"War Co-Respondent" (8x23)

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Big Daddy O'Reilly
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"War Co-Respondent" (8x23)

Post by Big Daddy O'Reilly »

I just sat down and actually watched this episode for the first time... and it really doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me... the story, that is.

I mean, I KNOW Mike Farrell wanted to show that despite the fact that B.J. is a devoted and faithful family man, he too isn't above temptation, and I think that's why this story is at fault, he seemed to try too hard to show this in this story, that the plot itself didn't entirely add up. I mean, first of all, why exactly is Aggie so interested in B.J. to begin with? I didn't quite pick up on that... she said he was quiet, is she interested in men who come off as reclusive and aloof (even Beej appeared, to me, to be just being himself)? Not only that, but she correctly guessed that he was married during their first conversation in the Officer's Club, so why did she continue to pursue him? Did she think she could manipulate him into hooking up with her instead, and either not tell Peggy about it, or he send her a Dear Jane?

Also, was there more going on that didn't happen on screen that we didn't know about? Because up until B.J. confesses to Hawkeye that he does have desires and feelings for Aggie, all the others witness was her trying to sketch him, yet they all began gossiping in the Mess Tent, like they knew something was going on between them.

Again, this episode, as a whole, doesn't make sense... but then again, maybe I'm just tired, and not thinking clearly... it IS 2:00 in the morning, I've kept myself up later than I wanted to working on art and such, and I don't even know why I watched this episode to begin with, I think I'm still coming down from finally being over my gal. I should get some sleep.
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Re: "War Co-Respondent" (8x23)

Post by Chuck »

Big Daddy, there's no way you just saw this for the first time. I would think maybe you've seen it at least 10 times.
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Re: "War Co-Respondent" (8x23)

Post by Big Daddy O'Reilly »

Sorry Chuck, but for the most part, I can't make it through anything from Seasons Eight through Eleven... the darkness, the preachiness, no music score, a dwindling laugh track, no Radar, Klinger's now a regular guy, Hawkeye and B.J. fight too much, Margaret changes her appearance like twice a season... it just ain't the same show.

In fact, I can list off the episodes from these seasons I HAVE sat through and watched:

"Too Many Cooks" (8x01)
"Are You Now, Margaret" (8x02)
"Guerilla My Dreams" (8x03)
"Good-bye, Radar, Part 1" (8x04)
"Good-bye, Radar, Part 2" (8x05)
"Period of Adjustment" (8x06)
"Life Time" (8x11)
"War Co-Respondent" (8x23)
"Father's Day" (9x04)
"No Sweat" (9x11)
"No Laughing Matter" (9x13)
"That's Show Biz, Part 2" (10x02)
"Twas the Day After Christmas" (10x10)
"Follies of the Living - Concerns of the Dead" (10x11)
"Bombshells" (11x06)
"Say No More" (11x12)
"As Time Goes By" (11x15)
"Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen" (11x16)

Those are the only episodes I've seen from the last four seasons, and that's more than enough for me.
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Re: "War Co-Respondent" (8x23)

Post by RJ »

Big Daddy O'Reilly wrote:Margaret changes her appearance like twice a season... it just ain't the same show.
Ha! That actually made me laugh out loud.
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Re: "War Co-Respondent" (8x23)

Post by Chuck »

I know what you mean Big Daddy. I love the show, but I start loving it a little less starting at about season 5. There are a lot of great episodes from 5 on, but there's a cloud hanging over a little more than the last half of the series. I love Alan Alda, but my least favorite episodes are the ones he directed.
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Re: "War Co-Respondent" (8x23)

Post by Big Daddy O'Reilly »

I get what you're saying Chuck; while I do like Five, Six, and Seven myself, I get that same feeling whenever I watch Season Seven, particularly as it progresses (let's say from disc to disc, if you watch from DVD standard): you can sense there's something in the air, but you can't place your finger on it: Seven isn't as funny as the previous six, but it's still nowhere near as dark and depressing as the next four, which is why for years, I've come to regard it as the "transition season".

