went off ten feet in front of his face. It isn't before long Hawkeye's neediness annoys Frank: from Radar reading his letter to him, to Klinger giving him a duck-call to use when he needs assistance, from Margaret escorting him to the Mess Tent, to B.J. helping him through the lunch line. After sharing stories with Colonel Potter, and bidding Tom Straw a final farewell, Hawkeye realizes something: although he may have lost his vision, his sense of hearing seems to have heightened. "This morning I spent two incredible hours listening to that rain storm... and I didn't just hear it, I was part of it... it makes you have no idea that rain hitting the ground makes the same sound as steaks when they're barbecuing... or how the thunder just seems to echo forever... and you wouldn't believe how funny it is to hear someone slip and fall in the mud... it HAD to have been Burns! Beej, this is full of trapdoors, but I think there might be some kind of advantage in this... I've NEVER spent a more conscious day before in my life." As the rest of the week passes on with Hawkeye, B.J., Radar, and Klinger putting on a fake ball game in Radar's office and broadcasting it on Frank's radio, Hawkeye's bandages are finally removed, and he's relieved that his vision is back. "I got lucky twice," he says, "first I got the chance to see without my eyes, and then I had the chance to get them back".

M*O*R*S*E*L*S
* Although this is the fourth episode of Season Five, it was actually the sixth produced.

* Father Mulcahy doesn't appear in this episode.

* Nurse Cage is first seen wearing a jeep cap in the nurses' tent - since Season One, the producers have tried to make sure only Radar wears one.

* First appearance of Mike Farrell's ex-wife, Judy, as Nurse Able, this is also Enid Kent's first appearance as Nurse Bigelow: both nurses remained semi-regular fixtures on the show until the very end, though Bigelow was featured several more times due to the fact that she became yet another love interest for Hawkeye.

* When Hawkeye is blind, his sense of hearing seems to have heightened, at one point, he hears the choppers coming before they've even arrived within hearing range, much like Radar always senses.

* GOOF: Although Hawkeye isn't supposed to see, he seems to take careful steps before he's supposed to bump into the stove in the Swamp when Klinger escorts him out.

"Deleted" Scenes
* The opening sequence in the Swamp has been nicked for time.

* The scene in Post-Op where Hawkeye's eyes are bandaged up has been nicked for time also.

* Half of the scene where Hawkeye first meets Tom Straw in Post-Op has been cut, which makes their latter conversation senseless when B.J. introduces him as "The New Kid in Your English Class", as Straw told Hawkeye about how back in the States, he taught High School English. The brief snafu between Hawkeye and Frank afterwards had been cut as well.

* Syndication has cut out just about all of Radar reading a letter to Hawkeye, this includes him reading about a girl named Sandy Falcon asking about him, apparently still sweet on him. Hawkeye explains that he went to school with her, and that she was so obnoxious, she was voted "Most Likely to Marry Outside Her Own Species". Hawkeye then attempting to juggle again has also been cut. All that's left really is "Take care son, we're counting the days, all my love... Major Burns..." "What?", "Major Burns is coming...".

* Two scenes in a row are cut next: Klinger escorting Hawkeye to the latrine, when Margaret dismisses him to help Colonel Potter pick out an anniversary present for Mildred, so Margaret escorts him to the Mess Tent, where she turns him over to B.J., who helps him with his tray, though Hawkeye is still able to tell what's for lunch by hearing the creamed spinach hit the tray, and touch what feels like last week's bread, but is really this week's meat loaf.

Favorite Quote
B.J.: Hawk, is there anything I can do for you?
HAWKEYE: Well, if you're going by the P.X., you can pick me up a coloring book and some crayons.
B.J.: I think you're sick enough to qualify for the big box. I gotta go.
HAWKEYE: B.J.?
B.J.: Yeah?
HAWKEYE: Visit me a couple hundred times, will ya?
B.J.: At least.

