The Tooth Shall Set You Free was the 15th episode of Season 10 of M*A*S*H, also the 233rd overall series episode. Written by Lee H. Grant and directed by Charles S. Dubin, it originally aired on February 8, 1982.
Synopsis[]
While Charles fearfully avoids getting his agonizing toothache treated, Hawkeye and B.J. discover a racist commander is sending his African-American soldiers disproportionately into dangerous duty.
Full episode summary[]
Wounded arrive late at night, most of them from the 358th Combat Engineers unit. Charles is surlier than usual, due to a toothache he's trying desperately to keep secret. After the session in OR, the doctors are met by Major Lawrence Weems who arrived to see his men. Everyone is impressed that Weems made a trip this late at night, but he says it's the least he could do.
Hawkeye and B.J. offer to let Weems sleep in the Swamp, though he mentions how guilty he feels sleeping in a bed while his men have to get shot to get the same opportunity. Hawkeye and B.J. are further impressed at Weems' care for his men.
In Post Op, Weems suggests one of his men, Corporal Dorsey, should go home, but Hawkeye tells him Dorsey's wounds aren't that serious. He then asks about another wounded soldier from his unit, Sturdivant, and asks when he will be coming back to his unit, but Hawkeye informs him that Sturdivant will be going home instead. Weems privately tells Hawkeye that Dorsey is the only child from a poor farm family, and they really need him back home, and Hawkeye promises to do what he can. But he later hears Father Mulcahy mention that Dorsey is from Brooklyn and has five younger siblings, which Dorsey later confirms when Hawkeye asks him about it. When Hawkeye asks about Weems, Dorsey becomes sullen and refuses to talk.
Hawkeye shares what he knows with B.J., comparing the two wounded soldiers, but when B.J. points out that Dorsey is black and Sturdivant is white, it still doesn't make sense to Hawkeye, who points out that "sending Dorsey home is the biggest favor [Weems] can do for him". Just then, another ambulance arrives with more wounded combat engineers, and this time, all of them are black. This motivates Hawkeye and B.J. to do some research, and they learn that only 11% of Weems' unit is black, but suffer nearly half of the casualties. They turn their findings in to Potter.
Meanwhile, Potter is having a personnel problem of his own: he is well aware of Charles' toothache and is concerned that the afflicted tooth will abscess soon and put Charles out of action as a surgeon for an unacceptable period unless he gets it treated. Potter confronts Charles in the Mess Tent, but when he strongly denies his problem, Potter, feigning remorse for his accusation, offer Charles a bowl of ice cream as an apologetic gesture, and expects him to eat it immediately. Knowing the likely pain, Charles tries to weasel out, but Potter bluntly orders him to eat. Charles takes a spoonful, showing no reaction and then excuses himself from the Mess Tent, momentarily fooling Potter until he howls in pain outside; Potter finally puts his foot down and arranges a dental checkup for Charles.
That night, Hawkeye and B.J. are having drinks outside the Swamp when they are joined by Potter and Weems, the latter of whom again suggests that some of his men should be sent home. Potter pretends to play the "race card" on Weems, pointing out that he wanted to get Dorsey sent home, and now he's "tryin' to get two more of 'them' sent stateside". Weems doesn't seem to know what Potter is talking about at first, but then opens up about his feelings, saying "this man's army hasn't been the same since our beloved president (Truman) signed that act in '48". Potter surreptitiously cajoles Weems when he adds that Truman should have left well-enough alone, which Weems amens, adding that "everything was fine 'til Uncle Sam burnt the toast". When Potter asks why Weems is sending them home "via your own underground railroad", Weems reveals that he doesn't want black soldiers in his unit, so he assigns them high-risk duty so they either get wounded and earn more rotation points to get sent home faster, or they get killed - to Weems, it's all the same.
They go into the Swamp for more drinks, where they are met inside by a Major Rockingham, Deputy Assistant to the Chief of Staff of Personnel at I-Corps HQ. Rockingham, who is black, has overheard Weems' entire story and is ready to have him court-martialed for "sending his men into dangerous duty on the basis of their race". Weems attempts the 'my word against yours' gambit, but when Hawkeye, B.J., Potter, and Charles all add their names to the witness list, Weems tries to weasel out, saying there's no need for a court martial; Rockingham agrees and offers an alternative: resign his commission then and there; if he refuses, Rockingham will put in an immediate call to the JAG. Weems eventually capitulates, signs the paperwork, and then adds, "There used to be a time when you could tell who your enemies were" before storming out.
Everyone celebrates the victory (Hawkeye remarks that "his eyeballs were breaking out in a sweat"), but there's a second part to the plan: Major Rockingham is actually Captain Rockingham, DDS (dentist). Charles cowers in terror, and is almost literally dragged by Hawkeye and B.J. to get his tooth worked on.
Epilogue[]
The dental procedure is successful, but Charles bites Rockingham's hand in the process; blaming "very primitive biting instincts", Charles is profusely apologetic, though the expression on his face just before the end credits suggests it may not have been so accidental after all.
Research notes/Fun facts[]
- In the scene where Weems is being set up by Potter and the others, Weems refers (though not by name) to President Truman's "Executive Order 9981" which rendered segregation of the US Armed Forces illegal. Truman signed the order on July 26, 1948, which became a major catalyst for the burgeoning Civil Rights Movement.
- Charles' aching tooth keeps switching sides. Twice he is sitting in the Mess Tent - first time, his right side is to the camera; the second time, his left side is facing us. Each time, his toothache is on the side of his face not facing the camera.
Recurring cast/Guest stars[]
- Tom Atkins as Major Lawrence Weems
- Jason Bernard as Captain Quentin Rockingham
- Laurence Fishburne as Corporal Dorsey (as Larry Fishburne)
- Bill Snider as Corpsman
- Kellye Nakahara as Lieutenant Kellye Yamato
- John Fujioka as Duc Phon Jong