(05x07) 104 – The Abduction of Margaret Houlihan

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Moe_Hawk
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Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2014 10:14 pm

(05x07) 104 – The Abduction of Margaret Houlihan

Post by Moe_Hawk »

This is something of a guilty pleasure episode for me. It goes for funny and credit where credit is due, it is very funny but overall the episode lacks substance and is very on the nose.

I think the problem with this episode is that a) there is no serious storyline to balance the laughs, or add drama / suspense etc b) all the side stories essentially focus on Margaret’s ‘abduction’ too. Because we know from the start that Margaret is okay, everything that goes on in the wake of her having gone missing is rather pointless and is made up of shallow laughs.

Perhaps the episode would have worked better if instead of Klinger witnessing the Korean girl come get Margaret, that sequence happened after Klinger left. That way the line between Frank’s concern and paranoia gets blurred, and the schtick between the 3 surgeons in the swamp leading up to BJ getting shot… well at some point it has to get serious as Margaret is still missing.

And that would make Colon Flagg’s appearance all the bit more serious, and his antics all the bit more crazy.

That way everything else that happens… Potter and Radar do the baby class, Frank’s growing concern, Flagg’s increasingly bizarre antics… they would all have this, yeah but what’s happened to Margaret question in the background.

The MVP for this episode actually leads us to our next problem… realistically who can be MVP? It’s a nothing episode for Potter, BJ, Klinger, and Margaret herself… Pierce and Frank are their for comedic value only and whilst they’re funny, neither steal the show.
The trophy has to go to Colon Flagg who does a good job continuing with the wackiness without letting it get old and boring as the schtick has a high potential for just that.

He is really funny.
Coming as the Italian soldier
The story about he can’t get drunk
Getting Pierce and Hunnicutt confused
Accusing Frank
His banter with Frank in general
The stuff with Radar, the Scorpions, the rats + snakes
And of course the wind

All in all, this episodes ok.
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