Comrades in Arms, Part 2 was the 136th episode of the CBS-TV series M*A*S*H. The episode, which was the 14th episode of Season 6, was co-directed by Burt Metcalfe and Alan Alda, who also wrote the episode. It originally aired on December 13, 1977.
Storyline[]
Hawkeye comforts Margaret during a night of non-stop shelling in an abandoned hut, but the next day Margaret is so nice to Hawkeye that he can't stand her.
Full episode summary[]
At the 4077th, the most recent round of surgery is more difficult than usual without their Chief Surgeon and their Head Nurse. Everyone expresses genuine concern for their welfare - except Charles, of course, who keeps referring to them in the past tense, much to B.J.'s irritation.
The morning after the night before, Hawkeye and Margaret wake up in their beat-up hut. Hawkeye is a little nervous, made worse when he sees that Margaret seems to think this is the beginning of a long-term relationship, and the natural evolution of their time together at the 4077th. She even reveals, deep down, she would laugh sometimes when Hawkeye would get "a real good one" off on Frank - and keeps trying to get him to "admit" his true feelings for her, making him even more uncomfortable.
A wounded North Korean soldier arrives in the hut, but they can't leave because Hawkeye's wounded leg has stiffened up overnight. They hide under some debris, long enough for the soldier to stagger in, look around, and fall over - he's seriously wounded, and was using his last few moments of consciousness to scrounge for food. He passes out.
As Hawkeye works on him, Margaret hears a chopper outside. She runs outside and sees it's one of theirs, a chopper flown by pilot Aylesworth with B.J. as a passenger. She tries to flag them down, but they don't see her.
They do see Hawkeye and Margaret's lost Jeep, but when they get shot at by the Jeep's North Korean thieves, they head back to the 4077th. Margaret urges Hawkeye to leave the wounded soldier and leave, reasoning that he's the enemy and the other North Koreans will find him, but Hawkeye is reluctant to abandon his patient.
When B.J. and the pilot get back to camp, Potter is furious they went up without permission, but he's mollified when B.J. tells him he thinks they saw where Hawkeye and Margaret might be. Potter says that now that the 8063rd is back where it's supposed to be, they can finally send out a search party.
Another day passes, and Hawkeye and Margaret are stuck sitting under one parka as rain pours down on them, reading a map by flashlight. Margaret keeps fawning over Hawkeye, mentioning how she's going to change him during their relationship. When Hawkeye makes an off-handed remark about Margaret's relationship with her husband, she flies into a rage. They are discovered by a member of the 8063rd, which overjoys Hawkeye, leaving Margaret furious, now that it's dawned on her that Hawkeye isn't interested in having a relationship with her.
Back at the 8063rd, they perform the surgery they were sent there for. The surgery goes well, but the tension is thick when it's obvious to everyone in the room that these two visitors aren't getting along. You can hear the painful slap of the instruments as Margaret thrusts them into Hawkeye's hand. When the surgery is complete, the two step out to change and have a heated discussion about their current, very negative feelings towards each other, but come to the agreement to keep it civil when presenting professionally.
At the 4077th, B.J., Potter, Winchester, and Father Mulcahy have a drink to celebrate the imminent return of Hawkeye and Margaret. They wonder at how difficult it must have been for the two of them, since they're so different. But it's Father Mulcahy, via some innocently intended comments, that puts the idea in everyone's heads that maybe they turned to each other for..."comfort."
A few hours later, Hawkeye and Margaret do return home to a party in their honor. After receiving some gifts, Hawkeye profusely thanks everyone for "really saving" his skin, so profusely that a boiling Margaret slaps him across the face and storms out.
Back at the Swamp, Hawkeye turns to B.J. for advice on how to handle the situation and has to admit he does have a few feelings for Margaret. Later, Hawkeye visits Margaret in her tent to talk. At first, she completely denies anything happened, but then she softens a bit and owns up to what happened, but in terms so stiff Hawkeye says he'll "have [a] lawyer draw up a contract."
Margaret gets the point and levels with Hawkeye, by reading him a letter she's "accidentally" sending to Donald, thanking the non-existent "Hank" for an amazing, tender night in that abandoned hut. Hawkeye and Margaret own up to the idea that nothing more will come of this since they're so different, but they both admit they shared something together, and their relationship - as friends - will be different, and better, from now on.
In the epilogue, the surgeons and Margaret are gathered in the Mess Tent, as Potter announces another unit also wants a demonstration, and Charles again expresses his unwillingness to go, citing the experience Hawkeye and Margaret just had. The two new friends smile at each other, which triggers a round of knowing grins from Potter and B.J. - which everyone denies when confronted ("What are you smiling at?" "Who's smiling?").
Research notes/Fun facts[]
- During the demonstration operation at the 8063rd MASH, Margaret mentions that they are using a new vascular clamp designed at the 4077th, but this invention doesn't happen until 3 episodes later in "Patent 4077". That's because "Patent 4077" was produced before "Comrades in Arms," but the latter was broadcast before the former.
- For the fourth consecutive episode, and in seven of the last eight, Gary Burghoff receives billing but does not appear.
- The title refers to the 1939 film Babes in Arms.
Guest stars/Recurring cast[]
- James Saito as South Korean Soldier
- John Yune as North Korean Soldier
- Douglas Rowe as Aylesworth
- Leland Sun as Korean Squad Leader