Bananas, Crackers and Nuts
November 5, 1972
Written by Burt Styler
Directed by Bruce Bilson
Guest Stars: Stuart Margolin
Synopsis: Everyone at the 4077th is exhausted after an incredibly long stretch in surgery.
When it finally ends, Hawkeye and Trapper head straight back to the Swamp for martinis, but the still is dry as neither of them has been able to get back there to put the fixings in.
They argue about who should have done it, then realise what a stupid quarrel it is. They are tense and stressed out, and decide to go and ask Henry for some R&R.
When they arrive at Henry’s tent, he is already on his way to a golfing trip, and doesn’t have time to help them. Frank will be in charge while he’s away, and they know he will never give them weekend passes.
So Hawk pretends to be going crazy from the stress – he puts a dog in bed in Post Op, freaks out at Nurse Cutler and ‘operates’ on his lunch, which he claims is liver which he got from a dead North Korean patient.
After this incident, Trapper manages to convince Frank that he, Trapper, should take Hawkeye for some R&R before he cracks up completely. Frank agrees, but he is uneasy about the decision and Margaret suggests calling in a psychiatrist friend of hers, Phil Sherman, to assess Hawkeye.
Hawkeye and Trapper are about to leave for R&R when Radar comes in and informs them of Frank’s decision, closely followed by some MPs, who will make sure they don’t leave before Sherman arrives.
When Sherman interviews Hawkeye, he makes out that the reason he has been acting so strange is that he is in love with Frank. Sherman makes notes.
When Henry returns, he doesn’t believe that Hawkeye has really cracked, and send for Sherman. Sherman, Margaret and Frank report to Henry’s office and Sherman tells them that he is concerned about Hawkeye and would like to take him to Tokyo for observation.
When Sherman tells Hawkeye about this, Hawkeye is angry and wonders if there was nothing that ever made Sherman a little crazy – Sherman replies that his sense of reality is his gyroscope – whatever the situation, it keeps him right on track.
So Hawkeye decides to engineer some gyroscope trouble. He recruits Radar to convince Sherman that Margaret is interested in him, and Trapper switches the signs on tent doors so that Sherman goes to Margaret’s tent instead of his own that evening.
When Margaret gets back the light in her tent is not working (courtesy of Trapper) and she gets ready for bed in the dark. Sherman realises that she is there and jumps to the wrong conclusion, and onto Margaret.
Her screams bring the camp running and Sherman struggles to explain what he was doing. Henry asks him to leave immediately. With Sherman discredited, Hawkeye is free.
Hawkeye and Trapper finally get into a jeep to go on R&R, but just as they are leaving, Radar hears choppers. Reluctantly, they hand their passes back to Henry and head into surgery.
Review: This is quite a funny episode, particularly the liver-eating scene, which is an absolute classic.
However the ending didn't sit well with me - it seemed quite cruel for the guys to use Margaret in the way they did. 7/10.
Romance Review: Obviously Sherman is obsessed with Margaret. Hawkeye flirts with Cutler before turning crazy on her. 2/10.
Quotes: 'You touched my plate! You're not sterile! You've ruined my liver! Ruined it! And we're all out of North Koreans!' - Hawkeye and his liver.
'Do you know she dyes her hair blond? That's why I dyed my hair black. I think Frank should have a clear choice.' - Hawkeye, making out that Margaret is his rival for Frank's affections.
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