MovieChat Forums > M*A*S*H (1972) Discussion > Thoughts on 'House Arrest'

Thoughts on 'House Arrest'

posted 8 years ago by buttsronc
24 replies | jump to latest

I watched "House Arrest" tonight and I feel this is when the show unofficially became the "Hawkeye/Alan Alda show.

-Hawkeye claims to be a coward and anti-war but he punches Frank in the face with no problem
- Hawkeye never really owns up to hitting Frank. Trapper straight up lies and says Frank slipped on a bar of soap.

Frank acted like a bigger a-hole in other episodes but in this one he simply snapped a towel at Hawkeye, a weak comeback for Hawkeye picking on Margaret. This time Hawkeye out of the blue slugs Frank. To me Hawkeye basically attacked Frank to put him in his place. The whole matter comes across as Hawkeye letting everybody know he was top dog.

[–] ExplorerDS6789 8 years ago

That episode was terrible, in EVERY respect. The most unjust, unfair display I've ever seen. And nevermind the rape jokes. Sure, Frank was a wienie who deserved to get his butt kicked, but not under THESE circumstances! It was trash.
This excerp from the trivia section sums it up perfectly:

This episode is cited as a main reason why other cast members were resentful towards Alan Alda, since his Hawkeye character is clearly in the wrong, first for antagonizing Major Houlihan unfairly, then punching a superior officer, having Blake reluctant to file charges because he likes him, Trapper falsifying evidence and claiming Burns fell even though he witnessed the assault and treating Hawkeye to steak (something that no one else in camp gets to enjoy) and having the whole camp attend the evening's movie in the Swamp instead of in the Mess Hall so that Hawkeye can watch the film since he cannot leave his quarters.

Subsequently, when Burns is under house arrest at the end of the episode, he has to eat C-rations and gets no special privileges.

Soon after this episode was written, both McLean Stevenson and Wayne Rogers decided to leave the show, both actors citing their resentment toward the Hawkeye character.

And by the way, here's a big plot hole: all Hawkeye and Trapper had to do was tell Henry that Frank started the whole thing and no charges would've been drawn up. If Frank was the instigator, he would've brought it on himself and there wouldn't have been any house arrests.

[–] buttsronc 8 years ago

I don't blame Stevenson and Rogers for using this episode as the straw that broke the camel's back. I wonder if Larry Linville pissed off Alan Alda or the writers that week so they wrote this episode.

[–] BiffGG 8 years ago

Linville was reputed to be very congenial with his cast mates so I doubt that. Actors have stated that sometimes the boundary between stage and reality gets blurred so I have to think that Alda started to see Larry as an adversary. On one of the reunion specials Loretta Swit appeared to be mildly admonishing Alda when it came time to give Larry the credit due for playing a very unlikable character. Alda's praise seemed very faint to me along with his sidekick and puppet Farrell.

[–] dawnbaxter34 8 years ago

At the end of the 5 O'Clock Charlie episode, Hawkeye and Trapper good-naturedly tease Frank about missing Charlie then Frank says "Why can't I stay mad at you two lugs?".

I guess they could have used more of those moments during Frank's stay at the MASH.

Frank, why don't you join us? You don't mind eating with a couple of peacemongers, do you?

No!

Come on, we're your two buddies.
Come on, Frank.

Oh, why can't I stay mad at you two lugs?

We'll work something out.

[–] TheOldGuyFromHalloween3 8 years ago

puppet? you conservatards are pathetic. such butthurt douchebags

[–] gc18 8 years ago

Of course it was unfair but that's life not everything is perfect and people don't always do the right thing they lie and and really mean spirited.

If they were all happy and got along then there'd be no conflict.

[–] ExplorerDS6789 8 years ago

Still not a reason for this episode existing.

[–] eddy0081 8 years ago

My thoughts are that episode sucks out loud, it's just terrible.

Valar morghulis

[–] antonasmodeus 8 years ago

After being molested by that beast, Frank was the one who should have yelled rape!

