The Return of Jimmy Blackhorse - 58

[A good episode featuring Teresa Yarwood (as Coulter) who also provided the background vocals] The sexual tension between Chegwidden and Mac was obvious when they bumped into each other in the coffee room. H entered and said he'd quit smoking cigars last night. In the silence he asked, "any words?" and C replied, "don't get fat." Bud and Harriet broke in and asked C to settle two arguments about their full military wedding: "yes- let Ht wear a wedding gown" and "no- the bunny hop is out." The skeleton of a Navaho code talker Marine PFC Jimmy Blackhorse was found in a ravine in New Zealand and was returned to his tribe for proper burial; but, it was not accepted by Margaret Blackhorse, the medicine woman, who claimed its "aura" wasn't Jimmy's. Blackhorse had disappeared while on R&R in New Zealand one wk before he was to receive the Navy Cross for Valor. A congressman ramrodded a bill to name a ship after him now that his remains were found. Teresa Coulter, a reservist forensic pathologist, was called in to assist in identification and was upset over missing her godson's school play. She was apparently smitten with H but he was oblivious. She smoked cigars and told him that her father was in the "8th year of a life sentence for killing her mother" and that she "had already judged herself" and "wished she wasn't so attracted to H."

Jimmy's twin brother Johnny, ill with Tuberculosis since childhood, was married to the medicine woman. H and Coulter talked to Johnny about giving a DNA sample. The skeleton had a watch, which was given to him by Johnny. H suggested using Johnny's TB sputum for the test but he finally relented, despite Margaret saying "no" and her giving Coulter a "bad luck Owl" to keep her away. Paul Begay, a Navajo silicon valley software attorney, saw publicity out of the story and "grandstanded" claiming to be of "The People" (Navajo name for themselves, the Dine.) A scorpion crawled on Coulter's shoe and she screamed making a baby laugh. Under Navaho tradition the first one to make a baby laugh had to throw a party for it- and "today's cool." At the party Begay wanted to dance with M. B & Ht wanted the day off. Coulter was shown performing the test, and the electrophoresis was shown completed in time lapse photography, but she then dropped and broke the blood vials (lying to H) saying they were contaminated and no good. When they returned for more blood they found that Johnny had died. Margaret gave them some old letters from Jimmy, that she had found in Johnny's "medicine box," which led to a girlfriend, Frances Roland, in New Zealand. H & M found her mute and unresponsive from encephalitis (but could hear) and being cared for by her son, named Jimmy Blackhorse after his father. The son told them that his mother had seen a "happy spirit" in Jimmy despite his stress, near deafness, insomnia and weariness. She wouldn't have relations with Jimmy until they were married but Jimmy didn't feel "worthy." He got drunk and raped her one night then disappeared. She named her baby Jimmy Blackhorse as a way of saying she forgave him. DNA was conclusive that he was Jimmy's son so they took it to tribal court. The medicine woman said she didn't sense the "good" Jimmy's aura because the skeleton was bad (H said Jimmy was lost in crisis). She waved her hand over the son and said she sensed Jimmy; so, he was welcomed into the tribe who took the skeleton to bury. H said they could name the ship after Arsenio Price, Jimmy's code talking partner, who got a bronze star. Coulter gave H a chocolate cigar. B & Ht, fussing about their wedding plans, eloped to Vegas. The eternal flame at the Blue Hawaii wedding chapel exploded requiring bandages all over their faces, and prevented their "elopement." M revealed that she was part Cherokee.