M*A*S*HCast – Season 1, Episode 18: Dear Dad, Again
Special Guest Star: Dan Greenfield
Air Date: February 4, 1973
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Theme music by Johnny Mandel
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Great episode, gentlemen…
Oh, and the M*A*S*H episode in which Radar punches a wall… that would be when Hawkeye’s continuity had shifted…
Thank you for another interesting episode. I never realized that Dear Dad Again followed so closely on the heels of Dear Dad. I’d always just assumed that they basically did one Dear X episode each season.
I don’t know if this was intentional or not on the part of the creators, but I always thought the Dear X episodes were good jumping on points for new viewers, because the letter writer typically introduces the recipient of the letter to all of the other major characters in the show, either individually or in pairs. As a result, each character generally gets their own scene in which to shine. Now that I think of it, that’s probably one of the big reasons I enjoy these episodes so much.
As you gentlemen mentioned, the creators later would find different ways to do this (i.e., highlight each of the characters in a single episode). The Season 8 episode Dreams is the first (and most striking) example of an “evolved” Dear X episode that comes to my mind.
FYI
Robert Altman’s MASH airs on 11/27 on Turner Classic Movies! It is followed that night by The Graduate & The Last Picture Show!
While the scene had its issues, Hawkeye walking across camp naked was so funny, and honestly, shocking when I first saw it as a kid. I really don’t remember a network show doing that before, but that was probably more me being young and still watching more kids’ shows. Still, it made an impression, that’s for sure.
Missive on
Adam Casey
Selfless shindig
Hawkeye naked
The reason Margaret never got a “dear” is because she simply does not have a family in that way. Her father was all military and would have no interest in a letter from home. Margaret didn’t even believe her father loved her. Why would she write to him? And her mother was an alcoholic who I believe was also a scofflaw. I got the feeling Margaret semi-resented her mother for the financial and social burden the mother was – Margaret’s skeleton.
Margaret literally had no one she felt would be interested in her, and writing home wasn’t something an “officer” would do in her mind. Given that Col. Potter writes home, it is clear this mindset comes from Margaret’s father.
It’s sad that Margaret doesn’t get a “Dear” episode, but Moses that she had no one she felt would care enough about her to write one. Margaret is shown to be a very lonely woman, and one hamstrung by the sensibilities of the times which would prevent her from achieving the career and family life she saw for herself.