M*A*S*H (1972–1983): Season 3, Episode 24 - Abyssinia, Henry - full transcript

In one of the best remembered and most emotional episodes of the entire 11 year series, Radar has an announcement for Henry in O.R. Henry Blake has received his discharge: he is finally going home to Bloomington, Illinois, to his wife, Lorraine, and their children, the country club and his medical practice. The entire 4077 gang is thrilled for Henry and they wish him well; gifts are gotten, parties are thrown and all sorts of final memories are made. But, the entire gang is sad to be losing such an integral part of the 4077 gang. Radar, in particular, is losing the man who was a father to him. The final farewell formation is memorable; even Hawkeye and Trapper show up to tell their friend and leader a fond farewell. Some farewells are fonder than others. Klinger dresses to kill. As Henry starts to leave, Radar steadfastly holds his salute to his departing C.O. until Henry finally acknowledges him. Since the episode, "Ceasefire," Radar has grown into a young man; scrapbooks and jokes can no longer take the place of the honest affection and love he feels for Henry Blake. But, telling Radar goodbye makes it real for Henry: he is leaving his 4077 family for good. Henry's last glimpse of the 4077 is brief and his chopper disappears into the horizon. At the end of the episode, Radar has another announcement to make in the O.R. No one will ever be quite the same again.

[Hawkeye] All right, give me a clamp.

[Operating Room Chatter]

Hey, Hawk, what's this one?

## [Humming]

- "Avalon."
- Wrong.

- "In a Little Spanish Town."
- Right.

- Please, I'm right in the middle of a stomach.
- Try this one.

## [Humming]

- "On Wisconsin."
- No. That was "O Shepherd, Guide Thy Flock."

Oh, I should've guessed that.
I've danced to that 1,000 times.

Shut up, will ya? Shut up! Shut up!



You shut up, Frank!
Everybody in this madhouse, shut up.

We're a little late, folks. So good night
from Name That Tune. Clamp.

- Colonel?
- Yo?

Do you know what I found
in this morning's mail?

Uh, now that's a tough one.
Hum a few bars, will you, Radar?

[Chuckles] You're going home.

I'm going home?

You got all your points.
They're discharging you.

- Discharged?
- To Tokyo, San Francisco, then home.

I'm going home. I'm discharged.

I'm going... I'm going home.

- Henry, that's terrific.
- Henry, congratulations. That's terrific.

- That's wonderful, sir.
- [All Congratulating]

All together now.
# O, shepherd #



[All] # Guard Wisconsin
Fight right through that line #

I'm going home.
I can't believe it. I'm going home.

Wow.

- [Exhales] Oh boy, that's a "burny."
- [Laughs]

- You sure you don't want a drink, Radar?
- No, sir.

It makes my eyes turn red,
and I fall down.

- It's kind of nice to lie down with red eyes.
- Yeah.

Ooh, you wanted to make
that phone call to your wife.

Oh, right, right.

Now, let's see, Radar.
We're a day ahead plus 14 hours, right?

No, sir. The States
are a day ahead plus 14 hours.

- Well, then, it's yesterday in Bloomington?
- Yes, sir.

Well, then, I should have
called her yesterday.

Well, you didn't even
know about it then.

Why can't everybody
be on the same time?

Because the Earth is round,
keeps rotating all the time.

Oh. I thought it was just an army thing.

Let's see, Bloomington.
It's 1:00 Wednesday afternoon right now, sir.

- 1:00? Lorraine's not home.
- Yes, sir.

Maybe she just went
to the store or something.

No, no. Every Wednesday she gets together
with Ella, Bea, Marie and Olive.

They go out Route 26
to the Old Red Barn for lunch.

They have two daiquiri's,
a watercress sandwich...

and then Olive tells
all about her hysterectomy.

- Every Wednesday, sir?
- It's a club.

Well, how long do they usually stay?

Oh, a couple hours. Then they kill an hour
on the way back feeling yarn at the knit shop.

Well then, why don't you call Mrs. Blake
around 4:00 in the afternoon?

Well, no. Olive usually gets carsick.
Better make it 4:30.

Uh, just to be on the safe side,
we'll make it 5:00.

No. Andrew has a trombone lesson at 5:00.
He's learning to play Ravel's Bolero.

- I won't be able to hear a thing.
- 5:30?

- 5:30. 5:30.
- Okay. 5:30.

Radar, Lorraine and the kids
are going to die.

You know, the first night I'm home...

after we, uh, put the kiddos to bed?

