Dreams (M*A*S*H)
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| “Dreams” | |||||||
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| M*A*S*H episode | |||||||
| Episode no. | Season 8 Episode 22 |
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| Written by | – | ||||||
| Directed by | Alan Alda | ||||||
| Guest stars | Ford Rainey Robin Haynes |
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| Production no. | 822 | ||||||
| Original airdate | February 18, 1980 | ||||||
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| List of M*A*S*H episodes | |||||||
"Dreams" is an episode from the television series M*A*S*H. It was the 22nd episode of the eighth season, broadcast and aired on February 18, 1980 and repeated September 1, 1980. It was directed by Alan Alda. This episode was conceived by James Jay Rubinfier and co-written with Alan Alda. The episode received two prestigious writing honors: The Humanitas Prize (1980), and a Writers' Guild of America nomination for episodic television writing in the dramatic category, which was a first as M*A*S*H received WGA nominations in both comedy and drama categories that same year. Alda credits "Dreams" as one of his favorite M*A*S*H episodes.
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[edit] Overview
In this highly surreal episode, the cast undergoes 33 hours of surgery without sleep. A motor pool administrator refuses to send ambulances to the camp to evacuate patients (who are piling up rapidly) because they might be damaged by gunfire. In effect, they are forced to build bunks in Post-Op and move the wounded soldiers into every available space, including Klinger's office (thereby forcing him to sleep in the supply room.) The show centers around the dreams of the cast as they attempt to catch at least a little slumber in the midst of the crisis. Unfortunately, even their dreams offer no sanctuary from the war, as everyone eventually finds himself or herself glad to be awake (enough to substitute coffee for a well-deserved rest.)
[edit] Dreams
- Margaret Houlihan takes a nap in her tent. The dream sequence begins with the door opening and white light spilling through. Houlihan finds herself in a wedding gown. She steps outside to find herself in an open field with a handsome, dark-haired civilian in a tuxedo, and an ornate bed. She is elated as she and the man kiss each other on the bed. That is short-lived, however, as a line of soldiers comes along and marches past the bed. The stranger bluntly gets up and gets in line and step with the soldiers. A dismayed Houlihan stares at the departing procession, then turns back to the bed to see a wounded and bloody soldier lying next to her. Soon there are three wounded soldiers. The sequence ends with Houlihan standing alone in the field, with her hands and gown covered in blood.
- B.J. Hunnicutt falls asleep in Post-Op holding a photograph of his wife, Peg. His dream converts Post-Op to a ballroom, where he waltzes with Peg in elegant evening dress. He and his wife dance their way into the OR. Potter hands Hunnicutt a scalpel, and Hunnicutt instinctively proceeds to operate. With an expression of heartbroken regret, Peg follows two other men back to the ballroom.
- Sherman T. Potter has possibly the least distressing dream in the episode. He dozes off at his desk, and is roused by his horse, Sophie, who enters the room in full saddle and bridle. He grabs his hat and mounts Sophie, riding into an open field. A pair of Koreans in the shrubbery throw a grenade at Potter, who effortlessly knocks it away with a polo mallet, resulting in a spectacular fireworks display. Potter then comes upon a familiar site: his childhood home. A younger Sherman Potter is riding on a horse outside, and a female voice is calling him to dinner. At this point, Klinger abruptly awakens Potter, much to his annoyance; "It's been a long time since I've tasted one of her homemade muffins."
- Charles Winchester is asleep in a room near OR, when the curtains rise and he finds himself dressed as a stage magician. He is greeted with applause, chiefly from the staff, as he enters the OR. He proceeds with a standard stage magic act, but his attention (and soon everyone's) is drawn to a gasping patient in the front row. Winchester attempts a progressively flashier performance, but to his horror, none of his charade does anything to improve the condition of the patient (alternatively, his inaction makes it worse). The dream ends with Winchester dancing with a pair of sparklers, with the crowd looking upon him as a fool.
- Father Mulcahy loses consciousness whilst listening to a rather droning confession from a patient. In his dream, Mulcahy is dressed as the Pope, and carried in the Holy Father's ceremonial chair to the mess hall, where he is met by the praises and adoration of the staff. Though surprised by the new attire, he welcomes his new important role, and ascends to the pulpit at the front of the room. Mulcahy blesses the people and motions to them to sit down, and opens his Bible. He sees blood dripping onto the pages, so he looks up. The camera only reveals the feet of Jesus Christ as he is being crucified above the pulpit. Mulcahy looks away briefly, then looks back at the gruesome scene behind him, except Christ is replaced with a soldier. He turns to the crowd in front of him; all have resumed their normal tasks of operating, seemingly oblivious to his presence.
- Maxwell Klinger sneaks off to the supply room to take a nap. In his dream, the supply room is shaking, and a conductor's voice announces a train's arrival in Toledo. Klinger exits the supply room to find himself in the empty streets of his hometown. Everything looks bare, deserted, empty, dead. He approaches Tony Packo's Cafe -- one of his favorite Toledan haunts -- and wipes away the dust on the front window, only to see the OR back at the MASH. Potter spots Klinger and motions him to come in. The patient he is operating on turns his head to the surprised Klinger, revealing himself to be on the table. Nurse Kellye wakes Klinger up abruptly with a message from Potter, but he responds with glee that he is alive.
- Hawkeye Pierce dozes off in the mess hall, and undergoes the classic nightmare of being subject to a test he didn't study for (reattaching a limb). The professor instructs Pierce to remove both his arms (aided by Winchester, who was sitting next to him), which are promptly thrown away. The scene shifts to a lake full of mannequins' arms and legs, with an armless Pierce in a rowboat. He lands ashore, where a Korean child with a belly wound is waiting on an operating table. He is offered a scalpel and hears the iconic sound of approaching helicopters, which causes him to scream in frustration. At that point, Pierce wakes up to the sound of real helicopters bringing more wounded.
[edit] Parallel story
Interspersed among the cast's dreams is a side plot involving the 4077's struggles with evacuating casualties from the compound. A young, inexperienced second lieutenant, Lt. Garvey, from the 8063rd MASH refuses to send ambulances to the 4077th because he fears they will be damaged by the heavy fighting and he will have to account for the expense (with his own money, he fears). Colonel Potter angrily tries to convince him that damage to the vehicles is imminent and expected and the Army won't hold him accountable, but to no avail. Potter vows to take the problem up the chain of command at the first opportunity.
Finally, General Coogan, who is interned at the 4077th due to a superficial injury, grows exasperated at the crowded conditions and demands to see Potter. Potter explains the situation and Gen. Coogan, in no uncertain terms, requests an opportunity to call the "pimply-headed lieutenant" on the 4077th's landline phone. Once on the phone, Coogan requests that Lt. Garvey come himself to the 4077th to explain why he won't send the ambulances. Fearing reprisal, Lt. Garvey agrees to send the ambulances immediately.
[edit] Errors
- Potter told the general that a first lieutenant was withholding the ambulances, but when they were talking to him on the phone, he was wearing a second lieutenant’s rank insignia.
[edit] Other notes
- Catherine Bergstrom would again play Peg Hunnicutt in the episode "Oh, How We Danced."
- "A Nightmare on Dick Street", a 3D episode from 3rd Rock from the Sun, also featured the premise of exploring its characters' dreams through a series of surreal sequences woven into an otherwise regular episode.
| Preceded by "Goodbye, Cruel World" |
M*A*S*H episodes | Succeeded by "War Co-Respondent" |
[edit] External links
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