Season 4
Overall season review:
Lots of changes. Ch ch ch changes. crazy escalation of a relationship between hawkeye and beej, right from the beginning. It is my opinion that the best years of the show are from seasons 2-7, though that opinion may change upon the foretold rewatch. Incredible volume of transcendent episodes in this one.
Welcome to Korea (1) ★★★★
Summary
Hawkeye tries to catch Trapper's plane before he is sent home. With no replacement for Henry, Frank (Margaret) is still in charge. They look forward to receiving the straight-laced replacement of Trapper John.
Thoughts
Must be watched directly after Abyssinia, Henry if this is the first time seeing the show. So so important. BJ is here, but will not develop character until The Bus. Radar O'Reilly my beloved.
Welcome to Korea (2) ★★★★
Summary
War is Hell. And here comes Colonel Potter.
Thoughts
Did I say BJ doesn't develop character until The Bus? I meant, BJ's only character trait is the care and company of Hawkeye Pierce until The Bus.
Change of Command ★★★★
Summary
Here comes Colonel Potter.
Thoughts
Colonel Potter proves his mettle within minutes of situating himself in camp. Neither he nor BJ is a direct substitute for their predecessors, and can stand out on their own. Insane. Crazy. What a world. Klinger (heart)
It Happened One Night ★★★
Summary
It's cold out. Frank trashes Margaret's room after she tells him she keeps all of his love letters. BJ is worried over a patient. Klinger gets shot.
Thoughts
This episode is not super memorable, but it is canonically important as an episode that sets the new standard for the show. This is what regular looks like now. Also I love Potter's phone calls and commentary. And Radar tring to figure him out.
The Late Captain Pierce ★★★★
Summary
Hawkeye finds out he's dead.
Thoughts
Really establishes BJ as Hawkeye's caretaker. And so quickly. God. Miserable Pierce is the best kind of Pierce. I love it when he's still using his same language, puns and wordplay and jokes, but he's dead serious. The "un-son" and all of that is one of my favorite moments. Also? The guy who plays the coroner? He's fantastic. What a guy.
Hey, Doc ★★
Summary
Frank drives a tank. There's a sniper. There's a lot of wheeling and dealing going on.
Thoughts
There's just a lot going on in this one. Insane that Frank drives a tank, just truly crazy. Potter shoots a jeep and it is not commented on and hilarious. One of my favorite gags of the show.
The Bus ★★★★
Summary
Potter, Frank, Radar, BJ, and Hawkeye get lost and stuck on a bus.
Thoughts
Such lovely vibes. BJ I believe makes some sort of joke instead of telling his love story, despite being the person to bring it up. Also, Potter and BJ both get established as not racist which is great. It also marks the first episode where BJ understands that he needs to stop blending in with everybody, and start speaking out against Frank. One day I'll write an essay about BJ Hunnicutt and the ways he chooses to conform to the social standards of everyone around him until he doesn't just go to war, but meets Hawkeye, who would only turn against him for lapses in character, not expression. So so so important to me. What a character. I miss Margaret.
Dear Mildred ★★★★
Summary
Sophie :)
Thoughts
Sophie :) Also anytime Richard Lee-Sung is, as always, phonomenal.
The Kids ★★★★
Summary
The camp helps a bunch of orphans, gets them vaccinated, and show off their parental potentials.
Thoughts
Frank Burns may eat worms, but holy shit everyone else. BJ tells his bedtime story, which causes Hawkeye to ovulate. Radar sings a lullaby which breaks my entire heart actually, now that you mention it. Klinger and Mulcahy have such a lovely correspondance. I love this episode dearly.
Quo Vadis, Captain Chandler? ★★★★
Summary
Sidney is called in to help when a soldier claims to be Jesus Christ. Margaret and Frank call in Colonel Flagg to try and get the patient imprisoned for faking battle fatigue.
Thoughts
Radar gives himself a name. Mulcahy is so wonderful. Sidney Freedman is too. Also he's maybe jewish? I cannot for the life of me remember if Hawkeye and BJ do a goddamn thing in this episode except support Sidney Freedman and get Colonel Flagg to fuck off.
Dear Peggy ★★★★
Summary
BJ writes a letter home. Mulcahy is visited by an attilian megachurch priest. Hawkeye shoves people into a jeep.
Thoughts
Sweet. :)
Of Moose and Men ★
Summary
Camp things. Hawkeye performs surgery on a colonel who hates him. BJ tries to convince Sgt. Zale that his wife regrets cheating on him. Frank. Is there.
Thoughts
I don't know, man. I don't like this one. Maybe it's just because there are so many stellar episodes this season that this one falls so flat. Hawkeye's plotline goes nowhere and accomplishes nothing - he and the colonel hate and disrespect each other at the start just as they do at the end. BJ's plotline, which has potential to be interesting with the straight-laed married guy routine, ends with a joke that Zale is sexist. Frank thinks a kimchi pot is a bomb, and it's the highlight of the episode. Also, all of a sudden "moose" is an okay term to call someone on this show. It's like fine I guess, but I dislike almost every part of it. Except Frank and the kimchi which at the very least is like Frank is stupid as fuck. Eh.
