MASH Top 10 Episodes

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Chuck
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MASH Top 10 Episodes

Post by Chuck »

I sat down and figured out what my top 10 favorite episodes were. It's harder than it sounds. Given only 10 slots, what would your favorites be? I would be interested to see how my list compares to others. #1 is my most, all-time favorite.

1. Baby, It’s Cold Outside
2. The Incubator
3. The Bus
4. The Army-Navy Game
5. 5 O’Clock Charlie
6. Adam’s Rib
7. The Joker is Wild
8. Welcome to Korea
9. Rainbow Bridge
10. The Yalu Brick Road
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Re: MASH Top 10 Episodes

Post by Big Daddy O'Reilly »

Okay, there is absolutely no way I can narrow down a selection of just ten episodes, so I'm going to list ALL of my favorite episodes (in chronological order), and the reasons of why...

1. "To Market, To Market" (1x02): Hilarious.
2. "Requiem for a Lightweight" (1x03): Almost every show has a boxing episode, and this one was a good one.
3. "Cowboy" (1x08): The first episode I ever taped... it's funny, I like it, despite most people hating it.
4. "Henry, Please Come Home" (1x09): Another funny one.
5. "Dear Dad" (1x12): A great Christmas episode.
6. "The Long-John Flap" (1x19): My favorite cold snap episode.
7. "The Army-Navy Game" (1x20): Entertaining.
8. "Kim" (2x06): Just about the only good Trapper episode, he really shined in this one.
9. "O.R." (3x05): I actually used to not like this episode, but it really has some great moments, and even sheds light as to why Frank is the way he is.
10. "Check-Up" (3x07): When you really think about it, this episode has to make up for Trapper's improper farewell.
11. "House Arrest" (3x18): Possibly the funniest episode of Season Three!
12. "Aid Station" (3x19): Fine balance of comedy and drama.
13. "Abyssinia, Henry" (3x24): Henry's death was a shocker.
14. "The Gun" (4x14): The episode cheered me up during a time I was struggling with depression.
15. "Mail Call Again" (4x15): I like the lowkey, laid-back, homey feeling this one has.
16. "The Price of Tomato Juice" (4x16): One of the earlier examples of how we see Radar has indeed warmed up to Potter.
17. "Dear Ma" (4x17): A combination of both of the reasons for "The Gun" and "Mail Call Again".
18. "Out of Sight, Out of Mind" (5x04): No particular reason, I just like it.
19. "Dear Sigmund" (5x08): Another one of my favorite cold snap episodes.
20. "The Most Unforgettable Characters" (5x15): Here's what scary: according to Radar, this episode takes place on June 13... and in this episode, it's Frank's birthday... that means Frank and I have the same birthday! :o
21. "Movie Tonight" (5x22): Funniest episode of Season Five!
22. "The M*A*S*H Olympics" (6x11): Those olympic events they held in camp were priceless!
23. "The Merchant of Korea" (6x15): One of my favorite heat wave episodes, and my favorite poker episode.
24. "Your Hit Parade" (6x19): Okay, THIS is my all-time favorite episode, I love how Radar becomes Big Daddy O'Reilly, and this episode reminds me of when I was a school DJ in Grade 8.
25. "Mail Call Three" (6x21): Before I actually started watching the show regularly, I caught a glimpse of this episode while channel surfing one night, and thought it looked interesting, so it stands out for me for that reason.
26. "None Like it Hot" (7x07): My favorite heat wave episode... if you've ever spent a summer in Tennessee, you can relate to this episode very well, lol.
27. "They Call the Wind Korea" (7x08): It's a different episode, but it's still interesting nonetheless.
28. "Baby, it's Cold Outside" (7x10): Another one of my favorite cold snap episodes.
29. "Dear Sis" (7x15): Another wonderful Christmas episode.
30. "Hot Lips is Back in Town" (7x20): The subplot with Radar hits home for me, because I too have had difficulties trying to express myself to a girl I love.

