A Nip in Time

This episode begins with Binghamton confiscating some war souvenirs as something like a spoil of war. But when Colonel Harrigan visits the Captain, he take the spoils of war for himself and even asks Binghamton where he got the items. It looks like Harrigan wants to send a few things back to the States.

Also the crew of the 73 hears about an area where German souvenirs are abundant. They get into the act when they sign Binghamton's name to borrow a truck to load-up items to resell to unsuspecting army men. But it just so happens the crew and Harrigan run into each other in the area. Harrigan is going to take all the souvenirs until a German patrol captures everyone involved. But with help from Ensign Parker and Fuji, they may have one chance to finally get some souvenirs.

This was actually an entertaining episode that was fun to watch from beginning to end. Perhaps not side splitting humor but there were a few funny lines that really made the show enjoyable. It was nice to see the writers let Yoshio Yoda get full involvement in a show instead of sitting at camp waiting for the crew to return. This was better episode than expected.

If one needed to explain the plot of any episode of McHale's Navy, it would be...one of McHale's crew does something stupid; Capt. Binghamton throws one, or more, or the entire crew into the brig; then is foiled by Admiral Rogers (Seasons 1-3) or Col. Harrigan (Season 4), usually by McHale's subversive behind-the-scenes manipulation. Binghamton stews like a volcano until the following week's offering.

I found this episode remarkably better than average. Yoshio Yoda (Fuji) gets his day in the sun, here. In a comedy of errors, the 73 crew are busted behind enemy lines by Col. Harrigan - who promptly confiscates their war "souvenirs"...until a rump German patrol, remaining after their main force had evacuated an Italian village busted ALL of the GIs. Now, Ensign Parker does some unexpected devious thinking and enlists POW Fuji in his scheme. (Why was Fuji onboard the 73 in the first place?) Anyway, Fuji impersonates a Japanese admiral on Italian soil held by the Germans (oy, vey!) and he and Parker pull off a hilarious scheme to decoy the Germans until Harrigan, McHale and crew can turn the tables on them...taking THEM as POWs back to Voltafiore. Binghamton's reactions, as usual, border on temper-tantrums. I can see why Joey Bishop fired him from HIS show in 1961; Joe Flynn was a sublime scene-stealer.

Nice to see Fuji get a major part for a change.