SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 25 Min.
First televised on CBS on February 2, 1974, the episode is directed by Hy Averback. It’s quiet … almost too quiet for the 4077th, after several days in a row of non-stop boredom. Trapper & Hawkeye resort to some ‘monkey business,’ just for fun. Consulting Father Mulcahy, Klinger test-runs his latest Section Eight ploy. Left with little alternative, Frank approaches Hawkeye & Trapper to operate on his aching hernia. Egged on by the guys in his assembled command, Henry dubiously presents one of his required monthly lectures. Playtime is abruptly over once a huge wave of casualties roll in.
Capt. “Hawkeye” Pierce: Alan Alda
Capt. “Trapper John” McIntyre: Wayne Rogers
Lt. Col. Henry Blake: McLean Stevenson
Cpl. “Radar” O’Reilly: Gary Burghoff
Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan: Loretta Swit
Major Frank Burns: Larry Linville
(Lt.) Father Francis Mulcahy: William Christopher
Cpl. Maxwell Klinger: Jamie Farr
Lt. Able/RN: Kellye Nakahara
Lt. Baker/RN: Patricia Stevens
Lt. Murphy/RN: Bobbie Mitchell
REVIEW:
For an episode with so little actual plot, this one is impressive. Including a witty dialogue exchange between Hawkeye and a delirious Frank, what’s remarkable about “As You Were” is how the cast consistently scores laughs. Whether it’s doctors goofing off in gorilla suits or Frank literally feeling ‘boxed in,’ this odds-and-ends episode is an underrated minor gem. Best of all is McLean Stevenson scoring its biggest chuckles amidst a flustered Col. Blake’s pre-marital sex lecture. A near-identical lecture gag appears in Season 1’s “Dear Dad,” but this one is just as good, if not better. For some worthwhile MASH laughs. “As You Were” is a fun half-hour getaway.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 8 Stars
