M*A*S*H, season 11

FOUR STAR
-Foreign Affairs
Just when you thought that M*A*S*H had nothing left to say, Charles falls for a french Red Cross ambassador. He shuts down a touching romance, when he decides she is too bohemian. No happy ending, no lesson learned. How miserably human. The B plot almost rises to the same level, as a soulless P.R. major (Jeffrey Tambor[!] - THE LARRY SANDERS SHOW, ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT) wants to make a hero out of an enemy pilot who (accidentally) delivered a high-tech plane to the americans. Hawk and BJ connive to replace the pilot with the translator (the infinitely-delightful Soon-Tek Oh in his final 4077 go-around) who actually wants to go to America.
-Who Knew?
Hawkeye has a fling with a nurse who is killed by a landmine. He realizes that nobody really knew her, least of all himself. He is forced to take a hard look at his own emotional standoffishness. The eulogy he delivers is one of Alan's most moving moments in the show's history. The fine B plot has Klinger trying to convince Winchester that hula hoops and frisbees would be good investments. Directed by Harry Morgan.
-Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen
If this isn't the most exquisite series finale of all time, i wish to know what is. Is it possible for me to overstate the sweeping, monumental brilliance? Yes, but i did quite well on my verbal SATs. Suffice to say that if every fan who ever loved this show were to have imagined the most perfect swan song, it's doubtful that many of those flights of fancy would have even come close to this. Tears, laughter, and everything in between. It starts and ends with Alan, who co-wrote and directed. They gave everyone memorable, perfect moments...but Hawkeye's storyline, which starts with him in a sanatorium after a nervous breakdown, is a stark, towering performance that, in a sense, was the only way to end his arc. In a way that perhaps the writers never even intended, it also makes a laser-sharp point about mental health. Earlier in the series, Sydney called Hawkeye the "sanest person" he'd ever me. If you think a mental breakdown during war isn't consistent with that, you don't understand sanity. Alan and Allan's scenes are searing. Hawkeye is ultimately sent back to camp. In the O.R., we hear armed forces radio announce the end of the war. It's indescribably moving. Mulcahy loses his hearing. Klinger stays in Korea, to help Soon-Lee find her parents. Winchester finds himself trying to teach a group of P.O.W.s about Mozart...only to see them killed after they finally get it right. And the mess tent farewells...you would think there's no way they could avoid being indulgent, with how long it goes on. But it's not. As the credits rolled, i stood in silence and clapped.
NOTEWORTHY
-Trick or Treatment ***
George Wendt! Andrew (no Dice) Clay!
-Run for the Money ***
A passable tale of a running scam pitting Mulcahy against the 8063rd's best, lifted up by a poignant gem of a B plot. Winchester defends a stuttering soldier, and tries to convince him he's not dumb. His behavior is curious, until the final shot reveals that his beloved sister at home is a stutterer.
-U.N., the Night and the Music ***
Not all flawless episodes are four stars. Some are merely delightful. Three U.N. delegates make a lasting impression. An Indian turns Potter and Klinger upside down. An impotent Swede falls into Margaret's arms. And an unctuous Brit outsnobs Charles, only to reveal that he's the son of a butler. Purely charming.
-Strange Bedfellows **
Potter's son-in-law (Dennis Dugan - Captain Freedom, HILL STREET BLUES) visits, and Sherm finds out he had an affair in Tokyo. Oh the angst, oh the hand-wringing! It's maudlin, embarrassing, and childish (not the affair, our society's obsession with soul-destroying monogamy), and only saved by the revelation that Potter had a similar affair when he was young.
-Say No More ***
It's fascinating to contrast this episode with numerous other M*A*S*H treatments of high-ranking officers insensitized to the killing they oversee. An abrasive general (John Anderson, PSYCHO) sets up a temporary base of command while his son is recovering from injuries. The son dies. There's no attempt to turn the general into a caricature, no crazy scheme whereby wacky doctors outwit said general. He and Hawkeye have an unexpectedly poignant and strikingly real conversation when Hawk delivers the news. Then of course, the general goes back to work. Ultimately there's the sense of something missing...but it was a hell of a try.
-Give and Take *
If you're ever trying to make someone understand that M*A*S*H could be saccharinly cringe-worthy, here's a nice exhibit A.
-As Time Goes By ***
A somewhat meandering penultimate episode, but sweet. Margaret prepares a camp time capsule, and Hawkeye lobbies to have less "proper" items included. The debut of Soon-Lee (Rosalind Chao - THE JOY LUCK CLUB, STAR TREK, AFTER MASH). They bury Radar's teddy bear.