Season 1
Overall season review:
Crazy to see scenes where the doctors are performing surgery without masks. It only happens a few times, but it really is jarring. This entire website is just an excuse for me to rewatch this series again, and also to finally have a comprhehensive guide easily at my fingertips with the exact information I want to know. Anyhow. I will update the season summary and each episode summary and rating as I rewatch! Any summaries that are here now are based of of memory as triggered by MASH Wiki summaries. The stars at the top of the episodes are for New-mash-watchers' shareability - meaning would I personally want to show this video to someone who is not a capital-F Fan of mash. Because I am the one rating these, my own enjoyability is absolutely a factor. If an episode is boring to me, it will probably be down a star. :)
Pilot ★★★
Summary
Hawkeye and Trapper try to raise money to send Ho-Jon to school in the states. Margaret Houlihan and Frank Burns start things off freaky style. Radar plays sports.
Thoughts
The most iconic bits are in the extended intro and the end, but this is still an important part of the canon. Overall, season 1 is the most sitcom-y of the seasons, but even here in the first episode, you can see the heart of the show peeking through, in particular in Hawkeye and Trapper's exchanges with Margaret. Bonus points for Oliver Jones being present and exceeedingly charming as always, but points taken away for literally everything all the other characters say in reference to him, as is true for his entire run in the show.
To Market, To Market ★★★
Summary
Nope. It's oak.
Thoughts
Back when Radar was just the short adult man running the camp. The finale's a classic. There's only one blatant off-color joke that's made, which in the first season is pretty damn good.
Requiem for a Lightweight ★★
Summary
Trapper works out and tries to kill someone for sport. It's over a nurse somehow. Real Mulcahy introduction.
Thoughts
Some people are real horny of Trapper cuz'a this episode. Love the wimpy doctors. Love the scheme. Mulcahy my beloved. Another classic early episode, but not actually a very memorable one.
Chief Surgeon Who? ★★★★
Summary
Colonel Blake picks Hawkeye as Chief Surgeon. Frank Burns eats worms. A celebration is had. First episode for Klinger.
Thoughts
A staple. The more the party goes on, the more this episode feels like Melancholia to me. Oliver Jones has insurmountable game. Klinger my beloved.
The Moose ★
Summary
The very first racism is bad episode.
Thoughts
Pros: racism and slavery are bad. Cons: the cast needs to teach an indentured Korean girl that racism and slavery are bad, because she just doesn't understand what freedom is. The only person who could watch this episode and learn something is JK Rowling. The only redeeming qualities of this episode are that Oliver Jones gets to have a very sweet character moment (maybe his only? will update on rewatch.), that the characters and clearly the writers have good intentions if not consulted cultural perspectives, and that the little nine year old kid is chomping a cigar.
Yankee Doodle Doctor ★★
Summary
Someone tries to make a propaganda film. Hawkeye and the crew put their own spin on it.
Thoughts
This is a good one to show newbies, but the jokes in the film largely fall flat. I think the writers just really had the idea of Hawkeye showing the justification behind his anti-war sentiment in very clear terms that they just didn't want to put too much effort into the rest of it. It's mostly just a lot of funny costumes? Then again, it does read as: this is what we were able to scramble together for our little home video, so, it's alright. It's a good 'ol episode.
Bananas, Crackers, and Nuts ★★
Summary
Hawkeye tries to use a mental health physician to get a vacation. The mental health physician doesn't fall for it and in fact thinks he should be put under observation for insanity? or something? And so the gang trick the guy into sexually assaulting margaret who is not in on the plan.
Thoughts
so unfortunately the humor at the expense of women and specifically margaret houlihan is a recurring theme throughout the show and in early seasons. i would not pick this episode to be a newbies first experience of MASH, but some elements of it are genuinely funny, and even compelling character-wise. The fact alone that the physician thinks hawkeye deserves more scrutiny over his mental health despite hawkeye putting on his best horse and pony show - it might be the first occurance of Hawkeye being MENTALLY ILL. Anyways two stars.
Cowboy ★★★
Summary
A man called cowboy tries to kill henry because he thinks his wife is cheating on him.
Thoughts
Genuinely love this episode. It's silly.
Henry, Please Come Home ★★
Summary
Henry goes to Tokyo. Frank gets put in charge. Hawkeye and Trapper try to reconfigure.
Thoughts
Will have to add more during the rewatch. I don't remember much about this episode. It's for sure the first we love henry episode, and also the first Frank's in charge episode. It's sweet, I think?
I Hate a Mystery ★
Summary
Hawkeye is suspected to be behind a rash of petty theft. He tries to find the real culprit in order to prove his innocence.
Thoughts
This is the first and only example of a Hawkeye solves a mystery episode. It's disappointing, even for the characters in the story. It's technically, like fine? I guess? Not great by any means, but there are some good slapstick moments? Or atleast iconic ones, involving Henry. Radar and Henry as well get some god moments. Hawkeye gets to bust a gut, which is fun.
