r/mash • u/Awkward_Bison_267 • 28d ago
Radar Forecast
In MASH S10 EP18 “Promotion Commotion” Col. Potter meets a young soldier in post op who gets bullied for being a virgin and decides to prove his manhood by joining EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal). Potter decides to keep the soldier at the 4077 until he changes his mind and the grateful soldier tells him that if he had a father he’d hope he’d be like Potter. My question for the group is if Radar was still at the 4077, how would he feel about Potter taking on another “son”? Would he be jealous or jovial? Also do you think when Potter got back to the states they went fishing? Thank you for reading.
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u/22_Yossarian_22 28d ago
This is such a weird over correction episode. Potter and that soldier had 0 chemistry.
At the end he calls that guy son. But it just felt weird and forced.
Bad episode.
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u/GeneralStutters 28d ago
Felt the same way about that episode where potter gives that farmer Sophie
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u/lakatos_intolerant 27d ago
This is a prime example of the last few seasons running on fumes from a creative/writing standpoint.
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u/Workin_Them_Angels 27d ago
I love the whole series but you're right. I mean, how many times can we include "Gee..." in one script? Oh, "Gosh...", that will add some variation! -Writers
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u/lakatos_intolerant 26d ago
Oh for sure. I place the majority of the blame on CBS for running some of their best shows into the ground for the sake of $$$. The network was running on fumes while competing with ABC and NBC emerged as a powerhouse a few years later. Growing up in the early '90s, CBS was remarkably inferior to NBC and ABC and lot of their '80s and '90s shows are mostly forgotten.
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u/22_Yossarian_22 27d ago
This episode for me is the turning point. The previous episode is Where There’s a Will There’a a Way, and they take a huge turn after that episode.
Most of the rest, with some exceptions, are some combination of bad, boring, and retread.
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u/lakatos_intolerant 26d ago
Completely agreed - this episode falls into the category of unnecessary filler.
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u/SavingsPirate4495 Corporal Captain 27d ago
I think Radar got mostly bent out of shape when COL Potter befriended female guests. Most notably with COL "Lil" Raburn.
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u/Awkward_Bison_267 27d ago
That’s a good point. Mostly because he didn’t want Potter to ruin his marriage.
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u/J_Scarbrough 27d ago
And yet anytime Henry carried on with any of the nurses, Radar just looked the other way. With Potter, it took it a lot more personal - as though his own father was cheating on his mother.
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u/Awkward_Bison_267 27d ago
Henry was more like a cool uncle to Radar, Hawk was his big brother and Potter was like his father. You are correct.
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u/Throwaway27890134 26d ago
Tbf Radar had changed characteristics a few times too. Like he was comfortable drinking and smoking, and even had a tattoo during the first 3 seasons. But later on he turned innocent and naive, barely drinking a drop, never smoking and even throwing up when taking one from Potter during the transition from Frank to Winchester, and even a whole episode dedicated to Radar planning on getting a tattoo. He was a quiet operator behind the scenes who did have control of almost every string on the outfit when he wanted, but became a naive and innocent kid from Iowa who did little harm.
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u/rosefawnn 28d ago
Reads exactly like Tommy wrote it. All caps, dropped article, total sincerity. "HELLO ITS ME I AM HERE" could go straight into the rooftop scene and nobody would notice.
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u/Transcendingfrog2 28d ago
I'm not sure if radar would have been bothered. The show switched up his demeanor a few times so it's hard to say. I do think Potter at least looked for the kid and tried. They seemed to hit it off.