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

[D'Snowth]

Why does nobody read my reviews?

M*A*S*H
Season Seven

While Colonel Potter is away on business, and Charles is sick, Hawkeye is named temporary C.O.

Commander Pierce

Still shots (See why it's nice to be able to post images in our posts?)​

Episode Information
Episode Number: 148 (7x01)
Original Airdate: September 18, 1978
Production Code: T404
Writers: Ronny Graham, Ronny Graham, Don Segall
Directors: Burt Metcalfe

The Plot
A new ranking officer is appointed at I-Corps, General Imbre, and has called a meeting with all the major officers in the American Army in Korea, so Colonel Potter is obligated to attend; "I've seen these meetings last for two hours to three days" he says before he tries to appoint Charles as temporary commander since he's second-in-command, but since Charles is sick with a cold/sinus infection, Hawkeye is named temporary commander. Hawkeye denounces the job, but has no choice since he has more seniorty that B.J., and pretty soon, Hawkeye grows to hate the job even more with Radar constantly bugging him about paperwork and requisitions, Charles constantly whining about his sinuses and his illness, Corporal Klinger constantly trying to butter him up so he'll sign the discharge papers, Margaret hounding about the performance of the nursing staff, Father Mulcahy constantly asking if he can requisition more blankets for the camp, and B.J. going "AWOL" for another, more severely wounded soldier that was just left at an aid station for the thought of him faking. By this time, the paperwork on Hawkeye's desk has grown, Margaret gloats at the way Hawkeye TRIES to act military ("If only Frank Burns could see you now" she says), and his friendship with B.J. is now on the rock, so when Colonel Potter finally comes, the first thing he does is TRY to get Hawkeye and B.J. to bury the hatchet, but they're both so stubborn about their opinion about the whole situation, that they just can't make up with each other.

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

* The theme song of the opening credits for this, and Season Eight is a bit off key.

* This episode marks the debut of B.J. new "cheesy" mustache, which he will sport for the rest of the series' run; in the next episode, when asked why he wants to keep it, his response is "I like having a little rebellion" on my face. Apparently, it was Alan Alda's idea for B.J. to sport the mustache, and rumor has it, that Mike Farrell was simply wearing a falsey the whole time.

* Beginning with this season, episodes now run a few minutes shorter (now ranging anywhere between 22 and 24 minutes), thus resulting in less scenes and dialogue cut from syndication.

* One element of this new season was to make the show as "visually interesting" as possible. Staff writer, Ken Levine, talks about to do so, they did more filming outdoors, at night, and even wrote an episode that takes place entirely in Rosie's Bar.

* Another element about this new season is that multiple storylines per episode are now the norm more than ever; most episodes this season average in about three different subplots in an half hour.

* Starting with this season, the show slowly stopped using background music score; by the middle of this season, there will be no more background music, unless the P.A. system is tuned into Radio Tokyo (which it did a lot in Season Eleven).

* Another note, beginning with this season, the show slowly shifted from heavy comedic scenarios, and really started focusing more and more on the human drama and the horrors of war; by next season, the show would more or less become a completely drama series, rather than a sitcom, or "dramedy".

* Corporal Klinger's Latest Scheme to Get Out of the Army: Trying to butter up Hawkeye into giving him a discharge.

* Loretta Swits appears to have gotten another colligne treatment this season.

* B.J. wears his red long-sleeved shirt for the first time in this episode; he would later switch it out with a pink shirt for the remainder of the series.

* Nurse Bigelow changes her hairdo this season.

* Margaret brings up Frank Burns in this episode.

* GOOF: Notice when Hawkeye is signing papers in Colonel Potter's office just before the Colonel returns, Alan Alda sort of looks up and off to the side (where the camera and crew would be filming from) for a brief second.

"Deleted" Scenes
* The scene in The Swamp where Colonel Potter relates the news of the big meeting with General Imbre has been nicked for time.

* The scene in Post-Op where Hawkeye tries to carry on with tending to patients while Charles whines about his cold, and other people bug him about little things has been nicked for time.

Top Scenes
* Colonel Potter lying in bed, laughing in his sleep as Radar walks in to wake him up and hear about his dream of Mildred wearing B.J.'s mustache.

* Hawkeye walking into Colonel Potter's office in his underwear, bathrobe, and Class A uniform hat, worrying Radar about his ability to command the outfit, while Klinger tries to butter him up for a discharge.

