M*A*S*H
(1972–1983)
The nurses go behind Margaret's back so that a fellow nurse confined to her tent can spend the night with her soldier husband who is paying her a surprise visit.
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Title: The Nurses (19 Oct 1976)
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Cast
| Episode complete credited cast: | |||
| Alan Alda | ... | Capt. Benjamin Franklin 'Hawkeye' Pierce | |
| Mike Farrell | ... | Capt. B.J. Hunnicutt | |
| Harry Morgan | ... | Col. Sherman T. Potter | |
| Loretta Swit | ... | Maj. Margaret 'Hot Lips' Houlihan | |
| Larry Linville | ... | Maj. Frank Burns | |
| Gary Burghoff | ... | Cpl. Walter 'Radar' O'Reilly | |
| Jamie Farr | ... | Cpl. Maxwell Q. Klinger | |
| William Christopher | ... | Father Francis Mulcahy | |
| Linda Kelsey | ... | Lt. Mickey Baker | |
| Mary Jo Catlett | ... | Nurse Walsh | |
| Carol Locatell | ... | Nurse Gaynor (as Carol Lawson Locatell) | |
 |
Patricia Sturges | ... | Nurse Preston |
| Gregory Harrison | ... | Lt. Tony Baker | |
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Plot Summary
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Plot Synopsis
Storyline
In a pivotal episode, the 4077 is suffering shortages in water and supplies; everyone is hot, cranky and on edge. Margaret is particularly hostile; she and four of her nurses are at each other's throats. One nurse, Lt. Baker, made a rude remark to Hotlips and has been confined to her tent. Margaret is tired of insubordination, snide comments, lies and attitudes she gets from her nurses. The nurses are tired of the lack of trust and the feeling of being ruled, regulated and reported to death by their Head Nurse. Young Mickey Baker was recently married and never had a honeymoon; her new husband suddenly appears at 4077. Lt. Tony Baker (Gregory Harrison) has to rejoin his unit in 24 hours, but he wants to surprise his bride. Tender-hearted Radar brings the issue before the Swamp doctors. An unauthorized, secret and hasty honeymoon is organized for the newlyweds; there is only one tent available and the situation is managed with subterfuge and lies. Margaret, Frank and Colonel Potter are ... Written by LA-Lawyer
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Nurse Gaynor: Major, I already did my duty. Seventeen hours overtime and three cardiac arrests. You can't upset me. I'm numb. I don't even feel sad with burn patients that look like mummies. That's why I'm drinking... to feel something.
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Did You Know?
Trivia
Gregory Harrison would later star as Dr. Gates in Trapper John M.D. a sequel to MASH. See more »Goofs
It makes no sense for B.J. and Hawkeye to quarantine Margaret's tent when there was a VIP tent that was almost always empty and could have easily worked for a rendezvous. See more »Quotes
Margaret: I will not tolerate drunkenness.Nurse Gaynor: Major, I already did my duty. Seventeen hours overtime and three cardiac arrests. You can't upset me. I'm numb. I don't even feel sad with burn patients that look like mummies. That's why I'm drinking... to feel something.
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
19 October 1976 (USA) See more »Filming Locations:
Stage 9, 20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USACompany Credits
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Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Photophone Sound Recording)Color:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1Looking for some great streaming picks? Check out some of the IMDb editors' favorites movies and shows to round out your Watchlist.
This is a terrific episode, but it's unusual in that it focuses on a group of nurses who we've never seen before. The fact that these characters are so strongly written, well defined and played by a good cast suggests to me that this episode might have been a spin off pilot for Margaret's character and the nurses. In addition, none of the usual nurses are seen. Based on the quality of the episode, a series based on these characters might have actually worked.
The main plot concerns Margaret's relationship with her nurses in general. The B-story focuses on Hawk and BJ helping one of the nurses to spend the night with her new soldier husband. There's even a C-story about another nurse becoming emotionally burned out.
The episode was written by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, so it's not surprising it contains strong female characters. And even if it wasn't meant to be spin off pilot, it still works as a great episode from a great series.