In the past, I’ve shared a list of my top five favorite episodes of M*A*S*H. That list didn’t contain any episodes from seasons one through three, though, because I’m more of a fan of the Potter/Hunnicutt years. Recently, I’ve come to appreciate the Blake and McIntyre years a little bit more, so I thought I’d come up with a “top five” (ok, six…you’re shocked, I know), list that covers the first three seasons. Not included are any “Dear Dad” or “Mail Call” episodes, because no matter what season they’re in, they’re always excellent, and it’s just not fair to compare anything else to them!

• “Tuttle” (season one)–Hawkeye and Trapper invent a captain and give all of his money to a local orphanage. This episode is a little disturbing, though, because you actually get to see Radar’s phone pal, Sparky!
• “The Long-John Flap” (season one)–I think this episode, in which a pair of long-johns make the rounds through the whole camp, is my favorite from the first three seasons.
• “5 O’Clock Charlie” (season two)–I don’t know what’s funnier…the fact that an inept North Korean bomber keeps missing his target near the camp, or that the equally inept Frank Burns thinks he can rectify the situation!
• “The Sniper” (season two)–I really like this episode because it hits the balance between funny and serious perfectly. In the end, we’re reminded of not only what a good doctor Hawkeye is, but also what a good person.
• “Deal Me Out”–Everything about this episode is gold, from the appearances of Dr. Sidney Freedman and the character that would become Colonel Flagg, to Pat Morita as a guest star, to the line “Is this a little guy about five-foot nothing, anywhere between 50 and 200 years old?”
• “Adam’s Ribs” (season three)–I have to admit, a big part of what I love about this episode is the fact that Hawkeye is trying to get ribs from Chicago shipped to the 4077th. I also love his “river of liver” rant, too, though!

I’m not sure that I like any of these episodes enough to include them in my overall M*A*S*H top five list, but they’re all fun to watch!