Episode 29 - Dr. Pierce and Mr. Hyde

Season 2, Episode 29: Dr. Pierce and Mr. Hyde
Original Air Date: 10/13/73
Written by: Alan Alda and Robert Klane
Directed by: Jackie Cooper

After a particularly grueling session in O.R., Hawkeye is a zombie, eyelids only half open.

But before he and Trapper can crawl back into their cots, more wounded arrive, and Hawkeye insists on helping out, even though he's been operating for 20 straight hours. He ignores Henry's order to get some sleep.

He finishes another shift, and Henry orders Radar to put Hawkeye to bed. But once again, before he has the chance to get into bed, more wounded arrive, and Hawkeye goes back to work.

Night falls, and Hawkeye is unable and/or unwilling to sleep. He wanders the camp, taking notes, chatting aimiably with Frank(!), and then he wakes Trapper up and they have a conversation about how the war got started. Trapper tries to talk Hawkeye down, telling him just to go to sleep, but Hawkeye won't listen.

He then wanders into Radar's office, singing sad songs from WW II, and then finally writing up a telegram to President Truman, asking "Who's responsible?"

The telegram makes its way to Truman, which of course catches the attention of General Clayton. While Hawkeye wanders around, talking with Frank and one of the chopper pilots. During one of Frank's weekly lectures, he suggests the reason the Communists have gone to war because "Many of them have never even seen a bathroom, and believe you me, they want one."

Henry and Trapper decided to drug Hawkeye and knock him out by force, and they pour the sedative into his drink.

As they wait for it to kick in, Clayton arrives in camp, just as Hawkeye is preparing to have the 4077's latrine dragged off, presumably into North Korea. Clayton inadvertently steps inside, in time to have it dragged away by Hawkeye by jeep.



Fun Facts: The scene with Hawkeye in Radar's office is touching--as Hawkeye sings one of the songs he remembers from World War II, he begins to tear up, lost in some memory.

The final scene, with Henry and Trapper in The Swamp while Hawkeye is asleep, is one that was always cut from the syndicated version of the show, so I never got to see it until I bought the DVDs. Its a great scene, as Henry and Trapper discuss the war and Hawkeye's reaction to it.

Henry states he's no more happy to be in Korea than Hawkeye is, and adds, "If we had any guts, you, me, and the Masked Marvel there would take the first latrine out of here."


Favorite Line: As Radar is dragging Hawkeye to bed, he tries to whistle at some nurses, but fails. He asks kiddingly how you whistle, "It has something to do with the lips, right?"

Radar: "We had a preacher back home who whistled while he preached."

Hawkeye: "I hope he was run out of town, the filthy hypocrite."