It is hard to believe we are already in the final month of 2023, which means that the holiday season is upon us. I looked back at my December posts for the past two years, and I realized that I had already covered one Christmas Episode (“Death Takes a Holiday (09×05)), and one Boxing Day episode (“‘Twas the Day after Christmas (10×09)). That left only two Christmas episodes of M*A*S*H for me to choose from: “Dear Dad” (01×12) and “Dear Sis” (07×14). I have a script for each, so I opted to rewatch and review “Dear Sis” this month. While the script for this episode doesn’t have the production documents, it does include a number of changed and cut scenes. “Dear Sis” also includes a solid holiday storyline and some great acting.
The Script
My copy of the script is a “Final” draft dated October 25, 1978. The episode was written and directed by Alan Alda, which could explain why we don’t much of Hawkeye in this episode. Alda is credited with writing, or co-writing, 19 episodes of the series, and he directed 32 episodes. This script does not have any production documents or revised pages, but it is interesting in a different way. Since this is likely a draft of the script from before revisions were made, there are a lot of changes between this version of the script and the final episode. A list of the changes, along with photos of the pages, is presented below.
- Pages 1- 2: Extended Scene – The first part of Father Mulcahy’s letter was originally written to be longer.
- Page 3: Cut Line – Charle’s line about putting the patient to sleep with one of Mulcahy’s sermons was cut. Perhaps because it seems mean to kick Mulcahy while he was down.
- Page 5: Extended Scene – The scene in post op between the doctors was longer.
- Pages 7 – 8: Extended Scene – When Mulcahy is asking for donations to the orphanage, the banter between him and the doctors was originally longer.
- Page 9: Rewritten Scene – The dialogue between Radar and Mulcahy before he blesses the cow is different.
- Page 12: Cut Line – Charles’ line about Radar “having kittens” was cut from the show.
- Page 13: Rewritten Scene – The dialogue between Mulcahy and Klinger is different when he is in the Officers’ Club.
- Page 15: Cut Lines – The lines from Margaret about her “hating” Donald were not in the episode.
- Pages 17 – 19: Cut Scene – There was going to be a poker game scene before the end of act one. The scene of Mulcahy bluffing his way to the win with a pair of fours would have been funny, but I am sure this was cut for time. The first act being 19 pages is longer than usual.
- Pages 25 – 26: Extended Scene – The scene in Potter’s office was originally longer and featured Hawkeye and B.J. entering the colonel’s office.
- Pages 35 – 36: Cut Tag – The episode’s Tag was not going to be the snow scene with the ambulance arriving in the compound. Instead, it was going to be a scene in O.R. where the whole gang bickers before singing “Angels we Have Heard on High.”
Since this draft of the script was released prior to the episode being filmed, it was still considered a work in progress. As revisions were made, scenes were cut for time, and the episode was filmed, the script would have changed. By comparing this script to the final episode, we can see what might have been. After reading through the changes and watching the episode, I don’t find any of the changes that were made questionable. There have been times when lines or scenes that provide additional context were cut from an episode, and I have wondered why. However, for “Dear Sis,” the revisions made the episode’s storyline tighter and better overall.
The Final Episode
I think we all know someone who is often too busy helping others to help themself, and that is exactly what is happening to Father Mulcahy in this episode. He provides comfort and a listening ear to the patients and personnel of the 4077th, but he feels unnecessary and unappreciated. The episode opens with Father Mulcahy in the Mess Tent writing to his sister. He explains that no one has shown up for his Sunday morning services again. We then see a series of events including Mulcahy working in O.R. and being grabbed by a scared patient, practicing his boxing alone in his tent, and being the bar tender in the Officers’ Club while offering advice. Mulcahy helps everyone, but he doesn’t feel fulfilled. Everything escalates when he punches an unruly patient in triage. He and Hawkeye have a conversation about how he feels, but it doesn’t seem to help. Meanwhile, in the Mess Tent, a Christmas party is held with B.J. serving as Santa. In the end, Hawkeye toasts Father Mulcahy and expresses how important he is to everyone there even if they don’t always show it, then they sing a chorus of “Dona Nobis Pacem.”
Holiday episodes are always enjoyable, but the best part of this episode is the cast. “Dear Sis” highlights the talents of William Christopher. He is somber, witty, angry, remorseful, and genuine…all in this single episode. Each of the emotions that he channels through Father Mulcahy feels honest to the character. It is probably one of my favorite performances by Christopher in the series. Another actor who is superb in this episode is David Ogden Stiers. The way Charles went from being stingy with his money to generous because of the gift of a toboggan cap from Radar and Mulcahy is a credit to Stiers’ acting skills. The pure joy on his face when he sees the cap for the first time is real. Then, while they are singing “Dona Nobis Pacem,” if you watch Charles, he removes the hat, looks at it, looks at Radar, then smiles to himself. It is a perfect moment of self reflection that Stiers had to have ad libbed because it is not in the script (or at least my draft). Each character expresses emotion in this episode, and then them singing at the end brings it all home. M*A*S*H was truly an ensemble cast, and this episode illustrates that.
The M*A*S*H Historian 
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