SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 25 Min.
First televised on CBS on October 16, 1977, Burt Metcalfe directs this early spotlight on the 4077th’s pompous new malcontent: Major Charles Emerson Winchester. Dreading his life at the 4077th, Winchester records a bleak audio letter to his parents back home in Boston. In addition to his personal assessments of his campmates, above all he pleads with his well-connected father to do whatever it takes to get him shipped out of Korea. A subplot has Klinger pushing a newfound fainting ailment as his latest discharge ploy. Meanwhile, Hawkeye’s desire for a romantic Tokyo weekend getaway with a newly ‘un-engaged’ nurse on a busy Friday is repeatedly thwarted.
Capt. “Hawkeye” Pierce: Alan Alda
Capt. BJ Honeycutt: Mike Farrell
Col. Sherman Potter: Harry Morgan
Cpl. “Radar” O’Reilly: Gary Burghoff
Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan: Loretta Swit
Major Charles Winchester: David Ogden Stiers
(Lt.) Father Francis Mulcahy: William Christopher
Cpl. Maxwell Klinger: Jamie Farr
McLeod: Thomas Carter
Camp Laundress: Kimiko Hiroshige
REVIEW:
Aside from a LOL prank from BJ & Hawkeye, “The Winchester Tapes” is Frasier-style showcase for observing David Ogden Stiers’ Winchester at his self-serving best. This episode is a prime example of how MASH was gradually re-inventing itself as a comedy-drama in the post-Frank Burns era. Viewers will observe the propensity for raunchy sitcom gags was moving towards far more low-key material.
Winchester’s fuming for a transfer while sitting posed for a painted portrait by Col. Potter is an absolute gem. His post-op scene with Margaret pales to the absurdly funny chemistry she shared with Frank Burns, but there’s still enough magic to make it worth watching. The other cast members offer their usual contributions, but the last gag prior to the closing credits definitely makes for some must-see Winchester.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 7½ Stars
IMAGE NOT AVAILABLE
