This is a fine episode. There is talk one morning that Trapper John was the best of the best when it came to practical jokes. B. J. tells the gang that a great joke would be to get each of them in a 24 hour period. Soon things begin to happen. Charles has a snake in his bed, Potter's toothpaste becomes shaving cream, Mulcahy chokes on his pepper filled food, and Margaret has a piece of her robe cut out in the back. Pierce has said that under no circumstances will he get pranked. He goes into a defensive stance, peeking around corners, refusing to eat or drink, hiding, tearing the Swamp apart. He even builds a bed, surrounded by barbed wire, out in the compound. The conclusion is second only to the April Fools episode in its like mindedness. Excellent.
4 Reviews
A classic. I still miss M*A*S*H.
safenoe3 September 2016
Warning: Spoilers
I loved The Joker is Wild, by far one of the best episodes of M*A*S*H. The premise is genius, big time, with the central characters in on the joke, and out-joking Hawkeye at the end. It's one of those Sixth Sense moments, where when everything is revealed and it's "a-ha!!".
I would love a companion episode to The Joker is Wild where we see a "behind the scenes" of how BJ, Colonel Potter, Margaret, et al organised their joke on Hawkeye. A lot of work would have happened outside of post-op to get it done. The timing, skill and pluck of the central characters was impeccable and so precise to deliver a fine, classic episode.
I would love a companion episode to The Joker is Wild where we see a "behind the scenes" of how BJ, Colonel Potter, Margaret, et al organised their joke on Hawkeye. A lot of work would have happened outside of post-op to get it done. The timing, skill and pluck of the central characters was impeccable and so precise to deliver a fine, classic episode.
They blew the punchline
noofy31125 June 2019
Warning: Spoilers
This episode had potential to be so much more than what we got. They actually whiffed on the punchline delivery. The plot twist is that BJ isn't really pranking everyone else, but making Hawkeye believe that and growing increasingly paranoid. Hawkeye basically descends into madness for no real reason at all. An embarrassing punishment hangs in the balance.
So, what's the problem? The original bet BJ makes is that he will have to prank the whole gang (Col Potter, Houlihan, Winchester, Fr Mulcahy, Klinger and Hawkeye) or he will have to sing naked on the mess table; If BJ gets all six, Hawk will have to sing. We find out that none of the pranks we see throughout the episode actually happen, everyone but Hawkeye are in cahoots with BJ. So really, nobody gets pranked, except Hawk, who simply does it to himself. The entire cast seems oblivious to the original bet, which results in Hawk singing instead of BJ. Kind of a major plot hole that downgrades the whole story.
So, what's the problem? The original bet BJ makes is that he will have to prank the whole gang (Col Potter, Houlihan, Winchester, Fr Mulcahy, Klinger and Hawkeye) or he will have to sing naked on the mess table; If BJ gets all six, Hawk will have to sing. We find out that none of the pranks we see throughout the episode actually happen, everyone but Hawkeye are in cahoots with BJ. So really, nobody gets pranked, except Hawk, who simply does it to himself. The entire cast seems oblivious to the original bet, which results in Hawk singing instead of BJ. Kind of a major plot hole that downgrades the whole story.
Not a master work.
claude-angeli9 April 2020
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