M*A*S*H (TV Series) Follies of the Living - Concerns of the Dead (1982) User Reviews

Through a dead man's eyes

[cgantt · 10/10 · 20 February 2007]

Although the plot seems a bit superficial, and "out there" to many, the moral of the story remains. Through the dead man's eyes we see and hear the doctors and nurses argue and waste time over trivial things while surrounded by death. In the final scene as he walks through camp, you hear a nurse complain about a broken nail, illustrating that what appears to be a crisis to one, is trivial when faced with death on such a scale as war. The vehicle might be a bit hokey, but the message stays the same. The World Wars, Vietnam, Korea, Iraq I and II, in each situation, people have been plunged into chaos and death without a personal stake. Farmers, soldiers, families have died for someone else's ideas, while someone else worries about a hangnail or who is on duty during the next shift.

Thornton Wilder spoke of it in Our Town, the play. "Mother 'n daughter....husband 'n wife....enemy 'n enemy.... money 'n miser....all those terribly important things kind of grow pale around here. And what's left when memory's gone, and your identity, Mrs. Smith?"

Hauntingly beautiful, Poignant, and incredible.

[jakebirkel · 10/10 · 20 December 2018]

This is one of the best episodes of MASH. I really don't think it was meant to be funny in any way, but to show something truly terrifying. How it must be to shout at people you may know and receive no response. The writing is what sets this apart; it's so good and heartbreaking. I just can't sometimes.

special

[Kirpianuscus · 21 August 2019]

For me, one of the most remarkable episodes of the serie. For delicate theme and for the wise manner to use it. For the bitter, delicate poetry about death and life. For the embroidery about small peaces defining us in insignificant objects or in memory of comrades or in the vision of fever or in the talks, so childish of living people. An episode like an old song , important for what it suggests , for the end , for the beautiful performance of Kario Salem , for powerful emotion and for a special beauty.

Twilight Zone-esque

[somejava · 10/10 · 27 August 2018]

If you've seen it then you know what I mean. And if you haven't...then you will. Haven't checked it yet. But the writers of this episode must surely have borrowed from a Twilight Zone episode with this exact same theme. But no matter. It's a GREAT episode.

A very poignant episode written and directed by Alan Alda

[safenoe · 10/10 · 21 February 2020]

Kario Salem plays Private Jimmy Weston, whose spirit communicates with a deliriously ill Klinger. Alda's script is very emotional and poignant, with Father Mulcahy giving a Biblical perspective from Job to Weston's friend, who is understandably distraught at the untimely loss of Weston. The ending was very moving, with a sombre closing theme before the end credits roll.

Kellye Nakahara appears in this episode. Sadly Kellye, along with Gene Reynolds (a major creative force behind M*A*S*H), died only recently.

An excellent episode

[wizyrd · 10/10 · 12 September 2020]

Klinger, while entertaining a perilously high fever,, serendipitously winds up next to Pvt. Jimmy Weston, as he lay dying. Perhaps due to being dangerously close to death himself, he can see the not quite departed Private, as said soldier questions his fate. Or perhaps it's Klinger's condition that makes it possible for Weston to kind of anchor to him. Problem is the only thing people hear out of Klinger is his side of the conversation and think it's part of his delirium. Weston to a bit too long to figure out that he was decidedly dead. For starters, he could see his body. Second, he had to have noticed well before he accepted his condition, that he had zero effect on the physical world. He seemed to get inside rooms, but you never see him trying a door. And he definitely noticed that no one, save Klinger, could see or hear him.

He goes from denial to acceptance, and even tries to help his friend (who sadly, can't hear him. Too bad he had no recollection of Weston's one-sided conversation in OR.

A missed opportunity for Weston would have been to use Klinger to talk to the others. he could have had them get their attention by giving a bit of info that Klinger couldn't possibly know, that, say Hicks would recognize. Hicks would do the rest. But that wouldn't have brought this episode right into the realm of science fiction or fantasy, and that's not what it was about.

Eventually, they bring down Klinger's fever and (coincidentally?) Weston's grip on this side of the veil starts to slip, and he joins with his fellow travelers, walking down the road to the afterlife. A nice touch at the end, was that parade of deceased included not just American soldier's, but Korean soldiers and civilians. And it didn't matter.

And yet another show that answers the question "Do you spend your afterlife in the clothes you died in?" with "Yes!"

Incredible episode

[kellielulu · 10/10 · 29 October 2022]

I had an uncle who was in the Korean War. He and only one other in his platoon made it back. He had medals a Purple Heart and shrapnel that remained inside of him until he died in his late 80's . He seldom talked about it. He never wanted to watch M*A*S*H . War wasn't funny he said. I love the show but I respected his feelings on it he knew about it.

