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Post by topbilled on Apr 4, 2023 7:08:08 GMT
023 Ceasefire
The one where the war seems to be over
It’s interesting watching this episode, knowing how the final episode will be presented ten seasons later, when an actual ceasefire does occur. In this episode, discussion of a military ceasefire is premature. General Clayton (Herb Voland) calls Henry and says the war may soon be over, which is overheard by Hawkeye, Trapper and Radar.
Hawkeye becomes so excited by the news that he jumps up on Henry’s desk and starts to dance. He then takes the phone from Henry and tells Clayton he wants to have Clayton’s baby. Many episodes in the first season convey gay humor, typically involving Hawkeye and some other male character.
While everyone starts to celebrate going home, Trapper maintains a more practical point of view. In fact he is the only one who seems to not believe they will be heading home soon. He feels as if any notion of a ceasefire won’t really take hold, and of course he’s right. What’s ironic about this is that Trapper will actually be sent home before most of the others, with the exception of Henry.
In a way this episode is just an excuse for the characters to throw caution to the wind and behave a bit more erratically than usual, before their short-lived happiness ends and they are once again faced with the reality of war.
One of the nicer moments involves Father Mulcahy making a short speech when everyone thinks the war is ending. He says: “This is the happiest, In fact the only happy, day of the war. And it is fitting that we pause to offer a prayer of thanksgiving to the merciful god who has delivered us from this terrible conflict. Let us pray in silence and remember those of our comrades who have fallen…amen.”
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Post by marysara1 on Apr 4, 2023 17:15:10 GMT
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Post by topbilled on Apr 4, 2023 19:05:16 GMT
This was Mike Farrell's first wife, I think. He's now married to Shelley Fabares.
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Post by galacticgirrrl on Apr 5, 2023 3:02:44 GMT
Sticky Wicket March 4, 1973
Sticky Wicket is one of the intense medical ideology episodes that made MASH so impactful. The critical care dilemma facing Hawkeye is the same problem Dr. Jillian Horton discussed: the drive and dedication that leads you to become a medical professional can unravel you mentally and deposit you into oblivion if you aren't careful.
The interplay between Swit and Alda is refreshing and unusual - for 1952, 1972 and even 2022. As the soldier's condition declines, Nurse Hoolihan is able to speak frankly with Dr. Pierce about what might have gone wrong. Their heated bare bones discussion is followed immediately by Pierce's epiphany. He runs to Margaret the second he suspects what he might have missed. By the end of the second surgery he refers to her as Major and she refers to him as Hawkeye - an attempt by both for a meeting of minds.
I live in a province that recently legislated low wages for nurses so I find this respectful exchange particularly interesting and pertinent in examining just how have far we may or may not have come on the nursing front.
Sticky Wicket was written by Richard Baer (with the teleplay written by Laurence Marks and Larry Gelbart). Alda and Baer had just worked on the 1972 ABC TV movie Playmates (two divorced dads start dating each other's ex-wives, with Doug McClure, Barbara Feldon and Connie Stevens).
Baer was a nepo baby. His uncle David Sarnoff headed RCA. According to Baer's 2005 autobiography, Sarnoff called a VP at NBC at 6 a.m. and ordered him to find Baer "a job by 9 o'clock" that same morning. Baer was hired in 1953 as an assistant for the William Bendix sitcom The Life of Riley. Baer wrote for over 56 separate TV shows including That Girl, Bewitched and The Munsters.
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Post by galacticgirrrl on Apr 5, 2023 3:07:34 GMT
Major Fred C. Dobbs March 11, 1973
Based on comments by so many who worked on MASH, stating this episode was terrible and a low point, I am sorry ashamed surprised to say I enjoyed this one. The microphone joke was an amusing nod to the movie. Appealing to Frank's greed in the search for gold seemed funny and certainly to me was less cruel than denigrating his surgical skills as was done in the previous episode.
