Ep 20. Mail Call Three

In "Mail Call Three," the 20th episode of the sixth season of the hit television show M*A*S*H, the doctors and staff of the 4077th find themselves eagerly awaiting the arrival of their latest shipment of mail. As they wait for the postman to arrive, tensions run high as each member of the team anxiously anticipates news and letters from their loved ones back home.

As the day drags on, however, it becomes clear that the mail is not going to arrive. With no explanation from the post office, the doctors and staff are left to wonder what's happened to their deliveries. Some, like Hawkeye, are able to take the delay in stride and focus on their work, while others, like Klinger, grow increasingly anxious and desperate for news from home.

Over the course of the episode, "Mail Call Three" explores the ways in which the characters of M*A*S*H cope with the stress and isolation of their wartime experience. From Hawkeye's sarcastic banter with his fellow doctors to Klinger's outlandish attempts to get discharged from the Army, the episode showcases the wide range of emotions and coping mechanisms that emerge in the face of uncertainty and anxiety.

One of the episode's most poignant moments comes when a soldier in the hospital confides in Father Mulcahy about his own struggles with homesickness and loneliness. As the chaplain listens, the young man reveals his fear that he'll never make it home to see his family again, and Mulcahy offers him words of comfort and hope.

Throughout "Mail Call Three," the show's writers do an excellent job of balancing the emotional weight of the characters' struggles with moments of humor and levity. Whether it's in the form of Hawkeye and Trapper's ongoing practical jokes or Klinger's increasingly outlandish attempts to get a Section 8 discharge, the episode never loses sight of the fact that even in the darkest of times, laughter and humor can be a powerful tool for survival.

Overall, "Mail Call Three" is a touching and thought-provoking episode of M*A*S*H that explores the deeper emotional and psychological impacts of war on the soldiers and medical staff who are tasked with treating its casualties. While it may not be the most action-packed or dramatic episode of the series, it's a testament to the show's enduring popularity and legacy as one of the most innovative and groundbreaking shows in television history.