Carry On, Hawkeye was the 11th episode of Season 2 of the TV series M*A*S*H, also the 35th overall episode of the series. Written as a teleplay by Bernard Dilbert, and Larry Gelbart and Lawrence Marks from an original story by Marks, and directed by Terry Becker, it originally aired on CBS-TV on November 24, 1973.
Synopsis[]
As a flu epidemic hits camp, Hawkeye finds himself the only surgeon in the 4077th unaffected with a handful of nurses. But the wounded keep arriving.
Full episode summary[]
First Trapper, then Henry come down with the flu. Next, Frank collapses at the operating table, leaving Hawkeye the only surgeon able to carry on. And he needs to, because wave after wave of wounded arrive needing urgent surgery.
Radar calls around for a spare surgeon, but in the Korea-wide flu epidemic, no one is available. So Hawkeye presses all available staff to work in the O.R. Margaret takes over some surgical tasks, while Mulcahy is called in to assist the handful of nurses who are still able to work. Henry and Trapper both try to get out of bed and help, but end up back in bed just as quick.
Some anti-flu serum is sent to the camp, and Margaret suggests that she and Hawkeye vaccinate each other to improve their immunity. But it doesn't work. Margaret is all right, but Hawkeye later reports that he is coming down with the flu just as yet another wave of wounded arrive.
Hawkeye has no choice but to continue working, even though he feels feverish and unwell. For this last push, everyone is roped in, even Radar. It is a tough session, but they pull through.
Days later, Henry, Trapper, Frank, and Margaret visit Hawkeye, who has now been warded in Post Op because of the flu. Henry presents him with a souvenir of his magnificent achievement - a roll of toilet paper signed by every member of the MASH staff.
Research notes/Fun facts[]
- At the very beginning of the episode, the camera has closeups of the mileage post at the center of the camp. Seoul is indicated as 34 mi/54 km to the right (presumably west), above Coney Island (7,033 mi., left), San Francisco (mileage obscured, but the first two digits appear to be "54"), Annapolis (6,779 mi., left), Los Angeles (5,471 mi., left), Burbank (5,610 mi., and at a different angle from Los Angeles), Death Valley (mileage obscured and perpendicular to the Los Angeles sign), Decatur (9,412 mi.), Tokyo (obscured), and Boston (8,328 mi.). While some of these are obviously in error (particularly the southern California references, and possibly on purpose), the mileage to Seoul would put the camp somewhere between Wonju and Hongcheon.
- First episode in which Kellye Nakahara (still a non-speaking extra) is identified by name, in this case being addressed as "Kellye" by Hawkeye.
- Lynette Mettey plays a completely different nurse than she did in Season 1. This nurse, Sheila Anderson, is a new transfer to the 4077th who needs to be introduced to everyone. Previously, she had a recurring role as Lieutenant Nancy Griffin.
- While Radar is trying to hunt down a replacement surgeon, he finds out one candidate is actually a pediatrician. He says, "We don't get a lot of pregnant patients here." A scriptwriter must have gotten "pediatrician" mixed up with "obstetrician".
- PA announcement:
- "Attention all personnel. Here is the latest news from Armed Forces Radio. Stockholm: Dr. Ralph Bunche has just won the Nobel Peace Prize. Moscow: Josef Stalin announced he has been unanimously reelected ruler of Russia. Paris: the French Army today predicted it would bring a swift end to the Vietnamese War. Detroit: the automobile industry reached its production target of six and a half million cars. Korea: ammunition and material shortages continue to hinder the Allied war effort."
- Dr. Ralph Bunche was a Harvard PhD in Political Science and later Professor of Political Science at Howard University. In the 1940s, he helped to draft the United Nations Charter and is considered by many to be one of the founding fathers of the United Nations. In 1946, he joined the United Nations secretariat, and in 1948, served as the United Nations chief mediator between the Israelis and Palestinians. It was for this peace-brokering work that he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1950.[1][2]
- This announcement does not necessarily provide a timeline fix. The award is for the year 1950, but we don't know when the decision to make this award was made. Nobel Prizes are usually announced around November/December for the year in question, but we don't know whether this was true for 1950.
- The announcer says the news comes from Stockholm. The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded by a Norwegian Committee and the award ceremony is held in Oslo.
Guest stars/Recurring cast[]
- William Christopher as Father Francis Mulcahy
- Marcia Gelman as Nurse Jacobs
- Gwen Farrell as Nurse Wilson
- Lynette Mettey as Nurse Sheila Anderson (as Lynnette Mettey)
- Other uncredited appearances: Kellye Nakahara, Sheila Lauritsen