Deal Me Out was the 13th episode of Season 2 of the TV series M*A*S*H, also the 36th overall episode of the series. Written by Larry Gelbart and Lawrence Marks, and direceted by Terry Becker, it originally aired on CBS-TV on December 1, 1973.
Plot synopsis[]
Come what may (accident fraud, questionable sandwiches, protesting soldiers, et al), the weekly 4077th poker game goes on... and on... and on.
Full episode summary[]
Major Sidney Freedman and Captain Sam Pak arrive at the 4077th for a "conference" that turns out to be the weekly poker game in the Swamp with Hawkeye, Trapper, and Henry. Klinger eventually joins the conference carrying a tray of sandwiches from the Mess Tent ("Ham, chicken, and something brown that just lays there").
Soon after the game begins, a quietly frantic Radar comes in begging to talk to Henry in private. Radar was planning to go with some others to a nearby night spot, but never made it out of camp as he supposedly ran over a Korean local. When Radar again comes to Henry saying that the local wants fifty dollars in exchange for not reporting him to the MPs, Pak realizes that they have "the fall-down king of Korea", a one-time farmer and now-professional accident victim nicknamed "Whiplash" Hwang, who makes a living from pretending to be hit by vehicles, and then extorting money from his targets in exchange for not pressing charges against them. Trapper coerces them all to put in ten dollars to help out.
Meanwhile in OR, Frank is on duty, and a Lieutenant Rogers, a CID man who sustained multiple injuries from a chopper crash, is about to undergo surgery, but Frank delays it, citing Army regulations that a CID man cannot be anesthetized unless another CID man is present. Frank has already sent for one and is awaiting his arrival, and tells Rogers that he is "absolutely in no danger...I think." When Frank goes to the Swamp, he looks down his nose at the fact that the "conference" is underway, expresses his disapproval of Klinger's presence, citing regulations prohibiting enlisted gambling with officers, and then blurts out that Rogers is in OR still bleeding. Hawkeye rebukes him for his silly adherence to regulation, but when Pak mentions that he lost a patient like that once, Hawkeye and Trapper deal themselves out and go to the OR to operate, with Hawkeye remarking, "Hope this guy doesn't mind ignoring orders by living".
In post-op, Frank reviews the case of Private Carter and decides he is fit to return to the front. Carter is highly agitated and insists he doesn't want to go back, but Frank is unsympathetic. Hawkeye and Trapper, emerging from OR, remind Frank about his "dedicated, humane profession" but are then summoned (via the PA announcer) back to the game in the Swamp.
Captain Halloran, the other CID man, finally arrives in camp and is ready to arrest Hawkeye and Trapper for breaking regulations, but when Hawkeye and Trapper both reveal that Rogers went under with no complications, Halloran rebukes Frank for making a trip from Seoul for nothing. When Trapper invites him to sit in on the poker game, Halloran accepts. In disgust, Frank storms off to take a shower.
The game is soon interrupted again, this time by gunfire, as a now-armed Private Carter has taken Frank hostage in the shower. Sidney attempts to talk to Carter while Trapper sneaks up from behind and disarms him. Henry calls for an ambulance as Sidney takes over, and they both lead Carter back to Post Op. But as Radar brings the ambulance around, he has to slam on the brakes again when "Whiplash" Hwang, who was just discharged, fakes yet another accident (pointing first to his right leg, then to his left, just like before).
Despite all the interruptions, the game goes on into the pre-dawn hours. Exhausted, they agree to break it up and plan on meeting again next week - and then begin playing yet another hand.
Research notes/Fun facts[]
- Edward Winter's initial appearance in the series as an Army intelligence officer became a forerunner of the much more animated character of Colonel Flagg. It is unlikely that Halloran and Flagg are meant to be the same person - Hawkeye and Trapper deal extensively with Halloran in this episode, and do not recognize "Flagg" as Halloran when Flagg officially debuts in "A Smattering of Intelligence". However, when Flagg and Freedman encounter each other again in Season 4's "Quo Vadis, Captain Chandler", Flagg tells Freedman, "We played poker together", hinting that maybe Halloran might have been Flagg all along?
- Second appearance of actor Allan Arbus as psychiatrist Major Freedman, and the first time he is officially called by the first name "Sidney," which he would retain throughout the rest of the series. (Radar previously identified Major Freedman's first name as "Milton" as he summarized the week's events during the episode "Radar's Report".)
- Though Loretta Swit is billed in the opening credits, she does not appear in this episode; this is the second consecutive episode in which she is absent.
- It is not established how Private Carter got the gun; presumably, he stole it from someone else. A future episode would establish Radar is very conscientious about locking guns up until their owners leave the unit ("The Gun"). However, in another future episode ("What's Up, Doc?"), another distressed patient who doesn't want to go back to the fighting actually has his gun nearby in his sack.
- Seems odd that Major Freedman and Captain Pak would still be wearing their Class A's during the poker game.
- First appearance of Radar's infamous "paratrooper scarf", which he usually wears when he's trying to hit on a girl.
- When Major Freedman arrives, Radar takes him to the VIP tent and offers him "gin, Scotch, vodka...and for your convenience, all in the same bottle." The liquid in the bottle is quite dark; since gin and vodka are notoriously clear, that liquid should be much lighter.
Guest stars/Recurring cast[]
- Pat Morita as Captain Sam Pak
- Allan Arbus as Major Sidney Freedman
- Edward Winter as Captain Halloran
- Jamie Farr as Max Klinger
- Jerry Fujikawa as "Whiplash" Hwang
- Tom Dever as Lieutenant Rogers
- Gwen Farrell as Nurse (see Lieutenant Wilson)
- John Ritter as Private Carter
- Uncredited appearances by Kellye Nakahara, Sheila Lauritsen