Heroes was the 19th episode of Season 10 of the CBS-TV series M*A*S*H, also the 237th overall series episode. Written by Thad Mumford and Dan Wilcox and directed by Nell Cox, it originally aired on March 15, 1982.
Synopsis[]
A famous prizefighter comes to visit the 4077th only to suffer a fatal stroke. But while everyone becomes annoyed with Pierce, who as his doctor becomes the spokesman to the press, Father Mulcahy is concerned for an altogether different reason.
Full episode summary[]
The 4077th prepares for a goodwill tour visit from championship prizefighter "Gentlemen Joe" Cavanaugh. The one most excited is Father Mulcahy, to whom Gentleman Joe was a childhood hero. In honor of his arrival, Klinger receives a memo from General Wilberforce that allows access to anything necessary for Cavanaugh's visit- especially high-quality food. Klinger is skeptical at first, but when he mentions the memo to I-Corp, they immediately provide a large quantity of steaks.
A day later, accompanied by an army entourage led by PR man Major Robert Hatch, Cavanaugh arrives in camp, and he doesn't quite live up to his name; he's friendly enough to the members of the 4077th, but within their earshot, he's surly and dismissive to the people helping him on the tour, complaining about the lousy conditions. Cavanaugh makes a beeline for Post Op, and he turns on the charm for the wounded soldiers, who are pleasantly surprised to see him. In just a matter of minutes he is able to lift everyone's spirits by thanking the soldiers, and the medical staff, for their good work.
That night in the Mess Tent the camp prepares a steak dinner in Cavanaugh's honor, but when he stands up to make a speech, he suddenly collapses, falling face-first onto the table. Hawkeye is first to reach him, and they rush him into the hospital. After an examination, Hawkeye tells Potter, Mulcahy and Hatch that he has suffered a massive stroke with little to no chance of recovery.
Knowing this is huge news, Hatch, to Potter's reluctance, contacts the press train at Munsan. Within hours, the 4077th is overrun with reporters, who throw the camp into chaos. They turn to Hawkeye for answers about the champ's condition, and even though he says there's little he can do, the reporters treat him like a hero. Hawkeye is visibly annoyed by the attention, but the others, especially Charles and B.J., feel as though he's basking in the spotlight.
The reporters camp out in Klinger's office filing their news stories over the phone and keeping Klinger awake all night. The next day Margaret makes an errant comment about how much attention Gentleman Joe is getting compared to the wounded soldiers in Post Op, and the reporters pounce, almost accusing her of having an affair with the fighter until Father Mulcahy steps in and says that Margaret was not speaking for the record. After the distracted reporters go off on a different tangent, Margaret thanks the Father, but he curtly replies that he didn't do it for her.
The only one successfully staying above all of the randomity, Father Mulcahy is more concerned with Cavanaugh himself. As the unconscious champ lay in Post Op slipping away, Mulcahy sits with him and tells him about how as a child he had two heroes- Cavanaugh and Plato; Mulcahy briefly expounds on Plato's notion of an "ideal plane" and his longing to live there himself. He then tells about how he was an easy target for neighborhood kids because he never fought back. At age twelve, his father took him to see his first fight- Cavanaugh against Tony Giovanetti. By the ninth round, Cavanaugh had Giovanetti totally dominated, and the crowd, including Mulcahy's father, were yelling for Cavanaugh to finish him off, but he suddenly stepped back and told the referee to end the fight as Giovanetti had had enough. The profundity of that moment had a bearing on Mulcahy's future, and helped him to realize that he could defend himself and still maintain his principles; to wit, keep one foot in the real world and the other in the "ideal plane".
More wounded arrive in camp, including a badly wounded soldier suffering from an irregular heartbeat. B.J. is forced to dig out a medical journal for a crash course in defibrillation. With Klinger's help, he is able to build a defibrillator and shock the patient's heart back to life, a revolutionary new technique. Hawkeye is convinced that this act will make B.J. famous as well, but none of the reporters are interested. B.J. isn't worried by the lack of fame; he is only thankful the procedure worked.
During surgery, Mulcahy informs the press that Cavanaugh has died. No longer having a story, the horde of reporters eventually clears out. The only lasting evidence of Cavanaugh's presence in camp is the sizeable collection of food that Klinger had over-ordered, knowing that once Cavanaugh passed away General Wilberforce's memo would be worthless. Potter laments that Klinger will never be able to eat all the food he ordered before it spoils, until one more order arrives: a refrigerator.
Guest stars/Recurring cast[]
- Earl Boen as Major Robert Hatch
- Pat McNamara as "Gentleman Joe" Cavanaugh
- Gerald Castillo as Reporter
- Jay Gerber as 2nd Reporter
- Al Rossi as 3rd Reporter
- Matthew Faison as Reporter Bill Stitzel
- Britt Leach as Reporter Dan Blevik
- Tierre Turner as Patient