Lorraine and I
are going upstairs to our room.

That woman has the most fantastic body
in downstate Illinois.

Thirty-six, twenty-four, thirty-four.

With skin like alabaster:

Clear, soft, smooth and warm.

And she wears those
little, short, flimsy nighties.

I think I will have that drink, sir.

Finally. Finally, you're going
to command this outfit.

Everything's happening so fast.

Discipline. Adherence to regulations.
A taut ship.

I love tautness.

- To command is your destiny.
- [Giggles]

Oh, I can feel the power
surging through your veins.

- Am I really surging?
- Oh, Frank, you'll be magnificent.

I just wish I'd taken
R.O.T.C. In school.

- I wasted so much time in the stamp club.
- I thought you were President?

Well, that wasn't leadership.
They needed someone to lick the stamps...

and I had the biggest tongue.

- Frank, do you doubt your ability?
- Mmm.

Do you want to see how sure
I am of your ability?

Well, all great men have their doubts.
They say going up San Juan Hill...

Teddy Roosevelt was worried sick
about breaking his glasses.

Look, darling.

I've been saving it for you.

Well, I haven't been
promoted yet, Margaret.

Out goes Major Burns.

In comes Colonel Burns.

- [Excited Laughter] Yes?
- Margaret?

I think I'm surging.

Lorraine, is that you? It's me.

I got good news, honey.
I'm coming home.

Honest. For good. Yeah, the orders
just came through this morning.

I oughta be coming through
the front door in about three days.

Honey... aw, please don't do that.
Honey, please.

- She crying?
- No, she wants to re-cover the furniture.

Honey, I just wanna see you and the kids.

I don't care what the furniture
looks like, except for the bed.

- Now she's crying.
- Sir, there's a time limit on the call.

Honey, now just take it easy, okay?
Good.

Are the kids home?
She is? Well, put her on.

Janie-poo? It's Daddy.

Num-num-num-num-num.
I'm eating you up.

- Sir, there isn't too much time.
- Leave him alone. He's eating.

Janie, honey, would you get Mommy
back on the phone?

Oh, and, uh, tell Andy
to stop playing Ravel's Bolero.

Lorraine, honey, listen.
Now, there's a lot of things you have to do.

Well, like, uh... My-My suits.

See, I've lost a lot of weight over here.

I mean, I'm uh, I'm a 34-waist now.
You won't know me stripped.

Wear your dog tags.

Honey, the brown double-breasted.
It might fit now.

So just take it to the cleaners.

Uh... She... Honey, I don't want
your mother wearing my suits.

She what? Well, that's dumb.

She went to a party
dressed as Conrad Nagel.

- That's it, sir.
- Honey, I gotta go.

Now, Lorraine, don't tell anybody.

We'll just walk into
the country club Saturday night...

start dancing and let 'em all cheer.

Lorraine? Lorraine? We got cut off.

[Exhales]
Sweet Lorraine.

[Whispering]
She has a fantastic body.

Okay, Radar. Everything
in these boxes is to be shipped.

- My uniforms go in the bag.
- Check.

Check-a-roony in a banana-ka.

Is there one or two "Js"
in "fragile," sir?

Uh, one will do it, Radar.

- There it is.
- You find something, sir?

Yeah, that jar of mayonnaise
we lost last Fourth ofJuly.

Hey, you better write a letter of apology
to that navy chaplain.

I thought he copped it.
[Whistles] Boy, that's a greeny.

Oh... Hey, hey, hey.

There's a picture of you and me, Radar.

Oh. Oh, that's right after
you took out my appendix.

Mmm. You were one sick kid.

You know, I looked for that thing
till 4:00 in the morning.

- It was behind your secum.
- I didn't put it there on purpose, sir.

- You saved my life.
- Ah, my pleasure, Radar.

- Um, sir?
- Yo?

There's something I'd like to tell you.

Well, now, you've got
exactly 34 hours to tell me.

Yeah. Well, uh...

I just wanted to say
that I'm really gonna miss you.

Um, you know, my own father
didn't have me until he was 63.

And, uh, first time we played peek-a-boo
together, he had a stroke.

Look, uh, Radar, don't get gushy, okay?
You know how I am.

Oh, yeah. Well, um, anyway,
I made something for you.

- Oh.
- You know how you're always losing your keys?

- Yeah.
- Well... [Clears Throat]

This is a key chain,
and the cartridge is a fob.

- Well, hey, Radar, this is terrific.
- Thank you.

