Transformers: Animated is NOT "GeeWun." It never has been; it never will be. So stop trying to wish it to be.

On the other hand, Transformers: Animated is NOT a perfect show either. The jokes fall flat, the plotlines are usually predictable and on occasion the cast can be quite annoying.

Now that that's out of the way, I can explain what this show is: It's new, its innovative, and its probably the best Transformers television show to hit the airwaves in over a decade.

For the first time in a long time, this show actually puts focus on the characters- giving them personalities and quirks rather than expecting the audience to just take things at face value. The show has a tremendous amount of potential, and I can only hope it lives up to it.

M*A*S*H is unique among television programming. There wasn't anything like it before it aired, and there hasn't really been anything like it since. IT was a pinnacle of television history, and remains among people's favorite programs to this day. But, nothing lasts forever. After a run of 11 seasons (more than three times longer than the actual war this show portrayed), everyone- cast, crew and creators- decided that the time had come to say goodbye. Rather than the simplistic, straightforward ending originally outlined by early cast members, the folks in charge decided that after all this time a great deal of closure was needed. So, an elaborate farewell was planned to give a proper send-off to the crew of 4077th. Everyone got a chance to shine one last time while announcing their plans after the conclusion of the war:


*Col. Potter, after guiding the camp through yet another bug-out, bids a fond farewell to his faithful steed Sophie before heading home to his wife at long last. *BJ Hunnicutt receives a preliminary discharge order and eagerly heads out in the hope of coming back to Mill Valley in time for his daughter Erin's 2nd birthday- only to be sent right back for one last round of surgery and chaos in Korea before he finally gets sent home to his beloved family. *Margaret Houlihan, after so long spending time running the chaos of an army hospital, decides to follow through with her heart's desire- being a REGULAR nurse, away from all the frantic horrors of war. *Charles Winchester is at last granted the position Chief of Thoracic Surgery at a prestigious Boston hospital (due in part to help from Margaret, something Winchester is not initially thrilled by). Charles ventures out early one morning and encounters a group of Chinese musicians. After witnessing some potential in their playing, Winchester begins teaching these POW's to play Mozart. Tragically, the musicians are killed soon after their departure from the 4077th, and Charles finds that his one true solace-music-irrevocably stained with blood. Humbled by this final experience, Charles makes amends with Margaret and his bunkmates before departing with an air of dignity. *Father Mulcahy, trying to save a few remaining prisoners, is injured by an explosive blast and faces permanent hearing loss. Disillusioned, Mulcahey decides to stay behind after the war has ended, to care for other deaf souls. *Hawkeye, who has experienced war longer than virtually anyone else, suffers a nervous breakdown brought on by a traumatic experience one night on an ambulance with some refugees. Thanks to the aid of ever-loyal Dr. Sidney Freeman, Hawkeye brings himself back to reality in time for one last party at 4077th. With the war over, Hawekeye can finally live out his dream career- being a typical civilian doctor who talks with and cares about his patients, rather than enduring an endless stream of casualties. Finally, Klinger winds up in a position nobody could've expected- he's fallen in love with a Korean refugee named Soon-Lee. After a lot of soul-searching, Klinger proposes marriages. Soon-Lee accepts, but still intends to search Korea until finding her family. Which means that, after all this time trying to leave, Klinger will be STAYING in Korea longer than everyone else! All of this and more happens as the final shots of the Korean War are fired and the camp we have grown so fond of is broken apart. As the last helicopter flies over the horizon for good, a single word is spelled out with the remaining rocks on the ground- "GOOODBYE," bidding a fond farewell to M*A*S*H 4077, and the people who called it home.

Without a doubt one of my favorite episodes of the series. Charlie meets up with a former girlfriend- "Former" being the objective word because she's now a man, meaning Charlie's hedonistic ways have come back to haunt him in a form nobody could have imagined.

When Charlie brings his "new" friend home, Alan remains oblivious while their mother instantly swoops down and pursues a romance with the handsome newcomer. Alan & Charlie are both disgusted by this- both for different reasons.

I think what makes this episode so funny is the reactions of the various characters as they learn Bill's secret. Charlie drinks, Alan is dumbfounded and Berta-as always- watches gleefully as everything comes to a conclusion.

"There are certain rules in a war- Rule Number One is that young men die. Rule Number Two is that doctors can't change rule number one." ~ Henry Blake.

If Henry only knew how prophetic that quote would be.

This episode taught us that even the 4077th is not immune to the horrors of war. For some time now, we've been seeing them try hard to deal with the war as more of an inconvenience than anything else. This time, more than ever, the war became a reality-and a harsh one at that.

A lot of people were upset at this ending. They found it a cruel way to remove one of the most beloved characters. But the decision is quite appropriate- the writers didn't want the fictional Henry Blake to come home because a lot of REAL people didn't come home in the same way. It wouldn't be fair for people to watch the televised happy ending that had been so unfairly denied to their sons or brothers or fathers.

Truly one of the most influential moments in television history.

With wounded piling up and no way to get them out, the members of the 4077th are exhausted and taking to sleeping on the job. But, even in "Dreams," they cannot escape; all are still haunted by the war.

*Major Houlihan finds herself on a field in a wedding dress with the man of her dreams (literally), only to have him join a procession of soldiers and to find her wedding dress stained with blood.

*BJ meets up with his beloved wife for one more dance, only to find that they are both dancing through patients in the operating room.

*Father Mulcahey imagines himself in the garb of His Holiness the Pope and preparing to speak to the masses, only to see that the crucifix above him contains not the sactred figure of Jesus, but the bloody remains of a soldier.



*Klinger dreams of traveling home to Toledo, only to look in the window of his favorite cafe-and see the operating room at M*A*S*H, with his own face on the table.

*Winchester appears in the operating room and begins performing- as a magician. Despite all the miraculous tricks he performs, he cannot save the life of a wounded soldier.

*Col. Potter rides on horseback towards a small house, hearing the voice of his beloved wife- only to be rudely awakened as more wounded arrive.

*Hawkeye finds himself back in a classroom, discussing amputation of limbs. When he cannot answer the questions, Hawkeye must sacrifice his own limbs. He travels downriver to find a wounded child, who Hawkeye is expected to operate on even though he no longer has limbs to hold a scalpel. Pierce cries out in frustration-only to be awakened by the sound of choppers bringing even more wounded.

While the unique spiritual visions of the doctors and staff may seem disjointed, all dreams in this episode have one thing in common- everyone's fear that the thing they value most (skills, desires, loved ones, even life itself) will be taken by the war.

An eerie yet still amusing episode.