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Post by galacticgirrrl on Apr 5, 2023 3:39:53 GMT
Ceasefire
March 18, 1973 Firstly - hurrah, the original opening music has been restored. What surprised me most about this episode was discovering that technically a state of war still exists to this day. Curious to see how true to life this close call with a cessation of hostilities was early on I found: www.history.com/news/korean-war-peace-treaty-powsShot haven’t been fired in the Korean War for nearly 70 years—but that doesn’t mean it’s over. Officially, the Korean War never technically ended. Although the Korean Armistice Agreement brought an end to the hostilities that killed 2.5 million people on July 27, 1953, that ceasefire never gave way to a peace treaty. At the time, South Korea’s president refused to accept the division of Korea.
I find it interesting in a show about war there is very little discussion or detail thus far of the war: strategy, manoeuvres, real incidents, issues peculiar to engaging in a proxy war, etc. Dan Wilcox (writer-producer): A lot of people felt that M*A*S*H was really about the Vietnam War. Later, I was at a party of M*A*S*H alums. Larry Gelbart, Gene Reynolds, Burt Metcalfe and a couple of others all agreed that the show was never intended to be about the Vietnam War. I came away positive that it was about Vietnam since they didn't want to say so. Alda: The Vietnam War was being fought and heatedly debated when M*A*S*H began its run, so many people felt the show referred to that war in particular. As far as I was concerned, M*A*S*H was specifically about the Korean War but, in a way, stood in for all wars.
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Post by topbilled on Apr 5, 2023 13:27:12 GMT
Ceasefire
March 18, 1973 Firstly - hurrah, the original opening music has been restored. What surprised me most about this episode was discovering that technically a state of war still exists to this day. Curious to see how true to life this close call with a cessation of hostilities was early on I found: www.history.com/news/korean-war-peace-treaty-powsShot haven’t been fired in the Korean War for nearly 70 years—but that doesn’t mean it’s over. Officially, the Korean War never technically ended. Although the Korean Armistice Agreement brought an end to the hostilities that killed 2.5 million people on July 27, 1953, that ceasefire never gave way to a peace treaty. At the time, South Korea’s president refused to accept the division of Korea.
I find it interesting in a show about war there is very little discussion or detail thus far of the war: strategy, manoeuvres, real incidents, issues peculiar to engaging in a proxy war, etc. Dan Wilcox (writer-producer): A lot of people felt that M*A*S*H was really about the Vietnam War. Later, I was at a party of M*A*S*H alums. Larry Gelbart, Gene Reynolds, Burt Metcalfe and a couple of others all agreed that the show was never intended to be about the Vietnam War. I came away positive that it was about Vietnam since they didn't want to say so. Alda: The Vietnam War was being fought and heatedly debated when M*A*S*H began its run, so many people felt the show referred to that war in particular. As far as I was concerned, M*A*S*H was specifically about the Korean War but, in a way, stood in for all wars. Interesting comments. It definitely was about Vietnam in the beginning, using Korea as a stand-in for Vietnam. That's the main reason the original movie was made, because Altman saw the book as something that had themes and issues related to the then-current war in Vietnam.
I agree with Dan Wilcox that Gelbart and the others were denying what everyone knew to be true about the show and its political agenda, probably because Gelbart could not admit how transparent their motives had been. At least Alan Alda has the intelligence to pull the lens back a bit and apply it to all war, but that still doesn't mean this show was not originally about Vietnam, because it was.
Probably when we get to the later seasons, those last three seasons made in the 1980s, it did become more about war in general, since Vietnam and Nixon were well behind them, and there was less urgency to apply ideas in any allegorical sense to Vietnam. During the show's run the country went through four presidents (from Nixon to Reagan)!
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Post by sepiatone on Apr 5, 2023 15:58:53 GMT
An old friend of mine,who turned out to be a political hawk, quit watching the show after a couple of seasons due to what he called it's "Liberal commie viewpoints and anti-Americanism." So there was something in the claim of the show's Viet Nam(or, anti-Viet Nam?) reference. Sepiatone
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Post by topbilled on Apr 5, 2023 17:46:06 GMT
Tomorrow I will post my review for 'Showtime' the last episode of season 1. Then on Friday I will list my top 5 favorite episodes from the first season. I will start reviewing episodes for Season 2 next week.