An episode like this one emphasizes that . Only Klinger running a high fever with a Kidney infection can hear and see the young soldier Weston who died. Weston wants his parents to know somehow it's ok . With Potter and Mulcahy's help a buddy writes his parents and tells him how their son made things better under terrible circumstances. Weston begins to fade away satisfied his parents will know he made a difference.

Klinger's fever begins to go down after Margaret prioritizes getting it down over what is causing it. Frustrated though she gets no credit.

Hawkeye , BJ and Charles try to get drunk enough not to feel anything and name horrible things it's been one of the roughest sessions and they want to forget.

Watch for the end as Klinger is asking what happened to Weston. Hawkeye, BJ and Margaret or trying to figure out the schedule and seem to be forgetting Weston already. It's a sad thing but probably common they can't remember them all.

I know not everyone like the more serious episodes but I think they were important to show as much as I love the lighter ones too I have grown to appreciate the more serious ones more over time.

An Experiment Gone Bad

[Hitchcoc · 6/10 · 27 April 2015]

Klinger is running a high fever, almost 105 degrees. He has been hallucinating when he wanders into the compound during heavy triage. In a stretcher is a soldier who has died, Weston, but the guy's spirit rises up and begins to talk to the Corporal. This soldier talks to everyone else, but there is no response. Meanwhile, there is constant conflict over the most trivial of problems, how towels are folded, for instance. How B.J. uses the same kind of fork in the mess hall. Klinger continues to talk out of his head and still has the ability to connect with the dead man. There is a touching scene where Weston's friend is told of his demise. People begin to worry about this soldier because he seems to be giving up. There are petty arguments going on among doctors, and Weston is amazed. However, the ending is utterly sappy and saccharine.

Alda tried!

[thejcowboy22 · 4/10 · 23 May 2017]

Incoming wounded as a stretcher with a badly injured solder enters the 4077 compound. Meanwhile a feverish delirious Max Klinger (Jamie Farr) walks out of the hospital tent with IV needle stuck in his arm offering to help.Then Klinger conveniently collapses on another stretcher and is placed down on the ground next to the terminal solder. Father Mulcahy (William Christopher) pronounces the Last Rights as a soul emerges from the G.I.corpse. It's the late Private Weston (Kario Salem) as he separates from his deceased body looking around as nobody sees or hears him except for Klinger who has a bad internal infection plus running a very high temperature of 105. Our ghostly Weston basically observes everyone in the Camp and their petty feelings throughout the episode. The good Father and Dr.B.J. Hunnicutt (Mike Farrell) go through personal belonging from the deceased as our Ghostly witness Weston explains what each object means to him. The other scene worth mentioning is the Letter from Weston's buddy PVT. Hicks (Randal Patrick) explaining to Weston's Folks that their Son died in combat. Despite the surrounding their son made light of everything reading the comics to his company and using funny voices for each character. Colonel Potter (Harry Morgan) reads it back and re-assured the solder that he's heard a lot of death letter home but this one was fine.I had trouble with the ending. Alda seem to plagiarize the final scene. There was an episode of the Twilight Zone that had the exact ending with solders on opposing sides marching up an path to their final stop. All that was missing was Abraham Lincoln at the end of the line. Ironically still my favorite MASH episode as a life so precious as all life is and we the living worrying about trivial stuff day after day as each day is a gift and shouldn't be taken lightly. I hope Weston got what he wanted!

Somebody, anybody, should have known better

[robrosenberger · 2/10 · 4 June 2012]

Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhunh.. Before i get to the vomit-inducing part, let me say that there was some merit and perhaps even bravery in exploring the idea that people in a state of fever may be perceptive to realities that "normal" folk are not. Fair enough. Now...the only sane reaction to this episode is dragging yourself to the IMDb page, to find out who was RESPONSIBLE. Not only who created it, but who gave it permission to breathe. There ain't a woodshed big enough. In a nutshell...Klinger has a high fever, and is able to talk to the "ghost" of a deceased soldier. And horribly, the creative footprints lead right to Alan's size 13s. Not just as writer, but director too. It's not just mawkish prostrating to superstitious ignorance, either. At the end, the soldier joins a parade of the also-deceased, heading off into the mist, they know not where. All the "dead" are soldiers...never mind the fact that the majority of war deaths are civilian. Alan should have known better.

Ex marine here....

[michaelegan-31730 · 1/10 · 27 August 2020]

I've got to say that I cant understand all of the good reviews of this episode. I've been watching mash since the movie came out and this is one of their worst episodes. The day player extra playing a ghost just ruined it. The actor did zero research and clearly has less tgan zero knowledge of the words he's been given to deliver. "Sea RayShuns"?? With a hard A?? No. Just. No. This is almost as unacceptable as the inept focus puller who ruined 80% of the scenes he shot that were grossly mis measured and pathetically out of focus. The story was horrible. The acting was horrible.