Season 7, Episode 19: Hot Lips is Back in Town
Special Guest Star: Elizabeth Gravel
Have a question or comment?
- E-MAIL: firewaterpodcast@comcast.net
You can find M*A*S*HCast on these platforms:
- Apple Podcasts https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/m-a-s-hcast/id1329304951
- Amazon Music
- Spotify
Follow M*A*S*HCast on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MASH4077Cast
This podcast is a proud member of the FIRE AND WATER PODCAST NETWORK:
- Visit the Fire & Water WEBSITE: http://fireandwaterpodcast.com
- Follow Fire & Water on TWITTER – https://twitter.com/FWPodcasts
- Like our Fire & Water FACEBOOK page – https://www.facebook.com/FWPodcastNetwork
- Support The Fire & Water Podcast Network on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fwpodcasts
- Use our HASHTAG online: #FWPodcasts
That is all!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
A great visit from Lt. Elizabeth!
But I have only one question about this episode: When did the Officers’ Club get a tack piano? Prior to this, I only recall it ever being a standard piano.
I am enjoying all these insights from fans across the world. I especially enjoyed hearing about which characters use ‘vous’ and ‘tu’ and to whom.
Welcome Elizabeth!
Anaesthesia is really shonky in MASH, not least because… there are ZERO Anaesthesiologists! We bemoan the low numbers of surgeons in the 4077, but there’s never anybody in charge of the anaesthetics!
Sometimes the surgeons manage it for each other (NOT a good use of their skills) and sometimes one of the nurses can be seen at the head-end of the patient. Hell, I wouldn’t put it past Klinger or Mulcahy to have a go if they fancied trying their hand at it!
This is one of the ongoing omissions for which the viewer has to just to suspend disbelief.
Implementing & changing healthcare systems is never easy, so Margaret did a great job turning the Unit’s triage system into a nurse-led one. It’s also nice to see that the Surgeons – despite initial reservations – had the good grace to acknowledge Margaret and the rest of the nursing team for the good work they did. Potter certainly leads on this, acknowledging the accomplishment of the nurses, and singling Margaret out for particular commendation in front of the Top Brass.
Someone needs to write one of those books for Business called “Managing Your Team the Sherman Potter Way”! It’d fly off those Airport bookshop shelves!
Another great episode. LT Elizabeth was surprised to hear the General call COL Potter by his first name. In the Army, it’s very common for officers to call other officers of the same rank and junior ranks by their first names. However, we never called enlisted people by their first name. Unless there’s a special reason, like when MAJ Winchester said, “Merry Christmas, Max.”
Whereas in the Air Force, officers do call enlisted people by their first name, and the other services look at us and wonder if we even count as military.
First names are really the military equivalent of “tu.”
Explain!
It’s informality that happens between friendly peers or from the higher level of the hierarchy down, but not from lower ranking to higher ranking. Some people are more likely to use it than others as a show of caring and egalitarianism. Others are more likely to use rank titles as a show of respect or a way of maintaining distance. My impression is all those things are true of both. Is that accurate?
Yay, I’ve been waiting for this! Hot Lips is Back in Town is one of my favorite episodes, and listening to your discussion about it was delightful.
I’m loving the international flair of this season 🙂
I love that you talked about how Loretta Swit – being the only prominent female actor on the show – has to portray som many different traits that could otherwise have been spread out on different characters, because I think it really comes through here. This episode shows us so many sides of Margaret, and it just summons up so much about her character, and how far she has come by now.
I mean, she starts out by being crushed over the news that her divorce is final. Even though it was something she clearly wanted, she also has to say goodbye to the life she thought she would have. But of course, she can’t really admit to being heartbroken because Margaret will just insist everything is fine, she doesn’t feel a thing.
Then she goes on to getting drunk and getting a whole new outlook on life. I think this is a very endearing side of Margaret as a character, she is so strong and strong willed in many ways, but also very impressionable. Makes me think of the talk she has with Lil. Margaret is worried about her future, but after just a short talk with Lil, she cheers up considerably, and I think it’s such an interesting character trail for her to have, this eagerness to latch onto someone elses words.
Then she goes on to inconveniensing exactly everyone to have things her way. I love how understanding Potter is to her, only Margaret could get away with this.
Then she is so proud of her nurses, but of course doesn’t tell them that (that we see anyway), which is so also very true to character.
And then – the best part of all – how she turns down the Generals offer. I mean, saying yes would basically mean giving up her body for a promotion, and she is just way beyond that now. I do wish the other characters could have seen her in that moment. Here’s to you, Margaret, here’s to you indeed.
Radar’s stoly line is such a great complement to Margaret’s, he too realizes that he doesn’t have to change who he is to impress someone. He no longer feels the need to pretend to be into Bach – he can just be his nerdy self and talk about rabbits. Good for you, Radar!
