51. Officer of the Day

September 24, 1974 (B-307)

Written by: Laurence Marks
Directed by: Hy Averback
Guest Stars: Jerry Fujikawa as Sang Yu. Tad Horino as Kim Luk #1. Richard Lee Sung as Kim Luk #2. An uncredited Mitchell Sakamoto as one of Mr Yu's boys. The other Kim Luk was uncredited as well.
Semi-regulars: Jamie Farr as Corporal Klinger. Edward Winter as Colonel Flagg. Jeff Maxwell as Igor. Dennis Troy as Carter.

Plot: Burns is in charge and Hawkeye is Officer of the Day. Among the things that happen - 5 people all called Kim Luk turn up to have some medical attention; Colonel Flagg turns up with a POW, who he asks them to treat so he can be taken back to Seoul to be executed; Klinger wants a few days in Seoul for Mothers' Day; Trapper is having a suit made, and the tailor's boys are stealing everything; Trapper operates on Flagg's prisoner while Flagg supervises, but he wants to move him straight away and that's not going to be good; the young kids have stolen Radar's teddy bear, but do return it; Flagg pulls a gun and forces the boys to sign the release for the prisoner; they sneak Klinger on to the truck instead. And finally, Trapper's new suit turns up with one problem - the pin-stripes go sideways.

Glitches:A retreat ceremony at half past three in the afternoon? Radar tells Hawkeye that it's 1600, about ten or so minutes after the ceremony finishes. Plus I was under the impression that flags were only taken down at sundown under normal circumstances, and the sun stays up for quite a long time after the flags come down.

AWOL: Henry is in Tokyo.

BIMOL: Hot Lips is pretty underused, coming in near the end mainly to be the butt of a few jokes.

Great Lines: Klinger, when Burns orders his outfits burned: 'Sir, a man has a right to his own trousseau!'
Trapper hands Hawkeye a breakfast martini. Hawkeye: 'My kidneys were expecting orange juice. Silly kidneys.'
Upon discovering how much stuff Mr Yu's boys are trying to steal, Hawkeye says to him: 'Are you their real father or did they steal you?'
Hawkeye, to Kim Luk: 'Can you identify yourself?' Luk: 'This is me!' Hawkeye: 'Well, you wouldn't kid me about a thing like that.'
Hot Lips: 'Major Burns would like a word with you as Acting Commander.' Hawkeye: 'Good, I'll act like I'm listening.'

The Klinger Collection: Earrings, ring and flame d'amour nail polish with his uniform, and high heels, for inspection. A nun outfit to try to get out of camp. A red and gold evening gown with white bolero jacket over the top, pretending to be a prostitute - he really looks smashing in this. Then one of his red evening outfits when he's being smuggled out.

Continuity is for Wimps: I don't remember the OD ever sleeping in Colonel Blake's office before.

They All Look the Same to Me: Jerry Fujikawa, Tad Horino and Richard Lee Sung all get another role here. One of Mr Yu's boys is Mitchell Sakamoto, although he's uncredited.

Notes: Radar has a brother who is 4-F, a box-boy in a supermarket.

Comments: The look on Igor's face when he shoots Radar's bugle is quite hysterical.
I also find it quite funny - when Flagg pulls his gun, Burns very subtly hides behind Hot Lips.
Rather silly, with a serious lining. The determination to not let Flagg execute the prisoner is quite admirable, but one can't help wonder what's going to happen to Klinger when he gets discovered. Still, he's there again in two episodes time, so I guess he gets out of prison for impersonating a north Korean spy.

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