- It's inscribed in writing.
- Oh... Oh.

Um, "To Colonel H. B...

from Corp. O'R., Korea, 1952.

Hey, you know,
the workmanship on this is beautiful.

- It's a Winchester.
- Well, thanks, Radar.

Um, I was gonna get you a bamboo flute,
but they only had three-holers.

[Clears Throat] Oh...

- This was my father's. It's yours.
- Oh?

- For keeps?
- Sure.

Oh, wow.

Oh, gee, what a beautiful thermometer.

- It isn't oral, is it?
- No.

He used to say, "If you want accuracy,
go right to the horse's mouth."

He was a stickler for accuracy.

- Yeah, I'll bet.
- Yeah. [Clears Throat]

Well, um, thank you for everything, sir.

Thank you, Radar. Hey, come on, now.
Let's get on the stick.

- Yes, sir. I'll get this right out of the way.
- [Clears Throat]

[Chattering]

- Oh, try this. Try this.
- This is great.

- You didn't try this yet.
- Terrific.

Take that. Isn't that good?

[Henry] Now, that's good.
Hey, now that's delicious.

- [Laughing]
- What is that?

- Sea snails.
- Sea snails?

- By the "snee" shore. [Laughing]
- [Laughing]

[Laughing]
Did you hear what he said?

[Slurring]
Okay. Oopsy. All gone.

I'll get... I'll get some more.

- Gar?on, more booze.
- [Banging Sound]

- What is that? I didn't have that.
- You got a plateful.

- Look at it.
- [Henry] Oh, here she comes.

- Six bucks, tax included.
- [Hawkeye, Trapper] I got it.

- I got it. Come on. It's my party.
- No, I got it.

- I got it.
- I'll tell you what, we'll flip.

Tails, you lose.
Here you go, Mama-san.

Thank you.
Just keep everything coming.

Hey, now listen, guys.
Guys, you cannot pay for any more booze.

I'm the one that's going home.

- Henry, we're giving you this party.
- Mm.

- You know why?
- Because I'm going home.

Wrong. Because you're
one hell of a human being.

- One hell of a human being.
- I got it.

We're past that part. Now we're up to
"one helluva human being."

- I'll tell you who's one helluva human being.
- Mm-hmm.

You guys are one helluva of a human being.
That's what you guys are.

- I'll drink to that.
- Let's all drink to that.

There we go.
[Exhales Loudly]

How you doing, Henry?

I gotta go to the "toidy"
is how I'm doing. [Laughs]

But, can I find it
is what I don't know.

[Laughing]
You go... You go...

- You go out the back door, hmm?
- Okay.

You come to a big tree.
You pass the big tree.

You go to a second tree.
The toidy is the third tree.

The third tree is the toidy.
[Laughing]

[Hysterical Laughter]
The toidy tree.

Thank God forJoyce Kilmer.

Hey, uh, speaking of trees...

you know, I'm really
gonna miss you guys.

I mean that.
I'm really gonna miss you guys.

I wish we could all go home together.

- Henry, we had a lot of laughs together.
- Hmm?

- [Laughing]
- What? What? What?

Remember that time that Father Mulcahy
caught you in your tent...

- with that lady war correspondent, huh?
- [Both Laughing]

[Laughing]

You said you were giving an interview
on the importance of clean underwear.

I can't wait. Which tree is it?

[Trapper]
Number one is for number two.

And number three
is for number one.

Number four is the ladies' tree.
Don't go there.

Okay, 'scuse me. [Laughing]

- Oh, that's a burny.
- Oh. Here we go.

- [Whooping]
- [All Laughing]

Okay. Hey, now.

- Hey, Kim? Hey.
- Kim?

- What, what, what?
- Ow.

- Here's the box.
- [Groans]

Now you girls know what to do.
Come on, ladies. Over here.

- Over there, girls.
- Over there. You know what to do, right?

- Right?
- Stand up straight.

I'm standing straight.
The country's crooked.

Shh! Here he comes.

- Oh, my gosh.
- Henry, you okay?

Oh, fine.

But a lot of bark
came off ol' number three.

[Laughing]

- [Laughing]
- [Hawkeye] Don't sit down. Don't sit down.

What, what, what, what?

Attention!

- We're drumming you out of the military.
- Hot dog.

- Radar, cue the band.
- ##[Humming "America"]

- Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake?
- Yo?

By virtue of the power of the authority
vested in me...

- by Rosey's Bar and Grill and Pro Station.
- Mm-hmm.

