"M*A*S*H" Mail Call, Again (1975)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

George Tyne

Writers:

James Fritzell (writer)
Everett Greenbaum (writer)

TV Series:

"M*A*S*H" (1972)

Original Air Date:

8 December 1975 (Season 4, Episode 14)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | War

Plot:

Colonel Potter finds out that he's about to become a grandfather, and Major Burns learns that his wife knows about his affair with Margaret--and wants a divorce. |

Plot Keywords:

Nurse | Colonel | Doctor | Korean War | Captain

Cast

Alan Alda	...	Captain Benjamin Franklin Pierce
Mike Farrell	...	Captain B.J. Hunnicut
Harry Morgan	...	Colonel Sherman T. Potter
Loretta Swit	...	Major Margaret Houlihan
Larry Linville	...	Major Franklin Marion Burns
Gary Burghoff	...	Corporal Walter Eugene O'Reilly
Jamie Farr	...	Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger
William Christopher	...	Father Francis Mulcahy

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Trivia:

Gary Burghoff played his character's own mother.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): At first, Potter's grandchild is a girl named Sheryl, and later a boy named Cory.

A Solid 8 Rating!!

The opening clip of "Mail Call, Again" had Colonel Potter preparing himself to shave in his tent. Corporal O'Reilly entered the tent and delivered the mail. He handed him a letter; and he found out that Jeanee Potter would have a baby in their family. Colonel Potter was all excited about the pleasant news. Both of them would plan a pool to determine -- for one dollar -- the weight, date, birth, and sex of the baby. Major Houlihan would reluctantly agree to participate in the pool -- despite her disapproval to gambling -- after it was known Colonel Potter was formatting this event.

Corporal O'Reilly would enter "The Swamp" to deliver the mail. Corporal O'Reilly had a letter opened by accident. He told Captains Pierce and Hunnicutt about Major Burns's divorce from his wife -- Louise -- discreetly. Major Burns would -- as predicted -- scold Corporal O'Reilly for being nosy about the letter he looked inside "The Swamp." He read his letter about his situation in Fort Wayne, Indiana -- obviously in frustration ... with the result in ripping his pillow into shreds.

Colonel Potter had Corporal O'Reilly place the call to Ohio in preparation to find out about the baby. In contrast, Major Burns acted snotty at Corporal O'Reilly for not placing the call to Indiana. Colonel Potter told him to stop shooting off his mouth at camp ... or he would face problems for his misconduct. Only then did Colonel Potter realized that Major Burns's wife wanted a divorce. Towards the end, he asked Colonel Potter if he could his own phone to contact his wife in Indiana. He reluctantly agreed to the situation. After the call, Major Houlihan found out that she did not appreciate the comments he made to her about being a "War Horse" or an "Army Mule." He would be whacked without warning if he did not remove his hand off her arm.

The finishing touch to the episode would be a movie of Corporal O'Reilly's Family in Colonel Potter's Office. Captains Pierce and Hunnicutt saw the glimpses of milk and chocolate cake in the film. The film also had his mother, his relatives, his dog, and his clergy master recognizing him in the movie. His mother said -- in silent tone -- goodbye to his son. In the end, Father Mulcahy won the betting pool. The baby was actually a girl in the Potter Family. The end grade: A High "C+" !! A quality episode recommended for viewing from the 1975-1976 Television Season. An 8.6!!