Hawkeye's strong dislike for a colonel who prides himself on accurately predicting casualties boils over, leading him to shove the man in the Officer's Club. Meanwhile, Klinger hits it off with a patient from Toledo and Winchester gets a package from home.
Attention all personnel! Colonel Bloodworth has forecast the following tropes:
- The Food Poisoning Incident: Charles and Margaret dine on canned pheasant and other food mailed by Charles' parents. Margaret's concern over the pheasant's flavour should have been heeded, because both ended up on the floor.
- Hoist by His Own Petard:
- Bloodworth accurately predicted how many casualties would come from Hill 403. He didn't predict that he would be one of them.
- Charles refused to share his gourmet food with Hawkeye and B.J.. It later put him on the floor.
- Insistent Terminology: Bloodworth claims Pierce hit him. Hawkeye clarifies that he may have shoved Bloodworth but the wall hit him.
- Laser-Guided Karma:
- Charles refuses to share the gourmet food his family sent him with Hawkeye and B.J. Said goodies give him food poisoning.
- Initially played straight when Winchester is given a portion of a hot dog for opening a jar, just as he had given Hawkeye and B.J. a small portion of his food for opening a jar. In the end they give him a full one.
- Downplayed with Bloodworth. He predicts with "pinpoint accuracy" how many casualties would be coming from Hill 403. He winds up on his own list.
- Mundane Luxury: The care package of Tony Packo's Hungarian Hot Dogs that Danker sent.
- Mundane Object Amazement: Klinger breaks down when Danker gives him a matchbook from the Trianon Ballroom in Toledo.
- Noodle Incident:
- The last time Margaret had caviar.
- Klinger and Danker's antics at the Trianon Club in Toledo.
- Pet the Dog:
- Danker gives Klinger a matchbook from a local hangout in Toledo, which reduces him to tears. At the end of the episode, he sends Klinger a care-package from Paco's Hot Dogs.
- Double Subverted by Hawkeye and B.J. - they asked him what he wanted on a hot dog, then gave him a tiny piece of one and pretended that they weren't going to share with Charles, but they give in and share with him a moment later.
- Sad Clown: Hawkeye admits to being this, constantly telling jokes because it's the only alternative to screaming.
- Sophisticated as Hell: Margaret's toast of "Look out teeth, look out gums, look out liver: here she comes!"
- Verbal Backspace: Winchester after trying on the chopper pilot's jacket that had been offered up as a reward for being operated on:Winchester: It's only big enough for a little pipsqueak.Potter: You mean like me?Winchester: Exactly - Not exactly.
- War Is Hell: Bloodworth reduces men to statistics when he tells the hospitals he visits how many casualties they can expect. It isn't until he winds up as one of the statistics that he realizes or remembers that he's dealing with flesh and blood people, not numbers, and he and Hawkeye put aside their differences.Hawkeye: I just spent the last forty-eight hours digging pieces of Hill 403 out of kids whose biggest worry a week ago was how to cover a hickey. Joking about it is the only way of opening my mouth without screaming.
Col. Bloodworth: I know. I spent the last forty-eight hours watching you.
Hawkeye: Wasn't pretty, was it.
Col. Bloodworth: No, it wasn't. That hill back there, and that screaming - now, I'm used to screaming, but not from me. And on the ambulance bus, the kid next to me died. I heard the rattle. Thought I was next. I'll never forget.
Hawkeye: None of us will. - Won't Take "Yes" for an Answer: A variation - Col. Potter is so into his argument towards Bloodworth about why he should drop the assault charges against Hawkeye that he doesn't hear at first Bloodworth has already agreed to drop the charges.
