AfterM*A*S*H Episode 5 - Night Shift

Season 1, Episode 5: Night Shift
Original Air Date: 10/24/83
Written by: Everett Greenbaum and Elliott Reed
Directed by: Edward H. Feldman

Dr. Pfeiffer is forced to stay on duty overnight at General General when his relief calls out sick. Already having put in a full day, he's exhausted and a bit short-tempered about being stuck there all night.

Meanwhile, Col. Potter is trying to have a romantic night with his wife, but gets interrupted when Dr. Pfeiffer calls looking for advice on a case. After a few moments, he grows distracted from his dinner and decides to head in to the hospital.

When he arrives, he sees Klinger working late, too. He asks why Klinger isn't home with Soon-Lee, but Klinger won't answer and jumps in the elevator.

Col. Potter assists Pfeiffer in surgery, and he notices that Pfeiffer is barely able to stay awake. Pfeiffer claims its because he's working such a long day, but Potter isn't buying it. Pfeiffer admits he's moonlighting at another hospital--"The only way to make ends meet", he claims. Potter is sympathetic, and offers to stay on duty while Pfeiffer gets some sleep.

There's more trouble--a fight breaks out between two patients (after one of them makes a racist remark towards the other), Father Mulcahy tries to sneak in the young son of a patient even though its against the rules, and then the elevator breaks down with Father Mulcahy and a young woman named Sarah (a prostitute posing as a nurse, played by Carolsue Walker) stuck inside.

We find out that Klinger is working all night to find three mattresses missing from inventory, which are being used (unbeknownst to him) in a prostitution racket involving the young woman and her pseudo-pimp (David Graf) being run in a back room of the hospital!

After talking with Mulcahy, Sarah decides to go straight, and gives up her life on the street. She tells Klinger where to find the missing mattresses, and departs. Col. Potter finally goes home, to find Mildred already in bed, the whole romantic evening a washout.


Fun Facts: The guy who accompanies Pfeiffer's patient is played by actor/comedian Blake Clark, who also played an MP in "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen." (He's the MP who ships the North Korean musicians away in the truck)

Actor David Graf also appeared on M*A*S*H, as the tough-as-nails Lieutenant in Season Ten's "A Holy Mess."

There's a scene in the elevator where Sarah talks about a great movie she saw, The Song of Bernadette. Father Mulcahy says he's never seen it, even though he mentions how much he liked it in an episode of M*A*S*H.

Mike D'Angelo and Alma Cox do not appear in this episode.


Favorite Line: Sarah, trapped in the elevator with Mulcahy, is scared he knows who she is. Before he can get half a sentence out, she immediately defends herself with, "Father, I had a terrible childhood!"