I think the title of the episode is a bit weird, though… Like, is it ironic? Because if Hot Lips really had been back – I think she would have said yes to the General’s offer. “Yes, sir, I’ll take that promotion, I’ll play whatever games you like”. And the “escaped convict and the warden’s wife”-line really is so creepy, it just sounds so very violent.
Some people will always see Margaret as Hot Lips, sure, but I just find it to be a strange choice, since again – it’s clearly Margaret making the choices here, not Hot Lips.
Or maybe they just wanted her to reclaim that demeaning nickname, and show us that she now owns it in a different way, I don’t know.
I watched this episode with my mom a while back – I usually visit her on the weekends and we have this awesome tradition of watching a couple of MASH-episodes. My mom is an elderly lady, whose vision isn’t what it used to be, and she really didn’t catch that it was Hawkeye and BJ in the “Dumbkopf”-scene, she was just super confused as to why that General was being so weird. When I explained it to her, she was like “Oh, it was Alan?” She doesn’t speak English, and pronouncing Hawkeye is difficult for her, so she just calls him Alan. BJ is always “the on with the mustache” to her. It’s very sweet. 🙂
Thank you for this episode, I really enjoyed it!
As someone who has to be told that I’m being flirted with (not that it happens very often), I’m right there with both Rob & Elizabeth.
On the topic of Margaret’s divorce, I can confirm that it initially feels unreal when it is finally done, and I was there for every step of the process. It is a bittersweet moment, even when it’s a one-sided relationship (like Margaret’s) that’s coming to an end. The way the writers and Ms. Swit handled it was perfect.
Some really interesting discussion in this ep! Like how Margaret has to shoulder all the different facets and qualities of every female character, how natural Gary Berghoff feels as Radar, how the bj and hawkeye panto scene was straight out of the early seasons, the quote about how everybody was too damn nice in the later seasons. I agree with y’all that it’s more a good thing than bad and feels VERY earned. You cant spend 3/11 years with someone without becoming at least tolerant of them after a while, surely. I did a lot of nodding listening to this one!!! Great stuff.
Fun discussion! I know how Radar feels. Luckily I met Cindy early, so I didn’t have to suffer too many embarrassing incidents…or I’m now too old to really remember them.
Similar to Rob, I recently had someone clearly hitting on me, and although I am usually oblivious, this time I caught it, so it MUST have been VERY overt!
Maybe the reference to Hot Lips in the title was meant to be ironic? The General expected “Hot Lips” to be back in action, even if Margaret had outgrown that part of her life?
Great show, Rob
Allow me to counterpoint. If you’ve read my comments over the years you will know that my least favorite major character is Margaret. I find her shrill and very egocentric. While her shrillness did not appear much in this episode her self-centeredness was probably on display here more than any other episode. Barging in on her colonel while he’s sleeping, (as you mentioned) taking all of the credit for the nurses even though Charles taught them triage and the nurses did all the work, and expecting the general to know her change of heart possibly through osmosis is the height of self-absorption.
And on the topic of the latter, what exactly did Margaret expect of the general? Here is a woman by her own admission and actions who would bed down anyone who had a equal or higher ranking than her, a woman who got engaged over a weekend because “I couldn’t love someone who didn’t outrank me” and a woman who would sleep with a man regardless of his marital status and she expects everyone to immediately ignore her history just because her new project of the day is working and not seduction?
During my first professional job I befriended a lady who was going through a divorce. I was about to take her and her son out to dinner when she opened her mail and found her final divorce decree. She was devastated. We cancelled dinner, ordered in and I let her cry on my shoulder for the rest of the evening.
Early in Mash Matters run, the hosts interviewed Peggy Lee Brennen. She’s had a very interesting career.
https://mashmatterspodcast.com/012-peggy-lee-brennan/
Even though I did not like the main character of the episode I did enjoy the discussion. And Elizabeth is a delight!
Iron Guts, just a couple more thoughts. You’re doing some outstanding talent scouting this season. All the newbs are great, but Elizabeth and the other wacky youngsters (which I count as anyone below 45) are especially so. And I think the people who did the French dubbing nailed the characters. That was fascinating.
I know we’ve got years, but I already know I’ll miss this show when it ends.
Great discussion, and we’ll done to Elizabeth.
Two things for me… How cute is Peggy Lee Brennan!! My my she is wonderful and a perfect match for Radar.
Secondly, I agree with MarieKristina, the title is weird! If it was Hot Lips, she would have taken the General up on his offer. Perhaps ‘Hot Lips v Margaret’ would make more sense.
And Rob, yes it is true that Hawkeyes advice to Radar wasn’t great, because you know he would have taken it quite literally. But in your story, you showed that perhaps the advice is right,because that work colleague clearly fancied you when you showed no interest in her!! Lol.
Great episode xx
Somewhat tangentially related: I always thought it was interesting that Margaret was referred to as “Hot Lips” in every MASH script from the first season to the very end. Quick shorthand? Visual familiarity? Easier to type out? Sure, it was the character with the most growth through the run of the series but for the writers: Hot Lips 4 LYFE.