(04x07) 079 - The Bus

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RJ
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(04x07) 079 - The Bus

Post by RJ »

Use this thread to discuss episode 04x07: The Bus.
Moe_Hawk
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Re: (04x07) 079 - The Bus

Post by Moe_Hawk »

This is a strange little episode that not only veers away from the usual MASH structure of diverging into multiple plot points but in doing so, it also stops short of identifying a clear purpose or major story line.

A usual MASH episode has a clear purpose. It either tells an interesting and often moralistic story, challenges and develops its main characters, or focuses making the audience laugh. The Bus does a little bit of all of these, but stops short of selling one particular area. The end result: you have a reasonably interesting story that helps develop the characters a little, and is kind of funny. Perhaps a jack of all trades master of none type deal but in saying that, there are no real weak areas of the story/episode. What's on the screen whilst maybe not compelling holds your interest, and is fun.

The episode zeroes in on Hawkeye, BJ, Potter, Frank and Radar as they're are on a bus on their way back to the 4077th from a medical conference. On route they first become lost and then the bus breaks down one they decide to back track. Next, the resolve of each of the characters when in crisis before we get to see a bit of bonding and character development... and the story and what's worth reviewing really is the character arcs.

The seasoned army veteran Colon Potter is cool, calm and collected. He provides strong leadership for the group, is refreshingly candid and calls it like it is. At this stage of the series his the type of relationship he's going to have with the stars of the show, his likeability, and his leadership, and most of all his role, whilst hinted at are not entirely transparent. He seems like a nice man with a good head on his shoulders but unlike BJ who clearly falls into the same role that Trapper filled, the type of CO he is going to become i.e. army douche, distant leader, angry old man etc is not entirely clear.
This episode takes further steps in the right direction. Potter doesn't assume blame, he shows genuine concern without panicking, he reigns in Hawkeye who is surprisingly bold and reckless wanting to go forward into the wilderness and look for Radar at night, and pacifies Frank who panics and becomes a little unhinged. His story about Coylette the nurse is quite fun and humanising, but his best line of the night is delivered to Hawkeye when he wants to go out looking for Radar – and I paraphrase “we're not going out to look for Radar until first light. It's unacceptable procedure and just damn stupid. I won't have it”. Army and common sense. The picture is being painted.

The other new kid on the block BJ assumes a bit of new identity here as the groups resident cheerleader. Whilst it's very clear to this point that he and Hawkeye are going to be/have become good friends, this is where you see him first size up a situation, correctly read the anxiety in the air and respond by trying to lift morale by bringing everyone together and try to get them all to know each other better. It sums up BJ's character at this point... he's nice.
That being said, I really don't like his interaction with the North Korean soldier – this may be a personal thing but whilst Frank is too dramatic and over the top, BJ is just a little too casual for mine – it seems weird that he actively undermines and gestures Frank in front of the prisoner... granted the man is no threat but to highlight to him that one of your guys is unhinged... not cool.

Hawkeye proves to be a little harder to read. One does get the impression that he is still very much testing Potter, his leadership, how far he can push him etc The end result, Potter out thinks him at every turn and demonstrates that he has a cooler temperament under pressure. It seems that this is perhaps the first episode that begins to demonstrate that the relationship between Potter and Pierce is akin to that of father son and that the likely outcome will be that when all of this is over, Potter will mould him into a better person.

Unfortunately Radar is one character that fails to shine here as his presence in the episode offers very little other than moving forward the story a bit. Here begins his regression towards a younger, more immature/emotional kid then what he has been, and his decision to go off searching for directions or the enemy or whatever in the middle of the night is kind of silly and deserving of a greater spray than what he got. I think it would have been better I stayed on the bus and participated in story time though I guess that may have gotten boring

Frank is utterly hilarious. Unfortunately seeds are planted here that Frank will not grow or be further humanised for the remainder of his tenure at the 4077th and that his role will clearly be that of antagonist/punchline. And whilst that is said and generally out of place with the direction the show will eventually lead, Larry Linville can achieve utter hilarity with a mere raising of voice and changing of tone. I mean where do the laughs stop? “All allied personal I have begun to take to take prisoners”, “there are 5 stars in the sky, I am under the brightest one”, “take the point corporal, you present less of a target”, and of course my personal favourite “sir I can hear the enemies secrets, Uncle Sam has never lost a war, we never have and never will, so put that in your opium pipe and smoke it”. Cracks me up every time. :frank:

One of the funniest lines of all time and even though it might not be the most significant performance of the series it's certainly one of the funniest and it earns Frank the title of MVP for the episode... and it also raises the bar for me and makes this an above average instalment during this period of transition.
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Big Daddy O'Reilly
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Re: (04x07) 079 - The Bus

Post by Big Daddy O'Reilly »

That certainly has to be one of the most intelligent and insightful episode reviews I've ever read - I mean, you really dissected this episode and shed light on not only the overall story itself, but also each of the characters, their psyche, and their interaction with one another within the situation.

I agree that this is a rather strange episode, but that's what makes it unique. I think it's clear that after losing Mac Stevenson and then losing Wayne Rogers, the cast and crew had to do what they could to keep M*A*S*H from going under (and personally, I think they did the right thing by bringing in new characters entirely as opposed to trying to recast the parts of Henry and Trapper - didn't really work for Darrin on BEWITCHED). Season Four of M*A*S*H seems to have been a rather "experimental" season, to say the least: not only do we have an episode like this, but look at some of the other "strange" and unusual episodes from the season: we've also got "Quo Vadis, Captain Chandler?" in which a casualty recovering at the 4077th is convinced he's Jesus Christ, there's "Hawkeye" which is otherwise known as "The One Where Hawkeye Won't Shut Up" (which Larry Gelbart admits was an experiment to see if one character could carry the show by himself), and of course "The Interview" which was a documentary episode and mostly ad-libbed at that.

If I may, I'd also like to add some really good lines and exchanges from this episode:
POTTER: Anybody got a compass?
B.J.: I've got a neat one. In San Francisco.

RADAR: Colonel? We may not be lost... I think I remember that tree...
B.J.: Radar, that tree has the same face as every other tree.

RADAR: Listen, could you guys get back to me, I've gotta go to the Latrine.
B.J.: Take a hammer and nails and build one.

B.J.: Steady guys, I think it's agreed we all like [Radar].
POTTER: Except for whomever wrote me anonymously that he was selling tickets to the hole in the nurses' shower.
FRANK: Well it wasn't me!
POTTER: Why would I think it was you?
FRANK: Because I know that's just the sort of thing people would think I'd do.
POTTER: Then why did you do it?
FRANK: Because I felt it was my duty.
POTTER: I thought you said you didn't do it.
FRANK: (Beat) I thought I did too...

FRANK: I wish I was home.
B.J.: I wish you was home too, Frank.

POTTER: So, in the dead of night, you decided to go off, half-cocked, and look for help?
RADAR: Well, sir, I figured since I broke the bus and got us lost and all that I didn't need to "have cocked" permission.

This episode is also a great example of just how engrossing the show really is; despite being a laugh track nerd, I actually didn't even realize that this episode didn't have one until somebody pointed it... in spite of the fact that there a number of great comedy lines and moments in this episode, the absence of the laugh track still doesn't disrupt it either way.
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