Tired of B.J. and Hawkeye complaining about everything, Col. Potter makes them morale officers. Meanwhile, Charles saves the leg of a soldier who was hit by shell fragments, but is devastated when he finds out the soldier, a concert pianist, is deeply depressed because he no longer has the use of his right hand.
Attention all personnel! The following tropes are presented as a means of boosting morale:
- Appeal to Flattery: When Klinger tries to appeal to B.J. and Hawkeye's better nature in order to get a three-day pass, the two applaud him instead and tell him it's that kind of con artistry that makes him an indispensable part in their plan to improve camp morale.Klinger: Man can resist only so much flattery.
- Beach Episode: A variation; Hawkeye's idea is not to go to the beach, but to bring elements of the beach (lobsters, umbrellas, music) to the 4077th for a party.
- Berserk Button: For B.J. and Hawkeye, it's having to sit through the same movie over and over again. For Col. Potter, it's having to listen to B.J. and Hawkeye complaining about that movie.
- "Blackmail" Is Such an Ugly Word: Klinger pulls this on B.J. and Hawkeye twice in the same scene. First, after he gets them to give him a three-day pass to Tokyo:B.J.: You thief!
Klinger: "Thief" is such an ugly word. Shall we say "entrepreneur"?- Then, they find out Klinger was going to Tokyo anyway on Col. Potter's behalf:
Hawkeye: You just stole a three-day pass from us!
Klinger: "Stole" is such an ugly word. Shall we say "creatively acquired"? - Continuity Nod: When Klinger asks for a pass so he can get to Toledo, B.J. brings up the fact Klinger had decided to give up on running away from camp.
- Department of Redundancy Department:Klinger: Your wanting me in the driver's seat certainly puts me in the driver's seat.
- The Gift: Charles tells the pianist he can't just give up. Charles can play the piano, but he cannot make the music. Just giving up on his talent would be a crime in his eyes.
- Heroic BSoD: Charles goes through this when he finds out David's hand injury will prevent him from continuing his career as a concert pianist. David himself goes through this when he finds out he won't be able to play anymore.
- Indy Ploy: After Hawkeye announces to the camp his plans for a big surprise dinner party for them:B.J.: You don't have a thing in mind, do you?
Hawkeye: Even less than that. - It's All My Fault: Charles thinks it's his fault he's not able to reach out to David.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Invoked by Mulcahy, who notes that Winchester (a non-religious person who doesn't come to Mulcahy for assistance) coming to see the Chaplain for help in how to resolve his patient's dilemma shows just how much he cares.
- Shout-Out: The movie B.J. and Hawkeye are tired of seeing is the Anthology Film Tales of Manhattan.
- Superficial Suggestion Box: The first thing Hawkeye and BJ do as morale officers is have Klinger build a suggestion box for the camp. The suggestions they get include “burning down the camp” and “First Annual Naked Day”.
- Technician vs. Performer: As detailed in his speech to David below, Charles' greatest sadness is that, try as he might, he will never be able to play like David can.
- "I can play the notes, but I cannot make the music.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Charles, Margaret and Potter all chew B.J. and Hawkeye out for giving Klinger a three-day pass so he has no incentive to come back (to give Charles the music he asked for and Margaret the cosmetics she wanted for her nurses).
- You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Father Mulcahy says this to Winchester when he's looking for help with David:Father Mulcahy: Major, I know how difficult it was for you to come here. It's obvious that you care a great deal.
Charles: Of course I care.
Father Mulcahy: Then you must not give up. There's no one here with a greater love or knowledge of music. And that's the key.- Charles later does this for David:
Charles: Don't you see? Your hand may be stilled, but your gift cannot be silenced if you refuse to let it.
David: Gift? You keep talking about this damned gift. I had a gift, and I exchanged it for some mortar fragments, remember?
Charles: Wrong! Because the gift does not lie in your hands. I have hands, David. Hands that can make a scalpel sing! More than anything in life, I wanted to play, but I do not have The Gift. I can play the notes, but I cannot make the music. You've performed Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Chopin. Even if you never do so again, you've already known a joy that I will never know as long as I live! Because the true gift is in your head, and in your heart, and in your soul. Now, you can shut it off forever, or you can find new ways to share your gift with the world - through the baton, the classroom, or the pen.
