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Season 3, Episode 61: Mad Dogs & Servicemen
Original Air Date: 12/10/74
Written by: Linda Bloodworth & Mary Kay Place
Directed by: Hy Averback
Hawkeye notices a small bite on Radar's hand, and asks him where he got it. When Radar off-handedly mentions it was from a dog bite, Hawkeye gets concerned--it could be rabies. He tells Radar he needs to find that dog.
Meanwhile, he and Trapper are having trouble with Frank over a patient. There's a corporal named Travis who is paralyzed, even though he doesn't show any wounds. Frank wants him transferred, but Hawkeye and Trapper disobey him and have Travis taken in.
Hawkeye calls Sidney Freedman for help, but Sidney says he's too busy to come. He tells Hawkeye to try and deal with Travis on his own--but it won't be easy: he can't treat Travis like he's physically wounded, lest the psychological trauma he suffered become real.
Travis thinks Hakweye is cruel, and protests that he wants to move, but can't. Hawkeye doesn't reveal its all an act, but confides to Trapper how sick it makes him having to act this way.
He tries to get Travis to talk about what happened, but he can't, or won't.
Meanwhile, Henry and Radar try and find the dog that bit him. The trail leads them to Rosie's Bar, where they ask Rosie (Shizuko Hoshi) for help. After they think they've found the right dog--one that ended up as an older Korean couple's meal (bleah!)--they realize its not the one they're looking for. With no time left, Henry tells Radar he needs to start getting the rabies shots.
Travis starts getting the initiative to crawl to the Mess Tent to get some food, which everyone takes as a good sign. But they realize he probably won't ever talk to Hawkeye, so Trapper volunteers.
He talks with Travis about their mutual home town of Boston, and eventually Travis is ready to talk about what happened: he saw a bunch of his buddies killed in front of him, and Travis got so petrified that he did nothing. Feeling guilty he couldn't defend his friends, his body essentially shut down.
Later, out on the compound, the dog that bit Radar wanders back into camp. Henry and Trapper chase it, eventually capturing it. They discover the dog isn't rabid, so Henry delivers the good news that Radar doesn't need any more shots!
Back in Henry's office, Frank and Hot Lips insist that Travis be shipped out. But they are all shocked when Travis wanders in, on his own two feet, smiling and cheerful. As Frank contemplates he was wrong--again--Henry, Hawkeye, and Trapper take Travis to the Mess Tent for a cup of coffee.
Fun Facts: Frank calls what's wrong with Travis "Shell Shock", which Trapper dismisses as cruel and old-school. While Trapper's heart is in the right place, its ironic to think that Shell Shock may have been the right term (listen to this routine by the late, great George Carlin on the subject).
This episode features the first appearance of Rosie, from Rosie's Bar. Over time, the Rosie character would be played by three different actresses.
There's a scene where Hot Lips, being unusually kind, reads a letter sent to Radar for him. Its from a young girl pen pal Radar has, and she mentions her favorite song is by Bo Diddley. Pretty hip for a mid-western farm girl in 1951!
Favorite Line: Hawkeye, Trapper, and Henry are hanging out in Henry's office when Frank asks to come in. Henry denies being in, but Frank insists he can hear Henry inside.
Trapper: "Very good, Frank! Now can you guess what he's wearing?"
Season 3, Episode 54: Springtime
Original Air Date: 10/8/74
Written by: Linda Bloodworth & Mary Kay Place
Directed by: Don Weis
Its, for once, a beautiful day in Korea. Spring has sprung, and each of the 4077th has a different way of enjoying the day--Trapper wants to grab some booze, a girl, and a jeep, while Hawkeye just wants to sleep.
Radar takes notice of a new nurse, Lt. Simmons (Mary Kay Place), sunning herself in her bathing suit. Frank and Hot Lips go on a picnic, while Henry plays some golf. Meanwhile, Klinger gets some exciting news--his girlfriend Laverne has agreed to marry him!
Hawkeye befriends a patient of his, Marine Sgt. Lyle Wesson (Alex Karras), who isn't all that bright, but is very sweet and a little too overenthusiastic--he insists on paying Hawkeye back for patching him up, despite Hawkeye saying--repeatedly--that its not necessary. Wesson doesn't listen, and acts as Hawkeye's man-servant, going so far as to kicking people out of their seats in the Mess Tent to Hawkeye and Trapper have a place to sit down.