Okay, so there.. my top 30... sue me... :henry:
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Chuck
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Re: MASH Top 10 Episodes

Post by Chuck »

I must admit I had to reduce my list from 19 and even getting 19 from them was hard. The others, loved as much as they are, were cut from my top 10. I've listed them below. All 19 are the ones where you see them on the channel guide by name and say, "Oh, I love that one!"

HONORABLE MENTION
To Market, To Market
Germ Warfare
The Longjohn Flap
For Want of a Boot
Bug Out
The Smell of Music
Cementing Relationships
Soldier of the Month
Lt. Radar O’Reilly
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Re: MASH Top 10 Episodes

Post by Ranger »

This is harder to do, but here goes. No particular order apart from the top two. Will have to make this a top 15.

1.Dear Sigmund - Great mix of comedy and pathos, good insight into the characters and I like Sydney being centre stage.
2.Deal Me Out - I love the banter between the different characters, it feels really natural.
3.Tuttle - Silly but funny, brings back happy memories as I remember watching the episode when I was coming out of depression.
4.Kim - Shows Trapper in a different light, that behind the class clown act there is a deeply caring man.
5.The Abduction of Margaret Houlihan - Flagg at his zaniest, some great dead pan humour from Potter too
6.Officer of The Day - "This is me" cracks me up every time along with Trapper's pin stripe suit, however it also shows that Flagg was actually quite dangerous behind the madness.
7.The Trial of Henry Blake - It shows there's more to Henry than meets the eye, also Gary and MacLean have great chemistry in this one.
8.Springtime - Another one that is silly but funny.
9.Dear Dad- Funny and sweet, a great one for Christmas
10.They Call The Wind Korea - I like the Winchester/Klinger scenes, this was probably when I started to like Winchester as it took me a while to warm to him.
11.Dear Sis- Another very touching episode, especially the toboggan cap scene ( I can relate to that) and the singing.
12.Quo Vadis Captain Chandler - It's so beautifully acted by Alan Fudge that even a crazy agnostic like me feels emotional.
13. O.R - The Ethiopian soldier scene and the heart to heart with Frank and Trapper are really beautiful moments.
14 . Rally Round the Flagg Boys - I like how Winchester is more than a match for Flagg
15. Private Charles Lamb - Del Boy falling through the bar is not the funniest prat fall in comedy, Frank falling in the tag scene to this is. Also as an animal lover I an relate to Radar.
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Re: MASH Top 10 Episodes

Post by Chuck »

You guys were nice enough to say why you liked the episode, so I'll do the same....

1. Baby, It’s Cold Outside (I like the really cold episodes and the really hot one's. I think this may have been the episode (seen on TVland) which revived my love for the show)
2. The Incubator (Reminds me of the red tape experienced in the Air Force. When Henry says, "Thar she blows," I always laugh. They can get a pizza oven instead of an incubator...Classic!)
3. The Bus (Frank Burns at his best. This episode has so many stupid Frankisms, it's really his episode)
4. The Army-Navy Game (The thought of a CIA bomb is funny...overshadowed by the fact that the Army-Navy game takes the front seat is hilarious)
5. 5 O’Clock Charlie (I like that the entire camp finds humor in a bad pilot and a bad plane, both of which belong to the enemy. Frank's reaction is pricesless.)
6. Adam’s Rib (Liver or fish? It reminds me of my own long deployments wanting simple things like a hamburger or bag of Doritos)
7. The Joker is Wild (I love watching Hawkeye go from confident to frantic as his fellow campers "fall" to gags)
8. Welcome to Korea (BJ could not have been introduced any better. It's serious with a lot of comedic relief.)
9. Rainbow Bridge (Another episode made better by Frank and his little gun..."What the hell is that?")
10. The Yalu Brick Road (The plot is so good in this one. Like many episodes, it's fun seeing someone who has played so many other parts in the show.)
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Re: MASH Top 10 Episodes

Post by Dear Sigmund »

