M*A*S*H Follies of the Living - Concerns of the Dead (1972–1983) watch online HD

Although the plot seems a bit superficial, and "out there" to many, the moral of the story remains. Through the dead man's eyes we see and hear the doctors and nurses argue and waste time over trivial things while surrounded by death. In the final scene as he walks through camp, you hear a nurse complain about a broken nail, illustrating that what appears to be a crisis to one, is trivial when faced with death on such a scale as war. The vehicle might be a bit hokey, but the message stays the same. The World Wars, Vietnam, Korea, Iraq I and II, in each situation, people have been plunged into chaos and death without a personal stake. Farmers, soldiers, families have died for someone else's ideas, while someone else worries about a hangnail or who is on duty during the next shift.

Thornton Wilder spoke of it in Our Town, the play. "Mother 'n daughter....husband 'n wife....enemy 'n enemy.... money 'n miser....all those terribly important things kind of grow pale around here. And what's left when memory's gone, and your identity, Mrs. Smith?"

If you've seen it then you know what I mean. And if you haven't...then you will. Haven't checked it yet. But the writers of this episode must surely have borrowed from a Twilight Zone episode with this exact same theme. But no matter. It's a GREAT episode.

Incoming wounded as a stretcher with a badly injured solder enters the 4077 compound. Meanwhile a feverish delirious Max Klinger (Jamie Farr) walks out of the hospital tent with IV needle stuck in his arm offering to help.Then Klinger conveniently collapses on another stretcher and is placed down on the ground next to the terminal solder. Father Mulcahy (William Christopher) pronounces the Last Rights as a soul emerges from the G.I.corpse. It's the late Private Weston (Kario Salem) as he separates from his deceased body looking around as nobody sees or hears him except for Klinger who has a bad internal infection plus running a very high temperature of 105. Our ghostly Weston basically observes everyone in the Camp and their petty feelings throughout the episode. The good Father and Dr.B.J. Hunnicutt (Mike Farrell) go through personal belonging from the deceased as our Ghostly witness Weston explains what each object means to him. The other scene worth mentioning is the Letter from Weston's buddy PVT. Hicks (Randal Patrick) explaining to Weston's Folks that their Son died in combat. Despite the surrounding their son made light of everything reading the comics to his company and using funny voices for each character. Colonel Potter (Harry Morgan) reads it back and re-assured the solder that he's heard a lot of death letter home but this one was fine.I had trouble with the ending. Alda seem to plagiarize the final scene. There was an episode of the Twilight Zone that had the exact ending with solders on opposing sides marching up an path to their final stop. All that was missing was Abraham Lincoln at the end of the line. Ironically still my favorite MASH episode as a life so precious as all life is and we the living worrying about trivial stuff day after day as each day is a gift and shouldn't be taken lightly. I hope Weston got what he wanted!

This is one of the best episodes of MASH. I really don't think it was meant to be funny in any way, but to show something truly terrifying. How it must be to shout at people you may know and receive no response. The writing is what sets this apart; it's so good and heartbreaking. I just can't sometimes.

Klinger is running a high fever, almost 105 degrees. He has been hallucinating when he wanders into the compound during heavy triage. In a stretcher is a soldier who has died, Weston, but the guy's spirit rises up and begins to talk to the Corporal. This soldier talks to everyone else, but there is no response. Meanwhile, there is constant conflict over the most trivial of problems, how towels are folded, for instance. How B.J. uses the same kind of fork in the mess hall. Klinger continues to talk out of his head and still has the ability to connect with the dead man. There is a touching scene where Weston's friend is told of his demise. People begin to worry about this soldier because he seems to be giving up. There are petty arguments going on among doctors, and Weston is amazed. However, the ending is utterly sappy and saccharine.

Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhunh.. Before i get to the vomit-inducing part, let me say that there was some merit and perhaps even bravery in exploring the idea that people in a state of fever may be perceptive to realities that "normal" folk are not. Fair enough. Now...the only sane reaction to this episode is dragging yourself to the IMDb page, to find out who was RESPONSIBLE. Not only who created it, but who gave it permission to breathe. There ain't a woodshed big enough. In a nutshell...Klinger has a high fever, and is able to talk to the "ghost" of a deceased soldier. And horribly, the creative footprints lead right to Alan's size 13s. Not just as writer, but director too. It's not just mawkish prostrating to superstitious ignorance, either. At the end, the soldier joins a parade of the also-deceased, heading off into the mist, they know not where. All the "dead" are soldiers...never mind the fact that the majority of war deaths are civilian. Alan should have known better.