Overall
Opinion: My favorite Season Five episode.
Rating: Click here

 

[D'Snowth]

Episode Information
Episode Title: "Lt. Radar O'Reilly"
Episode Number: 102
Season Number: Five
Original Airdate: October 12, 1976
Production Code: U805
Writers: Everett Greenbaum, Jim Fritzell
Director: Alan Rafkin

Episode Summary
The weekly poker game in the Swamp has just come to an end, and the guest for the night, Sergeant Woodruff, is short on cash when he owes both Hawkeye and B.J., so instead of payment, he tells them about how he's in charge of promotions, and offers to promote either one of them to Major, until B.J. comes up with a sneak little idea: promote Radar from Corporal, over Sergeant, to SECOND Lieutenant! So the next day while Radar delivers the mail, he and Colonel Potter get the shock of their lives when Colonel Potter receives a letter from I-Corps regarding Radar's promotion. At first, it seems like a dream: Radar always dreamt of being an Officer, but suddenly things go straight downhill for him when Margaret gives him the third degree about possibly having a distant relative who's "big brass", the other enlistedmen like Sergeant Zale, Igor, and Corporal Klinger now hate him because they feel since he became an Officer, he's turned into a fink, and Lieutenant Baker no longer is in love with him because she only roots for the "underdogs". Radar is so depressed, so Hawkeye and B.J. decide to help Radar out by getting Sergeant Woodruff to demote Radar back to Corporal; and the next day, Radar is back to being an enlistedman, and is now "one of the guys" with Zale, Igor, and Klinger again, while Lieutenant Baker lusts after him again.

M*O*R*S*E*L*S
* Lieuntenant Baker has the hots for Radar in this episode, however, in the next episode, she's already married, and is excited to be with her husband again. They could be two completely different Lieuntenant Bakers, as they were both played by different actresses; in this episode, she's played by Lynne Marie Stewart.

* Radar keeps buying electrolosis for his mother.

* Radar's serial number is 3911810.

* Radar has an Uncle Howard, who's a Noter Republic.

"Deleted" Scenes
* In some syndicated prints, Radar delivering Frank Burns's aftershave during mail call has been cut.

* The brief scene where Radar delivers what should be Communion Wafers to Father Mulcahy has been cut.

* Radar delivering mail to his admirer, Lieutenant Baker, has been nicked for time.

* Radar's first day as an Officer with everybody saluting him as he walks by them has been cut.

* The following scene where Radar walks into the Swamp to show Hawkeye and B.J. how he's an officer now has been nicked for time.

* The scene where Radar trains Klinger to be the new Company Clerk has been nicked for time.

* The entire scene where Radar finds Igor asleep on the job, and having a Korean boy do his guard duty work for him, and then them all getting caught by Margaret has been completely cut.

Favorite Quote
HAWKEYE: (About Radar's promotion) I'm not surprised, the way you've been workin' hard, totin' that barge, liftin' that bale...
B.J.: NOT gettin' drunk and landin' in jail...

Overall
Opinion: Possibly one of the funniest episodes of the series.
Rating: Click here

 

[D'Snowth]

Episode Information
Episode Title: "The Nurses"
Episode Number: 103
Season Number: Five
Original Airdate: October 19, 1976
Production Code: U809
Writers: Linda Bloodworth
Director: Joan Darling

Episode Summary
It's the middle of summer in Korea, and everyone is quite miserable and irritable, especially Margaret, so things really begin to heat up when she gets p i s s e d off at her nurses who she catches breaking several regulations like "stealing from supply" (one nurse has paroxide on her hair), drinking while on duty (one nurse is so numb she starts drinking to feel something), and cooking in the tent (Lieutenant Baker is making fudge). Lieutenant Baker snaps at Margaret, so she has her placed under house arrest, which p i s s e s off Baker, but she'll soon forget about her problems when her husband, Tony, appears in camp the next day on R&R to surprise her. Hawkeye and B.J. form a plan to bring the two together so they can have a honeymoon: they place Tony in Margaret's tent, and quarantine him for twenty-four hours while they "observe" him for what might look like Typhoid, thus forcing Margaret to bunk with the nurses for the night. Lieutenant Baker sneaks out of the nurses' tent and over to Margaret's tent to spend the night with her husband, and when the next morning finally arrives, Margaret decides to throw the book at Baker to the protesting of the other nurses. As it turns out Margaret is fed up with the nurses, not because they constantly break regulations, but because they never include her in any of their "bull sessions", but they never dreamed she would accept. In the end, Margaret drops her charges, and the nurses decide to include her in their next bull session.

M*O*R*S*E*L*S
* Although this is the sixth episode of Season Five, it was the nineth produced.

* Has anyone else besides me notice that Linda Bloodworth's scripts always seem to be focused on Margaret?

* The is the first episode that takes place during a severe heat wave.

* Lieutenant Baker is played by Linda Kelsey in this episode.