But I understand what you mean about Five... it seems like almost everybody, fans, and cast and crew alike, feel that Five is the stand alone season of the series, that it has a flavor all its own, different from the first four, and different from the following six. I guess it probably has to do with the creative team behind the show during those eras: Seasons One through Four are when Larry Gelbart and Gene Reynolds were in charge; Five was when Gene went solo; Six through Eleven was when Burt Metcalfe took over the helm, and Alan Alda stepped up to the plate to help shape the show as well. Personally, I used to think of Seasons Four and Five as interchangable seasons, I'm not really sure why... I think because before I really familiarized myself with the series, I used to think they were the same season because they seemed so similar. *Shrug*

But I digress, does "War Co-Respondent" make any sense to you guys? I mean, the entire story as a whole? I mean I get that Aggie O'Shea was drawn to B.J., and B.J., in turn, was drawn to Aggie, but the overall writing just doesn't really make 100% sense.
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Re: "War Co-Respondent" (8x23)

Post by Chuck »

It's almost like BJ forgot that he fell off the fidelity wagon back in Season 5 with "Hanky Panky". Then, he felt guilty and was going to write Peg, but Hawkeye stopped him. Sounds like Hawkeye may have started a trend.
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Re: "War Co-Respondent" (8x23)

Post by Zelmo Zale »

"War Co-Respondent" was written by Mike Farrell in an attempt to give his character the lead story line so he could take a starring turn, for once. He acts all "aw shucks" and humble which was kind of a throwback to season 4 B.J. but doesn't ring true anymore. Farrell wasn't the best writer and this episode is proof. From here on out, the B.J. Character started a slow decline until he becomes almost unwatchable by season 11.

Mike wasn't the first to resort to writing a vanity episode for himself. McLean Stevenson wrote "The Trial of Henry Blake" in season 2 but that was a very good episode and Mac got an Emmy nomination for the script. Did I mention how handsome Henry is in his fishing hat? Oops...wrong forum. Sorry!
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Re: "War Co-Respondent" (8x23)

Post by Obie »

Zelmo: "Did I mention how handsome Henry is in his fishing hat? Oops...wrong forum. Sorry!"

Too funny!! Troll quoting; a new game?
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Re: "War Co-Respondent" (8x23)

Post by Zelmo Zale »

Miss Ginger, we could start a whole thread on the troller - just drool over every male actor from the 1970's. But when she sang the praises of Jack Klugman in tight pants, that was the final straw.

But all this would be for a new thread. This thread is about War Co-Respondent and I don't want to do another Georgia move and hijack a thread.
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Re: "War Co-Respondent" (8x23)

Post by Obie »

Duly chastised. Apology to the board.
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Re: "War Co-Respondent" (8x23)

Post by Big Daddy O'Reilly »

Now that I think of it, there's something else I'm curious about from this episode...

Did that one particular patient who seemed to have a lot of story focus on him (Scotty, I believe his name was) have a crush on Aggie too? He wants Aggie to hold his hand all the time, he seems a little jealous that Aggie seems interested in B.J., while acting like Beej is crazy for not wanting a girl like her, not to mention Hawkeye even jokes that the war brought the two of them together.
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Re: "War Co-Respondent" (8x23)

Post by Serenity427 »

I was actually very curiously drawn to this episode. I mean, other episodes started out fairly innocuous. This just seemed to start the same way for me.

I mean, BJ was the only dude in the place who WASN'T hitting on Aggie. Maybe that's why she was so drawn to him. Or the fact that he wouldn't straight up tell her he was interested. It's not like he forgot he was enticed by Nurse Donovan, but I think this one was more... intense, I guess. It was an incredible attraction between them.

Maybe it was the fact that Aggie was there, blending in with the guys, joking around and holding her own. Maybe it was the fact that Peg was just chillin' back in Mill Valley and doing the whole housewife thing, and here was a woman all up in the middle of war, doing her own thing.

I don't know. I guess I was just intrigued by the fact that BJ is drawn to strong women. Cause, let's face it, which woman in her right mind wouldn't be drawn by BJ? Seriously. :)
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