M*A*S*H (TV Series) Our Finest Hour (1978) User Reviews

Many Years of Joyful Entertainment

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 9 April 2015]

This is one of those episodes that long running TV shows sometimes have. This one is a review of the first seven years of MASH. The editors picked and chose various events we are all familiar with. This is done as a newsreel report, focusing on the conflict in Korea. As each of the principle characters is interviewed, we get flashbacks of these scenes. Hawkeye the complainer and philosopher, B.J. the family man, Radar the organizer, Margaret the sexy nurse and administrator, Charles the arrogant malcontent, Potter the stabilizing force, Klinger the seeker of the Section 8, and the missing, Henry, Frank, and Trapper. It's decent enough, but no two hour review can really capture the whole thing.

Skip if you dont like clip episodes

[nichster291 · 6/10 · 12 September 2021]

If you are like me and not a fan of clip episodes from previous seasons then skip this episode and move onto the next one. Otherwise, it's a fairly big standard episode that doesn't offer anything new but nostalgia for past episodes.

Unnecessary and cheap

[aspinalldallas · 7/10 · 18 November 2020]

Firstly I'd like to say I find it a pity having to watch these episodes, as I personally believe the series is best without its chuckle track and a good number of choices in this episode bother me, from the flashback clips being in colour which is jarring compared to present black and white more stylish and in tone footage, the chuckle track for these clips is also on and heavily distracting.

As a modern fan of the series I'd like to criticise the home media release, as the clips seem to be off an atrocious nature, now I'm aware that the masters were unusable, but it seems that the lazy route was selected, when they could have found the higher quality clips from previous episodes and then edited them in here, it would definitely fix a lot of issues, and remove that chuckle track for god sake.

As for the episode itself It's an obvious bottle or budget episode, because a decent amount of runtime is dedicated to the flashbacks they've clearly saved money, the interview sections are enjoyable but spliced with the flashbacks don't really feel as impactful as they did previously, although I guess it's nice to have an episode or two with all the cast credited one way or the other.

Special two-parter

[safenoe · 9/10 · 21 November 2016]

This is Clete Roberts's second appearance in M*A*S*H, his first being in The Interview (season 4, ep 24). I like the juxtaposition between Clete's interviewing of the current cast (in black and white) with past clips featuring the departed original cast members...McLean Stevenson, Larry Linville, Wayne Rogers. The episode also features Movietone newsclips.

One of my favorite scenes they replayed was the "liver or fish" scene in the mess tent, where Hawkeye leads a camp revolt, "We want something else!!!".

A touching scene was when Radar presented Colonel Potter with a horse for his birthday.

The kissing scene between Hawkeye and Houlihan when the cave was being bombed reminded me of the lovemaking scene during the ending of the mini-series Condominium when storms were crashing around the condo.

Wonderful retrospective

[chynahmoon-54459 · 10/10 · 15 August 2023]

Reminds me of the newsreel interviews they used to do back in the day. I enjoyed it very much with the connecting narration. It helps weave the more and more three-dimensional characters and their personalities and values into the fabric that had become M*A*S*H. The dark humor that usually prevails in the episodes gives very little opportunity for the characters to reflect on their innermost feelings about the Korean Police Action, but the interviewer draws out so much more.

I highly recommend these episodes for anyone who has grown attached to the show and especially to its characters who have grown before our eyes.

The biggest issue is shown in the credits

[genebathl · 3/10 · 15 September 2023]

In every category in credits - writing, producing, directing, etc. Alan Alda's name is first. He could have had himself listed but not first but his ego would not allow it. This is seen in the episode on how segments are cut with amount of time segments are on him.

Two of the starrs left after third year (they got segments in cuts but mostly with Hawkeye) for the show was supposed to be about the three doctors

For this episode I do love Charle's line on Kinger and acting by Staff Sargant Rhoden "The Scrounger" was terrific.

Still watch show regularly but when Hawkeye is focus It becomes background noise.

It's a clip show

[iperryleonardc · 3/10 · 26 July 2021]

Clip shows may have made sense back when YouTube wasn't a thing, and people couldn't see whatever episode they wanted whenever they wanted. But in modern times, the novelty wears thin and even unnecessary and cheap.