19. The Longjohn Flap

February 18, 1973 (J-319)

Written by: Written by Alan Alda.
Directed by: William Wiard
Guest Stars: Kathleen King as Nurse Beddoes. Joseph Perry as the chef.
Semi-regulars: Jamie Farr as Corporal Klinger. William Christopher as Father Mulcahy.

Plot: It's freezing at the 4077th, unless you're Hawkeye, because he got some woolly underwear from home. Trapper has a cold, and guilt-trips Hawkeye into giving the long-johns to him. Then Trapper loses them to Radar at poker. Radar trades them to the cook for a leg of lamb (with mint jelly). The chef then uses them to bribe Burns not to demote him. Burns and Hot Lips have an argument about his wife, and to make it up to her he gives the long-johns to her (Hot Lips, not his wife). Klinger tries to rob Burns of the long-johns, because he's getting a terrible draft up his skirt. Burns tells Klinger that he gave the long-johns to Hot Lips, so he steals them from her. As he confesses to the act, he gives them to Mulcahy, who gives them to Henry as stolen property. After operating on Henry to remove his appendix, Hawkeye finally gets his underwear back.

Glitches: If the long-johns were so essential to Hot Lips and she was so cold, why didn't she put them on instead of just leaving them on the clothesline behind her so someone could steal them?
OK, so Hawkeye, Trapper, the cook and Henry are roughly the same build, so the long-johns would fit all them OK - but what about Radar, Klinger, Mulcahy and Hot Lips?

Great Lines: Burns rebukes Klinger: 'The next time we meet, I want to see a shine on those high heels!'

The Klinger Collection: Out on sentry duty with a short green dress and thin pink stole.

Continuity is for Wimps: Babe-hound Radar is at it again.

Notes: Henry had a bad appendix, which the boys removed in this episode.

Comments: Another amusing but fairly lightweight episode - another 'chain reaction' episode, and quite a good example as well. A great performance by Henry having appendicitis but determined to hang on to the long-johns - no matter what!

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