The camp's routine is broken up by an exchange of expired scrip for new. Because non-military personnel aren't allowed to have it, Charles senses an opportunity: buy it up cheap from them and profit. Hawkeye offers to exchange a patient's scrip, but it's stolen before he has the chance. Meanwhile, Klinger comes up with yet another scheme to get out of Korea: apply to West Point.
Attention all personnel! Please exchange your scrip for the following tropes:
- Artistic License – History: B.J. looks at a supposedly counterfeit scrip and jokes that it says "In Buddha We Trust." However, U.S. currency didn't say "In God We Trust" until 1956, several years after this episode is set.
- The Atoner: Whoever stole Boone's money from Hawkeye exchanges it and returns it anonymously to Father Mulcahy.
- Characterization Marches On: Winchester here is quite different from how he would be not too much later. While definitely a pompous ass who is very money conscious, we never see him resort to such crass exploitation, bordering on fraud, of villagers — he's usually written as having enough money to where he doesn't need to stoop to such tacticsnote and also has enough honor and feelings of nobliesse oblige to where he wouldn't. The whole scheme seems like it was a leftover script from Frank Burns' time at the camp that was refit for Winchester.
- Challenge Seeker: The justification Winchester gives for his scheme in this episode.
- Didn't Think This Through: Klinger's latest scheme falls apart because of this trope. The entrance exam to West Point is notoriously challenging.
- Entitled Bastard: Charles has no moral issues with profiteering off the local villagers by paying them ten cents on the dollar for their expiring scrip. His tailor calls him on it, but has to help him out in order to get paid in any method other than "a check that will take the rest of the war to clear".
- For Want Of A Nail: Klinger could have pulled off his West Point scheme without a hitch if he'd bothered to study.
- Funny Background Event:
- When scrip exchange is announced, one of the men rushing to be first in line gets knocked down. Another man comes running up and jumps over him while he's still on the ground.
- When Charles gets directions from the old lady, he gives her (now useless) blue scrip as a thank you for her assistance.
- Global Currency: Subverted. Charles's scheme to buy up scrip from the Korean civilians is scummy, but they're not supposed to have the money in the first place, so they sell it to him for pennies on the dollar in exchange for regular US dollars because it's that or lose the money entirely.
- Here We Go Again!: After failing to pass the West Point entrance exam, Klinger states that he plans to apply to the Naval Academy at Annapolis.
- Jerkass Has a Point: While he brings it up mainly to cheat them out of the money they have, Charles is correct that the locals are not supposed to have any military scrip since it's only for American personnel to use.
- Karma Houdini: Although the stolen money was exchanged and returned, we never find out who stole it.
- Large Ham: While broadcasting an appeal for the return of the money, Father Mulcahy gets carried away and goes full fire-and-brimstone.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Hawkeye and B.J. gain the assistance of an MP, who tells Winchester that the road back from the village has been mined, forcing him to run back to camp. He arrives just in time for the camp to be blockaded for the exchange. But Hawkeye and B.J. are willing to exchange his ill-gotten gains...at ten cents on the dollar.
- Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!: Downplayed. Klinger's Uncle Gus is buddies with a Congressman who apparently has enough pull to get Klinger accepted to West Point (provided he can pass the entrance exam), but apparently doesn't have enough influence to get Klinger transferred home.
- A Simple Plan: Klinger tries his best get-out-of-Korea plan yet: get accepted into West Point, cheat on his exams, get kicked out, and be free of the Army forever. Unfortunately he has trouble with the first part.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: We never find out who actually took the money.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Hawkeye is on the receiving end of one of these from the wounded MP Boone, who assumes Hawkeye is scamming him.
