CaptEquinox
(4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Jul 6th 2018 at 1:26:57 PM
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I just have to say that I like this analysis of Frank's character and the hamhanded way the writers handled it. I always thought they should have done a sort of "There's a little bit of Frank Burns in all of us." Thank you.
I have found that it is the small everyday deed of ordinary folks that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love. - Tolkien
Frank's character could have been placed on the path towards redemption if "House Arrest" had been written differently. Instead of Hawkeye turning into the Black Hole Sue for the episode, he could have gone along the lines of, "Frank Burns is a lot of things, but rapist is not one of them," and the camp could have put the Manipulative Bitch nurse in her place by showing what happens if someone messes with one of their own, even if it's Frank. This could have led Frank to be humbled a little and drop the assault charge against Hawkeye.
Something like this is done in a later episode when Hawkeye says Frank saved the camp by stopping the runaway tank. Of course it's a lie, Col. Potter doesn't believe it, and it's used for blackmail, but the matter is dropped without incident.
Would doing so have stopped Frank from crossing the Moral Event Horizon in "The Gun?" Maybe, but it would have also put Frank Burns on a different character path rather than sticking him so deep into a hole that even Larry Linville felt the character was hopeless.
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