Volume 3 of Season 1 of "M*A*S*H" offers the best and worst episode from the debut season. More importantly, it offers the most important episode in the history of the classic television situation comedy because it is the one that established "M*A*S*H" as a true dramedy, able to do both comedy and drama:(17) "Sometimes You Hear the Bullet" (Writer: Carl Kleinschmitt; Aired: January 28, 1973). Hawkeye gets a visit from Tommy (James Callahan), an old friend who is planning to write a book about the war. Meanwhile, the camp also has an underage Marine (Ronny Howard) with appendicitis. The turning point for "M*A*S*H" comes when suddenly Hawkeye finds Tommy on the O.R. table in front of him and can do nothing to save his friend's life. Grade A+: This was the show that allowed "M*A*S*H" to have it both ways. As Henry Blake (McLean Stevenson) explains it to Hawkeye, "In war Rule #1 is that young men die. And Rule #2 is that doctors cannot change rule #1." A devastatingly emotional episode that redefined the show.
(18) "Dear Dad...Again" (Writers: Sheldon Keller & Larry Gelbart; Aired: February 4, 1973) has Hawkeye writing home to his dad again to talk about how he is keeping himself sane amidst the insanity of war. Grade B: Another solid character study on the characters at the 4077th.
(19) "The Long-john Flap (Writer: Alan Alda; Aired: February 18, 1973) has everybody in camp trying to trade or otherwise coerce someone to get Hawkeye's long-johns during a bitter cold snap. Grade B-: Another military comedy situation, but Alda the writer shows a sense of understanding the characters at the 4077th.
(20) "The Army-Navy Game" (Writer: Sid Dorfman, based on a Story by McLean Stevenson; Aired: February 25, 1973) finds the gang's enjoyment of the Army-Navy game on Armed Forces Radio interrupted when an unexploded bomb lands in the middle of the camp. Grade C+: Another average military comedy episode, with an okay punch line.
(21) "Sticky Wicket" (Writers: Laurence Marks & Larry Gelbart; Aired: March 4, 1973) starts with Hawkeye accusing Frank of botching a surgery only to see one of his own patients going sour big time. Grade B: An interesting episode because the pacifist Hawkeye ends up physically assaulting Frank, while the obnoxious Major Burns is the one who has the moment of objectivity in the end.
(22) "Major Fred C. Dobbs" (Writer: Sid Dorfman; Aired: March 11, 1973) reveals that Frank Burns is going home. This would seem like a good thing but Frank will not be replaced so the boys have to figure out a way to trick Frank into staying. So they learn from Radar that thar is gold in them Korean hills. Grade C-: I do not hate this one as much as Gelbart, but it is strange for Hawkeye and Trapper to go out of their way to keep Frank around.
(23) "Ceasefire" (Writers: Laurence Marks & Larry Gelbart; Aired: March 18, 1973) has everyone at the 4077th reading to pack up and go home when there are rumors of a ceasefire. The wars ends and everybody goes in a tearful finale. No, wait, wrong season. Grade B: This episode, which aired the same week the U.S. began bringing troops home from Vietnam, offers another nice little character study of the group.
(24) "Showtime" (Writers: Robert Klane & Larry Gelbart; Aired: March 25, 1973) is more of an epilogue to the season ("Ceasefire" works better as a season finale). The show essentially contrasts a USO comedy show visiting the camp with the drama in the operating room. Grade B-: A subtle episode, but one that reflects the hard lessons learned during Season 1.
This tape is the key one from Season 1 and it rates 5 stars simply because it includes "Sometimes You Hear the Bullet." Very rarely has an episode other than a pilot transformed a television series so much for the better (cliffhangers like "Who Shot J.R.?" do not count). That episode becomes the template for the best episodes of "M*A*S*H" in the season to come. The show was going to be able to make us cry as well as laugh, and in the end it was going to be the poignant moments that mattered more. You watch this episode and you realize that yM*A*S*Hy just became yM*A*S*H.y
