u/J_Scarbrough

I can still remember seeing this episode for the very first time as a teenager over 20 years ago, and it left quite an impact on me for Margaret's (in)famous "lousy cup of coffee" scene. It was one of the first times we ever really saw Margaret have any sort of an emotional breakdown (that wasn't played for laughs because she was drunk, or having some sort of a rift with Frank), and showed us her vulnerable side that was, at that point in the series, an incredibly rare sight. I can even remember what my initial reaction was after seeing that scene for the very first time: "Wow! Margaret has feelings?!" That, for me, made this a particularly stand-out episode of M*A*S*H that I thought was one of its best offerings.

At first.

After I repeat viewings of the episode over the years, that opinion has gradually shifted to the point that I now really don't even like this episode at all, and feel it's one of the weaker ones. Not at all because of Margaret whatsoever, but because I feel like this episode suffers from the same sort of problem that made another episode like "Edwina" a decidely weak installment as well, and that's the main cast of characters are more-or-less reduced to supporting characters, while the guest characters (almost all of whom we've never seen before, and never even see again) are the ones who carry the story. It makes the episode feel less like an actual episode of the show, and more like an entry from an anthology series. Like Edwina Ferguson, it's difficult to swallow that the writers expected us to really invest in the foibles of characters we've never met before, know nothing about, and then never see again without setting up that they could at least be minor recurring characters. One of the nurses (Gaynor) is even implied to have been at the 4077th for so long that she's become numb and desensitized to all of the casualities she's seen die in the hospital (including one who apparently had been flirting with her for a while). If she really had been at the 4077th for a while, and we saw over the course of multiple episodes the emotional toll all of these deaths took on her, maybe it would make her plot thread would have a better connection with us as an audience, but for a one-shot character, it seems too much to expect of us.

At least other similar episodes like "George" were executed a little better: George's homosexuality drove the plot of the episode, but he himself wasn't shoved into the spotlight and expected to carry the weight of the story himself - instead, we see how the revelation of his homosexuality affects the 4077th personnel, from Frank writing a formal complaint to have George dishonorably discharged (while Margaret backs him up), to Hawkeye and Trapper trying to stop him from ruining a good soldier's life, to even Henry not giving a rat's ass either way because of course he doesn't want to get involved. Even in "The Nurses," there is tension between said nurses and Margaret always breathing down their necks, but again, it's these random, expendable nurses who carry the show, while Margaret just pops in to yell at them and order them around, then we see her have her big emotional breakdown because of how they treat her. Not very effective.

Of course, that's just my opinion anyway.

M*A*S*H isn't the only show this has ever happened to of course. I remember THE ODD COUPLE doing something similar once with an episode about a couple of droopy kids who couldn't make up their minds whether or not they wanted to get married - we never see this couple before, we never see them again, but apparently Felix was asked to be best man at the wedding and he ruined it, so he and Oscar had to try to get the couple back together. Just the same, Felix and Oscar are reduced to supporting roles, while we're supposed to invest in this awkward love story between this young couple we know nothing about.

I doubt it, but I'm curious to know if anyone on this sub has ever tried any of the strange or peculiar food items shown or mentioned on M*A*S*H just to see what they're really like? I have a few examples myself. . . .

• I once tried Radar's ketchup on rye with butter and lettuce just to see if it's a sandwich worth risking your life for, and I can tell you it's not. Basically, it tastes pretty much like a hamburger but with the obvious absence of a meat patty. Again, nothing worth risking your life for.
• I also once tried Hawkeye's peanut butter, jelly, turkey, mayo, cheese, mayo, ham, mayo, and pickle sandwich. Honestly, I can't really describe it - I think it had too many fillings and ingredients, that they all sort canceled each other, so you really couldn't discern any sort of particular taste. Also, I . . . didn't feel too well after eating it.
• Stouffer's has a frozen chipped beef and I have given it a try. With the exception of Colonel Potter, it seems like anyone who's ever mentioned chipped beef on M*A*S*H has talked about how awful it is (it also seemed to be the only thing they had to eat on M*A*S*H's sister show ROLL OUT!), and there's obvious Truth in Television behind such, with it commonly being refered to by military personnel as spam/swill/shit on a shingle. Maybe it's just the Stouffer's version I've tried, but honestly, it really isn't that bad at all - it's actually pretty good; I'd describe it as being similar to Arby's Beef n Cheddar, just not between a bun (haven't tried it on toast thought).

