M*A*S*H (TV Series) Deal Me Out (1973) User Reviews

Exactly why I watch this series

[glenn01880 · 10/10 · 4 June 2006]

This is my favorite episode of M*A*S*H out of all of the eleven seasons that the show was on the air. everybody should have the chance to watch it.

This episode has the most laughs I think of any other, it's absolutely perfect. I love that basically the entire episode takes place during one night and not over a large period of time such as a few days to a week as most other episodes are. Also what makes this episode great are the four guest stars that include Pat Morita as Captain Sam Pak, Edward Winter as Captain Halloran AKA Colonel Flagg, John Ritter as Private Carter and Allan Arbus as Sidney Freedman. This episode in my opinion will show you why M*A*S*H is the greatest show. Watch It!

best episode ever

[jeff-90 · 10/10 · 19 May 2007]

my personal favorite, full of great lines, Frank Burns moments, young John Ritter, Sidney, Pat Morita and of course the first appearance of who would later become known as Colonel Flagg.

As a poker player, I rank this alongside The Sting as my favorite poker scene in a movie or TV show. A steady stream of one liners that still crack me up.

Edward Winter appears as CID man Captain Halloran, his first appearance in the series. He was so good that he would make many later appearances as Col. Flagg, my favorite character in the whole series.

Frank gets to be typical Frank and has many funny moments as well. Just the most total laughs of any episode ever.

"hey, up close you're a guy" "far away too"

Top 3 episode.

[mrmikebrown131 · 10/10 · 11 April 2014]

This is by far the best episode of MASH, I can't stop laughing when I watch it. This is also one of the best appearances of Col. Flagg there is. The card game is one of the best filmed sequences in the history of the show. Pat Morita gives on of his classic lines when Col. Flagg asks if he can talk in front of Klinger in drag and he says that's my wife. Then he sits down next to Klinger and he says you're a guy up close, and he says far away too. I love it. The zany madcap adventures that are set for this episode makes it top 3 for me. Radar hitting the Korean con man is classic as well. You also have an early appearance of John Ritter shows the early acting ability that made him such a lovable star.

Funniest episode in the series

[dajamo74-239-707522 · 10/10 · 23 March 2021]

I'm just going to be echoing the same sentiment as everyone else on this thread. The cast was my favorite lineup of any of the seasons. The clever and funny writing was non-stop from the beginning to the end of the episode and the comedy was shared between all the characters.

"I'm taking a red chip, that's a house call."

[richiezoom · 8/10 · 2 March 2018]

Gotta love it. They boys get together and play poker with assorted amusing interruptions... showing the writing abilities and the acting chops of the entire producti just on group. Timing, reactions, editing... it's all here. With the bonus of no Margaret Houlihan to wreck the mood !

And as a bonus, limited maudlin Hawkeye commentary and surgery prowess lets us sit back and enjoy the cast when they're just 'goofin'... not when a serious crisis comes up and changes the whole mood. " Thanks for seein' me, Sidney".

A Truly Hilarious Episode

[Hitchcoc · 10/10 · 27 February 2015]

This little 25 minute bit is why great writing trumps everything. First of all, we have a poker game with some of the best characters on the show, including Alan Arbus as Sidney Friedman and others. The dialogue that takes place among the men is hilarious. The game keeps getting interrupted by various events. One is a young soldier played by John Ritter who wants off the front lines. Radar borrows Henry's jeep and apparently runs into an old Korean man. There is a patient who needs surgery, but because he is CIA, another CIA man must be present. Who should show up but the character who later will be Colonel Flagg. It turns out the old guy is a con man who pretends to have accidents to get money. Frank is is usual worthless self, antagonizing the Ritter character and ultimately being held hostage. There is an incredibly funny scene where the doctors are checking out the old guy. They push one arm down and the other goes up, one leg up and the other goes down, and so on. It is fast paced and hilarious.

My favorite episode!

[mandito85 · 10/10 · 20 February 2019]

Besides having my favorite M*A*S*H line up, it has two of my favorite recurring characters , Sidney and Flagg. The script is possibly the best of the entire series. I just simply love this episode!

A galaxy of stars

[safenoe · 7/10 · 12 March 2024]

John Ritter, later famous in Three's Company, guest stars here, and he later gamed fame through the account of his exploits in a kiss-and-tell book - nine and a half hours. Also we have Pat Morita, who gained superstar fame in the movie with Ralph Macchio in the 1980s, and of course Edward Winter, not technically playing Colonel Flagg.

I'm enjoying reflecting upon M*A*S*H, especially the early years, especially after becoming a fan of the M*A*S*H Matters podcast, hosted by superfan Ryan Patrick and Jeff Maxwell, who started playing Igor in season two. I'd love for them to interview Odessa Cleveland, who starred in the early seasons of M*A*S*H.