(01x03) 003 - Requiem for a Lightweight

Talk about individual episodes here. Every episode has its own discussion thread and there are also threads for each season.
Post Reply

Rate This Episode

Best of the best
1
17%
Above average
4
67%
Average
1
17%
Below average
0
No votes
Worst of the worst
0
No votes
 
Total votes: 6

User avatar
RJ
General of the Army
Posts: 423
Joined: Sat May 14, 2011 7:26 pm
Contact:

(01x03) 003 - Requiem for a Lightweight

Post by RJ »

Use this thread to discuss episode 01x03, Requiem for a Lightweight.
User avatar
Big Daddy O'Reilly
Colonel
Posts: 543
Joined: Mon May 23, 2011 10:57 am
Location: The Swamp
Contact:

Re: (01x03) 003 -- Requiem for a Lightweight

Post by Big Daddy O'Reilly »

TV shows, especially back in those days, had a habit of doing a boxing episode (TV Tropes even has a page about that): Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, Hogan's Heroes, among others, all did a boxing episode... "Requiem for a Lightweight" kind of displays typical sitcom fare that the network wanted, and while it doesn't really stand out among other boxing episodes of classic television, there IS a twist here: the fight wasn't arranged as a means of getting back at some one, or trying to prove any thing, but rather, it was a gimmick arranged by Henry to get General Barker off his back about an inter-unit boxing tournament, in exchange for bringing back Nurse Cutler.

It's still an enjoyable episode nonetheless, and one of the few where Trapper got some of the spotlight for a change.
User avatar
Grove17
Sergeant
Posts: 67
Joined: Wed Jan 09, 2013 7:35 pm
Location: Selinsgrove, PA

Re: (01x03) 003 -- Requiem for a Lightweight

Post by Grove17 »

I want to know how they got a fighting ring so fast. Hawkeye cant even get a new boot ordered but they mention a fight and poof there's a professional boxing ring.
Best Care Anywhere
User avatar
Big Daddy O'Reilly
Colonel
Posts: 543
Joined: Mon May 23, 2011 10:57 am
Location: The Swamp
Contact:

Re: (01x03) 003 -- Requiem for a Lightweight

Post by Big Daddy O'Reilly »

Probably the same way they were able to get a professional boxing ring installed so quickly in a similar episode of HOGAN'S HEROES. :p
Ferret Face
First Lieutenant
Posts: 101
Joined: Tue Jul 11, 2017 3:11 pm

Re: (01x03) 003 - Requiem for a Lightweight

Post by Ferret Face »

Another sit-com like story, as BDOR pointed out. I'm not a big fan of the boxing type of story in sit-coms (outside of maybe Taxi, since it was built into Tony's character), but they can still be fairly entertaining if done right. And I think this one's pretty good. Maybe one of the better ones for Trapper's character from a comedic perspective. I really like the training scenes, especially the glass stomach scene, and "I thought you were Frank's bag." And Radar's and Trapper's reactions to Trapper's opponent were great, such as Radar's impression of his face and "Hawkeye, this guy knocks out jeeps!"

I will say that I'm a bit iffy about the set-up for this episode, with Margaret wanting to transfer Nurse Cutler out because of Hawkeye and Trapper. I mean, I can see why she wouldn't be thrilled about it, but I do think it's going too far to transfer a good nurse out because of it. Especially considering how much of a womanizer they both were. If she was transferred out, they'd just turn their attention to another nurse.
Mr Kwong
Corporal
Posts: 49
Joined: Mon Jul 30, 2018 2:48 pm

Re: (01x03) 003 - Requiem for a Lightweight

Post by Mr Kwong »

For me, M*A*S*H was wildly uneven during season one, it had a "Hogan's heroes redux" feel to it at times, Even some of Hawkeye's lines sound like Hogans.
"Requiem"is one of those episodes, From Hawkeye conning Trapper into the ring, to Ugly John's instructions on ether, to Trapper's opponent falling on Frank & hot lips, it had a 'late 60's sitcom" feel that pales in comparison to later episodes
User avatar
Big Daddy O'Reilly
Colonel
Posts: 543
Joined: Mon May 23, 2011 10:57 am
Location: The Swamp
Contact:

Re: (01x03) 003 - Requiem for a Lightweight

Post by Big Daddy O'Reilly »

Makes sense, when you consider a lot of the production crew from HOGAN'S HEROES transitioned to M*A*S*H in the beginning, including writer Laurence Marks, who did actually recycle some Hogan dialogue for Hawkeye. One specific example I can give you is from the HH episode "One Army at a Time," where Carter threatens to "quit the war," to which Hogan remarks, "Who's gonna break the news to Roosevelt and Churchill?" Later in the M*A*S*H episode "The Moose," Hawkeye threatens to quit the war as well, to which Henry remarks, "Who's gonna break the news to Truman and MacArthur?"
Post Reply