(04x01) 073 - Welcome to Korea, Part 1

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Big Daddy O'Reilly
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(04x01) 073 - Welcome to Korea, Part 1

Post by Big Daddy O'Reilly »

Who saw this coming? We knew that Henry was sent home, but Trapper's departure was certainly a surprise. So, what was your reaction to B.J. first arriving in Korea? It was a little hard to tell at first. He came off as a sharp, clean-cut young man, and we were already treated to his backstory of being drafted and shipped out.

It took me a while, initially, to get used to B.J., but I think I was still shell shocked over Henry's death, and blindsided by Trapper's departure as well that it seemed to like too much change too sudden too soon, but I later came to like B.J. better than Trapper (and I know I'm in a minority there).
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RJ
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Re: (04x01) 073 - Welcome to Korea, Part 1

Post by RJ »

In April 2015, visitors to MASH4077TV.com voted "Welcome to Korea" (both parts collectively) their favorite episode from Season 4. Do you agree or disagree?

See the full results here.
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Captain Tuttle
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Re: (04x01) 073 - Welcome to Korea, Part 1

Post by Captain Tuttle »

Welcome to Korea(both parts 1 & 2) is in my top 5 favorite M*A*S*H episodes. I missed Trapper but I feel BJ's introduction is among the best introductions of a new character ever. BJ is thrown right into things and it's done so well. He first comes off as clean cut and a bit serious yet he quickly goes along with the 'Corporal Captain' gag showing he fits right in. This episode is an adventure story, which helps BJ bond with Hawkeye along the way. By the next episode I accepted Hawkeye and BJ as good friends.
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Re: (04x01) 073 - Welcome to Korea, Part 1

Post by Big Daddy O'Reilly »

You get a sense that Hawkeye and B.J. became fast friends, even at the end of this episode, as we watch them walk off to the showers together, chit-chatting along the way as any couple of buddies might do.

I can't imagine Frank trying to warp B.J. into his own image would have worked in Ferret Face's favor anyway: Beej is too easy-going by nature to let Frank turn him into a straight-laced, hard-nosed type of soldier.
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Re: (04x01) 073 - Welcome to Korea, Part 1

Post by Moe_Hawk »

One thing that gets overlooked in this episode is the surprisingly graceful way the show writers manage the exit of Trapper John. Unlike Henry that was a bit more planned, I feel like the writers were put into a bit of a position where all of a sudden Wayne Rogers is gone, and it's something that they have to adapt to rather than something they planned for.

It's a crafty bit of writing I think.

You have Hawkeye arrive back at camp having gone off the grid in Seoul (or wherever), coming back via a wagon and a horse
Radar's goodbye kiss
The realisation that Trapper had only just left and that he could still say goodbye
Hawkeyes great line to Frank - "he was very important to you to Frank, for over a year he kept me from killing you'"
Their race to the airport
And the disappointment (even though in hindsight we all knew it could only be this way) that he missed Trapper by 10 minutes

All things considered, this whole farewell thing was done pretty much as gracefully as possible without the actual goodbye occurring and minus one Wayne Rogers.

In the ideal MASH series that exists in my head, this would be a three part episode, the first one titled Goodbye Korea and it would be the first and only Alan Alda free episode where Trapper deals with the realisation he's going home, desperately tries to contact Hawkeye, and then has a sad farewell. Throw in 2-3 episodes at the start of Season 4 of MASH having just the three surgeons and Frank being in charge as a build up... and it's perfect. That being, they did well with what they had.

The episode itself... you could be forgiven for remembering part 1 as a bit of a nothing episode focusing on the chase, but it really is rather good. In addition to what I've already mentioned, you have the stuff with the MPs, Burn's and Houlihan's reign of terror, the chase, the bit with Klinger at the start... "it's spring sir". Frank as usual hits all the comedic high points. It really is an above average episode
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