Bless You Hawkeye

Great story, but just like Alda's high pitched over the top laugh, his overly loud sneezing serves to annoy and distract from the story. He just can't do anything subtly, not even a sneeze

Terrible episode I guess to set Hawkeye up for eventual flip out & being put into the looney bin. Hawkeye is a big wussy & I really dislike his character in later seasons.

This is a special episode of M*A*S*H that puts Hawkeye in the center of the plot that builds with suspense up to the final moments. Major Sidney Freedman (one of the best supporting characters in the series, played by Allan Arbus) helps Hawkeye delve into his childhood and his hero Billy. Turns out Billy is more than he seemed, and voila, Freedman gets the job done. It's hard to see this episode being produced in the early years of M*A*S*H with the madcap antics of Colonel Blake, Trapper John and Frank Burns.

I've always loved this episode, even if it is pretty incredible. The camp is awakened by casualties coming in. The men are in various situations of disrepair. One of them has lice; one other has fallen into a water filled ditch and smells of mold and stagnant water. After finishing in the Operating Room, Hawkeye begins to sneeze. He sneezes uncontrollably all night and into the next day. Everyone tries to help, but nothing works. Soon he begins to think he is going to die. Allergy tests reveal nothing. Finally, he is relieved of surgery until things can be sorted out. Potter decides it's something psychological and sends for Sidney Freedman. The only problem is that this is a half hour show and the results of his visit are pretty remarkable. Still, it is kind of neat how everything gets put back together.