"Fallen Idol" is the third episode of the sixth season of the American situation comedy-series M*A*S*H (after the two-part "Fade Out, Fade In") and its 125th overall. The episode aired on CBS on September 27, 1977 and is the first episode where the character of Frank Burns does not play a part in (although Larry Linville, the actor who played Burns, left the series at the end of the fifth season, the character was used in "Fade Out, Fade In", where an unseen and unheard Frank makes a phone call to the camp).
Plot
Radar O'Reilly is feeling down as he does not believe that he is a "hot lover" and wants to try to become one so he can attract the various nurses of the 4077th. He relays his concerns to Hawkeye Pierce and B.J. Hunnicutt in The Swamp, and Hawkeye suggests that Radar take a trip to Seoul and try to find a woman there. Radar initially does not want to, but Hawkeye keeps prodding him until he finally agrees. After getting approval, Radar leaves on a Jeep.
Later that day, the 4077th is once again inundated with wounded as it usually is. While performing triage outside the OR, Hawkeye is examining a wounded soldier's shoulder and turns him over to look at his chest. Suddenly, he realizes that the wounded soldier is Radar and calls B.J. over to help him. Hawkeye is instantly taken aback by what has happened to Radar and believes it that it is his fault that Radar is injured, saying that he sent Radar out into the middle of the fighting "on a date." After insisting on performing the surgery to save Radar, Hawkeye heads out to drink his guilt away but cannot as all he can talk about is how guilty he feels.
The next morning Hawkeye wakes up suffering from a hangover worse than he usually suffers from when drinking and is in no condition to operate. However, wounded arrive in the compound and Major Winchester insists that Hawkeye rise from his bed and perform his duties as chief surgeon over B.J.'s protests that Hawkeye be allowed to rest. Winchester says that the call was for "all personnel", which by definition includes Hawkeye, and that he should not be excused because of his condition. Once Colonel Potter discovers Hawkeye's condition he is not pleased, and things get worse when Hawkeye has to run out of the OR to vomit during an operation and Winchester has to finish.
After the session is done Potter lectures Hawkeye on his behavior, telling him that he relies on him in the operating room and that his conduct was as unprofessional as it has ever been. Hawkeye, still upset, promises not to do it again and leaves while many people suggest he go visit Radar in post-op. Although he does not want to, as he is ashamed of his conduct and still has not gotten rid of the guilt over Radar's injury, Hawkeye finally does go to see him. Radar, however, is not happy to see him at all and abruptly calls him "sir" when asking when he will be ready to go back to work.
Surprised that Radar was so formal in speaking to him, since he almost always referred to Hawkeye by his name, Hawkeye asks him why. Radar then tells Hawkeye that he heard what happened in the OR. Hawkeye explains why it happened and that he had been under stress. Radar dismisses his concerns, and again calls Hawkeye out for having to leave, saying that he let a lot of people down. Hawkeye, meanwhile, is growing more tense as the conversation continues and feels that Radar is holding him to a much higher standard of conduct than he would anyone else because of his position. When he tries to explain that he would have substituted for Winchester if something happened to him, Radar says that Hawkeye is admired and depended upon by most of the staff and to have entered the room as intoxicated as he was, he is sending the message that there is nothing to depend on.
Hawkeye then says to Radar:
After briefly attempting to leave the room, all of Hawkeye's anger and frustration finally boils over and he turns back to Radar, standing over him and dressing him down in front of the whole post-op ward:
After being subjected to the diatribe from the chief surgeon, Radar is reduced to tears. Hawkeye is snapped out of his rage by his surprise at Radar's crying and asks him to stop twice, the second time in a more desperate, pleading manner, before calling him a "ninny" and running out of the ward.