Every Monday, I spotlight a random episode of M*A*S*H, providing a brief review and asking readers to offer their thoughts.
“Of Moose and Men” (#83, 4×11)
Originally Broadcast: Friday, November 21st, 1975
Written by Jay Folb
Directed by John Erman
Capsule Summary: Hawkeye operates on an ungrateful colonel, B.J. tries to save Zale’s marriage, and and Frank worries about saboteurs.
“Of Moose and Men” was the third episode produced for Season 4 but it aired as the 11th episode. I suppose bland is a good way to describe it. There’s nothing wrong with the episode, I just don’t find any of the storylines all that interesting.
Because it was an early episode in the season, B.J. and Colonel Potter aren’t well developed. B.J. mentions his wife and marriage a few times while Potter discusses his military service. These are things the writers knew about the characters from the beginning, things that were at the core of the characters. Potter also says he’s one-fourth Cherokee, which I don’t believe was ever brought up again.
The Hawkeye/Colonel Spiker story goes nowhere, which could be the point. We’re introduced to a colonel who takes an instant dislike to Hawkeye and refuses to change his mind even after Hawkeye saves his life. Like Hawkeye, we as viewers have trouble understanding why Spiker can’t even say thank you. It’s clear Hawkeye is stunned by his conversation with Spiker so of course he resorts to humor and sarcasm.
The B.J./Zale story gives B.J. the opportunity to learn a little about life in Korea. He didn’t know what a “moose” was and, after finding out, can’t believe Zale is acting like such a hypocrite. I wonder what B.J. would’ve thought of Colonel Blake or Trapper, two married men who also cheated on their wives and didn’t see anything wrong with it. With Zale, B.J. uses some sarcasm to convince Zale to forgive his wife, but doesn’t act sanctimonious.
Finally, there’s Frank and his paranoia concerning hidden bombs at the 4077th. Not that Frank needs a reason to act crazy, but his obsession more or less comes out of nowhere. True, he and Hawkeye encounter Colonel Spiker and his men inspecting South Korean civilians, but why would that set him off? It’s always funny to see Frank go crazy–too bad he roped Radar into helping and later forced Igor and others help him search for a bomb that turned out to be a kimchi pot.
Despite having several lines, Lois Foraker isn’t credited for her role in this episode. She’s the nurse who tells Hawkeye that Colonel Spiker wants to talk to him. Foraker made three additional credited appearances on M*A*S*H and later had a recurring role on AfterMASH.
Tim O’Connor also guest starred in “Operation Friendship” during Season 9 as Captain Traeger.
Klinger and Father Mulcahy do not appear in this episode.
This was a rather bland episode and one I don’t watch often.
A cousin of mine is part Cherokee, just to point it out.
Hawkeye: The woman is obviously eight months along with a Sherman tank.
I’m part Cherokee too, one-eighth in fact: my great grandfather on my mother’s side was a full-blooded Cherokee. Otherwise, my bloodline is made up mostly of Scotch/Irish.
But this episode is easily one of the worst of the whole series, it does nothing for me, I agree that it’s a bland and boring episode, and I took often skip over it.
The thing that bugs me the most about this episode? Colonel Spiker actually seems like he’s in worse condition in Post-Op for no reason: he sounds like he’s on his deathbed when he speaks, which doesn’t make sense.
Tim O’Connor was a jerk in both episodes he played in…this one and “Operation Friendship”…neither time was his character even remotely likable.
“Don’t you understand, man? You’ve discovered cole slaw!”
Another great one [Potter about Hawkeye] …
“He already is a fine example of an oddball officer. The best.”
Great lines throughout this episode! … And a sad one.
[Radar to B.J., explaining where to find Zale’s moose]
“…down the road by the bend near where we bury the arms and legs.”
This episode contains either an odd piece of editing, a continuity error or a scene that was deleted:
In the start, Hawkeye and Frank (now why would those two go out together?) return in a jeep and encounter the Colonel and his crew inspecting locals. The scene progresses, the Colonel gets splashed with mud, Hawkeye argues etc, then Hawkeye and Burns drive off.
Next scene: BJ in mess tent with Zale.
Next scene: Hawkeye and Burns drive into camp, same jeep, this time carrying the argumentative Colonel, lying badly wounded on the back.
Then the episode progresses …
My question is how did they acquire the heavily wounded Colonel when in the previous scene they had already left him, not wounded?
It just seems out of place, or a missing scene (not cut for syndication, just not there in the first place).
The idea they are in enemy territory is setup very well:
* Frank wanting to take a picture of the sign “DON’T STOP HERE YOU’RE UNDER DIRECT ENEMY VISION!!”
* The checkpoint.
* Hawkeye and Frank retuning from ‘a couple of miles up the road having spent the entire night sewing 80 pieces of anatomy into 40 civilians’.
* Hearing the explosion in the background as B.J. and Zale are talking in the mess tent (B.J. saying “Sounds like the truce talks are going well.”).
The attack comes shortly after Hawkeye and Frank left the checkpoint, they stop to take care of the wounded.
We don’t see the stop, we just know they did.
… but I do wonder if in an earlier draft there was a bridging scene that was perhaps cut out for timing reasons? After all, the episode would have worked equally well if the attack happened whilst H and Burns were at the road block, the episode story did not require them to drive off first and it would have made it clearer how they would have been involved.
It would have been nice to see a scene involving Frank Burns being under fire and away from the camp, how the character would have reacted.