Original Air Date: 4/6/81
Written by: David Pollock & Elias Davis
Directed by: Harry Morgan
In Post Op, there are only a few patients. One of them, B.J.'s patient, is named Lowry and neither B.J. or Hawkeye are sure whether he'll pull through.
The one person certain he'll be okay is his best friend, Sturgis (Patrick Swayze), who is confident that his friend will live, despite Hawkeye and B.J.'s uncertainty.
Meanwhile, Col. Potter delivers what he thinks is good news to Father Mulcahy: Cardinal James Reardon is coming to visit the 4077th. Mulcahy is happy but sent into a panic when he learns that Reardon will be arriving in just two days! Mulcahy is terrified, and figures there's no way he can get everything ready in time.
Back in Post Op, B.J. prepares to give Lowry a pint of blood. Sturgis offers to donate it, since they have the same blood type. Hawkeye and B.J. agree.
Saturday night, things are swinging in the O Club, and Father Mulcahy is furious with everyone for their inability to stop drinking, fighting, and gambling for the two days leading up to Reardon's visit.
B.J. finds Hawkeye in the lab, telling him Lowry is stable enough for the transfusion. But Hawkeye has some terrible news: Sturgis has Leukemia.
They debate what to do: B.J. thinks Sturgis should know, so he can "make the most out of the time he has left", but Hawkeye is concerned that it might "take the life right out of him."
After several blood tests, Sturgis starts to get suspicious--what's going on, he demands of Hawkeye. When Hawkeye calls him Gary, he begins to worry, and asks, "Is there something wrong with me?"
Hawkeye does his best to gently deliver the news. At the same time, he tells him directly that, if he does have the disease, "Your chances aren't too good."
Hawkeye recommends that Sturgis be sent to Tokyo, where he can be examined more fully, and, since his disease is in the early stages, treatments can start immediately.
Meanwhile, Cardinal Reardon arrives, ahead of schedule. Father Mulcahy is of course nervous, but Reardon (Ray Middleton) is warm and friendly. He even asks if they can all get a drink in the Officers Club. Which they can't, after Igor stumbles out onto the compound and drunkenly passes out.
Father Mulcahy is incensed, and he wanders into the Mess Tent, where he finds Hawkeye sitting alone. He complains about how everyone is making his life miserable. After ranting for a few moments, he asks whether Hawkeye is just going to sit there and say nothing?
Hawkeye tells him what he just had to do in Post Op, which brings Mulcahy back from his own problems. He heads off to Post Op to talk to Sturgis.
The next morning, Hawkeye finds Father Mulcahy and Sturgis, who obviously stayed up all night talking. Sturgis seems much happier, even laughing out loud.
He asks to stick around for when his friend wakes up, but Hawkeye wants Sturgis to go to Tokyo so he can start treatment. Sturgis argues that its his life, he should be able to do with it what he wants. Hawkeye begins to argue, but Father Mulcahy interrupts him.
He shows Hawkeye that Sturgis going off to Tokyo will make Hawkeye feel better, more than it will do for Sturgis. Hawkeye, seeing the light, agrees, and tells Sturgis he can stay as long as he likes.
Klinger finds Father Mulcahy, who is supposed to be in the Mess Tent to start the Sunday services, which Mulcahy completely forgot about.
In his bathrobe, Mulcahy delivers a sermon about two men: one selfish, concerned only with himself; the other a man who makes a courageous gesture of friendship. Mulcahy breaks down, admitting the first man is himself.
Cardinal Reardon gets up, hugs Mulcahy, and says, "You're a hard act to follow."
Fun Facts: The moment when Cardinal Reardon arrives is one of the very few (maybe only) moments in M*A*S*H when the humor derives from a sort of ironic distance: There's a flurry of intros between Potter, Klinger, Father Mulcahy, and Reardon, all involving their respective ranks: "Corporal, Cardinal, Captain, Father...", etc.
Its like an Abbott & Costello routine, and one of the rare times the series derived humor from the viewer sitting back and watching the scene--the characters themselves aren't trying to be funny.
Favorite Line: Hawkeye and B.J.'s discussion whether to tell Sturgis the news spills over to their own feelings on the subject. B.J. asks wouldn't Hawkeye want to know, and he counters with, "Would you want to tell me?"
4 comments:
I think this is another one of those episodes where I caught the tail-end of it, because Father Mulcahy giving a sermon in his pajamas and robe strikes a chord. I don't remember Patrick Swayze, though (although I know he was in this episode; he's one of the "before they were famous" guest-stars you always see paraded out for MASH).
In general I always like Father Mulcahy stories, even though this one again is a bit too much Hawkeye for my taste. Why couldn't it have been Charles? ;-)
Nice dove-tail of the two plots, though.
Charles or BJ would have been equally believable in Hawkeye's place, here. Interestingly, I think that each of them could well have insisted Sturgis get treated immediately, only to be gently chided by Francis...
An ironic tragedy, Patrick Swayze's character is diagnosed with a form of cancer. In real life the legendary Patrick Swayze died of another form of cancer.
Ironic, poignant, great acting,fantastic writing. This one has it all in a very balanced way. William Christopher sermon was well acted and loved the hug from Reardon, his enormous hand covering 90% of the Padre's back. Per the 1st post here, I tried to imagine Charles or BJ playing Hawkeye's part and I know either of them would have worked equally well. Hawkeye, being the focal point of the M*A*S*H characters, doesn't always get the attention; Charles' near death experience (shot through his cap; having to suck up his bragging to the concert pianist with the damaged right hand. All of the main cast do get their turns. The one with Sidney Friedman, "Dear Sigmund" comes to mind.
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