M*A*S*H: Dear Dad, Again

M*A*S*H: Dear Dad, Again
CBS
February 4, 1973
Dramedy
DVD
B-

Larry Gelbart co-wrote this episode with M*A*S*H newbie Sheldon Keller.  As the title suggests, Hawkeye is writing to his father again, although somehow he knows about things that happen even when he's not there.  (Is he omniscient?  Or do people tell him things?  Or is he spying other places than the nurses' shower tent?)  My favorite part is the talent show sequence, with Margaret singing loud and the others looking bored.  There's a sequence where Hawkeye is naked that uses props creatively in the way that the Austin Powers movies later would.  It would probably have more shock power, onscreen and to the home audience, if most of the camp hadn't presumably seen him naked at this point.  (The men in the showers and some of the women on dates.)  We find out that he has a sister and Frank has a brother.  And Klinger claims he's entitled to wear a white wedding dress since he's a virgin.

Gail Bowman makes her first of two appearances as Nurse Powell.  Odessa Cleveland (Bayliss) returns and is straight woman for Hawkeye's "snoo" joke.