KFO9494 has done a fine review here of the basic plot. I wish to focus on a weakness of this series--at times they have Sergeant Schultz see and hear too much to ignore.
It is one thing for him to get a glimpse of something in the barracks and decide to pretend he sees "NUTTHHING" but in this episode he clearly sees two extra "prisoners" and sees them being fitted for German uniforms and photographed. Later he is even taken along for an airplane ride with Hogan piloting the plane that bombs a refinery before they all parachute out to return to camp.
In the scattered episodes where Schultz walks in and sees all sorts of activity that clearly indicates the men are up to something, I feel it doesn't stretch believability, it breaks it by a long shot. If Schultz is at all loyal to his country, he needs to report the sabotage and other activities he witnesses.
As I say, I am quite happy when he only sees one of the regular prisoners where he doesn't belong, or some other irregularity that doesn't really indicate what is going on, but this episode in particular stands out for him knowing way too much to continue his "I see nothing..." routine.
The other problem with this episode, is that the Nazi general who knows everything about Hogan--so he claims--is lured by a few words from Hogan into believing the American is up to something that very night, so he changes his plans to stay overnight at Stalag 13 to fly back to Berlin to keep on top of whatever Hogan is up to.
Huh? How better to keep track of Hogan than to stay right at the camp with him, if he thinks Hogan is up to something? That part made no sense to me. On making his decision, he orders Schultz to inform his flight crew to get ready to fly--OK, but also tells Schultz to dismiss the guards around his airplane. I don't understand why he didn't want them to keep guarding it until he got aboard to prevent any possible sabotage by Hogan and Company.
It is one thing for him to get a glimpse of something in the barracks and decide to pretend he sees "NUTTHHING" but in this episode he clearly sees two extra "prisoners" and sees them being fitted for German uniforms and photographed. Later he is even taken along for an airplane ride with Hogan piloting the plane that bombs a refinery before they all parachute out to return to camp.
In the scattered episodes where Schultz walks in and sees all sorts of activity that clearly indicates the men are up to something, I feel it doesn't stretch believability, it breaks it by a long shot. If Schultz is at all loyal to his country, he needs to report the sabotage and other activities he witnesses.
As I say, I am quite happy when he only sees one of the regular prisoners where he doesn't belong, or some other irregularity that doesn't really indicate what is going on, but this episode in particular stands out for him knowing way too much to continue his "I see nothing..." routine.
The other problem with this episode, is that the Nazi general who knows everything about Hogan--so he claims--is lured by a few words from Hogan into believing the American is up to something that very night, so he changes his plans to stay overnight at Stalag 13 to fly back to Berlin to keep on top of whatever Hogan is up to.
Huh? How better to keep track of Hogan than to stay right at the camp with him, if he thinks Hogan is up to something? That part made no sense to me. On making his decision, he orders Schultz to inform his flight crew to get ready to fly--OK, but also tells Schultz to dismiss the guards around his airplane. I don't understand why he didn't want them to keep guarding it until he got aboard to prevent any possible sabotage by Hogan and Company.