Dear Sigmund
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| "Dear Sigmund" | |
|---|---|
| M*A*S*H episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 5 Episode 8 |
| Directed by | Alan Alda |
| Written by | Alan Alda |
| Production code | U-810 |
| Original air date | September 18, 1976 |
"Dear Sigmund" is the 8th episode of the fifth season of the television series M*A*S*H. It first aired on CBS on September 18, 1976. The episode was conceived, written and directed by cast member Alan Alda, who played Hawkeye Pierce on the show.
Psychiatrist Sidney Freedman (Allan Arbus) is having trouble working after one of his patients, whom he thought he had helped, dies by suicide. He believes "there's something special" about the 4077th, so he goes to a poker game there one night and decides to remain for several weeks, to work through his feelings.
During his time there, he writes a letter addressed to the deceased Sigmund Freud. In the letter, he describes the members of the 4077th and recalls stories about them; for instance, Klinger pretends to have been hit in the head by a helicopter blade and speaks only Arabic, Hawkeye Pierce deals with a bomber pilot who needs to learn the consequences of war, and Radar processes the accidental death of an ambulance driver, including writing a letter to the dead man's parents. The main 'action' during the camp's downtime is when people are victimized by an unknown practical joker. B.J. Hunnicutt turns out to be the joker; at one point, he fills Frank Burns' air raid bunker with water, coats the eyepieces of Colonel Potter's binoculars with black ink and enlists Sidney's help by having him shout "Air raid!" to lure Frank into the trap.
Revitalized, Sidney ultimately departs the 4077th, realizing that happiness is "like springtime at MASH. If you can't see it or find it, you just go ahead and make it", and he's "coaxing a little bud to grow" inside himself. As he drives off, he finds himself the latest target of B.J.'s jokes.
Production
Alda was a regular writer for the program, as well as a cast member. He had long been impressed by Arbus's acting skills as a psychiatrist, initially believing him to be a subject expert and turning to him for psychiatric advice. The pair's friendship continued past the end of M*A*S*H's run.[1][2]
When Alda first told producer Gene Reynolds about his idea for the episode, Reynolds warned him that "if you ask an actor to play depressed, it'll be depressing for the audience". As a result, Alda made sure when writing the script that Freedman was cheerful on the outside and that his depression remained beneath the surface.[3]
After the series concluded, Alda described the episode as one of his favorites.[1][3]
