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M*A*S*H - Season Three (Collector's Edition)

M*A*S*H - Season Three (Collector's Edition)

List Price: $39.98
Your Price: $31.98
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Last Good Season of M*A*S*H
Review: After this season, the show was never as funny.

B.J., Col. Potter and then Charles could not hold a candle to Trapper, Henry Blake and Frank Burns.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Loved it!
Review: As usual, MASH season three is great! It's so nice to watch favorite episodes without commercials.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Season 3 and the end of the Henry Blake/Trapper John years
Review: Before Season 3 of "M*A*S*H," producers Gene Reynold and Larry Gelbart had gathered anecdotes and firsthand observations at the 43rd Army Surgical Hospital in Korea (the 8055 was no longer mobile) which were worked into various episodes: going after wounded soldiers in enemy territory ("Rainbow Bridge"), dealing with a patient who is way too grateful ("Springtime"), operating while being shelled by your own side ("Bombed"), soldiers trying to marry local girls ("Love and Marriage") and a visit from the commanding general himself ("Big Mac"). As Gelbart later explained, it was difficult to come back from doing all those interviews and hear what things were really like during the Korean War and still be funny. Fortunately, the show was still high in the ratings (finishing 5th for the 1974-75 season) and could now mix heavy material in with the comedy.

Ironically, Season 3 began with the first appearance of Harry Morgan on "M*A*S*H" ("The General Flipped at Dawn") and ended with the final episode featuring Henry Blake (MacLean Stevenson) and Trapper John McIntyre (Wayne Rogers) ("Abyssinia, Henry"). In between were a couple of pivotal episodes that were moving the show along its progression from a rather traditional military situation comedy into televison's first dramedy. There were still the military hijinks, with Hawkeye (Alan Alda) in charge of the camp ("Officer of the Day"), ordering take out food from Chicago ("Agam's Ribs), and making the mistake of trying to fix an error in his paycheck ("Payday"). But there was also the classic episode "O.R.", set entirely in the operating room and done without the show's annoying laughtrack. The casualties never stop coming and even Sidney Freedman (Allan Arbus) has to help. The stark realism of "M*A*S*H" was never more evident than on this stellar episode, and it set up the final fate of Henry Blake.

There was also the superb black comedy of "Iron Guts Kelly, where a famous general (James Gregory) dies in the bed of Hot Lips Houlihan (Loretta Swit). However, that is not heroic enough of a death for the general's aide (Keene Curtis). However, this same season we saw even more signs that Hot Lips would eventually turn into Margaret. In "Aid Station," Hawkeye, Hot Lips, and Klinger (Jamie Farr) are sent to the front to work at a Battalion Aid Station and being under fire forges new respect for each other. Similarly, Father Mulcahy (William Christopher) actually had something to do at times ("Life With Father"), and even if Radar will not stand up for himself he will defend the life of small animals ("Private Charles Lamb"). This season both Hawkeye ("A Full, Rich Day") and Trapper write letters home ("Bulletin Board"), providing vignettes centering around various activities at the 4077th.

One of the most sobering episodes was "The Consultant," where visiting Dr. Borelli (Robert Alda) finds that being too close to the front in his third war is too much for his nerves. Then there was "There is Nothing Like a Nurse," where the nurses are evacuated when the enemy mounts as invasion. Singer Loundon Wainwright III, best known for "Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road," had a recurring supporting role during Season 3 and his best song pops up in this episode. Then there was the finale with Henry Blake leaving for home. Besides the stunning final scene in the O.R. in which the cast was given the script literally a minute before the scene was shot and where the raw emotion seen in the eyes of the cast is haunting, this episode had already reduced you to tears when Blake gives Radar a farewell hug.

However, there was a low point for the show during Season 3 as well. In "House Arrest" Hawkeye decks Frank Burns (Larry Linville) during out of their stupid arguments and being held for court-martial. The idea of the entire camp (except for Hot Lips) supporting Hawkeye over Frank has some nice moments, but this show has a horrible moment when a visiting female colonel (Mary Wickes) is caught in a compromising position with Frank by Hot Lips. The colonel yells "rape" and Hawkeye quips "A movie and a rape all in one night." This was one of those offensive rape jokes during the early years on "M*A*S*H" and I am surprised no one objected before it got on the air.

The shock of Henry Blake's death and the sudden departure of Wayne Rogers from the cast, ended up being blessings in disguise for "M*A*S*H". No television show in history had as big a turnover in its cast and actually managed to get better as this series did in its fourth season. But once Frank Burns was replaced with Charles Emerson Winchester, "M*A*S*H" would become sublime. Rating Season 3 of "M*A*S*H" is slightly problematic because compared to what the show would be over the next several seasons these two-dozen episodes would be ranked a step below. But compared to the vast majority of situation comedies that aired during the 1974-75 season this would be a five. However, I will round up because of "O.R." and "Abyssinia, Henry."

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Season 3 again even better.
Review: Fox is doing a great job putting these DVD's out. After the first season it looked as if it would be a year till the next,but now they are coming out just right.
I must stress that these episodes are all uncut! Its great watching the parts that the televison has cut out. Every episode has a part that has been cut,and probally has'nt been seen scince it aired in the beginning.
Season 3 is just as good as all the rest,one of my all time fav's "Adams Rib's" caps it off for me. Unfortunately its also the end of Henry. One of the saddest episodes in the history of MASH.
As before,Fox is doing a brillant job putting these out.Season 4 is up next and I await full bird Colonel Sherman T. Potter with open arms!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: MASH what else do I need to say
Review: I am a big MASH fan. It is great to have the series on DVD. The deleted scenesin each episode make it that much sweeter

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Haven't seen it yet, but I have to rate it so I can continue
Review: I am enjoying the series, but I wonder what is taking so long to get the whole series out on DVD! I literally count the days until the next release. I would also like to see extra stuff, like interviews, behind the scenes, and where some of the story ideas came from... I am anxiously awaiting the colonel Potter, BJ, and Winchester years.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: My collection is now complete
Review: I am so happy that they finally came out with MASH uncut on DVD. The first three seasons are by far my favorite, so much so I really can't watch any season afterwards. I am happy to have my collection complete.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The first two were done very well
Review: I bought the first two M.A.S.H. seasons when they were released, and I was impressed by the quality of the video and audio transfer. The video was crisp and the sound was excellent. It is clear that they have gone back to the original masters, transferred them to digital and cleaned them up. It's kind of funny that with the advances in technology, the Mash episodes look better now than they did then. They also broke the laugh track out so you can turn it off. This isn't a big deal to me, but my wife likes it.

So the downside is that it is light on the extras such as commentary or, but I rarely bother with them anyway, so it's not a big deal for me. What I really want is what they have delivered: a great looking, great sounding copy of all those great old M.A.S.H. episodes.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: No problems here.
Review: I guess I must be the lucky one. I have had no problems with any of the MASH DVD's they all play fine in my Sony DVD player and on my Dell Laptop. Can't wait for Season 4!

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Great Show, Bad Transfer
Review: I have now had 2 different copies of season three, and both copies of disk 3 would not play or would stutter through the final episodes on the disk. I think that Fox need to retransfer the third disk.
Amazon was great by sending me an immediate replacement the first time, but the replacement had the same issue. I blame Fox for this one. I tried it on 2 DVD players, and my PS2, with the same result.


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