M*A*S*H: Edwina

M*A*S*H: Edwina
CBS
December 24, 1972
Dramedy
DVD
B-

Hal Dresner's second of two scripts, and the first of two directed by James Sheldon, who'd done some That Girl and Gidget Grows Up, this starts out seeming like a typically sexist first season episode, but the episode and Hawkeye both redeem themselves on the date with the title character, played by adorkable Arlene Golonka.  Note that Burns doesn't disqualify himself from drawing straws for the date on the basis of being married.

Linda Meiklejohn again plays Scorch and is still involved with Blake.

That Girl: The Hi-Jack and the Mighty

That Girl: The Hi-Jack and the Mighty
ABC
October 3, 1968
Sitcom
DVD
B-

The Ruth Brooks Flippen script is an improvement, with an intriguing concept, as Ann has a chance to play stewardess "on the air and in the air."  Unfortunately, there's too much going on and the focus keeps shifting, with subplots brought up and then abandoned, like Ann and Donald planning to spend time together in Miami, despite Lew's disapproval, and the real stewardess, Terry (Arlene Golonka), being romantically interested in Donald.  The "hi-jack" of the title is relatively timely, as are the references to Castro's Cuba.  I do like how the rumors spread on board, and the passengers are funny.

Leon Colker makes his second of four TG appearances, this time as Hoffman, while Arthur Julian makes his third of four, as Binswanger.  And this time Jane Dulo is Mrs. Stevenson.

That Girl: Old Man's Darling

That Girl: Old Man's Darling
ABC
April 25, 1968
Sitcom
DVD
C+

This Richard Baer script doesn't work, although it is in a way the culmination of Season Two's trend towards people thinking that Ann is having sex with various men.  This time the fourth/seventh/eighth/tenth richest man in America keeps giving her expensive gifts.  Her former press agent, Eddy Edwards, sees this as an opportunity to get a play backed.  Lew and Donald try not to jump to conclusions.  And Ann is incredibly naive about the situation.

Arlene Golonka had played Jerry's bride Margie (later changed to Ruthie and a different actress for some reason), while she's Bonita Lesalle here.  Joe Besser plays a Messenger here and would later be a Foreman.

The season averages out to a high B-.  There are some pretty good, good, and very good episodes, and one pretty bad one.

That Girl: Rain, Snow and Rice

That Girl: Rain, Snow and Rice

ABC

February 2, 1967

Sitcom

DVD

B

While so far Ann and Donald's courtship has been loving and affectionate but far from hot and heavy, here they find themselves in a situation fraught with ABC Censor-Induced Sexual Tension (hereafter referred to as ABCCIST).  This is not limited to ABC of course, and there are exceptions at ABC (notably with Bernie Kopell's The Love Boat), and I'm aware that some of this tension comes from the societal shift, with even "nice girls" like Ann facing the sexual revolution.  But the way it plays out is visible, for instance, a decade later on Three's Company and even more so two decades later on Who's the Boss?  Because this is early on, and That Girl is a genteel show, it doesn't get too farcical, or steamy here, but when Donald and Ann share a bedroom so that their friends (Kopell as Jerry, with Arlene Golonka now in the role of Margie) can be alone on their wedding night, there is definitely more tension than usual for our leading couple.  They resolve it while staying in character, playing gin rummy and then having Donald sleep on the tiny couch.  There is humor, too, of course, whether J. Pat O'Malley as Judge Hardy calmly talking about his divorce, or Lew jumping to conclusions, not to mention Don in the "whoopie pajamas" he borrows from Jerry.  I almost went with a B+, but I didn't think the episode quite crossed over into near-classic.  And much of my interest in it is meta.  Definitely an improvement over James L. Brooks's Christmas script in any case.

James O'Rear was a Bailiff on an earlier TG and is the Clerk here.