Inga was the 17th episode of Season 7 of the M*A*S*H TV series, also the 164th overall series episode. The episode, which was written and directed by Alan Alda. The episode originally aired on CBS-TV on January 8, 1979.
Synopsis[]
Hawkeye is forced to confront his chauvinistic views toward strong women when he falls for a visiting Swedish doctor who has a penchant for taking charge.
Detailed episode summary[]
Much to B.J.'s and Charles' chagrin, Hawkeye's libido goes into overdrive when he hears that a female Swedish doctor named Inga Halverson will be visiting the camp. Charles chides Hawkeye for his overconfidence, but Hawkeye asserts that he is the personification of overconfidence.
Hawkeye meets Inga upon her arrival at camp, and takes delight in her Nordic accent. After he escorts her to the V.I.P. tent, Charles tries to horn in, but when Hawkeye goads him into talking about Christina, a Swedish scullery maid who works for the Winchester family back home (and whose shapely figure aroused Charles during his teen years), he soon puts his foot in his mouth when he makes a crack about Christina's mother and how "lumpy" older Swedish women can get. Realizing his faux pas, he awkwardly excuses himself, leaving Hawkeye and Inga laughing.
Hawkeye has persuaded Inga to visit him in the Swamp for what he calls "a little doctor talk" and wants B.J. and Charles to go elsewhere for a while; Charles, still smarting from his athlete's tongue, brusquely obliges, and B.J. does likewise after Inga arrives, but Inga is there to actually discuss medicine, which disappoints him.
The next day, in OR, Inga shows herself to be an excellent surgeon, showing Hawkeye and the others a procedure that none of them have seen before. Her work catches the attention of the other surgeons, which leaves Hawkeye in the back seat--a place he can't bear to be.
Later at dinner, Charles attempts to turn the tables on Hawkeye, insisting that he was put out by Inga taking over his patient, which he denies. But after a little more prodding, Hawkeye reveals that while he doesn't mind her showing them a new procedure, he didn't care much for the way she did it, making him feel almost useless. Margaret believes that the mere fact that Inga is a woman and his professional equal is what gets under Hawkeye's skin, which Hawkeye still denies. But Margaret accurately points out that Hawkeye judges every woman he meets by the same standard: their sex appeal, and she is delighted that he has finally met his match. When she mentions that she happens to know how his "date" with Inga went last night, Hawkeye calls Margaret outside for a few private words, but after Margaret puts Hawkeye in his place and the two walk back into the Mess Tent, they are met with loud applause from everyone there - everyone had been listening in on their not-so-private argument.
Later, in the Swamp, Inga shows up to apologize, and even responds to Hawkeye's amorous advances from the night before, kissing him in return, and leaning him back on his bunk. Hawkeye, thrown off by her aggressiveness, stupidly asks, "When you go dancing, who leads?", which kills the mood, and Inga leaves hurt, and leaves Hawkeye kicking himself over his own idiocy.
The next day, a miserable Hawkeye finds himself on the receiving end of some advice from Potter and B.J. about how there's nothing wrong with men and women being equals, while Klinger (wearing an organdy dress) shows support for Hawkeye saying "men are men and women are women" and the two should not be mixed up. Even Father Mulcahy puts in his two cents worth saying that Hawkeye should simply try to avoid the occasion of sin, adding, "from what I hear, you seem to be avoiding it just fine." (This scene is usually cut from syndicated airings.)
Meanwhile in Post Op, one of Charles' patients begins having serious trouble breathing. Charles thinks his windpipe may be obstructed and prepares to do a tracheotomy, but Inga notices the patients eyes and tongue are swollen and believes he is having a severe reaction to the penicillin and suggests a dose of adrenaline instead. Charles argues with Inga while the nurse hands her the hypodermic needle, and when she administers the adrenaline, the patient quickly stabilizes. Charles concedes that Inga is right, but inwardly he is livid at being shown up by another doctor, even more so by a woman doctor. He tersely thanks Inga for the correction and whisks himself out of Post Op with a full head of steam.
