MAS*H

MAS*H - The Pilot

Season 1, Episode 1, Aired 9/17/72

Episode Summary

At the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (M.A.S.H) unit in Korea, two army doctors by the names of Hawkeye Pierce and Trapper John McIntyre receive some exciting news in the mail. Their Korean house boy, Ho-John got accepted into Hawkeye's old college. Hawkeye and Trapper decide to hold a party filled with music, dancing, and alcohol to raise money for Ho-John's plane trip to the U.S. They achieve this by raffling off a weekend pass with a nurse, Lieutenant Dish for R&R in Tokyo.moreless

8.9

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Cast & Crew

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Wayne Rogers

Captain John Francis Xavier "Trapper" McIntyre
Alan Alda

Captain Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce
Larry Linville

Major Franklin Delano Marion Burns

Fan Episode Reviews (7)

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The first episode of this long running, beloved series sees Hawkeye raffle off the gorgeous nurse Dish to raise college tuition money for his house-boy Ho-Jon.

9.0

"Superb"

By mulefritters, Oct 07, 2008 Report Abuse

The year is 1972 and CBS gambles that the popularity of the MASH movie will transfer to TV. For most of us in the audience, that means we get more of the hideously anachronistic haircuts and left wing, anti-war, liberal posturing that made the movie so popular. But nevermind. The series would go on to become such a landmark in television history that these minor concerns just wouldn't seem all that important in years to come.
Wisely, CBS produces a pilot that is very close in both attitude and spirit to the movie, for all those that might have missed it. As such, were treated to the irreverence and the subversiveness that made the movie so popular without any of the heavy handed drama that would eventually make the series so popular.
In my opinion, this is just fine. For me, a comedy means jokes, hopefully followed by me laughing at them. And this pilot does just that. We get more of the wackiness of the movie, which, at times, seems a little like "Meatballs" set in the Korean War. I've always been partial to the first three seasons of MASH for this reason. I truly enjoyed some of the drama that crept into the show in later years, and I certainly think this had a lot to do with the show's longevity. But, at the ene of the day, I watch MASH for laughs, and I feel the pilot delivers nicely here, while at the same time introducing/reintrodicing the audience to the MASH phenomenon started by the movie.moreless

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As pilots go, pretty good.

8.0

"Great"

By AgahnimKoopa, Aug 08, 2008 Report Abuse

So it's 1972. You've decided to release a comedy set in a hospital during the Korean War, which is right up there with Porridge and Hogan's Heroes for 'Comedies set in really bizarre places'. You're hoping that it lasts a long time and is very popular (let me spoil the end: it does). So what do you do for the pilot? Confuse people.
Seriously. The plot's all about raising enough cash to send Ho-Jon to America for an education, but he's still there next episode. Dish is introduced as a main character and then promptly goes into cameos. It begins with the words 'Korea 1950, a hundred years ago', bizarrely. The whole thing just seems weird.
The pilot gives off the distinct feeling of throwing many characters and ideas into the fray and accepting whichever seem most popular. There's a brief scene in America (the only one in the series), there's a reference to a character from the novel (who never appears) and Spearchucker just seems out of place.
The plot is pretty simple; to send a Korean they know to university, Hawkeye and Trapper intend to hold a raffle to raise money, while Frank Burns and Hot-Lips raise every argument known to man trying to stop them. It also jars a little that Hawkeye and Trapper (and everybody bar Frank) have absolutely no issue with essentially pimping out a nurse; this is the nearest that the TV series gets to the original book.
Characters are pretty much the same as they always are first season; Hawkeye gets the brilliant lines, Trapper gets the moderate lines and Frank Burns well, if you've ever seen Red Dwarf, you're gonna get serious Rimmer vibes from Frank. By and large, the episode is pretty good. I snark a lot, but that's just hyperbole; this is a good episode, with only a few bad things going for it; the disappearance of many characters, if not by season's end then by the end of the episode and the ending (so did Hawkeye change the name at the last minute to avoid incriminating himself? Did he just want to give Mulcahy a treat? Does he hate the man?). But, yeah. It's a great pilot, and a great sign of things to come.moreless

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This is the first episode of the series of MASH which was a movie that was based on the novel also titled MASH. This episode introduces the first set of major characters and also gave you the main point and goal for the series.moreless

10

"Perfect"

By jtsgirl_1980, Jun 18, 2008 Report Abuse

I personally really like this episode because it really shows the comedy talents of Alan Alda and all the main characters. This episode is a classic episode and a must for all real MASH fans. I really liked the part where they do the drawing and Father Mulcahy wins the drawing just when General Hamilton walks in. That is sucha a funny scene. I also love the part where Trapper, Hawkeye, and Radar put Frank Burns to sleep. Actually, this whole episode was so hilarious that it made me want to continue to watch the whole series and later buy the whole series on DVD.moreless

