M*A*S*HCast 154 – Point of View

Season 7, Episode 10: Point of View

Special Guest Star: Matt Sirois

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11 responses to “M*A*S*HCast 154 – Point of View

  1. Since there was no music in this episode, does that mean there was also no laugh track? Those didn’t bother me as much watching this show in reruns in the 80s, but when I stumble on an episode these days, I find it distracting. And, maybe because of technology, the balance always seems off where the laugh track is too loud and covers the dialogue. Or maybe it’s my old ears.

    My dad would complain about it too. I probably have my dad’s old ears. My “ear technology” is off balance.

  2. This was an interesting episode. I completely agree on a lot of what you said Rob – the length of this episode and the fact that the character cannot speak make this much easier to take than The Lady in the Lake which does ‘outstay its welcome. In particular, I don’t think the actors in that know how to emote to the camera. Audrey Totter, who I love, does these crazy over the top expressions I suppose because she is doing the emotive work for both sides of the conversation.

    I concur that the doctors dropping the nonsense when the emergency presents itself is very true to life. As I say, I watch this show through different lenses these days. That hit home.

  3. Rob, I’m with you…the idea of being strapped to the outside of a copter while injured and probably in some form of shock is positively traumatizing to me! I wonder how many cases of ‘chopper terror’ Sidney had to treat in Tokyo? 😉

    When we first saw the aerial view of the camp, I wondered if this was footage from the original movie, since I couldn’t imagine them assembling everything out at the ranch just for a shot that lasts only a few seconds. But then as the copter came in for a landing, we could see BJ waiting down below, so I realized they had indeed done that. Between this and the opening combat scene, I can only assume this episode had a bigger budget that usual.

    I loved how they introduced Hawkeye. Ordinarily we see him passing through Post Op tossing out one-liners (and occasionally wearing flippers and a pith helmet), which had to be confusing and maybe a little unsettling for many patients, who after all probably had been semi or fully unconscious until recently, so how could they know who this madman was? But here, we see Hawkeye not only making jokes, but also introducing himself, and even explaining in part why he does what he does. It had to be very reassuring for the patients.

    But I can’t wrap my head around the date given here. That means that everything that had come before this, all six and a half seasons, happened in essentially a one-year span of time. Which means that the upcoming 4 1/2 seasons get another two full years to play out, since the war continued until the summer of ’53. I think the only way I can accept this is to fully embrace the theory that M*A*S*H* takes place on multiple other-dimensional Earths, and we’re bouncing between those Earths in the course of the entire series. 😉

  4. Point of View is such an interesting episode, and I think it works so very well. You mention the found footage movies of today (which I really like – found footage horror is my favorite genre) but there the characters are often talking to a camera, like on their phone or something, and the experience as a viewer here, where the camera is a person, feels so unique.
    The movement of this episode is great, and it’s fun to see new angles of rooms we are used to seeing in more traditional ways.

    I have to say, I kind of like Grumpy Potter… Not his actions, of course, but I like the fact that he has these bad sides to him, that sometimes he is just sour at the world and everyone in it. Refusing to talk about your problems is quite the common trope, in shows, books and movies. As you mention – so many things could be easily resolved if people just talked, and not stormed out and slammed the door. But as a person who sucks at letting people know what’s really bothering me, what I truly feel, I can relate. Putting emotions into words can be incredibly tricky, and taking things out on the people around you when you know that you only have yourself to blame is not very charming, but – been there, done that.
    Potter is such a wonderful character, great leader and also a shoulder to lean on. I truly love how the other characters reacts to him, he opens up so much in several of them, in the best way, but he isn’t just sweet and kind, there are layers to him. I’m always drawn to the flaws and the darker parts of characters, so it’s great that we get to see the not so charming aspects of him.

