Ep 22. Payday

In this episode of M*A*S*H, titled "Payday," the staff at the 4077th is anxiously waiting for their paychecks to arrive. However, when they finally do, things go awry.

The episode opens with the announcement that pay day has finally arrived. The staff at the 4077th are all anxiously waiting to collect their paychecks from the finance office. However, when they get there, they discover that there has been a mix-up, and the paychecks are all different amounts than expected.

Hawkeye and Trapper are two of the most vocal complainers about the pay discrepancy. They are owed a large amount of money and are furious that they are not getting what they are owed. They decide to take their complaints to Colonel Blake, but he is unavailable, and they are told to take it up with the finance officer, Lt. Leslie Scorch.

Scorch proves to be difficult to deal with, and Hawkeye and Trapper get into a heated argument with him. They accuse him of being incompetent and demand that he fix the pay issue immediately. However, Scorch is not intimidated by them and refuses to budge.

Meanwhile, Klinger has his own problems when he is trying to cash his check. The local bank refuses to cash it because he is wearing a dress. He attempts to plead his case to the bank manager, but she is unsympathetic. Klinger is forced to come up with a creative solution to his problem.

As the day drags on, the staff at the 4077th become more and more frustrated. They decide to go on strike until the pay issue is resolved. This causes chaos in the camp, and many of the wounded soldiers are left without proper care. Hawkeye and Trapper attempt to convince the staff to return to work, but they are unsuccessful.

Meanwhile, Father Mulcahy is dealing with his own crisis. He has promised to buy a new organ for the camp chapel, but he is short on funds. He turns to Major Burns for help, but Burns is not interested in donating any money.

As the day comes to a close, everyone is still without their proper pay. Hawkeye and Trapper are still in a heated argument with Lt. Scorch, Klinger is still unable to cash his check, the staff is on strike, and Father Mulcahy still hasn't raised enough money for the new organ.

In a final act of desperation, Colonel Blake has an idea. He convinces Lt. Scorch to fix the pay issue and gives Klinger a new outfit to wear when cashing his check. The staff returns to work, and Father Mulcahy is able to raise enough money for the new organ.

In the end, everyone is happy, and peace is restored to the 4077th. The staff finally has their proper pay, and things return to normal.

Overall, this episode of M*A*S*H is a great example of the show's comedic and satirical tone. It deals with serious issues like finance and labor disputes, but does so in a lighthearted and entertaining way. It's a great reminder of why this show was so beloved during its run and continues to be popular to this day.