The broadcast of the annual Army-Navy game is the backdrop for this episode. As everyone listens, the MASH comes under attack but unfortunately an unexploded bomb rests, nose down, in the compound. If you can get past the fact that everyone could have been safe from this bomb by removing themselves, things become pretty hilarious, with t people believing this may be their last day on earth. Anyway, Frank is chosen to check the bomb out but passes out before he can do so. It then is up to Trapper and Hawkeye and the "careful" instructions of Henry Blake. It's a tense episode with a pretty remarkable ending. It makes a point of showing the absolute disregard for the people in the trenches as the guys try to get help.
5 Reviews
The game
safenoe10 March 2024
Warning: Spoilers
I'm enjoying reflecting on M*A*S*H and how it progressed through its 11 years on air, especially after becoming a fan of the M*A*S*H Matters podcast hosted by superfan Ryan Patrick and Jeff Maxwell, very famous for playing Igor in later seasons. Anyway, The Army-Navy Game is entertaining amidst the great army and navy rivalry, although I would love for an army-air force or Navy-air force game to kind of balance things out init. Sadly we see a few supporting characters phased out such as Ginger, Ho Jon, and others who didn't make the cut into season two. Still I guess this episode is worth watching.
The one where a big game occurs
jarrodmcdonald-124 March 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Though the story is credited to series star McLean Stevenson, this is isn't one of the best episodes from the first season. Far from it. The biggest issue I had with it is that everyone is getting into the spirit of the big Army versus Navy game, listening to it on the radio and commenting about it...and cheering their team on to victory. That in itself is not the problem. The problem is that they'd feel any sense of pride in the army winning, since this show is written by liberals who go out of their way to depict doctors like Hawkeye and Trapper NOT taking pride in the army.
For guys like Hawkeye and Trapper, they are in Korea because they have to be, not because they want to be. They are defending free western nations against the threat of communism because they have been drafted to do that, not because they want to do that. So to have them all getting excited about a big football game against the navy seems out of the character and far-fetched. We even have Radar running round wearing football sports gear, which seems equally unlikely since he's never been portrayed as a sports aficionado.
While the game is taking place on radio, there is a more pressing concern. The camp is being attacked by enemy fire with a series of bombs exploding around them. Some of the special effects are decent enough, but the fact that none of them get harmed by enemy fire seems unrealistic.
There is an unexploded bomb that lands in the middle of the 4077th. After drawing straws, Frank is supposed to go out and see if it is ticking. But he faints from the sheer terror of such a task. So of course, Hawkeye must be the brave soul to go out and check the bomb. In the end, we are told that it's not a North Korean bomb, but a CIA bomb sent here for propaganda purposes.
For guys like Hawkeye and Trapper, they are in Korea because they have to be, not because they want to be. They are defending free western nations against the threat of communism because they have been drafted to do that, not because they want to do that. So to have them all getting excited about a big football game against the navy seems out of the character and far-fetched. We even have Radar running round wearing football sports gear, which seems equally unlikely since he's never been portrayed as a sports aficionado.
While the game is taking place on radio, there is a more pressing concern. The camp is being attacked by enemy fire with a series of bombs exploding around them. Some of the special effects are decent enough, but the fact that none of them get harmed by enemy fire seems unrealistic.
There is an unexploded bomb that lands in the middle of the 4077th. After drawing straws, Frank is supposed to go out and see if it is ticking. But he faints from the sheer terror of such a task. So of course, Hawkeye must be the brave soul to go out and check the bomb. In the end, we are told that it's not a North Korean bomb, but a CIA bomb sent here for propaganda purposes.
Terrible
Bronco4613 September 2010
This is one of the worst episodes of MASH! It's a ridiculous premise that's riddled with inaccuracies. This is just another of those stories where Alan Alda gets a lot of screen time to over act. All through this series they seemed determined to make the military look like a collection of bumbling idiots who some how manage to survive long enough to only do great harm to each other and innocent civilians. An anti-war statement is never a bad thing; unless it's done the ham handed way this is done. Having served in a MASH unit in Viet Nam, I can say we weren't as GI as a Cav. unit but we were Army and we knew what we were doing and how to use more then just the tools of medicine. It is possible to criticize a general concept without completely insulting those that took part in the completion of the task. But then that wouldn't serve the Hollywood agenda these days would it. I enjoy some of the episodes of this show. But this is not one of them.There are so many stupid premises it's hard to list them all. But Frank and Hot Lips cringing in a tent and singing auld lang syne rather then simply moving away from war the bomb is to the other end of the compound they have set up is irritating to watch.
Please don't tell me...
somejava23 August 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Just finished watching this episode for maybe the 20th time. And what I DIDN'T see has me wondering if the politically correct police have struck again.
Then Radar and Henry are having a drink Henry starts telling Radar about the Illinois game. When Henry was team manager. Tanker Washington gets hurt. And Henry runs out on the field and tapes the wrong leg. The scene is cut before Henry tells Radar, that, to this day, once a yr. Tanker goes to his (Henry's) house and shoots out the front porch light.
I hope this was just a technical issue. But it looked like a clean cut in editing. If we've gotten to a point where humor has to be so closely scrutinized that we need to worry about planting seeds in people's minds...then the terrorists and the lunatics have taken control. There are inherent risks in life. But if we get to a point where everything must be filtered through a perspective of proactive fear then one of the more obvious victims is going to be creativity. Everything is bassackwards. Thugs and skanks are glamorized. But goofy humor is censured. The sensibilities of average people are being ignored.
Then Radar and Henry are having a drink Henry starts telling Radar about the Illinois game. When Henry was team manager. Tanker Washington gets hurt. And Henry runs out on the field and tapes the wrong leg. The scene is cut before Henry tells Radar, that, to this day, once a yr. Tanker goes to his (Henry's) house and shoots out the front porch light.
I hope this was just a technical issue. But it looked like a clean cut in editing. If we've gotten to a point where humor has to be so closely scrutinized that we need to worry about planting seeds in people's minds...then the terrorists and the lunatics have taken control. There are inherent risks in life. But if we get to a point where everything must be filtered through a perspective of proactive fear then one of the more obvious victims is going to be creativity. Everything is bassackwards. Thugs and skanks are glamorized. But goofy humor is censured. The sensibilities of average people are being ignored.
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