M*A*S*H and HOGAN'S HEROES shared a number of familiar faces, see if you can recognize and name any of them.

Round 6:

https://preview.redd.it/80crn686aiah1.jpg?width=766&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ecdae527dd074a7042119fa8ea5eaddc0439bd4e

I posted this in my previous thread, but it doesn't appear anyone has viewed it, so I'm posting this as a follow-up.

I previously asked for opinions on what sort of dye I should use (brand, natural or synthetic, etc.) on a white garment that's labeled as 55% cotton/45% polyester, as I'm actually not aiming for a deep, rich color anyway; something light and muted. A number of people responded with their varying opinions, with Procion MX seeming to being recommended the most for being a fiber-reactive dye that would work best on a blend - I even contacted their customer support to inquire about the effectiveness on their product on such a blended garment, and they responded with a photographic example of a blended t-shirt that was tie-dyed: their black (which their highly recommended) was used, and the black portions of the shirt came out a smoky gray color.

Based on suggestions and recommendations from others in this sub, Procion seems to be a strong contender, but I also happened upon Dylon, and was curious to know what people's opinions on it are.

https://preview.redd.it/xn7ao6qcghah1.jpg?width=1500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=46d5304dca883796b17222c8ae6a570b01d98cbb

According to this graph, the results of using their product on garment 50% synthetic is actually what I'm aiming for in terms of dying the garment green. Reading reviews about Dylon seem to be mixed: some seem pleased with it, others say it's not worth the money they spent (it does appear to be rather pricey). Another plus that's interesting me is that Dylon's dye pods are said to be washing machine-safe (though according to a couple of reviews I've read, it's recommended dissolving the dye in water first before adding it to the washing machine, saying the design of the bod itself is ineffective in an even dye job).

Has anyone had an experience with Dylon products, and if so, what are your thoughts? How does it compare to other previously recommended products like Procion and iDye? Woud anyone recommend Dylon?

M*A*S*H and HOGAN'S HEROES shared a number of familiar faces, see if you can recognize and name any of them.

Round 5:

https://preview.redd.it/9kl33su4fhah1.jpg?width=450&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1627f67d735563603905e272a4d9f32eb4ef16bd

One inconsistency that really stands out to me is the fact that Frank mentions having taken Judo lessons in "The Kids," then later confuses Judo for a religion in "Dear Ma," and the reason this one stands out particularly for me is because both of these episodes are from the same season (Season 4), and they both were written by the same writers (Jim Fritzell & Everett Greenbaum).

I love "House Arrest," I think it's a great episode, definitely one of Season 3's funniest offerings!

Okay, I get that treating rape (even as an accusation) as a joke ruined this episode for a lot of people, and even years later Larry Gelbart admitted the show's humorous mindset towards rape was done in poor taste, but if you can look past that one element, you can see this episode has a lot going for it!

For starters, who didn't find it satisfying when Hawkeye slugged Frank right in the eye? Frank had it coming to him for a long time, and I think really only Hawkeye had the guts to do something like that - I couldn't even see Trapper pulling something like that off, even if he was pushed to his breaking point. Also, you have to admit it's outrageous how Hawkeye is treated like royalty when he's placed under house arrest: the Mess Sergeant fixing up a steak dinner for him (which Trapper ends up eating, like he did Henry's pork chops in "Cowboy"), movie night being held in the Swamp so Hawkeye can still see the picture, and what does Frank get when he's under house arrest? C-rations and no movie. Womp-womp-woooommmmmp!

Plus, we have the always-hilarious Mary Wickes in a memorable guest appearance as the kooky Colonel Reese, who I think we could argue could very well be a female General Steele. Not sure what she even saw in Frank, but seeing her coming onto Frank is also worthy of some chuckles (though again, not her immediately accusations of him trying to rape her afterward).

