Every Monday, I spotlight a random episode of M*A*S*H, providing a brief review and asking readers to offer their thoughts.
“Carry On, Hawkeye” (#35, 2×11)
Originally Broadcast: Saturday, November 24th, 1973
Teleplay by Bernard Dilbert and Larry Gelbart & Laurence Marks
Story by Bernard Dilbert
Directed by Jackie Cooper
Capsule Summary: The 4077th has been struck by the flu, leaving Hawkeye the only doctor still standing.
I hesitate to use the word boring for this episode but it really was pretty uneventful. There’s no plot to speak of other than the flu epidemic forcing Hawkeye to take on all surgical duties in the O.R. while Margaret insists on taking charge of all things administration. The flu also places several characters outside their comfort zones and this is makes up the bulk of the episode.
Father Mulchay, for example, is called upon to do more than just pray and console the wounded. Despite not knowing what any surgical instruments are called he steps up. Margaret likewise has to handle more of surgery than she’s used to and performs admirably under pressure. For the most part everyone does well, except for that one moment when everyone in the O.R. was calling for Hawkeye. Even Radar is called into assist in surgery, although in his case the responsibility goes to his head.
We do get some nice moments between Hawkeye and Margaret, particularly their discussion in the Swamp about who is in charge and later their differing views on administrating flu shots. Henry’s slow slide out of his chair after attempting to take back command is hilarious. And Frank’s delirious ramblings about his wife Louise and his receptionist Nancy are amusing.
The final scene in the O.R. bizarre. It’s a mix of shots of surgery and surgical tools with random news reports being read over the PA system. I’m guessing it was intended to show that the 4077th does indeed carry on no matter what, that surgery will continue and lives will be saved regardless of how many doctors are sick or who is in charge. It just feels like a weak ending, even if it isn’t actually the end of the episode.
Lynnette Mettey plays Nurse Sheila Anderson in this episode despite having appeared in three earlier episodes as Lt. Nancy Griffin. She would reappear in “The General Flipped at Dawn” (Season 3) and “Some 38th Parallels” (Season 4) again playing different characters. I wonder why she didn’t just keep playing Lt. Griffin?
While Hawkeye is on the phone with the unnamed general, Radar hands him an orange coffee cup with “HANK” written on it as well as the University of Illinois “I” logo. It’s a nice little prop that helps add to the atmosphere of Henry’s office.
Regular background actor Marcia Gelman has a larger-than-usual role in this episode as Nurse Jacobs, who helps get Henry back to his tent.
I hope somebody from the cast or crew kept the roll of toilet paper signed by the entire camp as a token of appreciation. It would make for an interesting memento.
Klinger doesn’t appear in this episode, which is too bad because I’m sure he could have found a way to use the flu epidemic as a Section 8 stunt.
I would say this is an interesting episode, but I agree, nothing really spectacular about it.
This episode is almost another one of those stories where we pretty much get the sense that Hawkeye is the unofficial star of the show, as he’s the one who has to become the super surgeon since all the other doctors are sick.
While I agree with Big Daddy that this episode started the trend where the focus was on Hawkeye as the star of the 4077th, it’s also a fun episode. Hawkeye trying to feed Trapper and missing, Henry sliding from his chair to underneath the desk, the giving of injections between Hawkeye and Margaret complete with Radar walking in on them…..all of these scenes are hilarious.
Fav pieces of dialog. Hawkeye shouting “My kingdom for an intelligent octopus” and “I have this terrific thirst for embalming fluid.”
Good episode.
One of my favorite early season shows. Henry’s “my wife with her chipped fingernails, the dog at the foot of the bed having an accident” monologue cracks me up every time.
Cleverly written…
This is one of my favorite episodes. It is very much in line to Hawkeyes character and him always thinking about his patients first. It also shows the underlying respect he and Margaret had for each other.
This is the first episode I remember watching long ago….this is in my top 10..
I think of this episode whenever I see “Commander Pierce” because it shows him being in charge, and while under great pressure handles it as well as he can. What was the difference between this and being Officer of the Day?
One of my fav early episodes not only cause of the fact you had Radar and Father assisting in surgery but the immunization scene where Radar walks in on Hawkeye and Hot Lips was hilarious
Hawkeye’s description of what it is like to have the flu is classic.
Re:
“While Hawkeye is on the phone with the unnamed general, …”, there is a later scene with a verbal reference to asking Radar to call General Clayton.
This of course may or may not be the same General, but at this time it would either be Clayton or Mitchell, and Clayton seemed to have more direct authority over the 4077th.
It is interesting that this episode is all about the 4077th coping with this as best as it could, and is handled very differently to a similar plot in the later (e.g Charles) years, where there would be more of an attempt to involve personnel from the 8055th or the other MASH’s in Korea, they are never mentioned here.
I also think this is a pretty key episode in the history of MASH in relation to a key step in the evolution of the relationship between Hawkeye and Margaret.
I consider this essentially a perfect MASH episode. Much of the episode is very funny, and the inter-play between Hawkeye and Margaret through the episode is priceless. The scene where Radar walks in on Margaret giving Hawkeye the shot in his rear end still brings tears to my eyes from laughing so hard. This episode also signals a nice evolution in Hawkeye and Margaret’s relationship from one that is almost always antagonistic, to a budding friendship. Hawkeye saying, “Radar, you’ll be assisting Margaret Houlihan, nurse, friend and all around good egg.” is an incredibly sweet and poignant moment.