Well this isn't going to be easy...but i'll give it a try

1. "Deal Me Out" - Great interaction between all of the characters, including some of my favorites (sidney, sam, and colonel flagg). By far one of the funnier storylines in the series and very well-written. Pure gold.
2. "Dear Sigmund" - One of the few episodes that puts an emphasis on Sidney's character. Aside from that, the practical jokes are a riot.
3. "A Night At Rosies" - Once again, great storyline, funny as can be, and nice to see it take place away from the camp. The bar fight at the end of the episode is just the icing on the cake.
4. "A War For All Seasons" - Interesting idea and concept behind the episode. Although they only had 22 minutes to fit in over a years worth of the camps activities, they did a good job. The ending scene is comedy.
5. "The Life You Save" - Although it really bugs me that Potter, Hot Lips and BJ never fully understood what was going on, this episodes subject matter really makes you think. Great performance by David Ogden Stiers in this episode.
6. "An Eye For A Tooth" - Can't go wrong with this episode, Charles is hilarious in this episode and Little Mac falling on Hot Lips, I had never laughed so hard in my life. Enjoiiiiiii.
7. "Private Charles Lamb" - It killed me to see "the new Radar" free that little lamb, but the spam lamb did it justice. The closing scene is great as well, a party for the ages.
8. "Dear Dad" - This episode just had a nice, subtle quality to it that made me really enjoy it. It was the first episode to really dig deeper into some of the characters. I love most of the Christmas episodes but this one is by far my favorite.
9. "Dear Sis" - The last 5 minutes of this episode is what makes this episode so great. When it starts snowing, really gave the 4077th a new and pleasing look. Mulcahy's last line was very meaningful. "The trick, I guess, is to just keep moving."
10. "Guerilla My Dreams" - Episode that showcased that Hawkeye and BJ were wrong. For some reason, that was really satisfying. Regardless of Lt. Parks motives, it goes to show that everyone is not what they seem. The final 3 minutes, wow.
"Right! Should I write "Wammo," sir? "
"Uh, no, no, it doesn't sound too G.I. Make it... "Socko."
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Re: MASH Top 10 Episodes

Post by Big Daddy O'Reilly »

"Guerilla My Dreams" is actually one of those episodes I hate... other than that somewhat funny exchange between Klinger and the Korean guards ("He is sad because he has the face of a dog", "And the nose of a duck"), I thought it was a really crappy episode.
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Re: MASH Top 10 Episodes

Post by Dear Sigmund »

"Guerilla My Dreams" wasn't the most well-written episode out there, and there were parts of it that I found to be a little bothersome, but I still remember the very first time I watched it. I felt as though Hawkeye and BJ's moral code / sense of who is right and who is wrong would be challenged at some point in the series, and this episode really brought it out. The tension building up to the final 3-minute scene where the guns are pointed at Hawkeye and BJ just really caught my eye, and more than anything, it was great to finally see Hawkeye and BJ get showered with the real truth, that being that the prisoner really was what Lt. Park said she was, and that their perception of her was clouded by their willingness to think that she was just another innocent person fighting for survival during this conflict. While I wont go on to say I agree with Lt. Parks tactics or in all likelihood, wanting to kill or torture the prisoner, I just see where he is coming from in a certain sense. Like he says, everyone has a job to do, "you do yours and I will do mine."

In a sense, Lt. Park was a more practical version of Col. Flagg, in that he wanted the prisoner for himself to question/interrogate, but didn't have that bullish mentality of simply "fixing her up doc so i can take her out back and shoot her." While Hawkeye and BJ seem to hate violence of any kind, I think that Col Potter realized that this is just a part of war and that you cannot simply just let someone go just because you think they are innocent. I also think thats part of the reason Hawkeye and BJ didn't inform Col. Potter that they were going to try and sneak her out of camp.

