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Context Recap / MashS3E17TheConsultant

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1Avoiding the lectures at a medical conference in Tokyo, Hawkeye and Trapper meet one of the speakers, Dr. Borelli, in a bar. Borelli visits the 4077th, and shares a technique, and inadvertently-a life lesson.
2
3----
4!!Paging Dr Borelli. Please consult the 4077th about these tropes:
5* BerserkButton: The clerk from Charlie Company accuses Radar of being a ghoul while he is searching for an artery graft for the transplant.
6* BittersweetEnding: It looks like [[DownerEnding the end of Borelli and Hawkeye's friendship]]. TheTag, however, subverts it.
7* BrokenAce: Dr Anthony Borelli is an experienced frontline surgeon from both World Wars. In spite of his experience, [[ShellShockedVeteran or maybe because of it]], he was just not ready to return to the life of a frontline medical unit.
8* BrokenPedestal: Hawkeye is left sadly unimpressed when he comes to the Swamp towards the end of the episode and finds Borelli has been drinking just before an important, delicate and new form of surgery only the veteran doctor has experience with.
9* CallingTheOldManOut:
10** Hawkeye tells Borelli when they first meet that if he wants to know about doctoring near the frontline, he should be working at a MASH unit or an aid station. It backfires when Borelli responds that he's already served as a frontline doctor in World War One ... [[WhamLine and Two]].
11** Hawkeye justifiably does it again after Borelli drinks before a transplant surgery and he had to serve Borelli's role in the procedure to cover for him. However, he becomes too judgemental and proud of his own ability to stave off the want to drink that Borelli [[InvertedTrope reverses it on him]].
12---> '''Borelli''': You have a great many gifts, Doctor. It's a pity you can't number compassion in among them. I'm suffering from the three sure signs of age; bit of a spread, grey hair, feet of clay. I wish you better luck on your third war.
13* CassandraTruth: Charlie Company does not believe Radar when he insists that he is calling from a hospital.
14* DeadpanSnarker:
15** When Henry Blake arrives to escort Hawkeye and Trapper to the helipad for their official trip to Japan, Hawkeye informs him very funnily that Trapper isn't ready. An unamused Henry tells him to can it.
16** Hawkeye adds on to Henry's recommendation to Dr Borelli that the unit's mess tent is a good place to eat.
17---> '''Hawkeye''': The tent is terrific. The food puts you away.
18* DistinctionWithoutADifference: Played for laughs in WhosOnFirst style when Hawkeye and Trapper meet Dr Borelli.
19--> '''Hawkeye''': We operate in the filth.
20--> '''Trapper''': In the mud.
21--> '''Hawkeye''': In the muck.
22--> '''Trapper''': Muck and mud.
23--> '''Hawkeye''': Who'll ever forget them?
24* DrivesLikeCrazy: Radar
25--> '''Trapper''': Where'd you learn to drive?
26--> '''Radar''': The bumper cars.
27--> '''Trapper''': Figures.
28--> '''Hawkeye''': My kidneys' lawyer'll call you in the morning.
29* FailedASpotCheck: In surgery, Trapper asks for a wipe to clear the sweat from his forehead. He thanks the nurse who does it, unaware that it was Dr Borelli. Cue DoubleTake.
30--> '''Trapper''': Thanks, sweetheart.
31--> '''Borelli''': You're welcome, darling.
32* GreenEyedMonster: Frank gets like this when he notices Margaret is staring amorously at Dr Borelli in the mess tent.
33--> '''Frank''': A person doesn't have to be an eye doctor to see what's going on here.
34--> '''Margaret''': [[BlatantLies I don't know what you're talking about, Frank.]]
35--> '''Frank''': Keep drooling down your front, you'll have to change your bra.
36* IAmVeryBritish: Joseph Maher as Major Taylor
37* ImADoctorNotAPlaceholder: Henry remarks "You're supposed to be going to Japan to attend a surgical clinic" when he sees Hawkeye and Trapper are packing golf clubs.
38--> '''Henry''': They're expecting you at Tokyo General Hospital.
39--> '''Trapper''': Henry, I promise you [[FalseReassurance we will drive right by the building.]]
40--> '''Hawkeye''': [[BrutalHonesty On our way to the golf course.]]
41* InstructionalDialogue: Dr Borelli explains to the MASH doctors about the similarities of an arterial transplant, a surgical method the doctors are not yet aware of, to a coarctation of the aorta.
42* MoodWhiplash: This was a very funny episode [[CerebusSyndrome until the influx of wounded came in and gets worse from there]].
43* NotSoDifferentRemark: Borelli explains that his drinking before surgery was a momentary surrender to temptation. When the explanation is deemed not good enough by Hawkeye, Borelli then asks him sardonically if [[{{Hypocrite}} the gin distillery he is drinking from]] is a bubble-gum machine.
44* OhCrap: After returning to the 4077th with the artery required for the transplant, Hawkeye tells Radar to get Borelli for the operation. The company clerk comes back to him with bad news.
45* PrecisionFStrike: Trapper's response to seeing Dr Borelli arriving at the 4077th by chopper.
46--> '''Trapper''': I'll be damned.
47* ProfessionalButtKisser: It does not take long after Borelli's arrival for Frank and Margaret to start acting like sycophants.
48* RunningGag: Radar drives up to the administration office and meets Colonel Blake. He is then told to drive over to the Swamp. [[ComicallyMissingThePoint What he failed to recognise]] was that Henry meant for him to drive them ''both'' there, leaving Henry to walk. He does this again when Hawkeye and Trapper depart for Tokyo and leaves Henry behind at the helicopter landing pad.
49* ShoutOut: "Don't you know? That's Franchise/TheLoneRanger"
50* SkewedPriorities:
51** Hawkeye and Trapper treat their visit to Tokyo like a holiday rather than the official function it's meant to serve as. They justify this by pointing out that they'll never use anything talked about at the seminar, since they do primarily meatball surgery at the 4077.
52** Frank Burns cares more about avoiding legal trouble than using a new medical technique that's been proven to work to save a patient from having his leg amputated. Somewhat justified in that the doctors could be held liable if they try something they aren't trained for and screw it up.
53* StiffUpperLip: Major Taylor believes the 4077th is raising too much fuss over a soldier losing a leg, going on to tell Hawkeye and Trapper that his own father lost both legs and keeps to this trope regardless.
54* TemptingFate: A case of FiveSecondForeshadowing as well. After a round of shelling stops, Trapper says it's [[{{Pun}} going to martini]]. In three seconds, the 4077th gets a [[BlackComedy different kind of deluge]].

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