Penobscot from M*A*S*H

[muldoonthief]

@42fish

Actually, they paid Charles 10 cents on the dollar. Since this is what Charles paid the Koreans, he ended up with no net loss (or gain) on the day.

Ah. I didn’t remember that. But he still lost out, didn’t he? They only took what they needed to pay back the soldier, not Charles’ whole box o’ scrip.

And at the risk of overanalyzing a show that never tried to be realistic - if they were so outraged at Charles behavior, why didn’t Hawk & BJ offer to trade the Koreans’ scrip at one-to-one for them in the first place? I mean, if Charles hadn’t bought it from them, they’d have lost everything. You can make an argument too that $20 in US cash is more valuable than $20 in US Army scrip - at what exchange rate would they have changed their tune from “That’s so unethical Charles!” to “What a great humanitarian you are Charles!” - 30 cents/dollar? 50? 70?

[Skywatcher]

@Bryan Ekers

Admittedly, I may be conflating this with another episode in which Potter (as I recall) described an embarrassing anecdote about a general who giving his secretary dictation… in a bathtub.

That would be the episode with BJ’s pratical-joking pal, played by James Cromwell.

[42fish]

@muldoonthief

And at the risk of overanalyzing a show that never tried to be realistic - if they were so outraged at Charles behavior, why didn’t Hawk & BJ offer to trade the Koreans’ scrip at one-to-one for them in the first place? I mean, if Charles hadn’t bought it from them, they’d have lost everything. You can make an argument too that $20 in US cash is more valuable than $20 in US Army scrip - at what exchange rate would they have changed their tune from “That’s so unethical Charles!” to “What a great humanitarian you are Charles!” - 30 cents/dollar? 50? 70?

You could probably argue that the only unethical part of Charles’ scheme was his refusal to pay his tailor unless he helped Charles as a translator.

[Tikki]

@Sampiro

Something I wondered is how long Houlihan and Penobscot were married. It was for about a season or less on the show, but the show covered 2 years of the war in about 11 years, so would her marriage have only lasted a month or so?

Ironically, just a few hours after reading this thread, I caught the tail end of the episode where a USO-type entertainment troupe visits the 4077th. I was just in time to hear Margaret mention to one of the women that she’d been married about three months.

Edited to add: Part two is on now. It’s the one where Colonel Potter tempted to be unfaithful to Mildred with the same woman Margaret was talking to earlier.

[dropzone]

(revealing oneself as someone who even read most of the books) Wasn’t Penobscot where Hawkeye was from? Oh yeah! You mean DONALD Penobscot!

[Autolycus]

I’m glad there are so many MAS*H lovers on The Dope. I cant answer the question as given, although I wish I could (love this show even though I’m so young). I’ll ask my dad on the morn.

[Little_Nemo]

Wasn’t Penobscot where Hawkeye was from? Oh yeah! You mean DONALD Penobscot!

No, Hawkeye was from Crabapple Cove, Maine - couldn’t you tell from that authentic Down Easter accent Alan Alda used for the role?

[Cartooniverse]

Perhaps the confusion lies in the fact that Penobscot, Maine exists. It’s on Route 199, not very far from Penobscot Bay.

Crab Apple Cove, Maine does not exist. Nor does Crabapple Cove. The closest we come is this:

Crab Apple Ln, Bangor, Penobscot, ME 04401

Cartooniverse

[Telemark]

Crab Apple Cove is supposedly patterned on the area around Damariscotta, where Richard Hooker lived. Or so the locals say. It seems to fit.

[KneadToKnow]

The only thing I remember about Donald Pebnobscot, and I may be misremembering, is that a description of him was the first time I ever heard anyone describe a unibrow.

“The weird thing about him is, he only has one eybrow.”
“Over which eye?”
“Both!”

or words to that effect.

[Cartooniverse]

@Telemark

Crab Apple Cove is supposedly patterned on the area around Damariscotta, where Richard Hooker lived. Or so the locals say. It seems to fit.

That works. I have visited Damariscotta. Very very lovely, quaint, etc. etc. Bay, water, lobsters.

Mmmmmmm. Lobsters.

[saoirse]

@Little Nemo

No, Hawkeye was from Crabapple Cove, Maine - couldn’t you tell from that authentic Down Easter accent Alan Alda used for the role?

That right, as well as those New England Yankee Colloquiallisms he uses, like this (from the episode with the curare):

Winchester: Do you deny calling me a superior surgeon?

Hawkeye: I called you a superior sturgeon. You’re the biggest lox in all Korea.

[Monty]

@Cartooniverse

Crab Apple Ln, Bangor, Penobscot, ME 04401

Cartooniverse

Great, now you think you’re an entire country!

[Peter_Morris]

@Otto

Offering to buy the scrip for ten cents on the dollar seems a little bit greedy.

Which is why I think it’s out of character, and more like Frank.

[Cartooniverse]

@Monty

Great, now you think you’re an entire country!

…nothing wrong with a little elbow room…

[Bryan_Ekers]

@Cartooniverse

…nothing wrong with a little elbow room…

Great, now New Hampshire has to build bunkers along its border.

[zev_steinhardt]

Just to go back to the OP for a moment, unless I’m mistaken, commissioned officers can’t be reduced in rank by a court martial, so Penobscott (being an officer) couldn’t have been demoted.

Zev Steinhardt