* Colonel Potter calling Radar in the middle of the night asking how things are, while Radar tells him the whole camp desperately wants him to come back.

Top Lines
Radar: Sir, I'm sorry, I thought you were awake, I heard you laughing!
Potter: Laughing? Oh yeah, heh, I dreamt I came home from the war, and there stood Mildred wearing Hunnicutt's mustache... (Giggles)
Radar: But why would you be laughing?
Potter: Because it tickled!

*************

Hawkeye: (Listening to Charles gargling) Oh good, he's "drown-ding"...
Potter: (Walks in) Evening boys.
Charles: (Spits into his spitoon)
Potter: Same to you Winchester.

*************

Potter: Pierce, you're temporary C.O.
Hawkeye: I'm who?
B.J.: There goes the war.
Hawkeye: Oh, no, no, no, no, I'm unfit for command!
Potter: You got a cold? Wart? Hangnail?
Hawkeye: And scurvy!
Potter: You're still in.
Hawkeye: What about B.J.?
B.J.: I don't want it.
Potter: That's good enough for me. You've got seniority, Pierce.
Hawkeye: But I'm a coward, my insignia's a cringing chicken, I don't know how to give orders!
Potter: That's okay, nobody here knows how to take them.

*************

Hawkeye: Now I know why they shoot people at sunrise. Who wants to live at 6:00 in the morning?

*************

Hawkeye: Where's the key to the liquor cabinet?
Radar: Where's the Colonel? I'm happy to say!
Hawkeye: Potter took the key? He doesn't trust me?
Radar: Well, if you were him, and he was you, would you?
Hawkeye: That's catchy, set that to music right away.

*************

Radar: Hawkeye, you haven't filled out the morning report, every morning you gotta file you DD5 and your DD5A!
Hawkeye: I DD do?
Radar: Unless you filled out your DD files from the day before.
Hawkeye: Radar, put all that junk on my desk, I'll ignore it later.
Radar: The pile on your desk is almost as high as me!
Hawkeye: Well how bad can THAT be?

*************

Hawkeye: This wouldn't have happened if you would've handed me these things instead of piling them on my desk!
Radar: YOU TOLD ME TO PILE THEM ON YOUR DESK!
Hawkeye: Well don't listen to me!
Radar: Boy I hate breaking in a new man!

*************

Charles: Pierce, please, I'm going through H e l l...
Hawkeye: Well go through a little faster!

*************

Charles: Hunnicutt, I have met a lot of people in my life, you are not among them.
B.J.: Bless you anyway, creep.
Mulcahy: I believe the expression is "God bless you, creep".
B.J.: Amen, Father.

*************

Hawkeye: Come on Hunnicutt, you stay in the backseat where you belong!
Others: WHOOOOOOOOOOOO!

*************

Radar: (Answers the phone in the middle of the night) Yeah what? I mean 4077th MASH. No Colonel Potter's not... Colonel is that you? What are you doing up so late sir, is it an officers' conference?
Potter: (Drunk) Well, General Imbre runs a tight shift, so we're all pretty tight... how are things at home?
Radar: Oh fine, Mom's gonna enter her cucumbers in the County Fair, and Uncle Ed's one of the judges, so she might win.
Potter: No Radar, home, where YOU are, at the "4-0-double-natural"?
Radar: Oh, fine. Okay. Pretty good. When are you coming back sir?

*************

Hawkeye: This is just great, Potter's not here, B.J.'s not here, Charles has never been here, meanwhile I'm left holding the bag! Nothing personal.

*************

B.J.: I did EXACTLY what CAPTAIN Pierce would've done! I don't know about COMMANDER Pierce... I don't even KNOW Commander Pierce, and I'm not sure I want to!

*************

Klinger: Colonel, I missed you!
Potter: No.
Klinger: About my heart murmurs, sir!
Potter: No.
Klinger: My double vision is coming back!
Potter: No.
Klinger: I've fallen in love with a goat!
Potter: No.
Klinger: Glad to have you back, sir...

Overall
Opinion: Nice season premiere, and amusing to see Hawkeye in charge of the entire camp.
Rating: Click here

THE END​

 

[D'Snowth]

Aw come on, I KNOW I can't be the only M*A*S*Her here!

M*A*S*H
Season Seven

Hawkeye takes a joyride to the peace talks to try to bring the war to an end once and for all.