Thats just my two cents on why I like the episode and what I think about it :D

and yes, the scene with Klinger and the guards is priceless.
"Right! Should I write "Wammo," sir? "
"Uh, no, no, it doesn't sound too G.I. Make it... "Socko."
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Re: MASH Top 10 Episodes

Post by BigT112 »

Here Goes my MASH Greatest Hits (Might Be Longer):

-Tuttle (Season 1): The first great episode of MASH
-The Ringbanger (Season 1): Love Leslie Neilson, and the episode is really funny.
-Sometimes You Hear the Bullet (Season 1): Very touching episode, also very funny too. One of MASH's greatest episodes.
-5 O'Clock Charlie (Season 2): Just a hilarious episode, especially when Trapper is pretending to be MacArthur
-The Trial of Henry Blake (Season 2): A Big Red Bird with Fuzzy Pink Feet
-House Arrest (Season 3): I really love this episode, very funny.
-Abyssinia, Henry (Season 3): So touching and so funny. Radar's bit a the end is one of the most unforgettable lines in TV history. A game changer.
-Welcome to Korea (Season 4): A funny episode, and a good character introduction
-Change of Command (Season 4): Love the introduction of Colonel Potter
-The Interview (Season 4): Groundbreaking in my opinion, Father Mulcahy's line is one of the best in TV history.
-Bug Out (Season 5): So great, just so great!
-Out of Sight, Out of Mind (Season 5): I really love this episode
-Fade Out, Fade In (Season 6); Another great introduction episode
-Fallen Idol (Season 6): Radar does a lot of growing up, really a great episode
-The Party (Season 7): I really like this episode, the bug out, and the idea of the party are great
-Goodbye Radar (Season 8): I hate to see him go, but it's still a great episode
-The Yalu Brick Road (Season 8): So funny
-A War for All Seasons (Season 9): I love this episode
-Blood Brothers (Season 9): One of the most touching episodes of MASH, so great
-Where There's A Will, There's A War (Season 10):
-As Time Goes By (Season 11)
-Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen (Season 11)
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Re: MASH Top 10 Episodes

Post by Chuck »

I'm officially changing my favorite episode to "The Incubator". I watched it twice last night. The verbal exchange between Hawkeye, Trapper, Henry and Capt. Sloan is priceless.
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Re: MASH Top 10 Episodes

Post by theprofromdover »

In no particular order:

Welcome To Korea
Sons and Bowlers
The Ringbanger
Hot Lips and Empty Arms
Crisis
The General Flipped At Dawn
Dear Sigmund
Old Soldiers
I Hate A Mystery
Bug Out
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Re: MASH Top 10 Episodes

Post by grubsnart »

Ok, folks, while I don't doubt that listing my top 10, 15, or 30 episodes would be difficult (I haven't yet tried), I have a much more daunting task ahead of me, and I'm hoping for some advice.

My girlfriend has given me a five-episode window to convince her about MASH. Fortunately, neither our relationship nor our feelings for each other are at stake (but how could she not like MASH?!?), but I really want to put on a good show, and would just about die (and will probably marry her on the spot) if she ends up liking it enough to watch it with me from time to time. I want to show her all the main characters, and I think I've already decided to avoid Abyssinia, Henry and Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen.

So, what five episode should I choose to give her a well-rounded, and also series-appealing view?
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Re: MASH Top 10 Episodes

Post by Ranger »

Hi grubsnart. I recently showed The General Flipped at Dawn to a friend (ex boyfriend to be precise) who had been underwhelmed by seasons 1 and 2 and he loved it. Dear Sigmund has a nice mix of poignancy and humour and is a good reintroduction to the characters. Officer of The Day is pretty funny, I would also suggest OR to show how relentless the war was, plus there's that nice moment with Trapper and Frank.
Fade in Fade out is a good introduction to Winchester and his pomposity, then maybe an episode that shows Winchester's tender side, or his impish side.
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Re: MASH Top 10 Episodes

Post by Serenity427 »

Well, I TRIED to make a list of my top 10, and ended up with 18, but for brevity's sake, I'll just like the top 10 and why. To be honest, I loved just about all the episodes, I think the only one I didn't really care for was Edwina. For some reason, that one got on my nerves. Go figure.

10. Deal Me Out -- I loved all the characters in this one, every single one of them. Just hilarious! It made me wish I had friends like these, just that jocularity, that camaraderie. Classic!

9. Abyssinia, Henry -- boy, wasn't that a tear-jerker! I cannot believe I cried throughout that entire episode. Knowing Henry was leaving, yep, that started the water works. He was one of my all-time favorite characters. It was so incredibly sad how he died. And to see that love, that pure raw emotion between he and Radar... amazing.

