Recap / M*A*S*H S2 E15: Officers Only

When the medical staff of the 4077 saves the life of a private who happens to be Maynard Mitchell's son, the general is so grateful to them that he offers them a one-time big benefit in return. Hawkeye and Trapper get a luxurious three-day pass to Tokyo while the camp gets an officers' club built. Unfortunately, the man who petitioned the general for the officers' club places strenuous meaning on the word officer and has entry refused to all the enlisted men. Being MASH 4077, the enlisted men are disgruntled and rebel. Hawkeye and Trapper once again take up the gauntlet to make things right.

---

Attention all personnel: These tropes are on the house at MASH 4077's new Officers Club:

• Artistic License – Military: A base with an Officer's Club would either have a separate Enlisted Club or by default be a rank neutral club to avoid the exact drama that we see in this episode.
• Ask a Stupid Question...: When Trapper tells Radar to go wake Hawkeye up for surgery, the company clerk fearfully asks "While he's asleep?"
  Trapper: That's the best time.
• Can't Hold His Liquor: Frank has a few too many Shirley Temple-and-martini cocktails.
• Comically Missing the Point: When Hawkeye complains that the Officer's Club is restricted (referring to the Enlisted not being allowed inside) Henry assumes he's using the more common usage of the term at the time to refer to not allowing certain races or religions in a place.
• Deadpan Snarker:
  • Done straight at first, then ultimately averted. Hawkeye still does does not like being woken up by Radar when he has not had enough sleep.
    Hawkeye: I'm gonna count to three, and by the time I get to one, I want you outta here.
    Radar: McIntyre needs you in surgery.
    Hawkeye: I JUST CAME OFF FOURTEEN HOURS OF SURGERY! IF I CUT OPEN ONE MORE BODY, IT'LL BE YOURS FOR WAKING ME! OUT! Cover my feet. The light's shining on my toenails.
  • Margaret volunteers Frank to assist Hawkeye in operating on Private Mitchell. Trapper, who is already assisting, is not pleased.
    Trapper: What do you think I'm doing? Stalling 'til my room is ready?
  • Trapper has an enquiry about something that is being served in the mess tent. Hawkeye, as usual, provides an answer.
    Trapper: What is that thick brown stuff?
    Hawkeye: It's either liquid steak or chocolate pudding with gristle.
• Dance of Romance: Hawkeye genuinely asks if Trapper wants to finish this dance. Trapper says not really no.
• Department of Redundancy Department: Henry tries to explain the role Frank Burns had in saving Mitchell's son to the general but ends up slipping into this trope doing so.
  Henry: The major didn't actually operate in the sense that he operated. His participation more or less was offering to assist the surgeon who was assisting the surgeon who did the operation without further need of assistance.
• Green-Eyed Monster: Frank gets like this again when Hawkeye asks Margaret to dance and later another time when Margaret is dancing with General Mitchell.
• I Owe You My Life: General Mitchell sees it fit to reward the various members of the 4077 that had a hand in saving his son's life with gifts.
  • To Henry Blake, a case of twelve year old Scotch.
  • To Hawkeye and Trapper, a three day and night pass to Tokyo, with a booked suite at the Imperial Hotel
  • To Frank Burns, an Officers' Club for the 4077
• Loophole Abuse: Hawkeye exploits one to allow the enlisted men to enter the Officers Club. When Gen. Mitchell arrives to christen the club Hawkeye and Trapper make sure to bring his son in as well but inform him that, as a Private, he can't enter the club. Hawkeye then asks if they can make an exception to relatives of Officers which the General agrees to. Once they get permission Hawkeye and Trapper then let all the enlisted men into the club by claiming that they are all distant relatives of Hawkeye.
• Make a Wish: Hinted at when General Mitchell talks to Henry about womanising.
  Gen. Mitchell: You do much fishing, do you?
  Henry: Oh, uh, I do a little fooling around.
  Gen. Mitchell: I'd like to have the seen the one that got away.
  Henry: You know how it is.
  Gen. Mitchell: Yeah, I used to.
• Noodle Incident: Whatever Hawkeye and Trapper got up to with half the graduating class of the pearl-diving school.
• Not So Above It All: It may come as a surprise to some people that Frank Burns is the one who requested the Officers' Club. They won't be when they find he means officers and only officers.
• Oh, Crap!: Henry learns at the last minute that General Mitchell is coming to visit the 4077th.
• Romantic Runner-Up: Henry Blake, at first.
• Running Gag: The start of Hawkeye calling himself an aunt.
• Ship Tease: In separate scenes, Hawkeye dances with Margaret and Klinger dances with Ginger.
• Skewed Priorities: Henry favours chasing after a nurse rather than resolving the enlisted men's disgruntlement about being left out of the officers' club.
• Weird Trade Union: In response to the officers' club being officers only, the enlisted men start treating all the officers in a military fashion (yes, even Hawkeye and Trapper) and labelling certain areas as being for enlisted men only. The shocking twist of it all is that Radar's the leader.
• Wham Line: Private Mitchell is the son of General Mitchell.