Thanks for reading and commenting, everyone.
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Post by topbilled on Apr 6, 2023 14:13:46 GMT
024 Showtime
The one where a USO show occurs
This is the last episode of the first season of M*A*S*H. A troupe has shown up at the camp to entertain personnel. Members of the fictional troupe are based on real-life entertainers.
For example, we have musical numbers performed by three women called the Miller Sisters, that are obviously a nod to the Andrews Sisters who were more associated with WWII instead of Korea. In addition to the trio of lady singers, there is a stand-up comedian who is supposed to vaguely resemble Bob Hope.
There are two main subplots that hold our interest. The first one involves Trapper stepping away from the performances to operate on a critically wounded patient. I think Wayne Rogers does better with dramatic material than he does with comedy. It’s nice to see him have the bulk of his scenes with someone besides Alan Alda for once— in this case Loretta Swit, since Margaret is the main one assisting Trapper in surgery.
The other subplot sees Henry back in his office with Radar awaiting news about the birth of a child back home. This story point seems to come out of nowhere, since there were no references in previous episodes that Henry’s wife in Illinois was pregnant. We are told that this will be Henry’s third child. The baby is a boy, weighing in at 7 pounds and two ounces. Sadly, Henry will never meet this son since he dies on the way home at the end of the show’s third season. Incidentally, Henry’s wife is named Mildred…Colonel Potter’s wife will also have the name Mildred.
There is a bit of a nonlinear feel to this episode, since we keep cutting back to the comedian and singers, while watching the subplots play out.
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Post by topbilled on Apr 7, 2023 13:23:18 GMT
So these episodes from season 1 were the ones I rated highest on the IMDb:
Cowboy Tuttle
Both were perfect 10's. TV Guide calls Cowboy the first classic episode of the series, and I agree. I think Tuttle is a brilliant satire on heroism, though the writers borrowed that idea from an old European movie.
I also liked Sometimes You Hear a Bullet which I gave a 9. But the gay humor prevented it from earning a 10.
***
The episodes I rated lowest were:
Germ Warfare Edwina The Ringbanger The Army-Navy Game
I gave all of these a 7, though Germ Warfare was really a 6.5 which I rounded up. I liked the concept behind Edwina, but felt that guest character was poorly conceived and too unbelievable. If the script for Edwina had been reworked, it might have been a classic episode.
The Ringbanger was an exercise in liberal politics which I did not buy. The Army-Navy Game had too many character inconsistencies.
***
I hope there are better episodes in season 2...which I will start reviewing next week.
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Post by galacticgirrrl on Apr 9, 2023 1:16:51 GMT
024 Showtime March 25, 1973 Directed by Jackie Cooper
Jackie Cooper and MASH showrunner Gene Reynolds were longtime friends. They were both child actors together at MGM along with Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney.
This is a Dear Dad episode without the narration. We visit a number of story vignettes with a USO show acting as the pivot point, the great irony being a show brought in to help everyone relax is somewhat ignored as everyone is worried about something else.
There were two very moving standout moments for me.
Father Mulcahy is in the midst of a crisis of confidence over the effectiveness of his work. The usually flip and glib Hawkeye tries to counsel him by offering his observation that surgical wonders and science can't always explain the success of medical interventions. Mulcahy is not particularly convinced. He is then called to the bedside of a dying soldier where he takes his hand to administer last rites. It is at this exact point the soldier is pulled back from the brink death.
Colonel Blake has missed the birth of his son back home and Radar very thoughtfully brings in a surrogate baby for him to hold. The baby is cute but crying. Henry mentions getting back to work but instead spins his chair around to hold on to the baby for a few more moments. It is such a strange story I can't help but wonder if this is one of the true tales from the front line doctors interviewed for story ideas.
It is interesting to note... The Miller Sisters group in the USO show is based in part on the King Family, “America’s First Family of Song”. They had hits with "Hot Lips", "Arthur Murray Taught Me Dancing in a Hurry", Strip Polka" and "Divorce Me C.O.D." - saucy song names for a group of Mormon sisters.
