Episode 168 - Ain't Love Grand?

Season 7, Episode 168: Ain't Love Grand?
Original Air Date: 3/5/79
Written by: Ken Levine & David Isaacs
Directed by: Mike Farrell

After a month straight of nothing but OR to Mess Tent to The Swamp, Hawkeye, B.J., and Winchester are sick to death of each other. Hawkeye suggests getting a drink at Rosie's, and Winchester agrees--but only if Hawkeye and B.J. stay behind.

At Rosie's, Winchester ends up talking to a pretty girl named Sooni (Sylvia Chang), and even though she's blunt and coarse, Winchester ends up taking a shine to her.

Klinger also meets someone, a Lieutenant Debbie Clark (Kit McDonough), who is completely charmed by Klinger's outsize and unique personality.

Winchester ends up falling for Sooni, mostly because he thinks he can educate, in a sort of Eliza Doolittle manner. He buys her a nice dress (part of the Klinger Collection), teaches her table manners, and tries to get her interested in classical music.

But, despite Winchester's best efforts, Sooni isn't interested in his efforts. She's a working girl, and doesn't see herself as anything more than that, and constantly rebuffs Winchester's attempts to make her into something else.

Meanwhile, Klinger and Debbi are having a good time together, until Klinger reveals that he has fallen for her, hard, and he's been thinking that they'd be together after the war: a house with a white picket fence, kids...the works.

This unnerves Debbie, who was really only interested in whatever good times they can both squeeze out in this miserable place. Klinger is hurt, thinking what they had was much more than that. He reveals himself as a huge romantic, and if its just a "good time" Debbie wants...then he's not really interested.

After another day, Sooni has finally had enough of Winchester and his interests. After hearing one too many poems, she bails on him, saying she's "just a working girl" and leaves him there in Rosie's, devastated and embarrassed.

Later, Hawkeye and B.J. have a drink at Rosie's with Winchester to try and cheer him up. Klinger is there, drunk, singing torch songs. Winchester gets up and joins him.


Fun Facts: The first episode of the series directed by Mike Farrell.

Radar does not appear in this episode.


Favorite Line: Hawkeye and B.J., without Winchester around, are sick of each other. When Hawkeye mentions that Winchester didn't come home last night, B.J. tersely comments: "At least one of us with someone interesting last night."

Hawkeye, in mock outrage: "...Well!"