Radar tries to get to know Lt. Simmons, partly by pretending to read poetry. It works a little too well--Lt. Simmons becomes enflamed by passion, leaping onto Radar and smothering him in kisses!
At the same time, Henry patches through a call to Laverne back in Toledo, and she and Klinger proceed to get married over the phone via Father Mulcahy. Hot Lips and Frank burst in, demanding the wedding be stopped because its against regulations.
When they won't let up, even after Hawkeye tells them to pipe down, Lyle takes it upon himself and picks up Frank, twirling him in the air until he's dizzy! Hawkeye convinces Lyle to put Frank down, but by then the couple have both said "I do."
While everyone is celebrating, Radar walks in, looking dazed, his hair mussed, shirt open, covered in lipstick. He's not sure what happened!
Fun Facts: When Klinger reads the letter from Laverne, he jumps up and runs toward the camp in joy. For a brief moment, you can see that Jamie Farr is wearing sneakers!
This episode is co-written by Lt. Simmons herself, Mary Kay Place.
Favorite Line: Radar asks Hawkeye and Trapper for advice concerning Lt. Simmons. They suggest taking her to the movies, and Radar is impressed: "Wow, that's a great idea!"
Trapper: "Thanks, we invented it."
Hawkeye: "We get a 2-cent royalty every time a guy asks a girl to a movie."
Original Air Date: 12/15/73
Written by: Linda Bloodworth & Mary Kay Place
Directed by: Jackie Cooper
Hot Lips gets a letter from an old friend, Tricia Spaulding, telling her that She is getting married--to a man Hot Lips turned down.
Also in mail call, Frank gets a letter from his stockbroker, telling him his stocks--all from arms manufacturers--are going up, and Henry gets a film in the mail from the Tobasco Film Company of Havana, Cuba, which he is very excited about!
Hot Lips seems testy during O.R., and she's testy again with Frank when they're alone. Frank asks her why, and Hot Lips breaks down, saying she's deeply unhappy with the life she has, especially compared to the life she could've had with the doctor she turned down.
Hot Lips storms into Henry's office, into the middle of Henry, Hawkeye, and Trapper watching a girlie movie. She goes through her list of complaints, and demands a transfer. Henry tries to talk her out of it, but she's insistent.
Henry agrees to give her the transfer papers, but says they'll all keep mum until the transfer is complete. But Radar ruins it when he announces her departure over the P.A.
Later that night, as a goodwill gesture, Hawkeye and Trapper bring some booze to Hot Lips' tent, and she tells them she's writing a detailed report all about their behavior.
She then visits Frank in The Swamp, breaking up with him. She drinks some more, and starts to act tipsy. After that, she makes her way to Henry's office, where she drinks some more.
By this point, Hot Lips is hammered, and Henry tries to talk her out of leaving again. Radar then tells Henry that wounded are due soon, and he gives Hawkeye and Trapper the task of sobering her up.
They pour water over her in the showers, pouring coffee down her throat, and in her stupor she lets it be known she has a thing for Trapper!
She sobers up enough to help out in O.R., and she thanks Hawkeye and Trapper for helping her out, and keeping quiet about it. As she works through her hangover, she decides not to leave the 4077th.
Frank gets mad when Trapper acts romantic towards Hot Lips, and Hawkeye mocks Frank for doing so. Henry and Radar see this, and are happy all the children are together again.
Fun Facts: For whatever reason, I always curious as to what kind of girlie movie the doctors were watching. Hot Lips says its "disgusting", but how bad could it have been? This was 1951, after all...
Favorite Line: When Hot Lips storms into Henry's office, she calls Henry "A spineless, mealy-mouthed, fly-fishing imposter." Trapper responds with "He's not an imposter!", and Hawkeye adds, "Right--he's a genuine spineless, mealy-mouthed, fly-fisherman."
Henry begins to laugh, and says appreciatively "Pierce, you're the limit." There's something about McLean Stevenson's delivery that makes me laugh every time--you really feel the warmth Henry felt for Hawkeye and Trapper.
