Cowboy (M*A*S*H)
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| M*A*S*H episode | |
|---|---|
| “Cowboy” | |
 |
|
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 8 |
| Guest star(s) | Joe Corey Mike Robello |
| Writer(s) | Bob Klane |
| Director | Don Weis |
| Production no. | J309 |
| Original airdate | November 12, 1972 |
| Episode chronology | |
| ← Previous | Next → |
| Bananas, Crackers and Nuts | Henry, Please Come Home |
"Cowboy" was the eighth episode of the M*A*S*H television series. Originally shown on November 12, 1972 and repeated May 6, 1973, it was written by Bob Klane and directed by Don Weis.
Guest cast is Billy Green Bush as John Hodges, the Cowboy, Patrick Adiarte as Ho-Jon, Timothy Brown as Spearchucker Jones, Mike Robello as the cook, Jean Powell as a nurse, Joe Corey as Goldstein, and John Orchard Capt. 'Ugly John' Black.
[edit] Overview
Lt. John Hodges, a chopper pilot referred to as The Cowboy because of his gun holster belt and cowboy hat, has been hit in the shoulder, and arrives at the 4077th. He is anxiously awaiting a letter from his wife, Jean, who he fears is leaving him for another man ("She's probably off with some rodeo rider; she's a sucker for a 10-gallon hat!"). The Cowboy wants to be sent home before his marriage completely falls apart, but Henry refuses, stating that The Cowboy's wound isn't serious enough to merit a stateside ticket. Bad luck then follows Henry Blake: he gets shot at while golfing, his tent gets flattened by a driverless jeep, and the latrine explodes while he's inside it. Henry decides to take some time away from the camp, and The Cowboy offers to fly him to Seoul. On the way, The Cowboy tries to shove Henry out of the helicopter.
While Henry and The Cowboy are struggling in the helicopter, Hawkeye and Trapper inform them over the radio that the letter The Cowboy has been waiting for has finally arrived. The letter is postmarked "Reno," which sends Hawkeye and Trapper into a panic, since Reno was a center for quick and painless divorce proceedings. The letter also begins "Dear John," the cliched opening to a letter to a soldier whose heart is about to be broken. It turns out, however, that The Cowboy's real name is John and that his hometown is in fact Reno. In the letter, Jean assures him that he is loved. With Henry's and The Cowboy's fears now put to rest, they head back to the 4077th.
[edit] Quotes
Henry Blake: "Jeep...crash. Tent... boom... crash... kill."
[edit] Trivia
- The Cowboy is seen wearing a parachute in the helicopter, though no other chopper pilot is seen wearing one during the run of the series.
- Billy Green Bush is the father of the twins who played Carrie Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie.
| Preceded by: "Bananas, Crackers and Nuts" |
M*A*S*H episodes | Followed by: "Henry, Please Come Home" |
| M*A*S*H | |
|---|---|
| Film: | MASH |
| TV series: | M*A*S*H | Trapper John, M.D. | AfterMASH | W*A*L*T*E*R |
| Characters: |
Hawkeye Pierce | Trapper John McIntyre | Duke Forrest | B.J. Hunnicutt | Henry Blake | Sherman T. Potter | Frank Burns | Margaret Houlihan | Charles Winchester | Radar O'Reilly | Father Mulcahy | Maxwell Klinger | Igor Straminsky | Luther Rizzo | Sidney Freedman | Col. Flagg | Spearchucker Jones | Ugly John | Walter Koskiusko Waldowski | Ho-Jon | Nurse Bigelow | Lieutenant Dish | Donald Penobscot |
| Episodes: | Season 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| Books: | M*A*S*H: A Novel About Three Army Doctors | M*A*S*H Goes to Maine |
| Related material: | Guest stars | Differences between book, film and TV versions of M*A*S*H | Suicide Is Painless |
