"The Novocaine Mutiny" is an episode from the TV series ''

M*A*S*H ''M*A*S*H'' (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) is an American media franchise consisting of a series of novels, a film, several television series, plays, and other properties, and based on the semi-autobiographical fiction of Richard Hooker. The ...

'', the twentieth episode of its fourth season. It was aired on January 27, 1976, was written by

Burt Prelutsky Burt Prelutsky (January 5, 1940 – December 17, 2021) was an American screenwriter, newspaper columnist, and author. Early life and career A graduate of Fairfax High School, Prelutsky was a film critic for ''Los Angeles Magazine'' from 1961 t ...

and directed by

Harry Morgan Harry Morgan (born Harry Bratsberg; April 10, 1915 – December 7, 2011) was an American actor and director whose television and film career spanned six decades. Morgan's major roles included Pete Porter in both ''December Bride'' (1954–1959 ...

. As Prelutsky had written a number of episodes of '' Dragnet,'' of which Morgan had been a main cast member, the episode could be said to be a reunion, of sorts, between the two men.

Synopsis

Frank Burns This is a list of characters from the ''M*A*S*H'' franchise, covering the various fictional characters appearing in the novel '' MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors'' and its sequels, the 1970 film adaptation of the novel, and the televisi ...

has filed charges of

mutiny Mutiny is a revolt among a group of people (typically of a military, of a crew or of a crew of pirates) to oppose, change, or overthrow an organization to which they were previously loyal. The term is commonly used for a rebellion among member ...

against

Hawkeye Pierce This is a list of characters from the ''M*A*S*H'' franchise, covering the various fictional characters appearing in the novel '' MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors'' and its sequels, the 1970 film adaptation of the novel, and the televisio ...

for an incident that happened during a busy surgical shift in the operating room. A preliminary hearing is convened to determine whether Hawkeye should face a

court-martial A court-martial or court martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of memb ...

, which could lead to his execution if he is found guilty. B. J. Hunnicutt is called as the first witness and begins to recount the events that led to the alleged mutiny. As soon as

Colonel Potter This is a list of characters from the ''M*A*S*H'' franchise, covering the various fictional characters appearing in the novel '' MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors'' and its sequels, the 1970 film adaptation of the novel, and the televisio ...

departed for Tokyo for a week, Frank assumed temporary command and immediately began to implement his gung-ho vision for the camp, including a ban on gambling. When he learned that Staff Sergeant Zale had lost $300, he instituted a camp-wide search for the money, ignoring repeated insistences that Zale had lost it in a poker game. Radar is called as the next witness and testifies to Frank's intrusive search methods, ending at Radar's own bunk in the camp office. Frank never found the money because Radar had hidden it in his teddy bear. The presiding officer, Lt. Colonel Carmichael, now calls Frank to describe the mutiny itself. Frank embellishes his account to cast himself in a heroic light - performing multiple difficult surgeries, bolstering everyone's spirits, and even taking over for an exhausted

Father Mulcahy This is a list of characters from the ''M*A*S*H'' franchise, covering the various fictional characters appearing in the novel '' MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors'' and its sequels, the 1970 film adaptation of the novel, and the televis ...

to administer

last rites The last rites, also known as the Commendation of the Dying, are the last prayers and ministrations given to an individual of Christian faith, when possible, shortly before death. They may be administered to those awaiting execution, mortall ...

for a patient. He claims that an overworked Hawkeye drugged him into unconsciousness and took command of the unit. Hawkeye disputes the entire story, stating that Frank had been sending patients into the OR at risk of death during surgery, instead of doing the proper pre-op workup on them. Frank accused Hawkeye and B.J. of nitpicking and complained that the surgical staff would have no chance of keeping up with the influx of wounded. When Hawkeye half-jokingly threatened Frank with physical violence, Frank backed away and was hit in the face and knocked out by an opening door. Hawkeye sent Mulcahy to work in pre-op and had

Corporal Klinger This is a list of characters from the ''M*A*S*H'' franchise, covering the various fictional characters appearing in the novel '' MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors'' and its sequels, the 1970 film adaptation of the novel, and the televisio ...

drag Frank out of the OR. Carmichael decides that the evidence does not warrant a court-martial and dismisses the proceedings, expressing his derisive opinion that Frank might have been made a pastry chef if he had not been drafted as a doctor. Afterward, back at camp, Hawkeye and B. J. start a new poker game and Potter joins in, ignoring Frank's un-rescinded order against gambling. {{DEFAULTSORT:Novocaine Mutiny (MASH) M*A*S*H (season 4) episodes 1976 American television episodes Courts-martial in fiction