The Best Episodes Written By Larry Gelbart

The 4077th and friends convene for their weekly “Medical Conference,” A.K.A. Poker while Radar runs over a civilian and Frank is held hostage in the showers by an enlisted man.

Director: Gene Reynolds

Writer: Larry Gelbart

An inept, if punctual, bomber pilot provides comic relief for Hawkeye and Trapper, but inspires Frank to call out the heavy artillery.

Director: Norman Tokar

Writer: Larry Gelbart

Trapper is shipped home while Hawkeye is on R&R. Hawkeye speeds to Kimpo with Radar to catch Trapper's plane, but they just miss him. While they are there, they pick up BJ Hunnicut and take him back to camp. On the way back, BJ is introduced to the Korean War.

Director: Gene Reynolds

Writer: Larry Gelbart

Clete Roberts introduces this segment as his show; he's arrived at Korea to interview the staff of the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital because of its high 97% efficiency rating. In Roberts' interviews with Hawkeye, BJ, Frank, Radar, Klinger, Mulcahy and Potter, they talk about how they cope with their situation, what they miss about home, how they feel about who they work with, and whether they see any good in coming from war.

Director: Larry Gelbart

Writer: Larry Gelbart

As Hawkeye and Trapper are planning to leave for Tokyo, an unusual offer to swap POW patients between the Chinese and the 4077th comes in. Henry, after much debate, agrees to send Hawkeye, Trapper, Frank, Radar, and Klinger into enemy territory. Frank almost botches the swap when he brings a squirt gun to the exchange. Fortunately, the Chinese Dr. Lin Tam has a sense of humor; he went to the University of Illinois, after all.

Director: Hy Averback

Writer: Larry Gelbart

Once again, Hawkeye writes home to his father, telling him of the latest gossip: the camp gets a new surgeon, who turns out to be a fake; Hawkeye bets he can walk into the mess tent naked for lunch, and no one will notice; Radar cheats on his final exam from the High School diploma company; Margaret rejects Franks advances and he gets drunk late into the night; the camp have a no talent night.

Director: Jackie Cooper

Writer: Larry Gelbart

Everyone wants to mother a wounded and apparently orphaned boy.

Director: William Wiard

Writer: Larry Gelbart

Another letter from Hawkeye to his father tells about a bigoted soldier who wants the "right color" blood, a live grenade in the OR and Henry's home movies.

Director: Don Weis

Writer: Larry Gelbart

Frank chooses a lull in the action to ask Hawkeye and Trapper to perform his hernia operation, and that's just when the war returns full tilt.

Director: Hy Averback

Writer: Larry Gelbart

A wave of conservation hits the 4077th after a vital supply line is cut, creating a variety of shortages.

Director: Don Weis

Writer: Larry Gelbart

Frank is investigated by two crazy intelligence men, one who's convinced he's a communist, the other's certain Frank's a fascist.

Director: Larry Gelbart

Writer: Larry Gelbart

General 'Iron Guts' Kelly arrives for an inspection, and ends up dying in Margaret's tent. Hawkeye and Trapper help the General's aide smuggle him out of camp. The next day he is reported killed at the front, as that is where he would have wanted to die.

Director: Don Weis

Writer: Larry Gelbart

The OR is filled with more wounded than the unit can handle. Hawkeye does heart massage on a soldier, which saves his life, but he dies four hours later. Sidney Freedman drops in during the deluge, and is dragged into the fray by Hawkeye.

Director: Gene Reynolds

Writer: Larry Gelbart

Hawkeye, Houlihan, and Klinger go to an aid station at the front. Working closely together under heavy fire and unsanitary medical conditions, the three return to camp with new found respect for one another.

Director: William B. Jurgensen

Writer: Larry Gelbart

Hawkeye is reunited with a woman he thought was out of his life forever, but who never altogether leaves.

Director: Gene Reynolds

Writer: Larry Gelbart

A sudden deluge of wounded at the 4077th is followed by a fire and a rainstorm which makes matters difficult for the staff.

Director: William B. Jurgensen

Writer: Larry Gelbart

General Clayton calls to say that a ceasefire is to be declared. The camp celebrates, Klinger gives away his dresses and locals start to take pieces of the camp. But Trapper does not believe it. Hawkeye claims he is married to avoid promises he made to several nurses. The party to celebrate the cease-fire, which never really took place, is interrupted by incoming wounded.

Director: Earl Bellamy

Writer: Larry Gelbart

Hawkeye cuts through red tape to help a GI marry his child's Korean mother, and cuts romantic ties with a bigoted nurse.

Director: William Wiard

Writer: Larry Gelbart

A flu epidemic leaves yet-to-be infected Hawkeye and Margaret more overworked than ever.

Director: Jackie Cooper

Writer: Larry Gelbart

Hawkeye and Trapper hassle the brass to obtain a vital piece of medical equipment.

Director: Jackie Cooper

Writer: Larry Gelbart

Gen. Clayton sends a psychiatrist to the 4077th to gauge the camp's cohesiveness and fitness as a unit.

Director: Jackie Cooper

Writer: Larry Gelbart

Hawkeye moves a wounded North Korean soldier into The Swamp, rather than let him be shipped out before he's stable. During the night he and Trapper play Dracula, and siphon off a pint of Frank's blood. The soldier then contracts hepatitis, so they have to test Frank without him knowing, and have to keep him away from Margaret and the patients.

Director: Terry Becker

Writer: Larry Gelbart

Captain Kaplan is to be shipped home, but becomes paranoid that something will happen to him before he leaves. He takes the wheel of the jeep to drive to Kimpo himself, but crashes and ends up in plaster. Henry's wife is in labor and gives birth while he has Radar calling the hospital every 5 mins.An entertainer, Jackie Flash, visits the camp to entertain the troops.

Director: Jackie Cooper

Writer: Larry Gelbart

Hawkeye and Frank argue over Frank's surgical ability. Hawkeye performs a difficult operation and the patient does not recover, as he should. Hawkeye begins to doubt his ability and moves out of The Swamp. He decides to open up his patients again, and discovers a nick in the colon that even Frank admits anyone could have missed.

Director: Don Weis

Writer: Larry Gelbart

Frank Burns complains about Hawkeye Pierce's disrespect...and Henry appoints Hawkeye chief surgeon, to Burns's shock. The rest of the 4077th "coronates" Hawk while Frank and Hot Lips complain to General Barker. The General's visit provides him with a view of life at the 4077th M*A*S*H unit: camp hijinks, a poker game, and a surgery session. This shows him M*A*S*H has fun but gets the job done.

Director: E.W. Swackhamer

Writer: Larry Gelbart