Peace on Us

Still shots (See why it's nice to be able to post images in our posts?)​

Episode Information
Episode Number: 149 (7x02)
Original Airdate: September 125, 1978
Production Code: T401
Writers: Ken Levine, David Isaacs
Directors: George Tyne

The Plot
Main Storyline: The war has taken its toll on the people at the 4077th... again... and this time, Colonel Potter has had enough of it, what with people snapping at each other, and at each other's throats all the time, which is why he gives Hawkeye and B.J. new orders: since the whole camp follows their lead, he wants them to start acting like they're happy more often. "You don't have to love here it, just tolerate it an awful lot!" he tells them, and suggests they shave and design new uniforms, uniforms that Hawkeye would like to see red, but NOT blood red... red that's rosy, red that's cheery; which is why when Hawkeye returns from a trip to the peace talks in Panmunjon, he finds everyone dressed in red, and their hair dyed red as well.
Subplot One: Colonel Potter delivers the new to the senior staff that the I-Corps has changed the rotation point system again, instead of 36 points in order to be discharged from the service, you now need 45; this angers everybody, especially Hawkeye, who decides to do something about, so swiping jeep, he drives to Panmunjon where the peace talks are being held to speak his peace.
Subplot Two: Margaret learns that her husband, Donald Penobscott has been transfered to the states for a week for business, but when she calls his outfit to verify it, she learns that he put in for the transfer... a PERMANENT transfer... knowing that he's running away from her, and having finally had it with what a rotten husband he's been, she finally decides to divorce him.

M*O*R*S*E*L*S
* Although this is the second episode of Season Seven, it was the first produced.

* In addition to his new mustache, B.J. also sports a heavy beard in this episode before Colonel Potter orders him and Hawkeye to shave; as mentioned before, B.J. keeps his new mustache, stating he likes having a little rebellion on his face.

* B.J. doesn't like caterpillars.

* Margaret is the second, and last character on the show to get married AND divorced during the war; she married Donald in the last episode of Season Five. Corporal Klinger married his high school sweetheart, Laverne, over the radio in Season Three, and divorced her last season.

* The idea of having the entire camp dye their hair red, and wear red uniforms is based on an actual event at a MASH unit during the Korean War, and although it was considered to be written as a main plot for an episode for the longest time, it was reduced to a subplot for this episode; many people at CBS felt that this scenario would be too bizarre for anyone watching to actually believe it.

* Interestingly enough, during Season One, William Christopher's hair actually was bright red in certain episodes, and has obviously grayed a bit over the years.

* Is it just me, or did Margaret, with red hair, look a lot like Elizabeth Perkins?

"Deleted" Scenes
* Breakfast in The Mess Tent with an exhausted Hawkeye, B.J., Charles, and a cheery Margaret has been nicked for time.

* The scene in The Swamp where Hawkeye and B.J. take to Colonel Potter's order to shave and form new uniforms has been nicked for time.

Top Scenes
* Everybody falling out for formation, most of which are apparently hung over, and groaning as Radar blows his whistle, only to have it confiscated by Colonel Potter.

* Colonel Potter conferring with Hawkeye, B.J., and Charles in the scrub room to get them to change their attitudes; especially when he tells them all to wear a smile, though Charles refuses until Potter forces him to smile, which he does for the rest of the scene.

* Margaret literally kicking down the door to Radar's office after learning Donald had put in for a permanent transfer to the states.

* B.J. having a mustache scribbled on his surgical mask during O.R.

* Hawkeye returning from the peace talks, and finding the rest of the camp throwing him a party in The Mess Tent, where he finds everyone has dyed their hair red, and are wearing new, all red uniforms.

Top Lines
Potter: (Confiscates Radar's whistle) You can have it back after the war.

*************

Radar: (To Margaret) Pardon me for saying so, but you're really a nice person... when you're nice...

*************

Hawkeye: Just once I'd like to see some other color, like red for instance! Not this kind of red, red that's rosy, red that's cheery. I'm not asking much... a red hankerchief? Red fringe? A little red alligator on the pocket?

*************

Hawkeye: (Sees B.J. with red hair and a red uniform) Beej, is that you? What's with the Red Skelton look?

*************

Hawkeye: (About to have his hair dyed) I'll look like a tall Irish setter!
B.J.: Any last words?
Hawkeye: We who are about to DYE salute you!