* Radar makes a reference to This is Your Life, which would have to had make this episode in the summer of 1953 due to the heatwave, and the fact that the series premiered in the fall of 1952, so the war must be coming to an end... but it can't be, because this is Frank Burns's last season, and his replacement, Charles, was supposedly with the 4077th longer than him. Also, how could Radar have ever seen the show when there aren't any television sets in Korea?

"Deleted" Scenes
* The opening sequence in the O.R. has been nicked for time.

* The following scene with the nurses cooking fudge in their tent while Margaret chews them out has been cut short.

* The scene with the nurses cleaning up O.R. has been severly nicked for time, cutting out everything before the Korean children sneak in.

* The brief scene with B.J. in triage has been cut.

Favorite Quote
KLINGER: Halt! Who goes there?
LIEUTENANT BAKER: It's Baker... um... I was going to the Latrine...
KLINGER: It's the other way.
LIEUTENANT BAKER: Um, Klinger... I... uh... I don't really have to go to the Latrine...
KLINGER: You don't? I see...
LIEUTENANT BAKER: Look, Klinger, don't ask any questions... and... my lavendar peasant blouse is yours...
KLINGER: With the matching scarf?
LIEUTENANT BAKER: Mm-hmm.
KLINGER: PASS!

Overall
Opinion: Wow... who knew Margaret had feelings?
Rating: Click here

 

[D'Snowth]

Sorry, but the forum died right when I submitted my review of "The Abduction of Margaret Houlihan", and I don't feel like writing it up again, so no review for that episode, I'm afraid.

 

[D'Snowth]

Episode Information
Episode Title: "Dear Sigmund"
Episode Number: 105
Season Number: Five
Original Airdate: November 9, 1976
Production Code: U810
Writers: Alan Alda
Director: Alan Alda

Episode Summary
Divisional psychiatrist, Sidney Freedman is spending some time at the 4077th to drown his sorrows as he spends some of his free time writing a letter to famous psychiatrist Sigmund Freud, describing the people of 4077th including how Hawkeye tries to keep his sanity by acting crazy, Corporal Klinger always trying to come up with new ways to get himself a Section 8, the recent outbreak of practical jokes (mostly against Frank Burns), Hawkeye treating the wound of a bomber pilot who's so fond of his profession that he doesn't realize he's been wounding, and even killing people. Sidney finally admits to Hawkeye and B.J. about a certain kid he was giving therapy to who kept hearing voices in his head telling him to kill himself, and right when he thought they made a break through, he finally listened to the voices. Sidney resumes writing his letter, this time describing the 4077th's dare-devil ambulance drive who had an accident that took his life, how shy Father Mulcahy seems, how skitzifrinick Margaret seems, how pathological and paranoid Frank seems to be, how innocent and naive Radar seems to be, and how unusually calm B.J. tends to be under extreme pressure, and how shocked he was to learn that B.J. is the mysterious practical joker of the 4077th.

M*O*R*S*E*L*S
* Although this is the eigth episode of Season Five, it was the tenth produced.

* One of Alan Alda's favorite episodes.

* Alan Alda won an Emmy for directing this episode.

* This episode features the famous scene where Hawkeye bursts into Post-Op dressed in a tuxedo, flippers, a pith helmet, and thick glasses.

* Corporal Klinger's Latest Scheme to Get Out of the Army: Pretending to suffer from amnesia, and speak only in Arabic.

* This is a very unusual episode, featuring the old "subtitle gag" during Klinger's Arabic bit.

* This episode takes place during the end of winter/beginning of spring of 1952 maybe?

* GOOF: Does Sidney not know that Sigmund Freud died in 1939?

"Deleted" Scenes
* Hawkeye's trip into Post-Op has been nicked for time.

* The entire scene where Klinger was supposedly hit in the head by a chopper blade, and comes to speaking only in Arabic has been completely cut.

* The brief scene where Colonel Potter and Radar are staked out in a jeep, while Colonel Potter looks through binoculars that give him black eyes has been completely cut as well.

* The scene where the ambulance turned over on its way out has been cut short.

* Sidney describing Father Mulcahy has been nicked for time, cutting out mostly his passion for boxing.

* Sidney describing Radar has been completely cut.

* Radar revealing the cherry tree branch that they have been trying to grow in honor of the first day of spring has been edited out.

* The closing sequence where Sidney concludes his letter to Sigmund Freud has been completely cut.

Favorite Quote
SIDNEY: There's a link between anger and wit - Anger turned inward is depression, anger turned sideways is Hawkeye.

Overall
Opinion: Pretty good.
Rating: Click here