We also have another little gem in this episode too: Radar's attempt to heighten himself. As a matter of fact, if you pay attention, after Radar expresses to Hawkeye the torment he's endured for being short - even calling Hawkeye out on unloading some of that torment himself, Hawkeye owns up to being out of line, and never makes fun of Radar's shortness again.

So yeah, despite what the consensus may say, I say this episode is a fine example of M*A*S*H's earlier more comedic seasons.

I have a 2006 Caravan (base mini) with a 3.3L V6 engine. For over a month now, it drives and idles very rough, and it's dumping so much fuel it's causing the #4 cylinder to misfire. Scans have turned up a P0204 error code, which said the fuel injector in that cylinder was stuck open, so I took it to a mechanic my family knew to replace it as well as the intake gasket (both of which I bought myself to try to cut cost). He did, but he said that wasn't the actual problem, the actual problem is the PCM needs to be replaced. He offered to do it, he said he would buy the part himself (and I could reimburse him), then have an associate of his come in to program it, all of which he offered to do for $275 - the job itself would have cost $633, but he knows I'm low income, and was trying to help me out.

Now he says he can't and won't do it. I've been calling around to other shops in my town, and everybody keeps telling me to take it directly to Dodge and let them replace and program it because only the dealer could do that . . . but I do not have the money for something like that. Some say I could just buy a used PCM myself (I've seen some as low as $167, whereas the original mechanic said it would cost $250), but that I'd still have to take it to Dodge to actually install and program it.

Meanwhile, I've had a couple of my co-workers look at it, one says he doesn't believe it actually is the PCM and that the fuel leak could possibly be something else he could fix if he had the time to look into it, while another co-worker thinks the solution could simply be disconnecting the battery to flash the PCM (which a mechanic I spoke to did not recommend, saying it wouldn't be a longterm solution). Neither of them have had the time to actually look into doing anything (the latter co-worker is taking time off right now because of family issues).

I have absolutely no idea what to even do anymore. Like I said, I'm low income, so I do not have the money to spend on costly repairs, let alone just buy a whole other vehicle or trade it in for something else; meanwhile, I'm losing money by just having to keep putting gas in the car that I'm losing anyway because of that injector being stuck open, and I can't just pour money into Uber rides to take me everywhere I need to go during the week (and I work nightshift, so public transportation is a no-go either). This has been going on for over a month now, and I'm at my wits end. This is my only vehicle, I've been having to cancel long-distance appointments that I need to keep because I don't know if thing would handle driving such distances.

But say I wanted to dye a completely white pair of woven shorts that are tagged as being 55% cotton/45% polyester green. . . . I have read from various sources that neither a dye specifically for nature fibers or a dye specifically for synthetics will give such a garment a solid color without creating a heathered or marled effect . . . but, I have also read that trying to dye such a blended garmet won't result in a particularly bright or vivid color anyway, and to be honest, that's actually what I want to achieve: just a pale green color - nothing like a deep forest or hunter or emerald or any similar shades.

Rather than continuing to search through a million different results, I just want to get some quick answers to my specific inquiry: like I said, I just want a pale color anyway, but I'm still not entire sure which type of dye would yield better results in terms of the dye actually taking to a garment with a nearly 50/50 blend.

M*A*S*H and HOGAN'S HEROES shared a number of familiar faces, see if you can recognize and name any of them.

Round 4:

https://preview.redd.it/453r3ds4k98h1.jpg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4c5613abde90aff807a2680b9fe65d56d55a7c97

I will admit that this one is an illegal trick round, but I also promise this is the only such round.

I know there's a major criticism of how Trapper's departure was handled, in that Hawkeye returns from R&R, receives word from Radar that Trapper was discharged and already left to catch an early plane out of Kimpo, so they race to Kimpo to try to catch him before he leaves, only to miss his plane by ten minutes, thus, he and Hawkeye never got to say goodbye to each other. (From a BTS perspective, it's because Wayne Rogers ebruptly quit between Seasons 3 and 4 without any prior notice).