8. The More I See You -- This one... oh my. I just never really thought that Hawkeye would have such a strong emotional pull to anyone, like he did with Carlye. But it was interesting to see she knew him better than he knew himself. I mean, the fact that he backed himself into a corner when talking about marriage, she knew! Patients were important to him, helping people was what he did best. Oh, what a good episode.

7. Lil -- It was so nice to see Colonel Potter so upbeat, so happy to have someone his own age to interact with. You get used to seeing him in a grandfatherly way so that when he's with Lil, it's amazing - he's just spry and energetic! I was really glad though that he didn't do anything more with her, that he respected his marriage vows. That was just an amazing episode.

6. War Co-Respondent -- This one just hit hard. I mean, BJ? The most stable guy at the 4077th? You can just SEE and FEEL that intensity between he and Aggie. She knew how to touch parts of him that just lit him on fire, but I'm glad he respected her and his wife, as well as himself, in refraining from pursuing her. They were quite the match though, weren't they?

5. Period of Adjustment -- It was so heart-wrenching to see how it TORE at BJ that his child, his own child!, called Radar "Daddy." Or how Klinger was incensed at all the comparisons to Radar, how it just ate at him. It was heart-warming to see how Potter handled it though. It was hard to go through that transition from Henry to Colonel Potter. That just made it all the more sweet. I have so many quotes written down from this single episode simply because it was just pure genius.

4. Our Finest Hour -- I prefer to watch this episode from the DVD, because it just meshes so well to see it all together. Father Mulcahy gives some incredible insight to how things are ("When the doctors... cut into a patient... steam rises from the body... and the doctor will... warm his hands in the open body..."), just incredible. I think that part made me cry! I mean, who would think about that? Who would think to bring that up, or see it like that, or present it like that other than Father Mulcahy? Priceless.

3. Dear Sigmund -- I've always loved this episode. Sidney writing to someone who isn't alive? I've done that. I can see why he'd do it too. I mean, writing to someone who would understand what you were talking about, that would get why they were so intriguing to you. Honestly, I found this episode rather refreshing. I loved that part where BJ and Sidney freaked out Frank and made him just in his foxhole filled with water! Top notch!

2. Divided We Stand -- CLASSIC!! This episode showcases all the various characters, their quirks and pet peeves. You can't hide hilarious! I actually used part of this episode to show people in a program I was a part of why I felt the way I did regarding some people. Unfortunately we didn't mesh like the cast did in this episode. Even Captain Hildebrand saw that they were better together than apart. If I still had this episode, I'd be watching it daily!

and my top episode of all time...

1. Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen. Just as heart-wrenching as Abyssinia, Henry, Fallen Idol, Our Finest Hour, Period of Adjustment, but with a seriousness that just wakes you up. This episode even my own 12 year old daughter enjoys. Incredible twists in this episode, such as Hawkeye and the bus, or BJ having to return to the 4077th. I have never felt more sorry for Charles than I have in this episode. This is the one that changed him. Those musicians grew on him, they touched his heart, even though they tried his patience day after day! This is the one that broke him, and made him more human to me. Or Father Mulcahy losing his hearing. Man, that just broke my heart. He didn't want to let those kids go because he provided for them, he took care of them. I respected that man. Or Colonel Potter at the end there. How he had to turn away to tell Hawkeye and BJ how much they meant to him. It took an immense amount of courage for him to do that, strength as well. Wow. I could go on and on about this episode.

Boy, that was a hard one for me! I want nothing more now than to sit down and enjoy these episodes!

Thanks for sharing! And God bless!

~Kendall
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Re: MASH Top 10 Episodes

Post by General B.H. Steele »

Chuck wrote:I'm officially changing my favorite episode to "The Incubator". I watched it twice last night. The verbal exchange between Hawkeye, Trapper, Henry and Capt. Sloan is priceless.
Sloan finds the incubator description and Henry responds "Thar she blows"! Then seeing Henry's cigar droop after Sloan tells them they can't have one is great. I also like where Hawk and Trapper go up through the change of command without success until they end up interrupting a general's press conference.
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