Plot: Prompted by Frank's snide comments, Margaret finally sets a date for her wedding. A bridal shower is thrown for Margaret, and a bachelor party for Lt. Col. Donald Penobscott. Hawkeye and B.J. put Donald in a body cast after he passes out. A session in OR immediately follows the wedding, then Margaret and Donald leave for Tokyo.
One thing they always cut out of the syndicated versions is the final scene in the Swamp, where the men are all chewing the fat and speculating on what Margaret and Donald are doing in Tokyo. Frank gets up and leaves, muttering something about a cold shower. The others think it's funny, but one by one, they all follow him.
The body cast, you'll note, was B.J.'s idea. Once again he displays his sadistic tendencies.
I loved Frank's laugh when Donald asked him to be best man.
This is probably the only instance of a sydication cut that I think actually helps the show. As Frank's last episode, it's a much nicer to have his last lines be the touching, "Good-bye, Margaret" on the chopper pad, rather than the silly scene in the Swamp.
I agree. Frank's best scene in the entire series.
(Though "Sorry father, sorry mother" is a close second. : ) )
It's a good thing all those casualties that arrived during Margaret's wedding didn't arrive the night before when the surgeons where all drunk.
In several episodes it was mentioned that the surgeons knew where and when the fighting was to take place, how big a battle was expected. With that in mind, they could drink in between lulls in the action. The casualties arrival during Margaret's wedding was apparently a surprise attack (North Korean?). I imagine that would've happened more often than it wasw shown in the series.
In "Movie Tonight", to kill time time while Klinger repairs My Darling Clementine, the camp imitates Father Mulcahy. The phrase they used most often is "Jocularity. Jocularity." Before "Movie Tonight", I don't recall the Padre saying that. However, at Colonel Penobscott's bachelor party, he actually does say "Jocularity. Jocularity."
The basketball game being played when Penobscott arrives is a bit lopsided. The players are Father Mulcahy, Klinger, Radar, Colonel Potter, Hawkeye, B.J. and Nurse Clark. Seven people & no one appears to be the referee. Also note that Nurse Clark doesn't join the boys for an after the game cup of coffee in the Mess Tent.
When Frank runs away from Penobscott, he has a coffee cup in hand. By the time the Lt. Colonel catches up with Burns, the cup is gone. I suppose Ferret Face could thrown it away.
Given how drunk they were, Hawkeye and B.J. did a pretty good job with putting the cast on Donald, didn't they?
I thought Klinger said he was going to wear something backless at the wedding? I don't think that blue outfit he wore was backless.
Is the wedding dress Margaret is wearing in this ep the same one we see her in in the "Dreams" episode?
NANJAO, but when Father Mulcahy wheels Donald Penobscott to OR so they can watch Margaret work, the Father tells the Lt. Colonel about his first experience with OR. Mulcahy says he couldn't liver for a year. Apparently in the ep, "Adam's Rib", the Padre was having the fish.
I find this very interesting... Margaret in a wedding gown, going straight into triage, and then in the OR...
Very similar to her nightmare in "Dreams"
Benn,
about Klingers backless gown: I guess he was too drunk to be able to shave the err necessary areas, so he choose another dress instead.
about the basketball game: I got the impression that radar was referee, because he has the whistle in the beginning and blows on it.
I wondered about the body cast: Hawk and BJ say that Donald broke both of his legs. Wouldn't he normally get two seperate casts, so he doesn't topple over like in the mess tent? I could only understand a cast like his if the patient has to stay immobile in bed, but donald is up and about without being able to move. Neither margret, nor anybody else found this cast unusual (even taking into account the hangover everybody had?)
Why does the father wear his uniform instead of a priestly gown? Is it because presbyterians don't have priestly gowns?
Klinger shows both of his sides very convincingly: He goes to the shower to give margaret the dress (when he says the bit about wanting his daughter to wear it, crying - wonderful!) and later, he is in the swamp getting drunk and telling stories.
"about Klingers backless gown: I guess he was too drunk to be able to shave the err necessary areas, so he choose another dress instead."
Except, Constanze, being unshaven has never stopped Klinger from wearing any type of dress. I don't think he even shaved his legs.
"about the basketball game: I got the impression that radar was referee, because he has the whistle in the beginning and blows on it."
Could be. I'd have to rewatch the ep again. But that would make sense, though.
Radar is the referee. The basketball game is cut. At one point, Col. Potter actually hits Father Mulcahy while taking the ball from him. Potter starts to apologize, but then Radar blows his whistle and shouts "You fouled him!" Radar is in Potter's face and actually looks angry! Potter then threatens Radar with something like a perpetual filing job, and Radar quickly backs down. Potter and Father Mulcahy are set to jump for the ball, and Father Mulcahy mentions that Potter is standing on his foot. Potter grins and says, "Just a friendly game, Father."
Given that Donald only wanted to talk with Frank, doesn't his chase seem rather exaggerated? When Frank tripped and fell, Donald grabbed for him and literally threw himself down on Frank. Not surprising that everyone thought that there would be a serious beating-up. (Wonder what Margaret's reaction would have been if Donald had beaten up Frank?)
There is a short cut scene in Potter's office, where Potter asks Radar how the wedding arrangements are coming along. Radar tells him that Hawkeye and B.J. want to have a "smoker" for Donald. The nurses want to hold a shower for Margaret. Potter comments that they want Margaret nice and clean for her wedding. When Radar doesn't react, Potter says lamely, "That was a joke." Radar says, "I know."
The reason for the final (cut) scene was that Hawkeye, B.J, and Potter were worried about Frank. Frank, who is in his bathrobe while the others are dressed, says, "You don't have to sit up with me, you know." The others comment that Frank has had a rough time of it, losing a good friend. Hawkeye starts things off by asking what time it would be in Tokyo (around 10:00.) Margaret and Donald have probably had a nice dinner, a few drinks, a stroll around the Japanese gardens. (Potter mentions that the gardens are very romantic.) They're probably heading for the elevators about now. The three men follow Burns out of the tent quite quickly, Hawkeye and B.J. looping towels around their shoulders.
I always loved Radar's line during the wedding: "Uh, oh--choppers! Incoming wounded, incoming wounded--Sorry, God."
In “The General’s Practitioner”, Korshak described Donald Penobscott as having “one eyebrow”. The General seems to have exaggerated a bit. It’s either that or Donald has plucked his eyebrows since Korshak last seen him.
That wedding dress… Is it the same one Klinger was wearing when he got married to Laverne in “Springtime”? Also, given that his Uncle Zack wore it to get out of WWII, it’s strange that Klinger never used to get out. Or did he?
Gee, you mean other than Radar and Klinger, none of the enlisted men were invited to the “smoker”? I mean, given that this is an occasion for a party, you’d think that everyone in camp would be invited. If only for morale sake.
This episode marks the second time this season that Colonel Potter gave away the bride. The first, was in “Ping Pong”. (Okay, the ceremony was different, but Sherman was still “the father of the bride”.)
This might not necessarily be a nit, but B.J.’s white overall already has blood stains on it before his patient’s blood shoots up at him. The blood is in the same place the spurt will hit.
"Mule fritters!"
BTW, Donald's on a 48 hour leave to get married. When asked about it, Radar rattled off the names of about three or four forms that had to be filled out. One of which had to be approved by the C.O. Wouldn't Penobscott's C.O. also have to approve a similar form? How'd all that paperwork get through the Army's notoriously slow papermill so quickly?
"Mule fritters!"
Hawkeye and B.J. put Donald (Penobscott) in a body cast after he passes out.
My second favorite prank in the series. The best one was Col. Potter's prank in the eighth season episode "April Fools."