Loading ...
Episode Spotlight: “The Tooth Shall Set You Free”
Posted Tuesday, January 22nd, 2013 at 9:00 am | Episode Spotlight | 4 Comments
Every Monday, I spotlight a random episode of M*A*S*H, providing a brief review and asking readers to offer their thoughts.
“The Tooth Shall Set You Free” (#228, 10×14)
Originally Broadcast: Monday, February 8th, 1982
Written by: David Pollock & Elias Davis
Directed by: Charles S. Dubin
Capsule Summary: Charles turns out to be afraid of going to the dentist, even if it means attempting to deal with a painful toothache on his own. Meanwhile, after noticing a disproportionate number of black casualties from a combat engineers unit, the doctors begin to suspect the unit’s commanding officer is prejudiced and plot to uncover the truth.
Last week’s spotlight featured an episode that involved an over-the-top ideologue bent on exposing Communists. Today’s episode, “The Tooth Shall Set You Free,” involves a more subdued villain. At first glance, Major Weems appears to be a caring commanding officer, worried about his men and trying to get them back stateside as soon as possible. But Hawkeye soon catches Weems in a lie, does some investigating with B.J. and discovers that Weems is harboring a prejudice against black soldiers. And those soldiers are paying the price: they’re being wounded far more often than white soldiers.
It had been a long, long time since I last watched this episode and I had forgotten everything about it. So I was able to watch it as if I was seeing it for the first time. As the truth about Weems unraveled, it was all as new to me as if I had never seen the episode before. I am not sure how much repeat value the episode would have, though, given that it relied so heavily on a big twist. The plot by Potter, Hawkeye and B.J. to bring out the racist in Weems was very well done, although I am not sure how realistic it is that Weems would agree to resign so readily after being threatened with a court-martial. Had the plan backfired, would Captain Rockingham, DDS have been in hot water for impersonating a major?
The B story involving Charles and his toothache worked well because it involved Charles. The best scene in the episode was Potter trying to get Charles to eat ice cream to force him to admit his tooth is still giving him a lot of pain. This was not the first episode to show how far Charles and his ego would go to maintain face but it was still funny. And it tied together well at the end with the A story.
Tags: The Tooth Shall Set You Free
A Classic! One of my favorite episodes. I love to see Charles in this scene to try and keep his composure!! The last line Hawkeye has in the tent after Major Rheems is snuffed out is classic…….
Also the closing scene where Charles bites the dentist is classic!!
I literally only just realized right now that I posted this on a Tuesday and not a Monday. I swear when I was writing it last night I thought it was Sunday.
Happy Martin Luther King Day – you must have been off work!
Since this is a sit-com-dram we can give leeway that he WOULD have given way to the court martial, just as we must give way to Potter insisting that Charles eat the ice cream when he said he was allergic to strawberries – Potter says there is plenty of calamine – however a true food allergy can result in anaphylactic (sp?) shock and is deadly – Potter would have known this I’m sure.
I do like the devious and clever side we see of Potter – as he scams not only Weems, but also Charles. We see this side again in “April Fools” and also when he scams Klinger by giving him the oath of the President, instead of the re-enlistment oath in “Your Retention Please”. LOL