These eight episodes represent the final third of Season 3 for "M*A*S*H" and a grim reminder of the wastefulness of war. There are also several episodes that start to take the character of Hawkeye Pierce (Alan Alda) in some new directions:(65) "The Consultant" (Writers: Larry Gelbart & Robert Klane) has Dr. Borelli (Robert Alda) showing up to operate on a soldier's leg in order to save it. However, being this close to the front again is too much for the visiting specialist to stand. Grade A-: The stunt of Alan Alda's father produces a solid episode that looks at the drinking on campus in a dramatic fashion.
(66) "House Arrest" (Writers: Jim Fritzell & Everett Greenbaum; Aired: February 4, 1975) has Hawkeye decking Frank Burns (Larry Linville) during out of their stupid arguments and being held for court-martial. Grade B-: The idea of the entire camp (except for Hot Lips) supporting Hawkeye over Frank has some nice moments, but this show has a horrible moment when a visiting female colonel (Mary Wickes) is caught in a compromising position with Frank by Hot Lips. The colonel yells "rape" and Hawkeye quips "A movie and a rape all in one night." This was one of those offensive rape jokes during the early years on "M*A*S*H" and I am surprised no one objected before it got on the air.
(67) "Aid Station" (Writers: Larry Gelbart & Simon Munter; Aired: February 11, 1975) has Hawkeye, Hot Lips (Loretta Swit) and Klinger (Jamie Farr) sent to the front to provide help at a Battalion Aid Station. Grade A: Being under fire forges new respect for one another among this odd trio. Another key step in the transformation of Hot Lips into Margaret.
(68) "Love and Marriage" (Writer: Arthur Julian; Aired: February 18, 1975) has Trapper (Wayne Rogers) and Hawkeye helping in both directions as one soldier is trying to find his pregnant wife and another needing to be stopped from marrying a prostitute as part of a scam at Rosie's Bar. Grade C+: Realistic in terms of what relations were like between the American G.I.'s and the South Korean girls, but nothing special otherwise.
(69) "Big Mac" (Writer: Laurence Marks; February 25, 1975) has the camp getting all excitted preparing for a visit from General Douglas MacArthur himself. Grade B+: The key thing here is everyone responds in character, and the climax, which offers the ultimate Klinger outfit, is a hoot.
(70) "Payday" (Writers: John Regier & Gary Markowitz; Aired: March 4, 1975) starts with Hawkeye making the mistake of telling the army he had an extra $10 in his paycheck. The army sends him a check for $3,000, which the surgeon promptly gives to Father Mulcahy for the orphans. Then the army shows up and wants the $3,000 back. Grade B-: A nice little example of how military intelligence is an oxymoron.
(71) "White Gold" (Writers: Larry Gelbart & Simon Munter; Aired: March 11, 1975) has the doctors suspicious when their penicillin supplies start disappearing. Then Colonel Flagg (Edward Winter) shows up and everything becomes clear as mud. Grade B-: Flagg is always fun.
(72) "Abyssinia, Henry" (Writers: Everett Greenbaum & Jim Fritzell; Aired: March 18, 1975) is the order of the day when Colonel Blake (McLean Stevenson) leaves the 4077th to go home. Grade A: Besides the stunning final scene in the O.R. in which the cast was given the script literally a minute before the scene was shot and where the raw emotion seen in the eyes of the cast is haunting, this episode had already reduced you to tears when Blake gives Radar a farewell hug.
The shock of Henry Blake's death and the sudden departure of Wayne Rogers from the cast, ended up being blessings in disguise for "M*A*S*H". No television show in history had as big a turnover in its cast and actually managed to get better as this series did in its fourth season. But once Frank Burns was replaced with Charles Emerson Winchester, "M*A*S*H" would become sublime. But looking back over the episodes from the first three seasons, this particular videotape is, on balance, the best of the bunch. Stevenson and Rogers went out with the show they were leaving as good as it had ever been.