Chief Surgeon Who?
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| “Chief Surgeon Who?” | |||||||
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| M*A*S*H episode | |||||||
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| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 4 |
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| Written by | Larry Gelbart | ||||||
| Directed by | E. W. Swackhamer | ||||||
| Guest stars | Sorrell Booke Timothy Brown |
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| Production no. | J307 | ||||||
| Original airdate | October 8, 1972 | ||||||
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| List of M*A*S*H episodes | |||||||
"Chief Surgeon Who?" is an episode from the television series M*A*S*H. It was the fourth episode broadcast and aired on October 8, 1972; it was repeated twice, on April 15 and July 29, 1973. It was written by Larry Gelbart and directed by E. W. Swackhamer. This episode marks the first appearance of Jamie Farr as Corporal Klinger. He was only supposed to appear in one episode, but because of his popularity, he was brought back as a regular cast member to become a breakout character.
Guest cast, in addition to Farr, consists of Sorrell Booke as Gen. Wilson Spaulding Barker, Timothy Brown as Spearchucker Jones, Odessa Cleveland as Lt. Ginger Bayliss, Robert Gooden as Pvt. Lorenzo Boone, Linda Meiklejohn as Lt. Leslie Scorch, John Orchard as Capt. 'Ugly John' Black, and Jack Riley as Capt. Kaplan.
Contents |
[edit] Overview
Henry has appointed Hawkeye chief surgeon, much to Frank's disdain. Frank and Margaret summon General Barker, who enters the insane world of the 4077th and tries to bring about some order.
[edit] Detailed story
McIntyre and Pierce are in The Swamp talking about how tired they are when they notice Burns typing something. Burns tells them that he keeps in touch with all of his patients back home using a form letter called, "What's Up Front Doc?". After Pierce harasses Burns about it, Burns informs Pierce that he had a pretty good practice back home and that he wasn't going to let his patients forget him while he's stationed in Korea.
Choppers arrive with wounded, so the surgeons head to the O.R. During the session, Pierce and Burns argue and Pierce says some disparaging remarks about Burns' surgical ability. After the session Burns submits a list of grievances against Pierce to Blake. Blake calls Pierce in to his office and Frank complains that while he is higher ranked, everyone listens to Pierce when they have questions in the OR, so he must be trying to take his command. Henry decides that the only way to solve the problem of them bickering in the O.R. is to name a head surgeon. To Burns' dismay, Blake names Pierce saying he is a superior surgeon. Frank states that he won't stand for this, and he goes to Hot Lips, who says that naming Pierce chief surgeon is against regulations (not true).
While the 4077th is preparing Pierce's coronation, Burns and Houlihan start writing a letter to General Barker complaining that Burns, a superior officer, was not named head surgeon and plan to get Pierce fired and Frank the job. In the middle of typing the letter, Burns and Houlihan start making out and accidentally knock the typewriter off the table and break it. They then go to Blake’s office to call General Barker in person.
After the coronation and party, Pierce, McIntyre, Ugly John and Captain Kaplan are playing cards in the swamp. General Barker arrives and Burns informs him that there is a patient that has been awaiting surgery for half an hour, while the chief surgeon is playing poker. General Barker goes to the swamp and demands that Pierce start the surgery. Pierce says that the patient is receiving blood and that he will do the surgery at 3:00am. Barker (who is also an Army Physician) leaves to find Blake and get to the bottom of the matter.
While Barker is walking through the compound he runs into Klinger, who is wearing a dress. He then goes to Blake's office and find Radar sitting at Blake’s desk, smoking one of Blake's cigars and drinking Blake's brandy. Barker then finds Spearchucker and Bayliss in the nurses' tent playing strip dominoes. Barker finally finds Blake in Blake's tent just after Blake arrives with a can of worms for fishing.
By the time Barker gets back up with Pierce, Pierce and McIntyre are scrubbing up for surgery. Barker and Blake scrub and observe Pierce operate on the patient as the Chief Surgeon explains that the waiting period was necessary for the patient to become fit for surgery. Pierce impresses Barker with his skill as a surgeon. After the operation, they are all walking out of the hospital when Blake tells Barker that Burns will probably continue to bug him about Pierce being named chief surgeon. Barker tells Blake that he needs to give Burns a high colonic and send him on a ten mile hike. As he is leaving, Klinger walks up to them, wearing no clothes.
[edit] Quotes
- Henry: "Face It! Pierce is the best cutter in the outfit. He's certified in both chest and general surgery! Frank, in case you haven't read the papers, there's a war on! We're here to patch guys together! WE CAN'T BE SO G.I. WE LOSE PATIENTS!"
- Hawkeye; "I've always wanted to be a doctor. Just ask any little girl I grew up with."
[edit] M*A*S*Hisms
- Pierce tells about the perfect martini as "You pour six jiggers of gin, and you drink it while staring at a picture of Lorenzo Schwartz, the inventor of vermouth."
- The reference to Lorenzo Schwartz as the inventor of vermouth appears to be completely fabricated. Vermouth is a fortified wine flavored with aromatic herbs and spices ("aromatized" in the trade) in recipes that are closely-guarded trade secrets. The inventor of vermouth, Antonio Benedetto Carpano from Turin, Italy, chose this name in 1786 because he was inspired by a German wine fortified with wormwood, a herb most famously used in distilling absinthe. The modern German word Wermut (Wermuth in the spelling of Carpano's time) means both wormwood and vermouth. The herbs were originally used to mask raw flavors of cheap wine, imparting a slightly medicinal "tonic" flavor. Schwartz, however, was a major herbs and spices brand of the time.
| Preceded by "Requiem for a Lightweight" |
M*A*S*H episodes | Succeeded by "The Moose" |
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