Hawkeye manages to offend a colonel at an army checkpoint on the way home from emergency assignment at another camp. Frank Burns goes on a crusade to protect the camp from roadside bombs after one goes off at the army checkpoint. B.J. helps out Sgt. Zale after the latter receives a letter from his wife confessing to an affair, and soon learns that there are "moose" in Korea.
Attention all personnel! Be on the lookout for the following tropes:
- Berserk Button: When Colonel Potter orders Hawkeye to operate on Spiker and Frank to operate on the Korean, Frank whines that Hawkeye always gets the good cases and makes a racial reference to both the Koreans and Native Americans to illustrate his point. Colonel Potter is not amused.Frank: He always gets the cowboys and I'm stuck with the Indians.Colonel Potter: I'm one-fourth Cherokee.
- Covered in Mud: An accidental case when Hawkeye is signalled at a checkpoint to drive up to the colonel in charge, never noticing that a mud puddle is right near the colonel and inadvertently causes a Roadside Wave that splatters the man.Hawkeye: Sorry, Colonel.Colonel Spiker: You idiot.
- Dude, Where's My Respect?: Hawkeye takes issue when Spiker refuses to express any gratitude for his life being saved.
- Establishing Character Moment: When we get our first glimpse of Spiker at the checkpoint, he initially appears to be a Reasonable Authority Figure, until Hawkeye accidentally presses his Berserk Button, and all sense of civility falls away.
- Foreshadowing: When B.J. and Zale are talking in the mess tent, they can hear explosions in the distance. In the next scene Hawkeye and Frank roll in with the ensuing casualties.
- Gung Holier Than Thou: Colonel Spiker, who wants Hawkeye court-martialed for supposedly having no respect for the uniform or the war.
- Hypocrite: Sgt. Zale wants to tear into his wife for having an affair, but has no problems having his own on the grounds that "Who knows when we could be knocked off".
- The Mistress: Unlike Young-Hi in "The Moose", Zale's moose is more of the girlfriend variety.
- The Neidermeyer: The Colonel running the checkpoint.
- Open Mouth, Insert Foot: Frank mutters racist comments about Koreans "all looking alike"...while at an operating table with Chinese-Hawaiian Nurse Kellye. Also his "cowboys and Indians" comment above.
- Pop-Culture Pun Episode Title: From Of Mice and Men.
- Pet the Dog: More than once throughout the episode, Margaret commends Hawkeye on his treatment and care of Colonel Spiker.Margaret: I've never seen you work better.
- Running Gag: Frank's paranoia that he and the 4077 could be bombed at any minute by anyone.
- Ship Tease: Between Margaret and Hawkeye, when she finds Hawkeye still tending to Spiker in Post-op.
- Stuff Blowing Up: While talking to Zale in the mess tent, B.J. comments on an explosion in the distance. The army checkpoint Hawkeye and Frank drive past is also victim of an unseen grenade blast.
- Too Dumb to Live: Frank insists on stopping at a sign warning of enemy snipers so he can take a photograph.Hawkeye: Are you out of your mind, Frank?!Frank: I want to get a shot of this.[gunshot]Hawkeye: So do they! Get in!
- What the Hell, Hero?: Potter delivers one to Spiker for wanting Hawkeye court-martialed after the latter saved his life.
