M*A*S*H (TV Series) Hanky Panky (1977) User Reviews

Ah, Look at All the Lonely People!

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 20 March 2015]

A young nurse is having trouble holding down a marriage with her husband stateside. He writes to her, asking for a divorce. She is crushed. Along comes the compassionate, kind Hunnicutt, offering tea and sympathy. While he is comforting her, they have a passionate evening. He is filled with guilt. He even starts to write his wife. Hawkeye has better sense but BJ suddenly refuses to talk to the young lady. The other subplot is Margaret unable to reach her fiancée, Donald Pennobscott. She terrorizes Radar with demands at all hours of the night. I suppose that something like this could happen with BJ, but going the extra mile seems a bit much. He is such a straight shooter all the time, the voice of reason.

BJ and the beast with two backs

[safenoe · 6/10 · 7 September 2020]

I agree with asorbel-62806's review that this episode was way too contrived for BJ to cheat on his wife so soon after his arrival in South Korea. Just too much to bear really, and so hard to believe that BJ would fall off the fidelity wagon. Still, there's much to ponder in this episode where the fall of BJ is charted.

BJ and the director's wife

[feargal-91558 · 8/10 · 24 February 2021]

The episode centres on TJ and simply shows he's human and it's not necessarily contrived as other people have said. He has a quick fling with a nurse played by the wife of Gene Reynolds ( Ann Sweeny)the director of this episode and the founding father of the whole successful series which must be a unique incident in television history . Put the reasons down to her character needing a shoulder to cry on and the important point that she was an extemely attractive woman back in 1977! If anything the other story line with Margaret and her fiance is more contrived as that was simply a storystring to finally ease off the woeful Larry Linville out of the show.

Farrell, Swit and Burghoff... Acting!

[chashans · 7/10 · 18 April 2024]

A decent episode, though as the other reviews here say, both storylines are a bit contrived. BJ is simply to straight an arrow to stray from his vows to the love of his life back in California. Then too, he's also such a nice guy that he might just feel bad about rejecting Nurse Donavan's advances!

Margaret's terrorizing of Radar is a bit over the top. She does come across a bit out of character. However, the character's psychotic outbursts do give actress Loretta Swit some nice out-of-her-norm acting moments. Plus, actor Gary Burghoff gets to have some great reactionary fun showcasing Radar's horror in suffering the Major's wrath.

I want to take a moment to correct a "goof" for this episode that is not a goof. This involves a scene between BJ and Nurse Donavan in the Mess Tent. The "goof" says that when BJ gets up and exits the scene, he steps outside the tent and then just stands there a moment, not moving. (As if the actor believes himself to be out of camera shot.) What actually happens is this: As BJ exits, he is carrying his food tray. When he opens the tent door, a garbage can is visible just outside the tent. BJ stops at the garbage can and swipes his unwanted food off the tray into the can. Actor Mike Farrell is doing exactly as the script requires - he is continuing to act! So again, not a goof at all.

Not one of the best episodes of MASH, but certainly not a bad episode at all.

Disappointing

[asorbel-62806 · 4/10 · 1 September 2018]

The affair seemed out of character for BJ. The justification made me feel uneasy. I get that someone could slip up, especially in a war situation, but BJ constantly expresses he is totally in love with his wife. Storyline was contrived.