A mostly straight comedy episode, with some great OR sequence at the beginning. Bruce Bilson does a fine job directing the episode, particularly since it goes through so many phases (Hawkeye planning to fake crazy, Hawkeye faking crazy, and Hawkeye trying to get out of faking crazy so well). The best moments, though, are still the first ones, when Hawkeye and Trapper start losing it over two or three straight days of surgery.
Styler’s script is a heck of a lot better than his first (1×2 “To Market, To Market”)–even as straight comedy, he does work in some excellent moments. Though Radar being used as Hawkeye’s tool in a scheme comes off–an episode or two since the last time he did it–as a little rehashed. And Henry thinking he deserves R&R over his two best surgeons seems way out of character (particularly when he’s so desperate to keep Hawkeye later).
The show’s obviously still finding its legs–though Stuart Margolin is a lot of fun as the Hot Lips-obsessed psychatrist. I like how “M*A*S*H” episodes–so far… is it a Larry Gelbart directive?–are split evenly down the center, two acts instead of three, no subplots. Interesting stuff, narratively speaking. Different.
When I saw Styler’s name at the open, I got worried, but instead was pleasantly surprised.
3
1 response so far ↓
1 Marionette // Mar 22, 2008 at 7:05 am
Hawkeye and co. come off a bit ruthless here. In order to get Hawk out of trouble entirely of his own making, they set up the poor psychiatrist who is entirely innocent.
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