"The Army–Navy Game" is the 20th episode of the first season of the TV series ''

M*A*S*H ''M*A*S*H'' (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) is an American media franchise consisting of a series of novels, a film, several television series, plays, and other properties, and based on the semi-autobiographical fiction of Richard Hooker. The ...

'', originally airing on February 25, 1973; its repeat on September 9, 1973, was the last official telecast in ''M*A*S*H''s first season on CBS. The episode was co-written by cast member

McLean Stevenson Edgar "Mac" McLean Stevenson Jr. (November 14, 1927 – February 15, 1996) was an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his role as Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake in the television series ''M*A*S*H'', which earned him a Golden Glob ...

(" Lt. Col. Henry Blake").

Plot

Excitement runs high in the camp on the day of the Army-Navy football game, with several members of the 4077th putting money into a betting pool. As the game starts, the unit comes under enemy attack, causing some damage and injuries. When a bomb falls into the compound but does not detonate, the entire camp is thrown into a panic. Lt. Col. Blake starts calling various branches of the military, trying to find out who dropped the bomb, but the people he talks to are more interested in following the game. He eventually learns that the bomb was dropped by the

CIA The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian intelligence agency, foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gat ...

, then sends Hawkeye and

Trapper Animal trapping, or simply trapping or gin, is the use of a device to remotely catch an animal. Animals may be trapped for a variety of purposes, including food, the fur trade, hunting, pest control, and wildlife management. History Neolithic ...

out to defuse it. However, the poorly written defusing instructions cause them to accidentally start the timer on the bomb – which explodes and fires hundreds of propaganda leaflets into the air. As life in the camp settles down,

Father Mulcahy This is a list of characters from the ''M*A*S*H'' franchise, covering the various fictional characters appearing in the novel '' MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors'' and its sequels, the 1970 film adaptation of the novel, and the televis ...

wins the football pool, having placed the only bet on Navy.

Notes

* In this episode the theme song is a different recording than prior episodes, with a much more carefree arrangement that emphasizes woodwind instruments, brass and percussion. * The game heard and referenced in this episode is fictional, depicting a final score of Navy 42, Army 36. As of the 2022 contest, no actual Army–Navy Game has finished with this score. * Though not acknowledged in the credits, game show host Tom Kennedy is the voice of the football commentator heard throughout this episode. Kennedy verified this in a 2003 interview. * The radio announcer (Game show host Tom Kennedy) says it is the 53rd Army–Navy game. The 53rd game was played in 1952, with Navy winning 7–0.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Army-Navy Game (MASH), The M*A*S*H season 1 episodes 1973 American television episodes