Germ Warfare ★★★
Summary
Hawkeye and Trapper steal Frank's blood in order to provide more for a patient. Then they have to check Frank for hepatitis without Frnak realizing why.
Thoughts
Classic! Fun! Hawkeye and Trapper do everything but kill Frank! It's silly! It's funny! They steal his blood! They just do it! Woohoo!
Dear Dad ★★★★
Summary
Hawkeye goes over some small events that have ocurred in the MASH unit in a letter to his dad. Henry gives a sex talk. Hawkeye pulls a santa.
Thoughts
FIRST! HAWKEYE! MPREG! JOKE! WAOOOOO!!!!! Also it is my theory that Henry's sex talk is the initial driving force as to why Radar seems to become younger and younger as the show goes on. Trapper and Hawkeye stare lovingly into each other's eyes. Mulcahy and Klinger (2nd appearance!!) have some trauma bonding. Frank Burns eats worms
Edwina
Summary
The nurses refuse to fuck anyone until someone fucks Edwina. Hawkeye pulls the short straw.
Thoughts
It's bad. It's boring. It's not very funny. Edwina keeps being Hawkeye up, but it's unintentional :(. There is a wonderful exchange between Hawkeye and Trapper that is certainly home of sexual, but that is genuinely the only thing I remember from this episode being worthwhile. It's just a nothing episode that I do not like at all.
Love Story ★★★★
Summary
Radar's heart breaks and then heals again.
Thoughts
EXCELLENT!!!!! TIME!!!!! AH BACH HE SAYS!!!! the autistic queer experience as rendered in stunning 540p. Little sweetheart.
Tuttle ★★★★
Summary
Hawkeye's makes up a person and faces the consequences of the army thinking that person real.
Thoughts
AND THE HITS KEEP COMING!!!! Tuttle has maybe the most memorable punchline of MASH. It's hilarious, and silly, and all for a good cause. Good 'ol mash.
The Ringbanger ★★★
Summary
A visiting colonel loves war. Hawkeye and Trapper disagree. Chaos.
Thoughts
Fun episode! The attempts to make this man think he is insane are very fun! Classic sill-er!
Sometimes You Hear the Bullet ★★★★
Summary
Hawkeye's boyfriend ex-lover good childhood friend appears amidst the war as a journalist. Hawkeye discovers one of his patients is underage. Frank tries for a purple heart for throwing out his back. Henry helps Hawkeye through a horrible thing.
Thoughts
I can't believe that this episode happened halfway through the season. Henry gets smooched, marking the first gay kiss of the show, but not the last. This episode radically changed the direction of the entire show, and is in many ways the show's defining episode. Sometimes you hear the bullet. Devastating. It's a tragic magic trick.
Dear Dad...Again ★★★
Summary
Hawkeye writes home again. Klinger orderes a wedding dress. Hawkeye walks through camp "naked." Some guy is maquerading as a surgeon. Frank Burns Eats Worms.
Thoughts
Another classic! Some great lines! Excellent excellent fun. Iconic moments all around.
The Longjohn Flap ★★★
Summary
Hawkeye gets some longjohns from home, gives them to Trapper who loses them to Radar and so on and so forth until most of the main cast has worn them.
Thoughts
A classic swap 'em! The first, in fact! Only more fun to come!
The Army-Navy Game ★★
Summary
Hawkeye and Trapper attempt to diffuse an actual bomb that lands in camp while everyone else is too busy watch the Army-Navy football game to even know about it.
Thoughts
I don't remember this one very well. It's not very good I don't think? It's fine, probably? Eh.
Sticky Wicket ★★★★
Summary
One of Hawkeye's patients isn't recovering the way he should.
Thoughts
Wonderful character episode. Sweet moment between Hawkeye and Frnak, somehow. It's just harrowing? I don't know if that's the right word. It's a good episode.
Major Fred C. Hobbs ★
Summary
Hawkeye and Trapper convince Frank and Margaret to transfer and then change their minds and convince Frank that there's gold in camp in order to convince him to stay.
Thoughts
Forgettable as fuck. The internal logic isn't quite there? It's weird.
Ceasefire ★★★
Summary
Rumors of a ceasefire get the MASH unit amped up and ready to party, certain that peace is imminent.
Thoughts
Standard Good Mash. Not a lot to say. Even mix of funny and tragic.
Showtime ★★★
Summary
A performing troupe comes to cheer the unit. A dentist fucking beefs it. Hawkeye gets pranked by Frank? Trapper cares deeply for a patient. Henry's wife gives birht without him.
Thoughts
I forget about this one, but it's genuinely sweet. It's basically another Dear Dad episode. Totally alright.