Ep 9. Dear Dad... Three
- TVPG
- November 10, 1973
- 26 min
-
8.1 (592)
Dear Dad... Three is the ninth episode of the second season of the popular television series M*A*S*H. The show is based on the novel by Richard Hooker and the subsequent film directed by Robert Altman. The show follows the various personnel and patients of the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) during the Korean War.
In this episode, the MASH receives a visit from a group of soldiers who are being sent home due to their injuries. One of these soldiers is named Private Weston, who has been shot in the head and is now completely blind. The doctors at the MASH try to get Weston used to his new situation, but he is frustrated and angry about his blindness and his return home.
Meanwhile, Hawkeye receives a letter from his father, who is a doctor back home in Maine. His father tells him that he has been suspended from his job for refusing to sign a loyalty oath. The loyalty oath was required by the state of Maine during the Red Scare of the 1950s and was seen as an attempt to root out Communists. Hawkeye is disgusted by this and tells his father that he should fight the suspension.
As the day wears on, Weston becomes more agitated and eventually tries to shoot himself. The doctors are able to stop him, but only after a brief struggle. It is clear that Weston is in a lot of pain, both physically and emotionally, and it is also clear that there is little that the doctors can do for him. The episode ends with Weston being sent home, still blind and still struggling to deal with the aftermath of his injury.
Overall, Dear Dad... Three is a powerful episode of M*A*S*H that deals with some very difficult topics. The show was known for its combination of humor and drama, and this episode is a good example of how it used that combination to tell compelling stories. The performances are strong, with the actors doing an excellent job of conveying the pain and frustration of their characters. The writing is also excellent, with the episode managing to pack a lot of emotion into its relatively short running time.