Back in the Swamp, Charles unloads on Inga to B.J. and Hawkeye, angrily calling her "that inconsiderate, unconscionable, conceited, arrogant, pushy woman." He even attacks the nurse helping in Post Op, calling her "underhanded", and accuses them both of undermining a man's authority. Charles' tirade shows Hawkeye what a fool he himself has been, and he decides to go to the VIP tent to apologize to Inga. Once there, he finds her sitting on her cot, frustrated over the very idea that gender protocol dictates that she was meant to let a patient needlessly suffer. Hawkeye reassures her she did the right thing. He then apologizes for pulling away from her last night, and then offers his shoulder for her to cry on, which she accepts.
When Hawkeye takes notice of the music playing on Inga's record player, she remarks that whenever she feels low she listens to it as it reminds her of home. She then mentions a dance that goes with the music, and Hawkeye asks if she would teach it to him. She is willing, but points out that she has to lead. It takes Hawkeye a few tries to get it right, but he finally relaxes and lets Inga lead. The dance ends in a passionate embrace and a kiss.
The P.A. announces incoming wounded, and Hawkeye suggests picking up where they left off when surgery is over, but Inga says she has to report to another unit in a few hours, meaning this is their last private moment together. Hawkeye is frustrated with himself at having wasted the short time Inga was there. She asks if she'll ever see him again, will he ever get to Sweden, to which Hawkeye replies, "If I ever get out of here I will." Still having a few hours to work together, they walk out of the tent hand in hand, leaving the record player running with the needle in the dry groove.
Epilogue[]
Days after Inga leaves, Hawkeye is reading in the near-empty Post Op when Margaret comes in and invites him to the movie playing in the Mess Tent: Casablanca with Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. Hawkeye initially declines as he's not yet ready to hear another Swedish accent, which Margaret understands, but when she offers to buy the popcorn, Hawkeye relents and they walk out of Post Op, arms around each other, with Hawkeye mimicking Bogart saying, "Y'know, Louis, this could be the start of a beautiful friendship."
Research notes/Fun facts[]
- In the opening scene which takes place in the showers, Hawkeye is singing a very off-key version of Indian Love Call, a song originally from the 1924 operetta Rose-Marie. The song was most famously performed by Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald in the 1936 film version of the play.
- The professionalism of the MASH crew is clearly evident in the way they responded to Inga's suggestion to demonstrate a new procedure. Margaret is immediately enthusiastic and says "right away!" when asked for some instruments. She next tells Hawkeye that it is his decision, but since it would only take an hour, they should try. Winchester walks over in curiosity. Margaret suggests that Potter should also watch the demonstration and he comes over immediately. B.J. cannot leave his patient but asks Inga for a running commentary.
- Another one of the MASH tributes to the other countries participating in the Korean War. This time it is Sweden, which sent a field hospital to Korea. This hospital was established in Pusan and remained there until 1957, a few years after the war ended.
- Inga mentions that her next assignment was the Norwegian hospital ship. In reality, the Norwegian hospital ship did not exist. The hospital ship MS Jutlandia was contributed by Denmark. The Norwegian contribution was NORMASH, a MASH-style field hospital on the US pattern which was staffed with Norwegian military personnel. NORMASH also supported I Corps, which, if it had been shown on the show, would have made it the sister unit of the 4077th.
- This episode is quite different from the early MASH when Hawkeye tries to proposition every nurse that ever comes through MASH 4077 - allegedly, there was an unfilled script in which Hawkeye impregnates two nurses at the same time and doesn't take any responsibility.
- David Scott Diffrient mentions in his book that Alan Alda, as writer and director, dedicated this episode to the memory of Sister Elizabeth Kenny, the nurse whose experimental procedure for treating polio victims he credits with saving his life during his childhood.[1]
Guest stars/Recurring cast[]
- Mariette Hartley as Dr. Inga Halvorsen
- Phyllis Katz as Nurse
- Mark Favara as Patient
- Uncredited appearances:
- Kellye Nakahara
- Shari Saba - see Nurse Shari, post op