[–] dawnbaxter34 8 years ago

Wonder if Alda regretted Hawkeye's very politically incorrect line:

"Rape? What a night. A movie and vaudeville."

[–] iamtherealbg 8 years ago

There are a couple "rape" jokes during this series. All cringe worthy. There's one episode where the enemy has broken through the front line and Maj. Hoolihan is asking Blake what guarantee the nurses will have of the imminent violation of their bodies and Hawk says, "What kind of guarantee to do want?" Queue the canned laughter.

Not to mention when Trapper gets locked in the supply shed with Margret and after she screams for help and no one hears, Trap just looks at her like there's nothing she can do and say, "Come here," all smiley. The next scene we find them under a blanket together. They didn't do anything but that always makes me shake my head when I see it.

[–] johnny_burnaway 8 years ago

Wonder if Alda regretted Hawkeye's very politically incorrect line:

"Rape? What a night. A movie and vaudeville."

Considering Alda took up the cause of feminism and the ERA later in the 70's, I'm sure he did. Unfortunately, that resulted in episodes like "Inga".

[–] ExplorerDS6789 8 years ago

Yeah, episodes like "House Arrest" would not have happened in the later seasons. Like if this were Season 10, we wouldn't have it. For one thing, Charles wouldn't be childish enough to snap Hawkeye with a towel, nor would Hawkeye be so inclined as to strike another member of the camp. You can bet Colonel Potter would raise Cain with him if he did, unlike Henry who didn't want to bother. Not sure about B.J., though, he might. I mean he punched Hawkeye in Season 8's "Period of Adjustment". But then he'd just bellyache about it for the rest of the episode.
Besides, by Season 10, they were all best friends.

[–] knight523-383-350235 8 years ago

I really don't think "House arrest" is as horrible as everyone makes it out to be,..Hawkeye had threatened Frank with bodily harm on a couple of occasions, and he and Trapper had already done some crappy things to him. (sedating him, crating him)
Cold-cocking Frank was an over-the-top response to a little towel snap, but Trapper covering for Hawkeye was pretty much par for the course. It also sets up Margaret's "He slipped on a bar of soap!" at the end.

OK maybe "House arrest" isn't you're favorite, but it's a damn site better than "Edwina" or "Maj Fred C Dobbs"

[–] ExplorerDS6789 8 years ago

Your defense of this episode is unjust.

[–] marktayloruk (2506) 2 years ago

Later seasons far too.PC. People did and do joke about rape.

[–] marktayloruk (2506) 2 years ago

Front.line unit with constant pressure- what do you expect?

[–] gc18 8 years ago

Remember in the film it was Trapper who punched Frank, I think some are missing the point.

Hawkeye was supposed to be rude, crude and and at times not likable as in the film,
except TV had to clean him up a bit to make the character acceptable for TV.

Hawkeye may have evolved into the lead character originally it was an ensemble cast.

As far as Houlihan and Trapper under the blanket she was known as Hotlips because she was known for persusing sexual relationships with superior officers

[–] iamtherealbg 8 years ago

In the blanket case, she didn't pursue it and he wasn't a superior. Just a creepy married doctor trying to "get some."

[–] ZakkWyldeMyLittlePony 8 years ago

I forget if I saw that episode. I do recall the episode where nobody could sleep because of the heat.

Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic fan

[–] ExplorerDS6789 8 years ago

I do recall the episode where nobody could sleep because of the heat.

Season 9 'No Sweat'. Good episode.

[–] indy_go_blue44 8 years ago

That was a funny episode. I loved the part where Margaret woke up Potter needing medicine for her prickly heat and he, exhausted and under the influence of sleeping pills kept going on and on about his own heat rash not knowing that the loudspeaker was on.

[–] antonasmodeus 8 years ago

From House Arrest

Frank: "I need my tweezers. I have a hair on my mole!"

Igor: "I'm sorry, sir."

Burns at his best!

[–] RipRoss (557) 2 years ago

Hawkeye was an a-hole in this one. I liked this episode because it showed the protagonist as flawed and nefarious, and much of the humor was pretty dark. Much better than the self-righteous melodrama of the later seasons.