But here's the thing though . . . Trapper actually did get a proper send-off, just not when he actually went home. Think back to earlier in the season with the episode "Check-Up": Trapper is diagnosed with an ulcer, and it's believed he can be discharged and sent home for such; everyone throws him a big farewell party in the Officers Club, and even he and Hawkeye share a heartfelt moment with each other in the Swamp as Hawkeye thanks him for being there for him and making the war a little more bearable. Of course, as it turns out, Trapper (and later everyone else) learns you don't get shipped home just for an ulcer, and ends up having to stay in Korea, but even so, from a practical standpoint, it would have been rather redundant for the show to do such an episode all over again for when it turns out he actually did receive his discharge.

I don't know if anyone else could possibly see it this way, but this is just a different perspective to offer.

Maybe it's just me, but I'm getting increasingly annoyed by all of these content creators and influencers on Facebook who have umpteen zillion reels (many of which aren't even worth watching as they just stand there and barely "dance" to a few seconds of a song), and have almost no photos whatsoever - except for obviously a low-res profile pic, a generic desktop wallpaper of a cover photo, and an icon with their initial on it. I mean if I want to watch vids, that's why I go to YouTube, but doesn't it seem like reels have become something of a weed that keeps spreading its spores all over Facebook these days? Again, if all these influences are going to post are reels, why can't they just do this on YouTube instead? Seems like that would be a more logical platform anyway - especially now that Shorts are so popular and get more views than full vids do anymore.

Before anybody jumps in with the tired old, "It's just a TV show; who cares?" comments, I get it . . . it's just a TV show; it's not meant to be perfect or consistent, whatever.

But this quibble of mine isn't from a viewer perspective, but from somebody who actually in film production (albeit as a little indie nobody), and has more of an eye for such details that most others overlook - and I'm just putting this out there for discussion, not to rile anybody up.

Anyway, we know that the show had two camp compound sets: one that was on-location in the mountains above LA which is now known as Malibu Creek State Park, and one that was on a sound stage in 20th Century Fox's studio lot. Fox's expectations for M*A*S*H's longevity were so low, they relagated the show's production to the smallest stage on their lot - so it's understandable that the cramped studio wouldn't allow for the 4077th's indoor set to be an exact replication of their outdoor set in the mountains - I get that. But what stands out to me is just how jarringly different the two sets appear, with the biggest give away being the surrounding scenery. With the indoor set, the surrounding scenery is a painted cyclorama showing spawling green hillsides, with what appears to be a forest of pines and evergreen trees at the foothills - all of which looks nothing like the surrounding mountain peaks of the outdoor set which are shown to be rocky and dirt-covered, with no pines or evergreens in sight.

Again, you're probably thinking, "It's just a TV show, what's the big deal? Who cares?" Okay, fine. But I will say this: you may not know this, but for barely a single season in 1973, M*A*S*H had a sister show called ROLL OUT! that was created and produced by Gene Reynolds & Larry Gelbart (because once M*A*S*H proved itself to be successful, the network wanted to bank on that success by having Reynolds & Gelbart create another military sitcom). Like M*A*S*H, ROLL OUT! had two camp compound sets: one on-location in Malibu Creek State Park, and one on a sound stage at Fox's studio lot. But the main difference here is that the production designers actually made ROLL OUT'S indoor set look almost exactly like it's outdoor set; the cyclorama of the indoor set was painted with such accuracy to the surroundings of the outdoor set, you can barely tell the difference between shots that were filmed indoors and shots filmed outdoors (unless the weather is exceptionally sunny). And FWIW, while HOGAN'S HEROES' indoor set was likewise very cramped with basically just Hogan's barracks and Klink's office standing parallel to each other (with another barracks blocking off the compound), there were certain shots on the indoor set where it was clear the cyclorama was painted to look as much like the surroundings of the outdoor set as possible - right down to the distinctly-shaped trees outside the fence.

On another note, the Kimpo airbase that was seen in "Welcome to Korea" was recycled from ROLL OUT's outdoor set.

In as much as I have an abnormal and absurd affinity for arbitrary alliteration, I do find it just a little broad that almost all of the show's recurring generals from the earlier episodes had such alliterative names: Hamiltion Hammond, Bradley Barker, Crandel Clayton, even Maynard M. Mitchell.

On another note, I always wondered why none of these generals stuck around for the long haul; even HOGAN'S HEROES had General Burkhalter for all six seasons.