Recap / M*A*S*H S10 E8: Snappier Judgment

The army believes that there is a big crime ring behind a series of thefts and that Klinger is somehow involved. They offer to drop the charges if he gives them two names, to go higher up the chain. As he is innocent he is not able to that information, so it goes to court martial, with Charles as his attorney.Meanwhile Hawkeye and B.J. have a scheme to catch the real thieves.

Attention, all personnel! The following tropes have been summoned for a Court-Martial:

• Chewbacca Defense: Charles tries to get away with this mixed with That Was Objectionable and Gratuitous Latin:
  Lt. Rollins: Oh, come on now, Corporal! Isn't this obviously a case of "res ipsa loquitur"?^note "The thing speaks for itself" — not actually an argument that Klinger directly stole the camera as per the charge, but instead that Klinger's direct negligence led to the theft, and that absent that negligence, the camera would not have been stolen.
  Klinger: "Racial Pepsi-Cola?"
  Winchester: (Standing up) I must object, strenuously!
  Colonel Drake: On what grounds?
  Winchester: Because... I'll... have it in a minute...
  Drake: (increasingly exasperated) Major, we don't have all day! What is your objection?
  Winchester: Unum pilule acetylsalicylicus, tres in diem, post sebum.
  Rollins: Um, forgive my ignorance, Mr. President, but that's a term I'm not familiar with.
  Winchester: (smugly) Oh, don't know it, huh?
  Drake: (Fed up) Well, I am, Major. I order you to tell this court exactly what that means!
  Winchester: (suddenly deflated) "Aspirin, three times a day."^note Actually, it means "one pill of aspirin, three times a day, after meals". And even then. the Latin isn't actually right!
• Corrupt Cop: The real thief was one of the 4077's MPs.
• Cross-Referenced Titles: With "Snap Judgment", which aired the week before.
• Digging Yourself Deeper: Winchester sees this one a mile off as Fr. Mulcahy relates how Klinger helpfully found replacement Bibles for the beat up ones he'd been resorting to for Mass... eventually realizing the new Bibles were stolen from a Seoul hotel. Charles realizes that this sort of "character witness" would be just the thing to torpedo Klinger's case and recommends they forget that tale of Klinger's "altruism".
• Flat "What": Charles lets one loose when Hawkeye and B.J. reveal that they caught the real thief by using Charles' tape recorder as bait.
• Here We Go Again!: Klinger's back at the 4077th, the camera is returned and all is right with the world... when an MP asks Fr. Mulcahy about the provenance of the Bibles Klinger acquired for him...
• It's All About Me: During his closing argument, Charles breaks down and begs the court to find Klinger Not Guilty, not because he cares about Klinger's welfare, but because his own reputation is on the line. He even calls Klinger's conviction a "minor injustice".
• Miscarriage of Justice: Narrowly averted. It's mentioned that the Army is making a big show of cracking down on all the thefts in the area, hoping that Klinger will lead them to bigger figures in the underworld. It winds up being a near Kangaroo Court, as everyone outside the 4077th assumes Klinger is guilty over circumstantial evidence.
• The Perry Mason Method: Although it's not the "lawyer" who is able to do this. Hawkeye and B.J. find the actual thief and are able to haul him into the court-martial literally seconds before the tribunal was going to find Klinger guilty.
• Playing Drunk: Hawkeye and B.J. pretend to be drunk while talking loudly about Charles's tape recorder to bait the real thief into making a move on it.
  Hawkeye: I think we've made an important medical discovery. If you fake being drunk long enough, you get a real hangover.
• Sequel Episode: To "Snap Judgment".
• What Happened to the Mouse?: The other MP who arrested Klinger, who ignored Klinger's explanation just as much, is never seen again.