#soon-lee

1. as time goes by

I really enjoyed this episode, and add it to the list of ones that fit well into this final season. We heard three names: Radar, Blake, Frank Burns, and there’s something interesting about the nature of leaving something of Radar’s and Henry’s in the time capsule, but not for Frank

on the one hand, of course it was because none of them liked Frank and didn’t want to give him the respect, but on the other he’s the only one that got to leave without some symbolic loss (I say that, he fully lost Margaret, but she’s more than a symbol and will not be buried in the ground for 100 years!)

Radar’s innocence and Henry’s life, left in Korea. Interesting that they didn’t leave anything of Trapper’s or mention his name. It would have been Hawkeye’s job to do so, and sure, I’ll read too much into it 

youknow, I was almost kinda saddened that Charles was just messing with Rizzo, for a moment I genuinely believed him -- not that I don’t think he’s a far superior gremlin to BJ, but youknow... imagines if he’d genuinely had that instinct

Hawkeye ending up genuinely helping Margaret was good for me personally -- I do think, now I’m near the end of the story -- that they definitively have my favourite friendship on the show and I was missing seeing it much after s8. They get each other better than anyone else + bring out better, more thoughtful people, when they want to

I knew Rosalind Chao would arrive at some point! and here she is! I assume she’ll be sticking around for the finale too, which is interesting. My guess is she’s going to end up with Klinger, but who knows with this show, it doesn’t tend to take the romantic happiness route. But if anybody has that sort of character, it’s Klinger! 

funnily enough, she’s one of the only things that’s making me a little more relaxed about the finale, because she’s a brand new character, which means for her the finale is more like the main gist of the narrative

 I’m pleased that this is the second-to-last episode -- not so intense overall (although with Soon-Lee for a bit there), gives a lot of callbacks to the story and the characters, Margaret is giving me that “I need to get an A+ in being remembered in 100 years, something that is normal to want and possible to achieve” vibe that makes me love her, and Hawkeye is both ribbing her, but ultimately there to support

and Radar’s teddy-bear stays in Korea

2. s11

Overall s11 happened very much like I expected it to -- it relatively continued to be one-off episodes with the odd wrapping up of little things here and there (the time capsule, Hawkeye vs that general which is gonna be stuck in my head forever, potter’s mortgage being paid off) and both Kellye and Rizzo got to spend a little more time at the forefront, which was nice to see

it was hard for me to engage with the episodes that didn’t have some kind of thematic or character furthering device I could latch onto, because I was so fixated on how near the end this is, but alas, that’s syndication and you’re meant to just be able to watch them, I get it. Maybe on my second go-through it’ll be easier for me to focus on s10+11 without the countdown of episodes left in my head running (but also... maybe not... I always react strongly to endings -- I watch lotr every year and cry the same amount every time)

3. all of it

may end up just making a whole other post about all of it, and probably not until me head’s on a little straighter and I’m not still stuck in the middle of feelings, but what a strange experience to watch something that’s been around for quite awhile and isn’t exactly an under-appreciated show, but at the same time was never really on my radar until this year -- I feel like I’ve been let in on the world’s worst kept secret 

I’m also currently rewatching it and am near the end of s4, so I need to get on with the single-season rundowns of s2+3, which I haven’t gotten around to yet. what can I say, my process is to write out how I feel, so many more words will happen

there’s also something interesting about watching this right now in the landscape of tv, in which the ability to make anything -- never mind something that’s 11 seasons -- is severely curtailed and monopolized. I’ve watched a fair few things pre-2000s (mainly star trek), but really getting to spend time with a theme, watching it get poked and prodded and dealt with in so many ways throughout the story (and thinking that there are things I wish I had seen more of, like more perspectives from Korean characters, more episodes about Margaret’s increasingly complex relationship to the army, any episode that gives us a new Charles detail, idk... couple more with Sid, RIP we’ll never get that deep-dive into wtf is wrong with BJ) is something you don’t really get the opportunity to do these days. 

I have been somewhat exhausted by every time a new show is the Biggest Best Most Exhilarating Thing lately, so I think I’ll stick around the 60s-80s for a bit (I haven’t watched Columbo since I was a kid and I’ve never seen Magnum P.I.) 

I love how you can tell everyone loves Hawkeye so much even though this phonecall is painful to listen to

A peace talks announcement this early in this episode is clearly a fakeout

Klinger is so adorable when he's in love

I forgot about Charles' musician friends!

Where did BJ get the motorcycle? Is it the one that the reporter broke? The story is unclear

Poor Sydney looks equally as tired as Hawkeye

Oh boy here we go

Wait, not there quite yet

BJ, honey, you're not going home yet

Father Mulcahy my beloved

I forgot that he damaged his hearing doing something heroic

Chickens… oh no. Now here we go

Why do they keep cutting away from Hawkeye? 

Oh yeah I forgot BJ visits Hawkeye

He can't tell him he's going home...

Wait did Hawkeye just reference the movie where gaslighting gets its name from? 

"There might be something we wanted to say to each other before we left" 😭😭😭

Oh fuck the chicken is back

This scene breaks me every time

Damn they sent Hawkeye back to work way too quickly

(And Sydney's explanation is BS)

"I've gotta leave a note for Hawkeye" 😭😭😭😭😭

Oh Charles just admit you care about BJ

Colonel Potter you wily, sentimental bastard

Is Charles actually trained in conducting or is he just a pretentious ass? 

Why are they dragging up old arguments between Charles and Margaret? 

Oh god oh fuck Hawkeye just found out BJ left him the same way Trapper did

There goes Klinger again, having one of the biggest character arcs in the entire show

Colonel Potter trying to explain to Sophie that he cant take her home is absolutely devastating

Oh shit yeah the wild fire, I forgot that's why they bug out

It's scenes like the bug out when I realize how much of the camp we never see

BJ MY BELOVED

Boys, kiss and make up already, the bitterness is killing me

Klinger and Soon-Lee really are a beautiful femme for femme couple (not my joke but it bears repeating) 

Is that Margaret in a Hawaiian shirt? My gay heart can't take it

Oh Hawkeye...the reminder that BJ has a domestic life to go back to must be part of his fear of kids 

The war is over! You know, the 3 year war that lasted 11 years

But it's not over for the doctors or the wounded

The return to the burned out camp is so sad

Sydney helping out in OR warms my heart though

"There's nothing here I'm gonna miss... except you" FELLAS

Oh fuck one of Charles' musician friends

Scratch that, all of his musician friends

"What good is a deaf priest?...Are you [god] deaf too?" Aaaaaaaaaaaaaa

And there it is, the ceasefire is official. But again, the doctors' work goes on for awhile longer

Nurse Kellye my beloved

Hawkeye indirectly calling Portland a big city is the most Maine thing I've ever heard and also hilarious

KLINGER YOU BEAUTIFUL HUMAN

I love how he went from trying anything and everything to get out of Korea to staying after everyone else goes home

Why are Colonel Potter's goodbyes always the hardest to watch? 

I hate goodbyes so much and there's so many to sit through

The Hawkeye/Margaret kiss is comphet in action and they deserved a much better scene since they've been through so much together

Babes this doesn't have to be the end for you

Hawkeye that's gay

BJ that's even gayer