Plot A: An ambitious and very unhealthy general is considering Hawkeye for his personal physician.
Plot B: A GI (Larry Wilcox) asks Radar to look after his woman and son when he receives orders to return home.

Just saw the tail end of this episode. Why didn't Potter seize the chance to get rid of Frank by recommending him for the general's private physician?

For 18 year old, Radar sure is going bald. (I'm referring to the scene where Radar first meets Mulligan's Korean wife, Mai Ping.)

My, how 14 months, 11 days have stretched into 6 years. 14 months, 11 days is how long Potter has left until retirement.

Despite how much Pierce hates being in Korea, it says a lot about him that he'd rather stay assigned to the 4077th to patch up the wounded than go with General Korshak to be his personal physician.

When jotting down Burns' qualifications as a surgeon (to recommend he be assigned to Korshak) one of the things mentioned is Frank losing his bubble gum in a patient. If he's wearing a face mask, just how would he get bubble gum into the patient?

DK,

I wondered about that, too. I would have thought that Hawk esp. would love to get rid of him. There are some possible explanations:

- They are generally too short on surgeons, so they take what they get, even sb. like frank. If they loose Frank, they might have to wait long for a replacement. Maybe even Hawk thinks its better to have an incompetent like frank around than no surgeon (one surgeon less).

- Potter is afraid what repercussions it will have when frank sucks up to the general, butches up, and the general dies. There might be an investigation, and consequences.

Benn: about the chewing gum - thats just franks genius

I got the impression that they were all exaggerting in the spirit of the game. Even frank couldn't have done so many things wrong?! He must have enough real stuff to his name already (when he didn't clean the patient enough when operating, so he developed a sepsis a few eps. back. Margaret told it after getting back from tokyo, but no consequences were taken against burns. Under normal circumstances, I hope this would be different.

I think Radar looks just horrible when he dresses up in his good uniform and slicks his hair down (they always say that a man looks better in uniform, but radar doesn't).

"Benn: about the chewing gum - thats just franks genius

I got the impression that they were all exaggerting in the spirit of the game. Even frank couldn't have done so many things wrong?!" - Constanze

Yeah, I've considered the possibility that Hawkeye, B.J. and Colonel Potter were exaggerating about Frank. But Burns never once said, "I never left bubble gum in a patient!" He was genuinely afraid. I get the impression there's a lot of things Colonels Blake and Potter failed to put in the Major's permanent record. The look on Frank's face suggest to me he was afraid it was all finally going to come out. But I may be misinterpreting things, though.

By the way, Constanze, I tend to think your first idea is the reason Potter did not recommend Ferret Face as the "General's practioner." In the episode, "Major Fred C. Dobbs", Trapper and Hawkeye are expected to take over Frank's responsibilities when the Major is transfered. According to Radar, the replacement for Burns and Houlihan could "be 10:00 next summer." Other eps, such as "Carry On, Hawkeye" further indicate that replacement surgeons are hard to find.

Didn't Hawkeye and B.J. once have an argument over who's the better surgeon? And didn't that argument take place after this ep? It's amazing Hawkeye didn't throw this ep in Hunnicutt's face. "Oh yeah? Well if you're such a great doctor, why didn't General Korshack ask you to be his personal physician? Huh?"

There's not a word in this episode about how difficult it will be for Mulligan to marry Mai Ping, especially when she already has a child. There is also no reference to the fearful danger the little boy is in, as a mixed race child.

This episode kinda foreshadows "B.J. Papa San." B.J. comments that he's envious of Radar having a family to look after. He also tells Radar that he's a good father. Radar protests that he's not the father, and B.J. repeats, "But you're still a good father."

If Mulligan had not returned, I could easily see Radar arranging to marry her and take her home.

Mulligan is being discharged from the Army because he has gotten his points. The points system, of course, was abandoned by the Army prior to the Korean War.

Just before Potter enters the Swamp to tell Hawkeye and B.J. why Colonel Bidwell was visiting, B.J. can be seen writing on a clipboard. In some shots, Hunnicutt is seen with his left leg drawn up and his left arm resting on his knee. In others, the left arm hangs by his side.

There’s a scene cut in which Radar is in the kitchen. Klinger has once again drawn k.p. Radar tries to steal some potatoes while Max’s back is turned. However, Klinger is on to him. Max tells Radar to take some more. (That’s fewer potatoes he has to peal.) And he advises Radar to take some eggs because kids like eggs. The scene ends with Radar accidentally breaking the eggs by placing a head of lettuce on top of them. ("Do they (kids) like 'em scrambled?")

Potter says he has 14 months, 11 days ‘til he retires. That would place this episode in December of 1952. It looks mighty warm outside for winter. Nobody is wearing a coat. Moreover, there’s nothing to indicate that the camp is gearing up for Christmas, which should be just around the corner.

To catch this one I had to use the zoom function on my DVD player, but the sphygmomanometer (the device that measures blood pressure) jumps several clicks between cuts. At first it’s around 160. Then in the next cut it’s down around 80. Pierce would have been opening the valve too quickly to get an accurate reading for it to make that kind of a jump.

When General Korshak admits to knowing Donald Penobscott, I’m surprised Margaret doesn’t ask the General if he’s heard from Donald recently and how is he doing? Seems to me that’d be the most natural response one would have.

As he’s getting ready to leave, Korshak starts to put his sunglasses on. Then a few seconds later, he’s putting them on again.

Why put sunglasses on after you’ve stepped outside, and after being outside so long? I usually put my sunglasses on before I step out.

The flap of the folder B.J. is writing on changes position in various shots during the last tag for this ep.

Mulligan, btw, was played by future CHiPs star, Larry Wilcox. And isn’t “Mulligan” a last name? Isn’t it strange that Mai Ping calls the man she loves by his last name?

"Mule fritters!"

Maybe he has a first name he really despises, so he wants everyone to call him by his last name?

also she may be a bit confused between given and family names in the whole east west thing which would actually be kudos to the writers if that was the case.

'Cept Mai Ping calls Corporal O'Reilly "Walter", his given name, throughout the ep. Plus she spoke English pretty fluently. So...

As for Margie's point, maybe. But this is the woman who loves him, had his child. She's also Korean. Mulligan's first name may not sound that bad in Korean as it does in English. On the other hand, maybe in Korean Mulligan's first name is something offensive. Even though, it is something that as the future Mrs. Mulligan she'd have to get used to.

"Mule fritters!"

*shrug* Dont know.

Mulligan's name isn't the only problem here. For some inexplicable reason, the writers gave the Korean woman (who's clearly identified as such) a Chinese name.

Her son's name is...unorthodox.