M*A*S*H: Tell It to the Marines

M*A*S*H: Tell It to the Marines
CBS
January 12, 1981
Dramedy
DVD
B-

This is the only M*A*S*H episode written by Hank Bradford, who'd do a Three's Company episode the next year.  While Potter is away, Winchester is commanding officer, and he pays Klinger extra to serve as his manservant, certainly a different use of power than Burns would've tried.  It's interesting that the Max-Charles relationship is one of the recurring themes this year, I suppose because teaming up opposites provides some friction on what has become a rather bland show, compared to the strong emotions of earlier seasons.  The other thread is that Hawkeye tries to help a Dutch-American soldier get home before his recently divorced mother is deported.

Denny Miller, who plays the beefy MP, may look familiar from his appearances as Tongo and Duke on Gilligan's Island, or Tank Gates on The Brady Bunch.  James Gallery, who plays reporter Murray Thompson, would soon become Marcia's father-in-law in The Brady Girls Get Married, and then the next year he'd be Kip's uncle on Bosom Buddies.  Kellye Nakahara returns as Yamato.  Morgan directed, but then his character is absent most of the episode.