Charles gives the entire camp the silent treatment after learning he was removed from the candidacy for Chief of Thoracic Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital because of his indefinite posting to the 4077th. Meanwhile, Sidney Freedman is called in when Jerry (Kevin Geer), a field medic, arrives at the camp with no memory of who he is.
Attention, all hands! Maj. Winchester refuses to speak about the following tropes:
- Actually Pretty Funny: Hawkeye's first insult, "Your mother wears very expensive combat boots" gets a chuckle out of Charles despite his silent treatment.
- Be Careful What You Wish For: Hawkeye and B.J. actively try to get Charles to talk, ultimately succeeding with a phony telegram and admitting what they did. Charles lashes out at them for it... twice.
- Berserk Button: Though it doesn't get him to talk, the one insult Hawkeye launches at Charles that seems to hit home is when he says, "Charles, your parents voted for Roosevelt! Four times!"
- B.J. makes him flinch with the comment "Your father buys his suits off the rack."
- Cruel to Be Kind: While Jerry is under hypnosis, Sydney tells him that he will have to remember what he just recalled about losing his kid brother after coming out of his trance. Upon breaking him out of it, Jerry does remember and breaks down.
- Failed a Spot Check:Hawkeye: Oh wow, the Thompson twins in the buff. They don't look very much alike.
B.J.: 'Course not. They're brother and sister.
Hawkeye: They are? [looks more closely] Oh, yeah. - Funny Background Event: While at the Officer's Club, Hawkeye reveals to Charles he was the one who wrote the telegram claiming Boston Mass General was still considering him for the position. Klinger, who's behind them, overhears this, and immediately flees.
- The Gadfly: With Charles refusing to talk to anyone ever again, Hawkeye and B.J. see it as a challenge and set out to goad him into talking. B.J. lampshades how they just can't pass up this opportunity.
- Identity Amnesia: Jerry suffers from this halfway through because his kid brother was killed in combat.
- Laser-Guided Karma: To get Charles to talk again, Hawkeye and B.J. came up with a phony telegram claiming he was going to get his dream promotion, after all. Later, Charles cues up his payback by handing Hawkeye a telegram.
- Meaningful Background Event: After handing Hawkeye the telegram, Charles ties a rope to the tent pole and steps outside.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: B.J. and Hawkeye know something's up with Jerry when no one on the bus has received treatment.
- Pyrrhic Victory: Hawkeye and B.J. successfully breaking Charles of the Silent Treatment gets them sprayed with a drink and later left in a collapsed tent.
- Saying Sound Effects Out Loud: B.J. and Hawkeye do this occasionally when they're trying to recreate gunfire after Sidney hypnotizes Jerry into believing he's out in the field in his position as combat medic.
- Shout-Out to Shakespeare: Hawkeye claims he appeared in his college production of Hamlet because he was the only one who was willing to touch the skull (though he later claims he was lying).
- Silent Treatment: Charles gives this to the entire camp for much of the episode. How he managed to function in the O.R. during this period is not explained.
- The Tag: As B.J., Hawkeye and Sidney are in the swamp, having a drink after having helped Jerry, Charles hands them a telegram, and walks out. The telegram reads, "Gentlemen: Heads up!" They look up, and then we see Charles driving a jeep that's tied to the tent, as the tent is pulled down over them.
- There Are No Therapists: Averted; as soon as Col. Potter hears Jerry is suffering from Identity Amnesia, he immediately puts the call in to Sidney.
- This Is My Side: Charles does this to the Swamp, prompting Hawkeye to reference the example from It Happened One Night.
- Title Drop: Sidney uses the term "the billfold syndrome" to explain what happened to Jerry; a guy pulls out his wallet and can't remember who he is.
- Unwanted Assistance: Sidney does not like it when he's questioning the amnesiac Jerry and Margaret keeps feeding Jerry the answers.
- Your Mom: One of the first insults Hawkeye delivers to Charles to try and get him to talk is, "Your mother wears very expensive combat boots!" Charles easily brushes it off.
