Adam's Ribs was the 11th episode of Season 3 of the CBS-TV series M*A*S*H, also the 58th overall series episode. Written by Laurence Marks, and directed by Gene Reynolds, it first aired on November 26, 1974.
Synopsis[]
Sick and tired of being served the same meal (fish and/or liver) for almost two weeks, Hawkeye goes crazy and hatches a plan to get some ribs and barbecue sauce shipped in from a popular restaurant in Chicago.
Full episode summary[]
It's the eleventh straight day the Mess Tent has served liver and fish for lunch. Everyone is sick of being stuck with the same two choices, especially Hawkeye, who explodes in rage in the Mess Tent, hurls his lunch across the room, and starts a riot when he goads everyone into loudly chanting "We want something else!! We want something else!!"
Henry bawls out Hawkeye, but when he makes an off-the-cuff remark about a rib-tickler, a light bulb goes off in Hawkeye's mind (and his mouth). He's suddenly reminded of some delicious barbecued spareribs he enjoyed in Chicago near the Dearborn Street station. Hawkeye can't remember the restaurant's name, so Henry gives him the phone number to Dearborn Street station and says call them to find out. Henry still remembers their telephone number because he spent “half his life” there and (supposedly) where he met Lorraine.
In the middle of the night, Hawkeye is still obsessing over the ribs, so he gets Radar out of bed to place a call to Chicago. Hawkeye poses as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune getting background information for a story about a soldier and learns the restaurant is called Adam's Ribs. The station gives him the number to the restaurant, where Hawkeye places an order for 40 pounds of ribs and a gallon of sauce. His elation is short-lived, however, when he realizes he forgot to order the coleslaw.
Hawkeye works out the logistics of getting the ribs flown from Chicago to South Korea, but needs someone in Chicago to pick up the ribs, pay for them, and deliver to the airport. Hawkeye learns Klinger has an uncle in Chicago, but the corporal refuses to help unless he gets his discharge papers signed.
Trapper comes to the rescue by remembering a former fling named Mildred Feeney who lives in Chicago. A telephone call is quickly placed, and “Big John” talks Mildred into delivering the ribs to the airport under the cover of urgent medical supplies.
A few days later, the ribs arrive in South Korea, but they're hung up in channels at a supply depot in Uijeongbu. Hawkeye and Trapper quickly travel there, where they encounter an uncooperative Major Pfiefer, who is willing to let the captains move cartons for him but won't track down their package.
He sends them to Sergeant Tarola, who refuses to release the package because no requisition orders were cut. The captains resort to threatening to shut down Tarola's depot under the guise of unsanitary conditions. Fearing reassignment closer to the front, Tarola caves, asks what the package really is, and Hawkeye admits they are ribs from Chicago. Tarola correctly guesses they are from Adam's Ribs (he's from Joliet) and takes 12 pounds and a pint and a half of sauce as his cut, but is astonished Hawkeye forgot the coleslaw.
The ribs are cooked and delivered to Hawkeye, Henry, Trapper, Klinger, and Radar, who are waiting in earnest at a table in the Mess Tent. But before they can take so much as a bite of the food, wounded arrive, and Hawkeye is literally dragged from the Mess Tent, leaving his ambrosia for later.
Research notes/Fun facts[]
- Although they receive billing, neither Loretta Swit nor Larry Linville appear in this episode. No explanation is offered for the absence of their characters, which is particularly noticeable in the case of Frank Burns, as several scenes are set in The Swamp.
- Anomaly: Henry makes a comment that he met his wife Lorraine at the Dearborn Street Station. In another episode when the surgeons are watching Henry's home movie of his daughter's birthday party ("Dear Dad...Three"), he says he met her at a freshman mixer (unclear if this was high school or college).
- Surprisingly, it never occurs to anyone to ask Mildred Feeney to order coleslaw from Adam's Ribs when she picks up the ribs and sauce.
- You have to wonder why Klinger is invited to the rib-fest, seeing as he refused to help obtain them (possibly part of an apology for getting succotash on his stole during riot).
- This episode marks one of the "de-maturing" retcon episodes of Radar from his Season 1 portrayal; while he still retains his sly demeanor and voracious appetite (pointedly ignoring Hawkeye's chow hall riot to finish gobbling his liver and fish), he is also suddenly portrayed as a virgin, admitting he "wouldn't know" when told Adam's Ribs were better than sex. This is despite having successfully propositioned Lieutenant Hardy for a supply room rendezvous (which left him bruised but pleased) in Season 1 when both expected to be blown up by an errant CIA bomb in the compound.
Guest stars/Recurring Cast[]
- Jamie Farr as Klinger
- Jeff Maxwell as Igor Straminsky
- Basil Hoffman as Major Pfiefer
- Joseph Stern as Master Sergeant Tarola
Uncredited appearances by:
- Todd Susman as the P.A. announcer, possibly Private Danny Baker (voice)
- Roy Goldman (helping Igor serve the food)
- Dennis Troy (in the mess tent line, right behind Trapper)