(07x22) 169 - Rally 'Round the Flagg, Boys

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Big Daddy O'Reilly
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(07x22) 169 - Rally 'Round the Flagg, Boys

Post by Big Daddy O'Reilly »

This turned out to be Flagg's last episode of M*A*S*H: the writers had unofficially retired him after "The Abduction of Margaret Houlihan" (5x07), because they felt he was becoming too broad and over-the-top, especially with the direction of tone the series was taking, so this was essentially his swan song.

So was that arrogant patient who accused Hawkeye of being a communist sympathizer for taking a badly wounded North Korean soldier over his buddy the one who tipped off Flagg, or how did Flagg find out about all of that "comm-symp" business? Charles really shined in this episode, he was more than willing to go along with Flagg in spying on Hawkeye if he got him home to Boston, but when he soon realized what Flagg is really like, he set him up and made him look like a fool with all the same cheekiness like when he and B.J. got Dupree in trouble with Potter to terminate his transfer.

Still, the patient Baskall, or whatever his name is, I really wanted both Hawkeye and B.J. to just deck his lights out; sure, he was upset that Hawkeye took the North Korean over his buddy, but he seriously held the grudge waaay too far, and attacking Hawkeye with his cane was really unnecessary.
edmund0901
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Re: (07x22) 169 - Rally 'Round the Flagg, Boys

Post by edmund0901 »

Baskall did deserve to be decked but Hawkeye had to remind BJ that Baskall was still recovering from his leg wound. Granted Baskall brought it on himself by going way over the top and initiating the confrontation but even BJ stopped himself and apologized, not because he didn't feel Baskall had it coming but because of the aggravation this caused to his still recovering wound. If Baskall had sufficiently recovered form his wound I think Hawkeye and BJ's response would have been more tit for tat.
Ferret Face
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Re: (07x22) 169 - Rally 'Round the Flagg, Boys

Post by Ferret Face »

I'm glad they decided to make this one. Not only was it a very fitting ending for the character IMO, it also did a good job of showing why he'd be out of place on the show now. Not just because of the shift in tone, but because of the changes in characters. These characters are much more about his bullshit, even Charles, who I agree really shined in this episode, since he not only showed he had enough dignity not to deal with someone like Flagg (despite the temptation of going back to Boston), he went one step further and pulled one over on Flagg.
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