5. The Moose

October 15, 1972 (J-305)

Written by: Laurence Marks
Directed by: Hy Averback
Guest Stars: Paul Jenkins as Sergeant Baker. Virginia Lee as Young-Hi. Craig Jue as Benny.
Semi-regulars: Barbara Brownell as Lt Jones. Patrick Adiarte as Ho-Jon. Timothy Brown as Spearchucker Jones. John Orchard as Ugly John.

Plot: A sergeant turns up at camp with a Korean servant, or 'Moose', in tow - it turns out he bought her from her family for $500. Hawkeye and the boys are horrified, and order the sergeant to let her go. He refuses, as Hawkeye's authority over him is limited. They decide to play poker and with the help of Radar, a telescope and a radio transmitter, Hawkeye ends up winning her. The girl, unfortunately, has a hard time understanding Hawkeye when he attempts to set her free. The boys decide to take charge and teach her to be independent. The head of her family comes to camp and tries to take her back to be sold again. With the help of the boys' lessons, she decides instead to go to a Catholic school in Seoul and learn to be a nurse.

Glitches: When the boys are trying to persuade Baker to sell Young Hi, Spearchucker's top button varies between buttoned and loose between shots.
We don't want to be horribly picky, but the boys are awfully keen to get Young-Hi out of domestic servitude... considering they keep a house-boy. And if the money-for-human being aspect is what was turning them off, what exactly did they do? They BOUGHT her! The aspect of this episode is ostensibly freedom from slavery, but the content is a little mixed.

AWOL: No sign of Burns or Hot Lips. Burns is meant to be in Seoul, who knows where Hot Lips was.

BIMOL: Henry wasn't there much.

Great Lines: Trapper, upon discovering the tidy Swamp: 'Hawk, somebody sneaked in here and committed a neatness!'
Young-Hi's letter: 'I ask God to bless you. I write that to please the sisters; I am Buddhist person.'

They All Look the Same to Me: Virginia Lee starts her tally here. She will be seen again with an 'Ann' in her name in episode 108. The Exorcism in Season 5, and quite possibly elsewhere as well. No sign of Craig Jue elsewhere, though.

Comments: Spearchucker teaching Young-Hi that she's an equal is really rather touching.
The scene at the end when the boys are walking to the shower, Spearchucker really should have been wearing different pants. I mean really.
Quite a good episode. The boys' moral high-horse of not owning people is nicely undermined by their cheating at poker, making it a balanced story. Virginia Lee is good as the overenthusiastic Moose.

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