*************

Goss: Colonel Potter? I'm Major Dean Goss, I-Corps.
Potter: (Drunk) Colonel Sherman Potter, who are you?

*************

Radar: (Announcing roll call) COLONEL POTTER, SHERMAN...
Potter: Radar, I'm here!
Radar: Oh yeah... CORPORAL O'REILLY, WALT...
Potter: (Interrupting) And so are you, get on with it!
Radar: Right... MAJOR HOULIHAN-PENOBSCOTT, MARGARET!
Margaret: That's JUST Houlihan.
Radar: Oh sorry... MAJOR WINCHESTER, CHARLES E!
Charles: Here, obviously! You "creh-tin".

Overall
Opinion: Possibly the most classic episode of Season Seven.
Rating: Click here

THE END​

 

[D'Snowth]

Hello? Anyone here?

M*A*S*H
Season Seven

Radar fusses over Potter's friendship with a visiting Colonel, but does he still love Mildred?

Lil

Still shots (See why it's nice to be able to post images in our posts?)​

Episode Information
Episode Number: 150 (7x03)
Original Airdate: October 2, 1978
Production Code: T406
Writers: Sheldon Bull
Directors: Burt Metcalfe

The Plot
Main Storyline: Colonel Lilian "Lil" Rayburn goes on tour through South Korea, visiting various MASH units and aid-stations to catch a glimpse at how wounded soldiers fighting in the war are being treated. The elderly Lil takes a fancy to Colonel Potter, while he enjoys her company; as Colonel Potter and Lil begin to spend more time together during her stay at the 4077th, Radar becomes more and more upset, as he witnesses Potter call her by her first name, and take her out for walks and on picnics. Hawkeye and Margaret assure him he's just simply enjoying having someone his own age (and hair color) to have for companionship, but Radar and Corporal Klinger feel there's more to it than that; and they may be right when Colonel Potter and Lil try to have friendly chat in her tent, but Lil seems to attracted to Colonel Potter. So saying, Potter admits that he may have taken her companionship for granted, and she admits she may have crossed the line; with that, Potter announces he'll see her off tomorrow, then explains to Radar that it's true that he enjoyed having the companionship of someone his own age, and shares a similar background, he's met a couple of people like that, but married the one he truly loved.
Subplot One: When Colonel Potter introduced B.J. to Lil when she was visiting, she asked him what the B.J. stood for? His simple response? "Anything you like." Suddenly, Hawkeye becomes so certain that his best friend is hiding something from him, so he spends the rest of the entire episode going to extreme measures to find out what B.J. stands for, from sneaking a peak into his personal personnel file, to getting the names and addresses of everybody who knows him to find out. Eventually, Hawkeye receive telegrams from everybody he wrote, and they all say B.J. doesn't stand for anything, just B.J.
Subplot Two: Margaret basks in her newfound freedom and enjoys living the life of the single woman again.

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

* It is first revealed in this episode that Hawkeye and B.J. are, in fact, best friends.

* Radar files the personnel files from officers to enlistedmen, though he's first since he does the actual filing.

* Hawkeye and B.J. wear each other's socks.

* Does anyone else besides me find it a little unusual that Radar is so upset about Colonel Potter's friendship with Lil, but thought nothing of Henry actually being in love with a girl half his age while his wife is back in the states? Radar obviously grew closer to Colonel Potter than Henry Blake, even though he used to talk about how Henry was like a father to him.

* B.J.'s favorites: W.C. Fields (comedian), D.H. Lawrence, S.J. Perelman, T.S. Eliot (authors).

* B.J.'s parents are Bea and Jay Hunnicutt; it's alluded to that that's how/why they named him B.J.

"Deleted" Scenes
* My copy of the episode on DVD is damaged, so I don't know for sure what's been cut or not.

Top Scenes
* Colonel Potter enjoying the happy hour early with Hawkeye and B.J. as Radar presents Lil to them, and while Potter tries to converse with Lil, they're distracted while Hawkeye tries to get B.J. to confess what B.J. stands for.

* Radar in a sour mood going through the duty log, while Hawkeye tries to peak into B.J. personal file to see what his name stands for.

* Colonel Potter wanting to take Lil on a picnic, only to find that their jeep now has flat tires, and all the others have been requisitioned out. "Couldn't we walk?" suggests Lil, so arm-in-arm, the two Colonels stroll away for their picnic, while a furious Radar refills the air in the tires... apparently he was the one who let the air out.