I am not sure what hopes to hold for Season 2. Jackie Cooper directs 10 more episodes. I am a bit concerned - although maybe strife does make for better art. Both Gelbart and Reynolds have said working on the show was one of the worst experiences of their lives.
In his autobiography Jackie Cooper is highly critical of Alan Alda whom he depicts as cool, aloof and jealous of the power Cooper wielded on the set.
“I’ve buried the hatchet with Alan since the book,” Cooper said during a later interview. “He ran into me at Fox and said he was so sorry, he never knew I felt that way, he was sorry if he ever hurt me. Then he stuck out his hand and we shook. It’s hard to stay upset with a fellow who does that.”
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Post by topbilled on Apr 9, 2023 1:45:43 GMT
024 Showtime
March 25, 1973 Directed by Jackie Cooper Jackie Cooper and MASH showrunner Gene Reynolds were longtime friends. They were both child actors together at MGM along with Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney. This is a Dear Dad episode without the narration. We visit a number of story vignettes with a USO show acting as the pivot point, the great irony being a show brought in to help everyone relax is somewhat ignored as everyone is worried about something else. I think that's an astute observation. Yes, with the nonlinear feel, the assorted vignettes, it does seem like a Dear Dad type episode.
***
I started watching season 2 today, and I will begin posting my reviews again, either tomorrow or on Monday. I am pleased to report that I am already MUCH happier with the first few episodes I looked at. In some ways, it is starting to resemble the show I remember, as there are traces of the later greatness. (Truthfully as I sat through all of season 1 and only found two episodes to be brilliant, I started to doubt why I had liked this show so much years ago!) Others may not agree with my opinion, but I prefer it when the show focuses more on the medical dramas in the operating room and there is less time for the sarcastic leftwing jabs at military operations...which I felt in season 1 was really overdone, to the point it bordered on tedium.
One of the biggest problems I have with the earlier seasons is that Margaret seems written in a schizophrenic manner. She is a lusty nympho in her scenes with Frank, basically a bimbo, then in the O.R. scenes, she is this highly intelligent female medic. It's like they couldn't decide which direction to take her in...I am glad that the more serious side of Margaret won out in the later seasons.
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Post by topbilled on Apr 9, 2023 1:58:40 GMT
Incidentally, 'Showtime' was one of the few episodes from season 1 that did not get rebroadcast by CBS...either during the regular season, or as a summer rerun between season 1 and season 2.
Viewers that might have missed its original airing would have to wait a few years for another chance to see it, after the show had accrued enough episodes for syndication.
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Post by topbilled on Apr 9, 2023 14:11:46 GMT
Before we move on to season 2 tomorrow, I wanted to mention something else about the 'Showtime' episode. There was a paragraph that I removed from my review because it was kind of a tangent. But I think it's still worth discussing...
In the 1980s, there was a wave of nostalgia for all things 60s. ABC broacast China Beach in this period, which was about medics in Vietnam. Unlike M*A*S*H, it was in the hour format and had more dramatic stories, and a greater budget. Anyway, a few episodes from that series stand out for me. One featured special guest star Harold Russell. He was not playing his character from THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES, but he was still playing a man that had been physically disabled by war. Instead of WWII, he was working and functioning during Vietnam.
The other episode I remember vividly, which comes closer to what we see in 'Showtime,' is one where Nancy Sinatra guest starred. She played herself, and she sang her hit song 'These Boots Are Made for Walking.' She turned up at the camp as part of a morale boosting show.
The thing about the Sinatra episode is that while she had aged in twenty years, she still looked a lot like a 60s version of herself with hair extensions and youthful makeup and 60s style clothing for those scenes.
I think the 'Showtime' episode of M*A*S*H could have been more memorable if they had featured a performance, or even just a quick cameo, from an actual performer associated with the Korean war. They didn't necessarily have to get someone of Bob Hope's stature, but they could have found a singer who did USO tours in the 50s in Korea. The China Beach episodes with Harold Russell and Nancy Sinatra provide added realism, because they were well-known as cultural figures in those bygone eras being depicted on screen.
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