99. Out of Sight, Out of Mind

October 5, 1976 (U-806)

Written by: Ken Levine and Davis Isaacs
Directed by: Gene Reynolds
Guest Stars: Tom Sullivan, as Lt. Tom Straw. Dudley Knight as Major Overman.
Semi-regulars: Kellye Nakahara as Nurse Kelly. Judy Farrell as Nurse Able. Enid Kent as Nurse Bigelow. Bobbie Mitchell as Lieutenant Gage.

Plot: Burns is keeping Hawkeye and BJ awake listening to a baseball game. When he finally shuts it off, two nurses come in to ask for Hawkeye's help as the stove in their tent has gone out. Hawkeye goes to fix it, and it explodes in his face. The flash-burns mean that his eyes have to be bandaged and he may lose his sight. He meets a soldier in post-op who has been completely blinded, and they become friends. In the mess tent, soldiers are listening to a replay of the previous night's baseball game. Burns bets on the outcome and wins all their money - which doesn't impress the boys one bit. Hawkeye starts to feel that there are some positives to not being able to see: his senses are coming alive. When Burns tries to win more money on the baseball games, Hawkeye, BJ, Radar and Klinger fake a radio commentary of the game so that he loses lots of money. The eye doctor takes the bandages off and Hawkeye can see again.

Glitches: When Hawkeye holds up Lt. Straw's chart, it is a completely blank piece of paper.
There's no law against Hawkeye getting stuff wrong, but he suggests going to Hot Lips's tent and playing Blind-Man's Bluff - the game is actually called Blind-Man's Buff. Come to think of it, that'd be even more suggestive. They missed a perfect opportunity to get stuff right and be smutty!

AWOL: Father Mulcahy.

Great Lines: Radar, misreading Hawkeye's letter: 'Take care, son. We're connecting the dogs...' Hawkeye: 'That's counting the days.'
Klinger, to Burns: 'I wore this with just you in mind.' Burns: 'You make me want to throw up!' Klinger: 'See? It pays to dress!'
Hawkeye, to Klinger: 'You've never looked better to me.'
Potter: 'The door is always open.' Hawkeye: 'I hope so, or I'll break my nose.'
Klinger, making ambient sound effects for the fake baseball game: 'Red-hots! Get your red hot peanuts here! Goulash!'

The Klinger Collection: A blue floral dress with a yellow scarf and a stole (which makes Burns want to throw up, apparently). Later on, his regular uniform.

Notes: In case anyone doesn't get it, Hawkeye feels an empty bunk and says 'Ah, Claude Rains' - he's referring to the movie of The Invisible Man, in which Rains starred.

Comments: I adored Radar's impression of a general.
This episode was surprisingly optimistic and light-hearted. It would have been very easy for Hawkeye to go on about how crap the war was and how it was so awful for him to lose his sight, but it was really very funny. Burns was being boring and crappy as usual.

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