And in the presence of those present
who have faithfully served...

- under your barely distinguishable command.
- Mm-hmm.

- I hereby disrupt you of all military rank.
- Okay.

- ## [Continues]
- Captain Mclntyre, would you
do the dishonors, please?

From this day henceward...

- you will known as Mister Dr. Henry Blake.
- [Chuckles]

[Chuckling Continues]

[All Laughing]

And now, here's a box.

- A box. I got a box.
- [Laughing]

- Don't open it now.
- What, what, what?

Henry, it's civvies. We had the whole thing
handmade for you in Seoul.

- Ahh...
- The tie is silk. Handmade by a worm.

- Ohh, guys, guys, guys, guys.
- Radar, kill the band.

- ## [Stops]
- Take five.

- Were you surprised, sir? Were you? Was he?
- Well...

- Do you know what is in that box?
- What?

- A brand new suit.
- [Gasps]

How did you know my size?

I traced you when you were asleep.

Let's get into uniform
and play "Assembly," soldier.

- Sir, I'm getting a cold sore.
- Well, Captain Ahab only had one leg.

Well, he wasn't in the army, sir.
He was a whale guy.

- Play it!
- ## [Reveille]

- Ow.
- ## [Continues]

- Are you sure that was "Assembly?"
- As close as I can come, sir.

It's really "Sleepy Lagoon" played fast.

- Ah, forget it. [Blows Whistle]
- Yes, sir.

Company, fall in! On the double!

[Blows Whistle]

Come on. Move it! Move it!
Move it! Move it!

[Whistling Continues]

- You didn't even shave.
- It's not a school day.

Here comes Colonel Blake.

[Applause, Cheering]

[Blows Whistle]
Company, Ten-hut!

Take it easy, will you, Frank?

It's all set. You're in charge
of the store now.

And, uh, stuff that whistle someplace.

Uh, does the Colonel
wish to review his troops?

- No. I just want to say good-bye.
- Well, okay.

- Your chopper's about ten miles out, sir.
- Thanks, Radar.

So long, Hawk.

I'm afraid just a handshake
won't do it, Henry.

Trap, thanks for the outfit,
it's really dressy.

Henry, that suit is really you.

[Hawkeye] If you're Adolphe Menjou.

Gwen.

- You old sky pilot, you.
- Bless you, Henry Blake.

Your work here
will never be forgotten.

Thank you, Father.

Jennifer.

Klinger, that outfit might just get you
that Section 8.

I made it just for this occasion, sir.

I was in such a hurry,
I didn't get the back zipped.

I'll do it.

Up, sir.

There you go, soldier.

Sir, I have a picture of me.
Would you carry it in your wallet?

- Your pink evening gown.
- I knew it was your favorite, sir.

- Two minutes till your chopper, sir.
- Oh, thanks, Radar.

Well, uh, so long, everybody.
So long and good luck.

Henry.
[Whispers, Indistinct]

- You think I should? Why not?
- Why not?

[Whooping, Clapping]

##[Trumpet Playing "Reveille"]

- [Man] Whoo!
- It's all yours, Frank.

# For he's a jolly good fellow #

# For he's a jolly good fellow #

# For he's a jolly good fellow #

- #Which nobody can deny #
- [Nurse] Good-bye.

- #Which nobody can deny #
- [All Saying Good-bye]

#Which nobody can deny ##

[Whirring]

This kid's a little shocky.

[Hawkeye] We'll take care of it,
Henry. You're fired.

That's right, Henry.
Your job is finished here. Get on that chopper.

Prep him. We'll be down in a minute.
So long, Henry.

- Have a good trip.
- Take it easy, pal.

You behave yourself, or I'm going
to come back and kick your butt.

[No Audible Dialogue]

[Trapper] Radar, put a mask on.

If that's my discharge,
give it to me straight. I can take it.

I have a message.

[Takes Deep Breath]
Lieutenant Colonel...

Henry Blake's plane...
[Shaky Breath]

Was shot down over the sea ofJapan.

It spun in.

There were no survivors.

[Takes Deep Breath]

[Crying, Sniffling]

[Man On P.A.]
Mash 4077 bids Henry Blake...

a reluctant and affectionate farewell.

[No Audible Dialogue]

[No Audible Dialogue]

[No Audible Dialogue]

[No Audible Dialogue]

[No Audible Dialogue]

[No Audible Dialogue]

[No Audible Dialogue]

[No Audible Dialogue]