The Only M*A*S*H Episode That Features The Full Cast Of The Series

20th Century Television

The long-running classic sitcom "M*A*S*H" went through quite a few changes throughout its 11 seasons, both in front of the camera and behind it. Even series creator Larry Gelbart left after the fourth season because the show had become all-consuming in his life due to its immense popularity. In fact, there were so many cast change-ups over the years that there is only one episode (albeit a two-parter) that features every single starring cast member. And all in all, only one character, head surgeon Captain Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce (Alan Alda), appears in every episode. It makes sense that faces would change in a wartime situation, especially when the real-life Korean War lasted for only three years and "M*A*S*H" went on for eleven. 

Over the years, the show lost not only Gelbart but stars Wayne Rogers, McLean Stevenson, Larry Linville, and Gary Burghoff, who played Hawkeye's best friend "Trapper" John McIntyre, commanding officer Lt. Colonel Henry Blake, cartoonish villain Major Frank Burns, and company clerk Corporal "Radar" O'Reilly, respectively. But in the season seven two-parter, "Our Finest Hour," everyone got the chance to shine, although not necessarily all together.

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"M*A*S*H" celebrated its 150th episode with "Our Finest Hour," a two-part episode (technically episodes 150 and 151, but that's all just semantics) that followed a similar format to the absolutely phenomenal season 4 finale, "The Interview." "The Interview" required a lot of trust in the actors because they ad-libbed some of their lines, but it ended up creating one of the best episodes in the series. In "The Interview," real-life former Korean War correspondent Clete Roberts played himself, interviewing the folks of the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital about their experiences in the war, and "Our Finest Hour" brought him back for more of these "candid" interviews. The one big difference is that "Our Finest Hour" also intercut footage from previous episodes, making for one of the most complicated clip show episodes to ever air.

Sometimes, clip shows can be a little annoying to fans who have seen every episode and don't really want to watch what is essentially a mash-up of greatest moments, but "Our Finest Hour" is pretty great because of the interviews and because it gives audiences a chance to see some beloved-but-missing characters once more. The most heartbreaking moment was the return of Stevenson's Lt. Colonel Blake, who died on his way home from the war when his plane was shot down. Seeing Henry alongside clips of his replacement, Harry Morgan's Colonel Sherman T. Potter, is bittersweet, but seeing Hawkeye's two best buds in back-to-back clips is a lot more fun.

20th Century Television

"M*A*S*H" has become well-known for its mix of humor and absolutely devastating drama, in large part thanks to the work of Alda behind-the-scenes as a writer and director, but it was always nice to see the men and women of the 4077th having a good time. One of the best things about "Our Finest Hour" is getting to watch Hawkeye cut up in scenes with Trapper as well as with his other best friend, Captain B.J. Hunnicutt, played by Mike Farrell. There are moments throughout the series where Hawkeye questions how different characters would interact with their replacements, and while "Our Finest Hour" doesn't exactly give us the answers to those questions, it does remind us of just how lovable everyone is. Well, except maybe Frank, who the creator regretted writing so flatly because he's so comically evil for almost no reason. 

"Our Finest Hour" has one other thing that sets it apart from the average clip show: some of the clips are extended or use different takes from their originally screened versions, making for more than just a bunch of repeats. "M*A*S*H" was one of the greatest TV shows of all time for good reason, and "Our Finest Hour" helps show off a whole lot of those reasons, including the show's sprawling, amazing cast.