Episode 204 - Operation Friendship

Season 9, Episode 204: Operation Friendship
Original Air Date: 1/26/81
Written by: Dennis Koenig
Directed by: Rena Down

After a session in OR, Klinger forgets to put some of the supplies away. Winchester trips over it, causing him to bellow at Klinger for his forgetfulness.

While standing over Klinger telling him how to do his job, the camp's generator fizzles out for a moment. That causes the Autoclave to malfunction, and it begins to emit a loud whistle. Klinger gets up and pushes Winchester out of the way, just at the exact moment B.J. walks in to see what all the noise is.

The Autoclave then blows its hatch, shooting a geyser of steam, blowing B.J. across the room into the wall!

Potter runs in, and sees that B.J. is shaken up. Claiming he's fine, he sends B.J. back to the Swamp to rest. He then tends to Klinger, who broke his nose on a stretcher while shoving Winchester out of the way.

Winchester is stunned and humbled at Klinger's act of bravery, and insists on taking care of Klinger with the utmost care. To that end, he offers to fill in for Klinger as Company Clerk while he's on the mend.

Back at the Swamp, Hawkeye is nervous about B.J., who still insists he's fine. They take an x-ray, and don't see anything wrong. But Hawkeye isn't reassured when B.J. drops a martini onto the floor of the Swamp, the glass smashing to bits.

Potter calls in a replacement surgeon, who arrives later that night--Captain Norman Traeger (Tim O'Connor). He asks to examine B.J., brusquely shoving Hawkeye out of the way, who is immediately offended.

Turns out Traeger is a specialist in this kind of injury, and he doesn't have any time for Hawkeye's opinions. Or B.J.'s, for that matter. After initially not finding anything, Hawkeye and Traeger break out into an argument, which Potter has to put the kibosh on.

The next morning, wounded arrives, and B.J.'s arm is causing him serious pain, but he won't let on. Hawkeye snipes at Traeger, who he is convinced won't be able to handle the pressure.

But Traeger is a superb surgeon, quick and able. When Hawkeye butts in on one of his patients, he's embarrassed when he sees that Traeger has handled everything perfectly.

Helping out in Pre-Op, B.J.'s bumps his wounded hand, and he doubles over in pain. He heads into OR, finally admitting he's got a real problem--his hand is white as a sheet, and he can barely move it.

They determine that B.J. has a Compartment Hemorrhage, and that if it isn't operated on immediately he'll lose the use of his hand. Hawkeye, swallowing his pride, orders Traeger to work on B.J., since he is the expert, taking Traeger's current patient. Traeger makes a crack at Hawkeye's expense, which B.J. doesn't take too well to.

Later, B.J. is recuperating, and both he and Hawkeye congratulate Traeger on his fine work. Traeger, instead of being magnanimous, says, "What did you expect? I'm not an intern, you know", and walks out of the Swamp.

Hawkeye and B.J. break into stunned laughter over Traeger's ego. B.J. says he should've "died, right there on the table", just to show Traeger up.


Fun Facts: As a kid, I absolutely loved B.J.'s line (see below) defending Hawkeye. I would've killed to have had a friend like that.

Actor Tim O'Connor played an angry Colonel in Season Four's "Of Moose and Men", who also had a real problem with Hawkeye.

The B-plot revolves around Klinger taking advantage of Winchester's attempts to make amends. He has Winchester read him Mickey Spillane's "I, The Jury" out loud, but the paperback they read from was not published until the late 1950s.


Favorite Line: When Traeger, about to operate on B.J., mocks Hawkeye one too many times, B.J. says: "Better watch what you say, Traeger--I've still got one good hand."