Episode 129 - Images

Season 6, Episode 129: Images
Original Air Date: 11/15/77
Written by: Burt Prelutsky
Directed by: Burt Metcalfe

A patient in surgery is covered with tattoos, to the amazement of everyone in the O.R. Also during that same session, a newly-arrived Nurse named Cooper (Susan Blanchard) runs out on B.J. during an operation when she gets overwhelmed at what she sees.

Margaret reads Cooper the riot act, telling her that if she does that again she'll be transferred out. Some of the other nurses ask Hawkeye and B.J. to get Margaret to ease up on Cooper, but she's not having any of it.

Radar later asks the G.I. with all the tattoos about them, saying he wants to get one too. The G.I. (Larry Block) is very pro-tattoo, and when he one of the benefits of them is "the ladies won't leave you alone", that's all Radar needs to hear.

Meanwhile, Margaret has Cooper transferred out of O.R. duty, and recommends her transfer to Col. Potter.

When Potter gets Margaret's request, he has a talk with her in his office, where he turns the transfer down. Margaret is angry at being overruled, and says she'll only go along with it "if it's an order." Potter says it is, and Margaret storms out.

Radar turns to Hawkeye and B.J. for advice about a tattoo, but they are totally against it. Radar though is still determined to get one, so they accompany him to Rosie's Bar when he gets it to make sure everything is as antiseptic as possible.

While there, they meet a friendly Sergeant (John Durren) who is covered in tattoos, but gives Radar some horror stories about getting them, and tells him in no uncertain terms not to get one. Radar is swayed by this argument, until Klinger wanders in and spills the beans that this whole thing was a set-up. Radar, angry at being fooled, marches off to the back room to get his tattoo.

Meanwhile, Margaret overhears some nurses talking that the camp mutt (that Margaret had taken a shine to) was hit by a jeep and killed. She gets so upset she storms back to her tent, bumping into Hawkeye. He senses something is wrong, and after some pushing she starts to break down. In her tent, she insists she's not upset about the dog, but eventually the tears start to come.

Later in Post Op, Margaret talks to Nurse Cooper, and apologizes for being so tough. She leaves Cooper with the advice, "Just don't let it get to you."

In Radar's office, Hawkeye, B.J., and Col. Potter demand to see Radar's tattoo. Despite his protests, he is forced to drop his pants and show the tattoo he got on his rear end--a tiny teddy bear.

But its not a real tattoo--Radar was so afraid of the needle he had them draw it in with ink. Explaining it'll come off when he takes a bath, Hawkeye responds with, "My God, it is permanent."


Fun Facts: There's a scene in the Mess Tent between Margaret and Winchester, and after she leaves Winchester calls her "a spirited woman" with wide-eyed admiration. It seems like the writers were planting seeds of a possible romance between the two, but obviously nothing ever came of it.

There's also a scene in the Swamp where Winchester defends Gen. MacArthur after Hawkeye and B.J. make fun of him, in a speech similar to something you'd hear come out of Frank Burns' mouth. In later seasons, Winchester would make comments suggesting he follows politics only as how it relates to business, so this speech feels like a leftover from the show's previous dynamic.

Favorite Line: B.J. makes a crack about Winchester's dough, and he replies sarcastically, "Money, money, money." Hawkeye retorts: "Quiet, he's praying."