A Smattering of Intelligence

Infobox Television episode
Title = A Smattering of Intelligence
Series = M*A*S*H


Caption = {Caption}
Season = 2
Episode = 24
Airdate = March 2, 1974
Production = K424
Writer = Larry Gelbart
Laurence Marks
Director = Larry Gelbart
Guests = Edward Winter
Bill Fletcher
Episode list = List of "M*A*S*H" episodes
Prev = "Mail Call"
Next = "The General Flipped at Dawn"

A Smattering of Intelligence was the final episode in season two of the American television series M*A*S*H. It first aired on March 2, 1974. The character of Colonel Samuel Flagg (played by Edward Winter) was first introduced in this episode.

Overview

The teaser shows a helicopter coming down in the 4077. Hawkeye and Trapper John's meet Trapper's friend Captain Pratt-who is an Army Intelligence officer. Pratt is undercover at MASH to see what Colonel Flagg is up to-it was Flagg who had ordered the helicopter to crash and then broke his arm to "Infiltrate" 4077. Frank Burns reveals his naivety by believing Pratt's story that the US Army Engineers are thinking of making M*A*S*H's amphibious. In a farcical scenes Pratt and Flagg are two spies chasing each other; Hawkeye and Trapper John decide to have some fun by tricking both spies into going after Frank Burns-making Pratt believe Burns is a right wing fascist and making Flagg believe Burns is a left wing communist.

Notes

*In episode 3.23 Colonel Flagg appears, Hawkeye and Trapper remark on how the last time he was at MASH, Flagg not only broke his own arm {seen in this episode} but rigged a jeep to run over himself-this last incident is "not" in this episode. {Oddly neither Hawkeye nor Trapper seem to remember that Flagg's next appearance was in episode 3.3!}
*At the end of the episode, Pratt takes pictures of the "Swamp" with a spy camera; reportable a deleted scene shows Flagg showing slides of MASH and recommending Pierce and Trapper be placed under surveillance.