Template:Infobox M*A*S*H episode V2
Hot Lips is Back in Town was the 20th episode of Season 7 of the M*A*S*H TV series, also the 167th overall series episode. The episode was written by Larry Balmagia, Bernard Dilbert, and Gary Markowitz and directed by Charles S Dubin. The episode originally aired on CBS-TV on January 29, 1979.
Synopsis
Margaret celebrates her newly obtained divorce by creating a new way to handle triage and invites a general to observe. Radar is enamored of a new nurse and tries everything he can to get her attention.
Detailed episode summary
The medical staff is having a meeting in the Mess Tent, when it's interrupted by a mail call. Everyone gets something, Margaret's being the biggest of all: her divorce is now official.
She seems stunned, and insists she's happy. But when wounded arrive, Hawkeye has to snap her out of her daze. During OR, she's a little short-tempered and all business. Hawkeye and B.J. offer to take her out for drinks in the O Club, which she accepts, and they all get pie-eyed.
In the middle of the night, a bubbly, cheery Margaret visits Col. Potter in his tent, rededicating herself to a career in the Army. She's got all kinds of ideas how to improve things at the 4077th, which Potter, desperate to go back to sleep, readily agrees to.
The next morning, Margaret announces that she has a new plan for the nurses to take over in Triage, freeing the doctors to get to work immediately. Also, she's invited an old friend, Gen. Lyle Weiskopf, to come to the 4077th and inspect the unit's new procedures. Potter flatly refuses to go along, but it's too late: he's already on his way. Hawkeye mutters, "It's going to be a real fun weekend."
The next day, Gen. Weiskopf (Walter Brooke) arrives, just in time for wounded to arrive. The nurses perform their new tasks flawlessly.
Later, Weiskopf and Margaret meet for drinks back in her tent. He seems more interested in going back to the "good old days"--namely, when he and Margaret were an item, and Margaret was "Hot Lips."
Margaret is confused and angry, wanting to talk about her plans to improve medical procedures--not just at the 4077th, but maybe in the entire Theater of Operations. Weiskopf goes along, but he makes it clear that while he'd promote Margaret to Lieutenant Colonel, he expects her to go back to being his mistress, with her grandiose plans being much less important.
Margaret, realizing Weiskopf only wants one thing, demands he leave. He protests, saying she's making a big mistake, but Margaret insists. Alone in her tent, she raises a glass, and toasts herself for standing her ground: "Here's to me."
In a side plot, Radar is smitten with Lieutenant Linda Nugent, a newly arrived nurse. He fails miserably in his efforts to attract her attention, but he finally succeeds when he decides to stop trying to act impressive. The episode ends with them dancing together in the Officers' Club while everyone watches.
Guest stars/Recurring cast
- Walter Brooke as General Lyle Weiskopf
- Peggy Lee Brennan as Lieutenant Linda Nugent
- Jan Jorden as Nurse Baker
- Enid Kent as Nurse Bigelow
- Kellye Nakahara as Nurse Kellye
- Uncredited appearances
Trivia
Gen. Lyle Weiskopf is the same general that hosted a party for Margaret and her new husband Donald Penobscott during their honeymoon in Tokyo.