97. Bug Out

September 21, 1976 (U-801-802) (One hour)

Written by: Jim Fritzell and Everett Greenbaum
Directed by: Gene Reynolds
Guest Stars: Richard Lee Sung as Cho Man Chin. Don Eitner as Captain Stevens. Barry Cahill as the helicopter pilot. Eileen Saki as Korean Woman. James Lough as Enlisted Man. An uncredited Jeff Maxwell as Salkowitz (latrine digger extraordinaire).
Semi-regulars: Frances Fong as Rosie
Rosie is played by a different actress every time she appears until Season 7 when she is played by Eileen Saki.

Plot: Life at the 4077th is continuing as normal when Radar gets a phone call from Sparky that they're going to have to practise bugging out. Rumours start flying around the camp that they will be bugging out due to a Chinese attack. A bunch of wounded show up, one who's been shot in the back and can't move his legs. Hawkeye has to operate on his spinal column, and the patient can't be moved for 24 hours after the operation. Colonel Potter gets word from General Hamilton that there will be absolutely no bugging out, so the operation can commence. Just when they've started and can't stop, a phone call comes in to say that they are bugging out after all. Hawkeye, Hot Lips and Radar stay behind while the rest of the camp pack up to head off. Potter spots a good site from the chopper. Meanwhile, Burns won't let Klinger's dresses, Radar's animals or the still on the convoy, so they get the local Korean bicycle cab-driver to take them all. A bunch of marines show up in the camp and tell Hawkeye that they are actually sitting right on the front. The site the Colonel has chosen for the new MASH is occupied - by a brothel. In order to get rid of the hookers, Klinger has to sacrifice his wardrobe. Back at the camp, the Chinese have advanced past them - they're in Communist territory. After a break in the shelling, they manage to ship their patient to the evac. hospital, and hop in a jeep to high-tail it out of there. Before they can get moving, however, they hear a battalion coming down the road. Fortunately, it turns out to be the Colonel and all the gang, coming home after the bad guys were driven back. (Which, I guess, means that Klinger's dresses were sacrificed in vain). Then all is back to normal - yet again.

Glitches: They show Rosie's bar being dismantled, but then Hawkeye and Radar go over there for a drink.
In the mid and close shots of Hawk, Radar and Hot Lips in the jeep, Radar's position moves back and forward.
Was the bug-out just a practise or was it the real deal? It's only meant to be a practise at the start of the episode but by the end it's a four-alarm emergency.

Great Lines: Potter: 'Radar! Get my pants!' Radar: 'Underwear?' Potter: 'I'll wing it. Wounded come before personal chafing.'
Potter, to Cho Man Chin the peddlar: 'You'd sell your own mother!' Cho: 'Sold out.'
Burns, as the toilet seats are loaded into the truck: 'If I get slivers I'll have your stripes!' Private: 'I'm a Private!' Burns: 'Don't you pull rank on me!'
BJ (about the still): 'The filter's made from shredded skivvies.' Burns: 'Alky! You'd tear up your underwear for a drink!' BJ: (with great dignity) 'I would not! They're yours.'
BJ: 'The oldest profession.' Burns: 'A bakery?'

The Klinger Collection: A lovely green dress with pearls and a blue cloche hat. Later, a red skirt and blouse with bobby-socks and a straw hat with flowers (very pretty).

Continuity is for Wimps: Burns says he never bugged out before, but in Episode 92, The Novocaine Mutiny, last season, Hawkeye tells the judge about how they moved the camp across the road, which is pretty damn close.
There's some great camp-dismantling footage which gets used again in Goodbye, Farewell and Amen.
Radar is overly excited about the prospect of drinking a grape knee-high, and yet he drinks it every other episode.

They All Look the Same to Me: Richard Lee Sung again. Eileen Saki's first appearance, and not as Rosie, who she later plays regularly.
It's just a coincidence, but Captain Stevens looks a lot like a slightly older version of Trapper.

Je ne parle Korean...do I? BJ can knock in Korean.

Notes: This takes place in September of some year, although probably not 1951 (that's the date on Radar's grape knee-high, and I doubt the army can get new knee-high that fast). And besides, in Episode 73, Welcome to Korea (Season 4), it's stated that Colonel Potter doesn't get there till September 1952, so this probably puts us in September 1953. That almost makes Klinger's comment that his wardrobe took three years to assemble make sense.
Hawkeye's bar tab at Rosies is about $51. That's a bucketload of cash.

Comments: Quite amusing seeing the boys getting out the deck chairs and drinks to watch the new latrine being dug. I guess things just get real boring at the camp. I do love the bit where Burns fell in the new latrine hole, and the convoyed blessing is very funny. A beautiful comedic moment - Radar, Hot Lips and Hawkeye run into the remains of a tent, then run out again - Radar runs out through where the wall would have been, then goes back in to come out through the door!
On the whole, this one started really promisingly and then just didn't happen. A bit disappointing in the plot stakes, but the script made up for it. It seems to me that they started the episode, then ran out of time and had to finish it in the most convincing way possible.

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