Hawkeye and B.J. bristle at the presence of a chopper pilot who sells war souvenirs and recruits kids to retrieve old shells and casings to make them from. Frank angers Margaret by refusing to return a ring she gave him so she can give it to Donald, and nearly gets in trouble with the MPs for buying a medieval Korean vase from an antiquities smuggler. Col. Potter sees opportunity in Klinger's latest Section 8 scheme.
Attention, all personnel! As you search for souvenirs, keep an eye out for the following tropes:
- Actually, I Am Him: When Col. Potter is asked about the soldier who swallowed twenty-two goldfish to set the previous record, Potter responds with, "I was sick as a dog for a week."
- Brick Joke: Col. Potter tells Klinger he can either break the pole-sitting record or swallow twenty-four goldfish, adding "The first eighteen are easy."
- Determinator: Klinger tries to give up on his pole-sitting stunt after two days, but Potter tells him he's already halfway towards beating the record. Klinger gets his second wind and stays up for the rest of the episode while taking on some creature comforts (like warm clothes) after his Section 8 stunt had been to sit up there in the cold.
- Dude, Not Funny!: In-Universe; when Hawkeye suggests Stratton could make real money selling body parts, Stratton snaps, "Not funny, Pierce. Real bad taste."
- Exact Words: After setting a new pole-sitting record, Klinger laments that some day someone else will come along and break it. Potter points out the way the record was set:Col. Potter: In an imitation fur stole and army boots? Not a chance!
- Godzilla Threshold: Observing Klinger's pole-sitting stunt, Potter points out he previously said he had a fear of heights. Klinger says he's just that desperate to get a Section 8 that will get him to Toledo. Hawkeye and B.J. quip wanting to go to Toledo is desperate.
- Hot-Blooded: Margaret loses her temper in pretty much every scene she's in in this episode, and for good reason: Frank claimed to not have her ring, she too was angry at Stratton for running his souvenir business, and she not only found her ring in Frank's foot locker but also found the inscription he'd put on it for his wife.
- Jerkass: Frank is at his worst in this episode and crosses into outright criminal behavior. First by stealing the ruby ring Margaret gave to him and having it inscribed to give to his wife. Second by attempting to mail back a vase he bought from a junk dealer that ended up being a stolen antique rather than returning it to the MP. He could have easily been arrested for both.
- Jerkass Has a Point: Stratton is an asshole, but he's not wrong in calling Hawkeye "the Jiminy Cricket of Korea".
- Pet the Dog: Colonel Potter rewards Klinger with a 3-day pass to Tokyo for breaking the pole-sitting record.
- Punched Across the Room: A drunken Margaret demonstrates what would happen to Stratton if her fiancé Donald were there by punching Stratton, causing him to fall into a couple of tables across the room.'Margaret: It's a good thing Donald isn't here.
Hawkeye: Yeah, Stratton could get hurt. - Schmuck Bait: When advising against the souvenir business, Potter points out the North Koreans are well-aware of the practice and have been booby-trapping such items to take out unsuspecting individuals.
- Shout-Out: Stratton derisively calls Hawkeye Jiminy Cricket.
- Shout-Out to Shakespeare: When Hawkeye sees Klinger sitting on the pole, he says, "What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Klinger is the nuts."
- Surrounded by Idiots: While ignoring Klinger's latest stunt, Potter alludes to being this.Potter: Klinger, if I got rid of all the crazies in this camp, I'd be the loneliest man in Korea.
- Verbal Backspace: Frank dismisses Hawkeye, B.J., and Potter as "a trio of schmoes" to their faces. As Potter glares at him, Frank clarifies that should be duo before quickly walking off.
- We Have Reserves: Stratton tells Hawkeye and B.J. that he's just one of countless guys buying salvaged junk from Korean kids, so they'll continue to enter dangerous areas whether he continues selling or not.
