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We’re all adjusting to the brave new world of the post-Radar era, of course, but the biggest emotional upset is BJ’s, as he drinks himself into an explosive rage, ending up in a puddle of tears. Klinger, too, has it tough, resenting Radar for having left him such a difficult new job. As a team, these two tear the camp and environs apart on their bender of self-pity. I hope I speak for the fandom when I say this is massively entertaining for all.

The series is overdue for another dose of BJ’s angst—this is one of several times when a stormy inner struggle bursts through the captain’s calm façade. It’s the only time he breaks down to this degree, however, writhing in a weepy mess on the floor of Col. Potter’s office with snot running into his mustache. He also smashes the original Swamp still into oblivion, and strikes Hawkeye in the face, giving him a black eye. BJ! Please get a grip! The cause of this bad behavior has been a letter from Peg, saying that Radar arrived in San Francisco safely and spent an enjoyable few hours with her and daughter Erin. Sounds horrifying. Not to razz Beej too much, what’s put him over the edge is that Erin mistook Radar for him, leading him to fear she has forgotten who her daddy is.

I’m happy to say everyone soon calms down, though first Max and BJ break Sherm’s liquor cabinet and make a funny dart board out of Radar’s face at Rosie’s. The level-headedness begins with Father Mulcahy, who sits down with Sherm and tells the tale of an old company clerk who was once just as hapless as Klinger. It was Radar, whipped into shape under Col. Blake’s wing. (Plausible? I’m not sure Henry ever had it in him to teach or discipline someone, nor that O’Reilly wasn’t—as Klinger called him—“a born clerk.” I’ll buy that Father in his wisdom is stretching the truth to make Sherm feel better.) Then, the two miscreants are found, gently counseled, and forgiven. The still even gets rebuilt.

References to Radar are the backbone of this episode, the first to air after his farewell—wrapping up with the forlorn teddy bear left in the Swamp. But it’s important to note that other departed characters get some play here as well. Potter mentions Henry Blake again in his pep talk to Klinger; Trapper is invoked during BJ’s long catharsis of jealousy. (Fittingly enough, no one has any regard for Frank Burns.) In other words, since MASH is again handling a transition, it makes sense to refer back to transitions in its past. When Klinger and BJ are soothed, the audience remembers too how hard it was to see some personnel go home.