Template:Infobox M*A*S*H episode V2
Fade Out, Fade In, Part 2, was the 124th episode of the CBS-TV series M*A*S*H. The episode, which was part two of an hour long two-part episode arc, as well as the second episode of Season 6, was written by Everett Greenbaum and Jim Fritzell, and directed by Hy Averback. It originally aired on September 20, 1977, with repeats as a half-hour two-parter taking place on March 13 and 20, 1978.
Synopsis
With the camp desperately needing a new surgeon due to the departure of Frank Burns, the upper crust Boston blueblood Major Charles Emerson Winchester has been shipped from Tokyo General to South Korea by a Colonel Horace Baldwin, who owed him several hundred dollars from playing cribbage. Winchester becomes permanently assigned to the 4077th, much to his angry and bitter displeasure.
Full episode summary
As the episode opens, Hawkeye and B.J. are packing up Frank's stuff. They keep all the good stuff, and Margaret comes in to take back a picture he had of her. They tell her to leave it there to keep Frank crazy, but when Margaret is complimentary towards him--and says there are some things he has over her new husband--Hawkeye and B.J. ask her what happened on her honeymoon.
After some cajoling, she tearfully tells them that, during the honeymoon, Penobscot seemed to shut down completely--he stopped talking, smiling..."everything."
They comfort Margaret by telling her that meeting all of his new wife's old friends and former beaus (like various generals) probably intimidated Penobscot, and it shook his confidence. They tell her he'll get over it.
When she wonders why Frank didn't have this problem, Hawkeye and B.J. offer that's because "He had every other one." Margaret defends Frank, until she sees that, among his belongings, was an alarm clock Frank told her was stolen. Enraged, she says one last goodbye to Frank by pouring what's left of her martini in his foot locker.
After dismissing Klinger and his lawyer regarding the Section 8 hearing, Col. Potter is seen talking on the phone with Colonel Baldwin, and since the stateside transferred Frank Burns is not coming back, the 4077th needs a permanent replacement. After rejecting several poor candidates, Potter says he'd be willing to keep Winchester, if he's available. Baldwin agrees to the deal.
Later, Dr. Berman is amazed that he is recovering from his wounds, and Winchester checks on him before he gets ready to leave.
Radar finds Winchester in the Officers Club, eager to get on his way back to Tokyo. Potter arrives and breaks the news to Winchester that he's been assigned to the 4077th permanently. Winchester is understandably mortified. Potter offers Winchester some words of encouragement, but Winchester is despondent. Potter leaves the building, and Winchester ponders his fate.
Meanwhile, Klinger is summoned to Col. Potter's office with Schaeffer for what he believes will be his hearing to finally get his Section 8 discharge. M.P.'s are at the entrance. Schaeffer is surprised that there are no other officers present, to which Potter replies, "Road apples, Private!" Potter breaks the news to a dismayed Klinger that Schaeffer is NOT a lawyer or even an officer, but a private who's been trying to get a Section 8 even longer than Klinger. Schaeffer has been busted twice and spent four months in prison for impersonating a bombadier, a tank commander, and a chaplain (who has somehow performed 25 illegal weddings), according to his CO. Potter then calls the MP's to escort Schaeffer away and then comforts Klinger.
As Hawkeye and B.J. send Dr. Berman on his way, Radar tells them Frank is on the phone, and says it'll be the last time he ever speaks to them. Not being able to pass that up, B.J. talks first, and then Frank (who we never see or hear) asks to talk to Hawkeye. After a few moments, Hawkeye sounds incredulous, then annoyed, then condescending and impatient.
As soon as he gets off the phone, he grabs the whole apparatus, opens the door to the compound, and chucks the phone to the ground with all the force he can muster.
As Radar chases after it, B.J. asks Hawkeye what's up. Hawkeye delivers the bad news: "The Army, in its infinite wisdom, not only has cleared Frank of all the charges, they have assigned him to a Veteran's Hospital in Indiana...and promoted him to Lieutenant Colonel."
As Hawkeye walks off in disgust, B.J. attempts to grab the phone from Radar and get his licks in, but Radar won't let him have it. B.J., too, walks off in disgust.
As Radar is attempting to repair the phone, Winchester storms in demanding that Radar patch a call to Tokyo to Col. Baldwin, presumably to get reassigned back to Tokyo. Radar replies that he can't due to the phone being broken. As an enraged Winchester begins to threaten Radar, Potter walks in and calmly orders Winchester to leave and accept his fate. Winchester replies that "you cannot break the spirit of a Winchester" and that he will exhaust every avenue he possibly can to be transferred away from the 4077th.
Winchester officially moves in to the Swamp, and he rages to no one in particular about how his skills, culture, and intelligence are so much better than everyone else's, and how he can't believe he's stuck in this "Godforsaken...dump."
Wounded arrive, and Winchester gets his trial by fire. While being a superb surgeon, he is so slow and methodical--even when washing his hands--that he quickly falls behind everyone else. When told to "switch into high-gear", he gets testy and refuses. B.J. steps in and shows Winchester a short-cut that works better when dealing with this kind of volume.
After surgery, Winchester's ego seems deflated. He doesn't think he'll be able to hack it, but the other doctors try and cheer him up. Winchester meekly agrees, and adds "Well, you may be right. if you people did it, I certainly can." Hawkeye, B.J., and Potter watch him walk out of the laundry room.
Potter asks them whether they'd rather have Frank back, and they offer he was more fun to be cruel to. That leads Potter to warn them off pulling any practical jokes on Winchester until he gets settled in. Hawkeye and B.J. respond that they wish he could have told them that "before we put the snake in his bed."
That night, in the Swamp, Winchester is sitting alone, listening to Mozart on his record player. Hawkeye and B.J. enter, and B.J. comments on the music. Hawkeye replies, "Please, Beej...Mozart." and lays down in his cot, only to find the snake is now in his bed. He screams wildly as he throws it out of the Swamp, and responds, "Clever...very clever."
Winchester, showing little emotion, whimsically admonishes him with, "Please...Mozart", and then goes back to listening.
Research notes/Fun facts
- This is the only season with the closing theme adding the opening guitar licks from "Suicide Is Painless."
Guest stars/Recurring cast
- Rick Hurst as Schaeffer
- Raymond Singer as Dr. Berman
- Robert Symonds as Colonel Horace Baldwin
- Tom Stovall as The Sergeant
- William Flatley as M.P. Sergeant
- James Carroll as Driver (as James Lough)
- Joseph Burns as Patient
- Uncredited appearances by