MASH Top 10 Episodes

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Father Angus
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Re: MASH Top 10 Episodes

Post by Father Angus »

These are mine, and in order:
1. A War For All Seasons
2. Deal Me Out
3. The Joker is Wild
4. April Fools
5. Movie Tonight
6. Goodbye, Farewell and Amen
7. The Late Captain Pierce :hawkeye:
8. No Sweat
9. Mulcahy's War :mulcahy:
10. Sons and Bowlers
Major Tuttle Jnr
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Re: MASH Top 10 Episodes

Post by Major Tuttle Jnr »

These are currently at the top of my list;

[1] Captain Tuttle, for obvious reasons, see my profile! :D
[2] 5 O'clock Charlie., for the superb inter-change of 'in character' talking/commentary, during the arrival of the plane...
[3] The Chosen People, with Hawkeye pointing out that the local farmer was not trespassing on his own land...

I will add to the list in due time. :)
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Captain Tuttle
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Re: MASH Top 10 Episodes

Post by Captain Tuttle »

1. Tuttle - If there was only one episode I could watch it's Tuttle. IMO it's MASH at it's best.
2. To Market, to Market
3. The Trial Of Henry Blake
4. Big Mac
5. A Smattering of Intelligence
6. Deal Me Out
7. Welcome to Korea - I feel this is the best introduction of a new character on any show. By the end of the episode it was believable that Hawkeye and BJ bonded.
8. Change of Command
9. Alcoholics Unanimous
10. Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen
Mr Kwong
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Re: MASH Top 10 Episodes

Post by Mr Kwong »

OK here's mine,

1. "The general flipped at dawn"
2. "Dear Mildred"
3. "Bug out"
4. "Adams ribs"
5. "The incubator"
6. "Mail call again"
7. "Sometimes you hear the bullet"
8. "Abysinnia Henry"
9. "Lt Radar O'reilly"
10."Change of command"
Doug
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Re: MASH Top 10 Episodes

Post by Doug »

I had trouble finding only ten episodes, so I limited it to my 15 favorite episodes, ordered by season.

First, I have to say that except for the rare episode, the first three seasons are my favorites, followed by the next two. In my opinion, the show worked better with Frank, even with him being the butt of every joke. See the thread on Least Favorite Episodes for those early episodes I personally don't care for.

Seasons 6-8 are the bridge seasons. I think the writers had a bit of trouble writing the Winchester character, witness many early episodes with him basically being re-written Frank plots. I have said before that in my opinion, the show would have been better off with a truncated season 8 and a finale. Seasons 9-11 felt (except for a very rare few episodes) like the writers and the actors were just going through the motions.

Now, the top 15--

1. Love Story (1x14). This episode stands out among the early episodes by its focus on Radar, who after receiving a Dear John recording, falls for a new nurse, Louise Anderson. Some great, quotable lines here are Radar's attempts to appear erudite--"Ah, Bach!," "The fall of the Roman Empire was due to internal strife," and "Tolstoy?" Very underrated episode.

2. The Army-Navy Game (1x20). Another one packed with great lines, such as Father Mulcahy wondering why all the excitement if Notre Dame isn't playing, Henry talking into a disconnected handset while suffering from a concussion, and Radar's come-on to a tall, beautiful, blonde nurse--"For many months, I have worshipped you from below!"

3. 5 O'Clock Charlie (2x02). Just a riot, from the betting pool on how inaccurate the bombs will be, to Henry telling General Clayton they needed a "04 ww nug," to Frank trying to command the gun crew, and eventually blowing up the ammo dump himself!

4. The Sniper (2x10). Henry and Radar are trapped in the shower! Frank is in charge! And an appearance by Teri Garr.

5. Iron Guts Kelly (3x04). The whole sthick with Trapper and Hawkeye hiding the General's body, and his aide trying to create a fitting ending for him.

6. Adam's Ribs (3x11). The "rivers of liver and an ocean of fish" speech alone makes it a classic, but the whole process that Hawkeye goes through to get those ribs, including how clueless Trapper's former paramour is--"KOREA!!!!! THE WAR!!!!"

7. Big Mac (3x21). Everyone goes nuts because of General MacArthur's visit, which ends up with him zipping through the camp, only to salute Klinger (dressed as the Statue Of Liberty--complete with a torch!!!!!) as he speeds away!

8. Der Tag (4x18). Potter tells Hawkeye and BJ to buddy up to a depressed Frank while Margaret is in Tokyo, with Frank ending up at a Battalion Aid station with a toe tag!!!! And Frank is apparently quite smitten with Nurse Kelly!!!!!!

9. Movie Tonight (5x22). Not flat out hilarious, but has many great moments. Especially the group singing "Gee Ma I Wanna Go Home," complete with Frank trying to fit in. And let's not forget the Father Mulcahy Sound-Alike Contest (apparently something the cast did in their downtime on the set!).

10. Old Soldiers (8x18). The first episode I picked that wasn't comedic. Touching how Potter toasts his WWI comrades with his new comrades from Korea. The only thing that would have made it better would have been to have Radar there.

11. Death Takes A Holiday (9x05). Just a great all-around episode, made better by being set at Christmas. Both storylines--Charles and the chocolates he delivers to the orphanage and Hawkey, BJ, Margaret, and Father Mulcahy trying to keep a dying soldier alive until December 26th--work very well together, and is one of the few episodes from the last couple of seasons that I really enjoy.

12. A War For All Seasons (9x06). So, it retcons the whole series timeline. But it is absolutely great, and it would have worked with Frank, too.

13. Heroes (10x19). What makes this one a favorite for me is how it adds another layer to Father Mulcahy, as well as dealing with how heroes are just humans, and coming to terms with that.

14. Foreign Affairs (11x02). Another episode that adds depth to a character, in this case Charles, who cannot overcome his nature even for a woman he truly loves.

15. Who Knew? (11x05). Remember how Hawkeye was a womanizer in early seasons? And how much of an ass he was in Cease-Fire when he lies to the nurses that he was actually married? And how he lost the woman in In Love And War? Here, late in the game, he falls for a woman, Millie Carpenter, who is killed when she wandered into a minefield. And he has to admit that he hardly knew her, and how close he was to his comrades. A rare great episode in season 11, outside of As Time Goes By.
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