Top Lines
Lil: Corporal? Would you tell the colonel, Colonel Lilian Rayburn is here to see him?
Radar: Colonel Rayburn? It's only noon, I mean 12:00 hours, you're not supposed to be you for another 6:00 hours yet!
Lil: Oh, take it from me, I'm me.

*************

Hawkeye: That must be some godawful name you're hiding, if you won't even tell your best friend.
B.J.: (Scoffs) You're SUCH a NUDGE!
Hawkeye: It's "nooge"... there, I told you something, now you tell me.
B.J.: It's no use, I won't "booge".

*************

Potter: Look Radar, why don't you go pull the duty roster for say, the last six months, in case Colonel Rayburn would like to take a gander?
Radar: Yes sir... (Under his breath) My Uncle Ed used to give me a quarter to go to the movies...

*************

Hawkeye: Radar, what happened to that sweet, adorable you?
Radar: NONE OF YOUR BEESWAX!
Hawkeye: That's better.

*************

Hawkeye: Maybe he just looking for a little companionship.
Radar: That's what he's got ME for!
Hawkeye: I mean somebody closer to his own age and hair color.

*************

Margaret: Sit over here with me, Spunky!
Radar: I don't know ma'am, a non-com drinking with a com? Besides, I'm not very good company.

*************

Potter: You know, Colonel Rayburn's visit has been a real treat for me... I almost forgot how wonderful it is to spend some time with a woman who's been around as long as I have... speaks the same language... that's rare, Radar.
Radar: Gee, I hope I meet somebody like that someday.
Potter: You will. I've met a couple. Married the one I love.

Overall
Opinion: Not a bad episode at all.
Rating: Click here

THE END​

[/QUOTE]

 

[D'Snowth]

Okay, since nobody here ever reads my reviews, I'm just going to stop posting them here altogether, and just keep posting them in my MySpace blog; they come out better there anyway since we get to post pics in our entries.

 

[Greenbuck97]

Hi,

Actually I love your M*A*S*H reviews. It's what brought me to this site. I'm digging for the answer to a trivia question about Margaret and what she considered a "red alert" to be. Your reviews seem to be my best bet to find the answer. Wish I had time to read them all!

Thanks for posting them!

97

 

[D'Snowth]

Way to bump a thread that's no longer relevant.

As for your trivia question, to save you the trouble, I believe the episode that was featured in was "Crisis" from Season Two - a shortage of supply left the camp in a mess, and Margaret suggested Henry put the entire camp on Red Alert, but he made it conditional because he didn't know was Red Alert meant.

If it'll help, if you're looking for a M*A*S*H forum to mingle with other fans, we readily welcome new faces at Best Care Anywhere...

http://www.bestcareanywhere.net

 

[Princeton]

So because I hate for things to be left unfinished and MASH us one of my favorite TV shows, DSnowth has graciously allowed me to finish reviewing the rest of the series. I'll be keeping the format very simple: writer/director credits, short summary, and my personal thoughts on each episode.

 

[Princeton]

***Our Finest Hour***
Written by Ronny Graham, Larry Balmagia, David Isaccs, Ken Levine & David Lawrence
Directed by Burt Metcalfe

Clip show. Clete Roberts (previously seen in The Interview) returns to the 4077th to interview the staff about their experiences. This is a standard clip show so there's not all that much to say about it. But I will say it brings up an inconsistentcy with Radar and if he's really over Henry's death. Every episode since Potter took over suggests he's over it, this episode says otherwise.

 

[Princeton]

***The Billfold Syndrome***
Written by Ken Levine and David Isaacs
Directed by Alan Alda

Charles gives Hawkeye and BJ the silent treatment and Sidney returns to treat a patient suffering from shell shock. This episode is a prime example of why I don't like Charles. First of all, we've already had an episode like this (Dr Winchester and Mr Hyde) and secondly even though Frank had the same amount of wealth and medical experience and entitlement issues and they both got the same level of treatment from their bunkies, we all know that Frank never would outright refuse to speak to them.

 

[Princeton]

***None Like It Hot***
Written by David Isaacs, Ken Levine and Johnny Bonaduce
Directed by Tony Mordente

During a heat wave, BJ and Hawkeye get a collapsible tub and Radar needs a tonsillectomy. This is an absolute great episode and in both tone and style hearkens back to the show's Golden Age.