M*A*S*H: The Party

M*A*S*H: The Party
CBS
March 12, 1979
Dramedy
DVD
B

This is a more upbeat season-closer than usual, although still with a melancholy undertone.  BJ is depressed and worried about a patient, so as a distraction he plans a party for the relatives of the main staff of eight.  (Sorry, Roy Goldman's grandmother et al.)  At first, the others think their parents and siblings won't come (well, Sherman knows Mildred will love the idea), but they end up writing anyway, at Hawkeye's urging.  Then they have to coordinate schedules, which takes a long time in itself.

(Note that this would have to be set in 1953 for Valentine's Day to fall on a weekend, but March 15th wouldn't be a Monday until 1954.  Then again, this show is clearly set in some bizarre parallel universe anyway.  For one thing, Potter's grandson is now five.)

One reason why this episode works is that by this point we know all the relatives from the stories, from Radar's Uncle Ed to Father Mulcahy's saxophone-playing nun sister.  It's easy to picture them, especially when Radar reads aloud Peg's letter in the OR.  There are sweet, even moving moments, like finding out that Klinger's mother knows he's no longer in Fort Dix.  The pacing could be a little better, and maybe I'd like to at least see a snapshot of the group gathered at the party, so this isn't a B+ or higher, but definitely a nice note to close the season on.

Kellye Nakahara returns as Yamato and gets kissed by BJ when she tells him good news about the party.  Metcalfe not only directed and co-wrote this episode with Alda, but he plays the driver of BJ's jeep.

The season overall averages to a B-, with a narrow range of C+ to B.  The show is on a fairly even keel by this point, getting a bit "preachier" but still not making drastic changes.  I doubt any of them expected to go yet another four years, and I'm guessing that Season Eight will be a continuation of Phase Three.