After taking a North Korean patient ahead of a less seriously injured American, Hawkeye once again attracts the attention of Colonel Flagg, who arrives bent on getting Hawkeye court-martialed for treason. Major Winchester, tempted by promises of reassignment to Boston and already enraged by Hawkeye's actions, agrees to assist Flagg - at first...
Attention, all personnel! Please assist Col. Flagg in gathering the following tropes for his investigation:
- Beware the Nice Ones:
- B.J. is ordinarily a pretty mellow guy who is friendly to everyone in camp. Cue a corporal assaulting Hawkeye with a cane and B.J. goes nuts, threatening to break the guy's neck.
- Also Radar, who goes into a (albeit toothless) rage when Flagg tries to make the North Korean POW talk by pinching his IV tube, cutting off his blood supply.
- Continuity Nod: Hawkeye references the episode "Officer of the Day" to Winchester in talking about his distaste for Flagg
- Depending on the Writer:
- Charles objects to Hawkeye treating a wounded North Korean "before one of ours", an objection he never raised in the series before or after this episode.note
- In the Season 9 opener "The Best of Enemies", Potter and Winchester hate each other's bridge-playing techniques, yet in this episode they seem to play together quite willingly (although it is implied this is their first time playing together).
- Disproportionate Retribution: Possibly also following Evil Is Petty; a corporal who's upset that Hawkeye decided to treat a North Korean soldier who's in much worse shape than his buddy eventually gets himself so worked up that he attacks Hawkeye in his tent, something that could likely land him in Leavenworth after a dishonorable discharge.
- Head-Tiltingly Kinky: When Charles is looking around Hawkeye's bed for incriminating material, he comes across one of Hawkeye's nudist magazines, and he tilts his head and the magazine, before putting it down in disgust.
- I Resemble That Remark!: Flagg when Winchester doubts Flagg's claim that Hawkeye is a spy.Winchester: Pierce has a big mouth. He's always butting into other people's business, but that makes him obnoxious, not a spy.Flagg: Doesn't wash. I'm obnoxious and I'm a spy.Winchester: Touché.
- It Amused Me: After Charles pulls his Batman Gambit on Flagg, and Flagg vanishes, he starts to giggle:Hawkeye: Charles, you didn't have anything to do with this, did you?
Charles: Me? Not a chance. Wouldn't waste my time...Unless, of course, I could get a good laugh out of it. (he starts laughing out loud)
Hawkeye: (is laughing too) You did! You set him up! - Mistaken for Gay: As Flagg does, he calls Hawkeye a commie. Hawk starts up his usual jokey flirting and Flagg seethes "I knew you were one of those too". Hawkeye just slams his head against a wall in frustration.
- The Plan: As mentioned above, Winchester places a note on the POW that suggests a covert meeting will be held in The Swamp, knowing Flagg will jump on it... entirely unaware that it's Hawkeye and Potter's bridge night with two local, well-connected VIPs.
- Pop-Culture Pun Episode Title: From the chorus of the Civil War song "Battle Cry of Freedom":While we rally 'round the flag, boys, we rally once again,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom - Reassigned to Antarctica: The mayor and police chief of Uijeongbu promise this for Flagg, saying their contacts at I Corps will fix his wagon.
- Red Scare: Like Flagg, B.J.'s patient is convinced communists are everywhere.
- Running Gag: Flagg's "red herrings" are evidently this beyond the 4077th, from the MPs' reaction to his "spy ring bust" falling apart.
- The Tag: Father Mulcahy encourages B.J. to use his punching bag as Percussive Therapy so he doesn't lose his temper (see Beware the Nice Ones above). B.J. ends up punching the bag so hard it deflates.Father Mulcahy: Maybe you should try needlepoint.
- Trespassing to Talk: Potter walks into his office, with Father Mulcahy in tow, to find Colonel Flagg waiting for them at his desk, and neither of them (nor Radar, who was in his outer office the whole time) can even figure out how Flagg got in there in the first place.
- Why Didn't I Think of That?: Flagg brilliantly interprets the note left at the North Korean's cot...mere seconds after Winchester does.
