Snap Judgment/Snappier Judgment - Official Discussion

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SNAP JUDGMENT
Production: 1-G04 (221)
Aired: December 7, 1981 (221)
Writer: Paul Perlove
Director: Hy Averback

Guest Stars
Monte Bane - M. P. #3
George Chung - peddler 1
Mickey Jones - M. P. #2
Peter Jurasik - Triplett
Jeff Maxwell - Igor
Eileen Saki - Rosie
Richard Lee Sung - peddler 2
Richard Winters - M. P. #1

"Old soldiers never die, they just keep taking snapshots."

The doctors are playing horse shoes when Klinger walks up with a package for Hawkeye and BJ. It is a camera from Demitrio Popadopalous, the father of Gregor, a man whose life they saved. But while they are in O. R., it is stolen. Klinger, absent mindedly, sends in the carbon paper instead of the stolen goods report. Feeling sorry, he proceeds to get the camera back from the black market. After he buys back the camera, Klinger is stopped by some M. P.s on the way back to camp and is arrested for being in possession of stolen property. The M. P.s deliver the camera back to Hawkeye and BJ and get them to sign some papers without knowing why. The papers are attestations to convict Klinger of grand theft. Captain Arvin Triplett comes to investigate. Just as Triplett is about to let Klinger off the hook, Rosie mentions Klinger's involvement with the black market and the case is on again.

Trivia: What is the name of the place where the black market operates?

Colonel Potter says only Mildred ever beat him at horse shoes, but in "Ping Pong" (S5), Klinger beats the colonel four times in a row. Hawkeye says his golf clubs were stolen. Winchester mentions the chimpanzee, J. Fred Muggs, who did not join "The Today Show" until January of 1953. Winchester probably would not know about him.

Mickey Jones had been Chester on "Flo" and would be Pete Bilker on TV "Home Improvement". Peter Jurasik was best known as Londo Mollari on TV's "Babylon 5". He was also Sid the Snitch on "Hill Street Blues". This is George Chung's second appearance on M*A*S*H, his first being "Guerilla My Dreams" (S8).

This is the first of a two part episode - see the next entry for Part 2

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SNAPPIER JUDGMENT
(SNAP JUDGMENT - Part 2)
Production: 1-G05 (222)
Aired: December 14, 1981 (222)
Writer: Paul Perlove
Director: Hy Averback

Guest Stars
Monte Bane - Crooked M. P.
Jack Blessing - Lt. Rollins
Jim Boeke - M. P.
Peter Hobbs - Colonel Drake

"You're the cement that binds our unit together."

Colonel Potter discusses lawyers with Klinger and Winchester volunteers. While Winchester is rehearsing all of the character witnesses' testimonies, Hawkeye and BJ have other plans. They are talking about Winchester's tape recorder everywhere they go hoping the thief will return to steal it. They do find it missing, but Winchester has taken it to record testimonies. Klinger, Hawkeye, BJ and Winchester leave for Seoul with high hopes, but they soon find their hopes dashed when the young prosecutor is well prepared and Winchester doesn't even know the rules of court. Even though Hawkeye tries to get around answering the questions, he still ends up helping to convict Klinger. One of the facts established is that the theft occurred while the staff was in O. R. The next day Hawkeye and BJ stage a phony O. R. and leave Winchester's tape recorder out in the open as bait. The real criminal, thinking that he is safe, attempts to steal the recorder. Hawkeye and BJ take a picture of him with their camera. When this information is presented to the court, Klinger is acquitted.

Trivia: How many Bibles did Klinger steal?

Facts about Winchesters: "Three generations of Winchesters have never lost an argument, much less a trial."

Note that Rollins is always referred to as "Captain" and even wears captain's bars, but the credits say he is a Lieutenant.

Jack Blessing had many spots on TV, including MacGillicudy on "Moonlighting" and Jack Powers on "George Lopez". Jim Boeke and Peter Hobbs (and technically Monte Bane) are back for their second guest spots on M*A*S*H.

These are mostly unbelievable and unrealistic episodes. I don’t like that they blow off the whole explanation about why Klinger can’t have an actual lawyer to represent him in favor of the attempted humor of having a bumbling Major Winchester do it.