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Hawkeye gets a letter from his old college saying that the Korean boy Ho-Jon has been excepted. Trapper and Hawkeye come up with the idea to have a party to raise the money, but after beating up Frank...Colonel Blake calls it off...or so he thinksmoreless

9.0

"Superb"

By Trapper05, Oct 13, 2007 Report Abuse

This is a great start to a great series. Everytime I watch it though I notice the characters don't look the same in the next episode. For example...Hawkeye has longer hair in the first episode...Trapper's hair is more straight in the back rather than being curley and "Hot Lips" also looks different. I'm not sure how long it was from the pilot episode to the next one they shot...but it looks like a while. Maybe the only reason I notice it is because I have seen the episode a 100 times. Has anyone else noiced or just me? Great Episode!moreless

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A great way to start of the series! If it had been one of the more dramatic or sad episodes the series probably wouldn't have been such a hit!

7.8

"Good"

By AxelXIII, Jan 07, 2007 Report Abuse

One of the funnier episodes! Interestingly there is no blood in surgery unlike later episodes. Afraid it might make people squeamish I guess... To pay for their Korean friend to go to college in America, Hawkeye and Trapper, surgeons at the M*A*S*H (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) 4077th. Hold a raffle for 2 weekend passes to Tokyo with a nurse. Henry says no but leaves for a meeting and Frank Burns is the only person left to stop them. So in typical M*A*S*H fashion Hawkeye and Trapper drug him and wrap him in bandages. Then while they are having their party Major "Hotlips" Houlihan goes to give a patient his shot. Upon pulling down his pants and seeing his behind she says "FRANK!!!" This part is outrageously funny and sure to get laughs from almost anybody who sees it. So of course it all comes together. The Priest of the outfit wins the raffle just as Henry and a General come back. And Margaret leads Frank wrapped in bandages. Of course Hawkeye and Trapper are going to be court-marshalled. However Radar the company clerk hears the choppers coming. More choppers means more wounded. And many people would die if two of the best surgeons couldn't operate. So it all turns out well. In my opinion it's one of the better pilots I've seen for shows. Just as interesting as some in the 5th or 9th season. The show is good from the start!moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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Trivia
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- When Hawkeye and Trapper are arrested by Hammond at the party there is a large crowd of people behind the General and Henry. When we cut to the shot of Margaret and Frank approaching, there is no-one in sight. Edit
- When it comes time for the raffle, Hawkeye tells everyone to take out their tickets. Instead of calling out a number that would match one of the tickets he calls out a name, so the ticket holders didn't need to have their tickets out to see if they won. Edit
- Goof: Hawkeye dances closely with Lt. Dish and has a wreath of flowers over his shoulder. In the next scene, the wreath is hanging between the two. Edit
Notes
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- George Morgan plays Father Mulcahy in just this episode. He would be replaced two episodes later by William Christopher. Edit
- The flashback scene where General Hammond recalls the romantic interlude with Margaret takes place at Ft. Benning near Columbus, Georgia. This is only scene in the entire series that takes place in The United States. Edit
- Gary Burghoff is the only actor appearing as a regular character in the series to reprise his role from the movie. However, two other actors in supporting roles appeared in both the movie and the series - G. Wood reprises his role as Gen. Hammond from the movie in 3 episodes (including the pilot) during the first season of the series. Timothy Brown appeared in both the movie and the series, but in different roles - he played Cpl. Judson in the movie, and Spearchucker Jones in several episodes of the first season (Fred Williamson played Spearchucker in the movie). Edit
Quotes
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- (Hawkeye narrating his letter to his father at the beginning of the episode) Hawkeye: Dear Dad, Hawkeye here. You said that I sounded a bit callous in my last letter, Dad. Let me see if I can put things in a better way. At this particular Mobile Army Hospital, we are not concerned with the ultimate reconstruction of the patient. We care only about getting the kid out of here alive enough for someone else to put on the fine touches. We work fast and we're not dainty...We try to play par surgery on this course. Par is a live patient. Edit
- Henry: This is Brigadier General Hamilton, Chief Medical Officer of the Seoul Sector! Hawkeye: Oh, hi. Gen. Hammond: Which one here's McIntyre? Trapper: Yo! Gen. Hammond: You and Pierce are both under arrest. Trapper: I'd like to get a second opinion on that. Edit
- (Father Mulcahy just won the raffle) Henry: Ten-hut! Gen. Hammond: Do I understand that the priest of this outfit has just won a weekend with a nurse in Tokyo? Hawkeye: It's a prayer come true. Edit
Allusions
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- Elmer Gantry: Mentioned by Hawkeye as a description for Frank, Elmer Gantry is a book written by Sinclair Lewis about a con man who works with a female evangelist to bring religion to small-town America. The book was made into a movie that won three Academy Awards in 1960 and nominated for three more. Edit