Soldier of the Month ★★
Summary
Klinger and Radar compete to win the Soldier of the Month award and win 6 days in Tokyo.
Thoughts
Margaret gets to punch Frank, which is awesome. Radar puts on a beautiful performance of drunk befuddlement at the end of the episode. I honestly have no other highlights from this one, but the episode's okay for sure.
The Gun ★★★
Summary
Frank steals a gun that belongs to a general, and also shoots himself in the foot. Radar is suspected, and he takes it very hard.
Thoughts
Another case of Margaret being the only person Frank will be honest with (about some things)! I love the routine of Frank being like "I'm a poor little baby who was only being terrible because I'm sawd" and Margaret immediately ratting and/or killing him about it. Gary Burghoff shows off that he knows how to do cowboy shit with a gun. Anyways, fun episode! And not even the only time Frank doesn't use a gun right!
Mail Call...Again ★★★★
Summary
Radar's family sends a video to Korea. Frank's wife finds out about Margaret and tries to divorce him. Margaret begins the first steps of getting rid of Frank. Colonel Potter hears that he's about to become a grandfather.
Thoughts
RADAR! IN! DRAG! In a performance that is so genuinely sweet?? And played straight??? Oh my god it's so wonderful. Frank Burns eats worms! And Hawkeye spends the entire episode reading out of his town's newspaper and it is boring and terrible. :)
The Price of Tomato Juice ★★
Summary
Radar makes a series of trades to try and acquire Tomato Juice for Colonel Potter.
Thoughts
This is a winning episode for Klinger! He gets to get all dolled up and go to Seoul and has a wonderful evening! It's great! Funny joke at the end of the episode, very fun. Margaret and Frank fight, then get along really well, and then fight. It's not bad! This episode is just fine! Mostly just happy for Klinger in this one.
Dear Ma ★
Summary
Foot inspection episode, as narrated by Radar in a letter home.
Thoughts
Foot inspection episode. BJ gets a very fun b plot! where he gets scammed! And Potter gets shot in the ass! But! It's mostly foot inspection. There's a joke about Frank wearing nail polish that is just that he is wearing nail polish. Anyways. There is a funny bit where Radar helps a north korean sniper get a tray of food, and then realizes he's on the wrong side. Frank Burns eats worms.
Der Tag ★★
Summary
Hawkeye and BJ accidentally ship Frank to the front lines with a toe tag.
Thoughts
It's funny! A classic funny! Just fine funny episode! Nurse KELLYE. WOO. Frank burns eats Worms. :)
Hawkeye ★★★★
Summary
Hawkeye's 20 minute monologue episode.
Thoughts
It's Hawkeye's 20 minute monologue episode. I love when they play with the show's structure, and also, I wish they'd done this with any other character but Hawkeye. Hawkeye is the only one who doesn't need more screentime or windows into what he's thinking about. And also, he's a fucking freak about eating fish. Good episode all in all. Also does a pretty good job of not being racist when Hawkeye is the only white guy in the episode.
Some 38th Parallels ★★★
Summary
Hawkeye is become impotent. Frank tries to sell garbage. Radar becomes attached to a patient.
Thoughts
Weird episode. Not a whole lot more going on than what it says on the tin. Almost feels like a very special epsiode about not being able to get it up. I'm fond of it though. Sad Radar. :(. Also, the idea that the only thing that can fix Hawkeye Pierce's sex life is to cover a man in garbage is interesting.
The Novacaine Mutiny ★★★★
Summary
Frank tries to court martial Hawkeye for mutiny. We see the same story told from a few different perspectives, including Frank's.
Thoughts
Very good episode! Very funny! They have a lot of fun with it! Fun! Also, this is the episode, I believe, where BJ says he wants to fuck Hawkeye. FUN!
Smilin' Jack ★★
Summary
A chopper pilot tries to break a record before he is sent home.
Thoughts
I like the scene where they're hitting oranges with needles. The episode itself is fine. Standard Mash.
The More I See You ★★★★
Summary
An ex of Hawkeye's who he is clearly still in love with arrives at camp.
Thoughts
This is monumentally good. Incredible episode. Holy shit Blythe Danner is an astounding actress. Jesus. What an episode. BJ gets some wonderful exchanges as well. AND CARLYE FINISHING HAWKEYE'S JOKES FOR HIM????? RECOGNIZING EACH OTHERS' VOICES BEFORE THEY SEE EACH OTHER??????? OH MY GOD. Every scene is spectacular. Every line is a hit to the gut. Also Carlye's friend who shows up with her is an utter sweetheart. This episode has some of the best written female characters we get until Margaret's big episode. Oh my god. Just brilliant.
Deluge ★★★★
Summary
Huge numbers of casualties, horrible conditions, interspersed with news clips from the 50s.
Thoughts
Very good episode. Crazy lines from Potter. This is the episode where Margaret refuses to leave and gives Potter a dressing down in the shower. A fire is started in the O.R. The surgeons conduct surgery bare handed when gloves run out. Frank burns eats Worms.
The Interview ★★★★
Summary
A War Correspondent interviews members of the 4077th.
Thoughts
Mulcahy's incredible line delivery. Radar and his worms. BJ Hunnicutt. Frank Burns eats Worms. Potter likes lincoln I guess.