- A touring USO show brings an unexpected touch of vaudeville to the 4077th when the star showgirl requires an emergency operation.
- A touring USO show brings an unexpected touch of vaudeville to the 4077th when the star showgirl requires an emergency operation. while doing a tour of Korea Marina Ryan (Gail Edwards) develops an acute pain in the abdomen and is airlifted to the 4077 for an emergency appendix removal. Hawkeye (Alan Alda) does the operation. Soon, the rest of her troop lands at the MASH 4077, including Brandy Doyle (Gwen Verdon) (a former stripper), Sarah Miller (Karen Landry), Ellie Carlyle (Amanda McBroom) and emcee Freddie Nichols (Danny Dayton).
The crew is at 4077 to say high to Marina, on their way to the 121st evacuation hospital, where their next show is due. But Marina convinces Freddie to do a show at the 4077 (as a favor to the unit who took such good of her) before moving on. Hawkeye is pissed that Winchester (David Ogden Stiers) finds Freddie's jokes laugh worthy. Max is also a big fan of Freddie, and everyone at the unit loves him (Klinger (Jamie Farr) once traveled 6 hrs to catch his show and his nose made it in 5). Sarah has a quiet word with Mulcahy and asks him to check if her late brother was treated at the 4077 MASH. Mulcahy finds no records.
Potter (Harry Morgan) does a faux pas, when he asks young ones Sarah and Ellie to bunk together and asks Brandy to bunk with Margaret (Loretta Swit) (indicating that Margaret is as old as Brandy (who is really old)). The show at the 4077 is a big success, but BJ (Mike Farrell) and Hawkeye still find Freddie's jokes stale and not funny at all. To top it off, Potter has asked Freddie to bunk in the swamp. The next morning Marina makes a pass at Hawkeye, who steps back. The same morning, USA launches an all out offensive and all roads are for convoy movement only. The USO troops are asked to stay back at 4077.
Meanwhile BJ is treating Pvt Nowicki (Richard Molnar), who is recovering well, but wont say a single word to anyone. Potter invites Brandy to his tent to share his best 12 yr old scotch. Margaret and Mulcahy (William Christopher) speak to Sarah to figure out that her brother loved a ballet dancer. She gave him a set of her ballet shoes and he treasured them as his only link to her. Her brother died at the 121st evac hospital and when the personal effects were returned, the ballet shoes were not in them. She wants to go back home with the memory of her brother for his fiance. Mulcahy says that chances are the shoes could have been lost even before her brother reached the 121st evac. Margaret figures all head wounds (Sarah's brother had one) go to 8063rd, so tries to find there.
Winchester is not impressed with the accordion skills of Ellie, but is floored when she belts out a perfect melody on the piano. Brandy and Potter share the 12 yr scotch and Brandy moves out when Potter passes out in his chair, when he has had one too many. Marina finds from BJ that Nowicki is not talking to anyone. She tries to cheer Nowicki up and spends time with him. Nowicki responds a little and returns the visit to Marina. A batch of incoming wounded is transferred from the 8063rd, and one of the GIs brings in the ballet shoes, which find their way to Sarah.
The travel restrictions are lifted and USO free to leave. Hawkeye wants Marina to go as well, but she wants to stay and start a relationship with Hawkeye. Hawkeye tells her that she doesn't know the real Hawkeye and sends her away. Just like that the USO tour moves on and the 4077 returns to its normal life.
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