Ep 16. The Ringbanger

In the sixteenth episode of the first season of M*A*S*H, titled "The Ringbanger," the medical camp is in a chaotic state due to the constant bombing by the enemy. The episode opens with the announcement of an incoming chopper carrying new doctors to the camp, but it ends up being a dirty trick by the Koreans, as they drop a jeep on the runway instead. The jeep is filled with explosives, and the resulting explosion demolishes the runway, delaying all incoming and outgoing choppers.

With no new medical supplies and new doctors unable to reach the camp, the surgical team is forced to ration their resources. The situation is only aggravated when Hot Lips and Frank order the surgeons to treat a group of wounded soldiers over civilians, who are waiting for their turn for surgery. The situation worsens, and the military authorities imposed a blackout because the enemy has sharp-shooter targeting the surgery tent.

Amidst all this chaos, the new staff, including a psychiatrist, a dentist, and a female head nurse, arrives at the camp. The characters in this episode are mainly focused on Major Margaret Houlihan. She is eager to show off her newly acquired engagement ring and is elated at the prospects of marrying Lieutenant Colonel Donald Penobscott. However, as the episode progresses, she comes to realize how little her fiancé's engagement ring means to him as it turns out to be a worthless cheap trinket.

In an effort to show off her newly acquired ring, Major Margaret Houlihan throws a party in the mess tent. The medical staff attends the party, and tensions arise when army chaplain, Lieutenant George Rice, starts to counsel private Kurland in the middle of the party. Kurland has been burying his emotions, and this leads him to lash out at Rice, the surgeon Trapper John, and anyone who tries to empathize with him.

This episode shows how difficult it is for medical professionals to cope with intense and unrelenting situations and maintain personal lives. The episode offers a glimpse into the psychological toll the war takes on soldiers, medics, and civilians alike. The setting of the episode, a medical camp, also makes the audience aware of how severe the consequences can be when the frontline medical staff lacks supplies and resources.

"The Ringbanger" is an episode that perfectly encapsulates the sense of despair and helplessness that the medical staff experienced during the Korean War. The episode showcases the constraints, both medically and structurally, they worked under, creating a sense of tension and despair. This episode is also notable for its introduction of characters that would go on to play crucial roles throughout the entire series.

Overall, "The Ringbanger" is a classic episode of M*A*S*H, and it illustrates how the series was one of the first to tackle serious issues and do so with empathy and humor. The show's signature mix of comedy and tragedy is on full display in this episode, and the series' deft handling of complex themes provides viewers with a better understanding of war and its effects on the human psyche.