    I truly enjoy every time we see the characters interacting with patients. Of course, so much of the show is about the wounded, but the scenes are often just as much about the relations between the main characters, their drama and bantering and joking. So it’s always nice to see them in their roles as professionals, when the layer of drama and personal relations is peeled away, and we see just the connection they have with the patients.
    It’s so interesting to watch Margaret here, how she handles that flirty guy. She isn’t annoyed, just sees it as a sign that the guy isn’t in horrible shape, and that is a good thing. It reminds me of the scene in an earlier episode – I can’t for the life of me remember the name of it – where some guy with a injured leg or foot asks her if she knows how beautiful she is. And she sits with him for a minute and lets him play out his little routine. She isn’t playing along – she informs him that she is engaged – but she still gives him a little attention. She knows he is just killing some time, and she has a minute to spare, so why not. I really like that in her, that she really is all about her patients and wants to make them all feel better, and sometimes that is done by being a bit playful and not so stern.
    It’s also great to see how she smiles at the patient during the sponge bath-scene. It’s such a warm, open and comforting smile, one she only uses for the wounded. In earlier seasons, when she smiles at a general, there is a level of performance to that smile. “Hi, general, I’m a cute vixen, what can I do for you?” Same thing when she smiles at Frank, a lot of the time there seem to be a subtext of “See what a devoted mistress I am, and so much hotter than your wife, right?” And sometimes her smile has a devious undertone, when she’s up to something. But with the patients, her smile is just warm and kind. These are such tiny nuances, and it truly shows what a deep understanding Loretta Swit has for her character, it’s a joy to watch.

    1. Hi Marie-

      I believe the episode you’re recalling is “Post Op”, where the patient flirts so openly with Margaret that she never takes it seriously so she decides to indulge him (Her: Donald is a Lt. Colonel. Him: [pause] Sharon’s a CPA”). It’s a really funny and sweet scene, and a side of Margaret we didn’t often get to see.

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      1. Yes, that’s the episode! Thank you, it was so annoying that I couldn’t remember the title, and yet I was too lazy to try and look it up.. 🙂

  5. Hey Rob.
    I’ll be honest, I never was a fan of MASH when it was originally.
    When MASH started I was only a year old (actually, it started the day before I turned 1 year old!) By the time I became aware of the series it was “my parents’ series” I was always more interested in shows like Emergency, Chips, Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers, etc, etc…
    Lately however, I’ve been enjoying clips from MASH that I’ve been coming across and have decided to do a full watch-through!
    I’m watching it on Amazon Prime and am really enjoying it! After every episode, I listen to your podcast.
    I will say that I felt compelled to watch the original movie before I started. And while I loved the film for its own merits, my awareness of modern day sensibilities and attitudes regarding certain behaviors recognized how terribly it would be received by “modern audiences”.
    I look forward to hearing your comments as I go through the series.
    (Currently, I’m working on the first season. As of this posting I just finished Germ Warfare S1 E11, so it may be a year or so before I’m up to speed with you.)

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  6. I remember some article about the show during its run; one of the producers acknowledged it wasn’t the standard sitcom, saying that the show would have to be in rough straits if they did an episode where someone forgets their anniversary. That stuck with me as a kid. Some of my favorite characters had forgotten their anniversary. Didn’t they feel bad enough without this? Then this season comes around, and here’s a pretty great episode. Obviously that guy had no idea what he was talking about.

  7. I would love to see some behind the scenes photos of how these shots were set up, particularly the ones in post-op. Those cameras were enormous and bulky, required an operator directly on the cam, and most of these shots needed a double with his head underneath the lens. What a wild set-up it must have been!

  8. Just finished this one – great podcast for an all time episode!

    But I have to ask – has no one noticed Margaret’s fingernails in the sponge bath scene? They are perfectly pedicured and incredibly long. There is zero chance that anyone would have nails like that while serving as head nurse in a war zone. It’s an obvious error by those who should know better, and it’s always bugged me! (I know, it’s a tiny thing, and it doesn’t matter, it’s just that it’s the only thing I can see when I watch that scene!). My guess is that Loretta Swit had an awards show or something like that to attend around the time of filming.

  9. I like that in the episode that while they don’t put a spotlight on it Kilinger clearly decided to use the red shoes from the last episode. it’s also a case of if I hadn’t watched the two episodes back to back I wouldn’t have notice it.

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