104. Mulcahy's War

November 16, 1976 (U-812)

Written by: Richard Cogan
Directed by: George Tyne
Guest Stars: Brian Byers as Danny Fitzsimmons, Ric Mancini as Sergeant Hodkey, Richard Foronjy as Sergeant, Ray Poss as some nameless schmuck.
Semi-regulars: Jeff Maxwell as Igor

Plot: A private shoots himself in the foot to get out of duty. (Or is that a Foot-soldier gets shot in the...? No.) Father Mulcahy is called in to counsel him. Meanwhile, a GI stresses that the doctors must save the life of the soldier who saved his - a German Shepherd called Corporal Cupcake. The foot-soldier, Danny, refuses Mulcahy's counsel because he's never been to the front, and doesn't know what it's like. When Radar and Igor are sent to the front to pick up a wounded soldier, Mulcahy disobeys orders and goes instead of Igor. On the way back, amidst shelling, the Father must perform an emergency tracheotomy to save the soldier's life, guided by Hawkeye on the radio. Corporal Cupcake makes a full recovery and is sent home. Private Danny Fitzsimmons decides to talk to Mulcahy after hearing about his experience.

Glitches: At the Aid Station, Father Mulcahy does up his shirt at a different rate depending on which shot he's in, and his hand jumps to behind Radar and back again. And when the soldier starts choking, Radar's right hand jumps from the soldier to the steering wheel. When Mulcahy starts the tracheotomy there is a distinct lack of blood, which Hawkeye said there would be lots of.

Great Lines: BJ: 'I've seen it happen before. Married men go all to pieces when their girlfriends get engaged.'

The Klinger Collection: A white dress with a small floral pattern, and a red beret.

Comments: The continuing joke of people praying when Father Mulcahy is putting in eye drops is terribly funny. Burns is getting more and more a walking joke and less of a character, not that he was much of one to start with. On the whole, a slightly predictable episode, but very nicely broken up by the dog saga. Father Mulcahy shows a little of the rarely-seen steel which he demonstrates in 199. Death Takes a Holiday (Season 9) and 157. An Eye for a Tooth (Season 7). And the Father saying Grace because he couldn't think of a prayer is just hysterical.

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