'M*A*S*H' - 'Change of Command' Quiz

Answer: The Henry Blake Memorial Bar

'The Corner Bar' and 'Frank's Bed, Now Doing Business as Joe's Bar and Grill' are two very poor suggestions by Hawkeye, who then defers to BJ's more sentimental choice, 'The Henry Blake Memorial Bar'. Once Potter enters town, however, the bar is dismantled and Frank moves back in...so much for happy hour!

Answer: Radar

Radar, of course! He nosed through the official orders before handing them to Frank, for fear of retribution. Radar shows Hawkeye and BJ the notice prior to allowing Frank to take a look. When Frank finally sees the orders, he acts very rational and civil, but after entering Margaret's tent he throws a temper tantrum.

Answer: Bathe

According to Radar, 'He's been murder on me, making me shave. He makes me bathe!' Hawkeye retorts, 'The man has no respect for crud.' Anyone who knows the first several seasons of 'M*A*S*H' knows that Hawkeye loves to point out Radar's bad habits, which includes a definite distaste for hygiene.

Answer: Tanning

Colonel Potter arrives solo in a jeep, honking his way into camp. Radar completely ignores Potter's honking until it finally becomes so annoying that he exclaims, 'Stick that horn in your ear!' The half nude Radar then realizes what a mistake he has made when Colonel Potter introduces himself.

Answer: No

No, indeed. As a matter of fact, the scene described in question four was played at the very end of the episode 'Welcome to Korea' (see my quiz on this episode), just preceding this one by a week ('Welcome to Korea' first aired on 9/12/75, while 'Change in Command aired on 9/19/75). For Harry Morgan's first acting appearance on the show, you'll have to look to the season three episode called 'The General Flipped at Dawn' (again, see my quiz) in which he played the loonybird General Bartford Hamilton Steele.

Answer: 15 years old

'15 years old, lied about my age! Had big thighs for a boy,' Potter claims. Personally, I find it hard to believe that Potter was only 15 upon entering 'The Great War'. This would mean that by the time of his gaining command of the M*A*S*H 4077th he would only have been around 48 years old. At the time he started the show, the actor Harry Morgan was already 60 years old! Whoops!

Answer: Horse hockey!

Potter is more than a match for Klinger, whose has prepared a little speech that goes as follows:




'Colonel Potter, sir! Corporal Klinger. I'm section eight, head-to-toe. I'm wearing a Warner bra. I play with dolls. My last wish is to be buried in my mother's wedding gown. I'm nuts! I should be out.'




Colonel Potter's response (including first legendary Potterism):




'Horse hockey. I've seen these dodges for 40 years, all the tricks. Knew a private, pretended he was a mare. Carried a colt in his arms for weeks. Another fellow said he was a daisy. Insisted we water him every morning. No, no, Corporal, it ain't gonna go with me. Now you get out of that frou-frou and into a uniform. And you stay in uniform! Dismissed!'

Answer: Frank

Frank has decided to 'run away' because he is so distraught about being replaced. After a brief and awkward meeting with Potter at which Hawkeye and BJ are told to 'keep their noses clean', Margaret pulls aside the two doctors and reveals that Frank has taken off from camp. Hawkeye and BJ respond with chuckles, naturally.

Answer: Douglas MacArthur

My favorite toast is the one BJ gives, 'To Harry Truman, to Bess Truman, to Margaret Truman,' to which Hawkeye adds, 'to err is Truman.' Colonel Potter toasts Blackjack Pershing, the World War I general, to which Hawkeye adds, 'the inventor of 21.' Hawkeye toasts Montgomery Ward, to which BJ adds, 'and his orchestra.'

Answer: His still blew up

After giving the two Swamp rats a lesson on improving the yield for their still, he tells them about his still on Guam. 'One night it blew up,' Potter says, 'That's how I got my Purple Heart.' Amid the laughs, Hawkeye suggests Potter lay off Klinger, and allow him to play his Section 8 game.

The episode finishes off with Potter complimenting Klinger for his 'nice outfit'. Thank you for playing this quiz, I hope you have enjoyed it. If so, I invite you to try my other 'M*A*S*H' episode quizzes.