# The most ludicrous episode in TV history **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 6, 2009, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-ludicrous-episode-in-tv-history/520166 "2009-12-06T04:45:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Lethal\_Babydoll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3be4f8/32.png) [@Lethal\_Babydoll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lethal_Babydoll)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-ludicrous-episode-in-tv-history/520166/61 "2009-12-07T23:50:27Z")
There’s an episode of **M_A_S\*H** that is so shockingly bad. I had forgotten all about it until a couple of weeks ago when we were visiting my parents and my dad had it on. It’s the one where a “Commie Hunter” comes to the 4077 to investigate Hot Lips. It was such a low moment in a show that soared at its best ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-ludicrous-episode-in-tv-history/520166/62 "2009-12-08T01:48:59Z")
> [@Small\_Hen](#): > > Weirder than the one where they go to the Greek planet, and Captain Kirk plays pony with a dwarf - after Spock tap dances on Kirk’s face and bursts into tears? Most famous today for the interracial kiss. I sometimes wonder if _any_ episodes of the original series were really that good. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-ludicrous-episode-in-tv-history/520166/63 "2009-12-08T02:33:15Z")
> [@Lethal\_Babydoll](#): > > There’s an episode of **M_A_S\*H** that is so shockingly bad. I had forgotten all about it until a couple of weeks ago when we were visiting my parents and my dad had it on. > > It’s the one where a “Commie Hunter” comes to the 4077 to investigate Hot Lips. It was such a low moment in a show that soared at its best [Not even close](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=11786882&postcount=69). What’s wrong with the House Committee on Un-American Activities, which was investigating suspected Communist activities from 1938 until 1975, sending an aide to a Korean MASH to investigate a senior officer? ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-ludicrous-episode-in-tv-history/520166/64 "2009-12-08T16:47:56Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > [Not even close](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=11786882&postcount=69). What’s wrong with the House Committee on Un-American Activities, which was investigating suspected Communist activities from 1938 until 1975, sending an aide to a Korean MASH to investigate a senior officer? Waitaminnit. “The major was a miner” is great! Nothing before Henry and trap left holds a candle to the awfulness that is the last few seasons. Here’s one from season 10 (summary from Wikipedia): \*The ghost of a recently dead soldier wanders the 4077th refusing to believe he is dead. Only Klinger, delirious with a high fever, can see him. \* ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-ludicrous-episode-in-tv-history/520166/65 "2009-12-08T18:34:50Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > NETA: > > Why don’t you compare them yourself? > > \ > > Reviews:[ul][li][Threshold](http://www.agonybooth.com/recaps/Star_Trek/Voyager/Threshold.aspx)[/li][/ul] :eek::eek::eek: And :eek: ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-ludicrous-episode-in-tv-history/520166/66 "2009-12-08T19:10:41Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Most famous today for the interracial kiss. > > I sometimes wonder if _any_ episodes of the original series were really that good. Actually, the horrible episodes of Star Trek were from S3, when the whole production has basically fallen apart. **Spock’s Brain** , **Plato’s Stepchildren** , **And the Children Shall Lead** , the space hippies, all came from S3. Which is unfortunate, because people remember the final, horrible season (though it did have a few gems) and none of the really strong episodes from the first two seasons ( **Amok Time** , **Journey to Babel** , **Balance of Terror** , **Space Seed** , **This Side of Paradise** , to name a few.) I also don’t think it’s fair to include **Bread and Circuses** in this this (the one with Rome). Nobody ever said it was _the_ Christ. It’s not even a particularly difficult metaphor. The implication was simply that in a completely tyrannical civilization, a Christ-like figure would emerge. Nobody thought that it was the _same_ Caesar on that planet–he was just a figure for tyranny and oppression. The “son”, or the Christ figure, represented the forces that would eventually rise up to fight such tyranny (and in that episode, it was the son followers who aided them). The episode itself was a surprisingly biting commentary on television, television execs, and television audiences. Which isn’t surprising, given how Roddenberry had reason to be bitter. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-ludicrous-episode-in-tv-history/520166/67 "2009-12-08T19:36:40Z")
All of this bashing of Star Trek, and not one comment on **The Omega Glory**? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-ludicrous-episode-in-tv-history/520166/68 "2009-12-08T19:43:08Z")
> [@bup](#): > > Nothing before Henry and trap left holds a candle to the awfulness that is the last few seasons. Here’s one from season 10 (summary from Wikipedia): \*The ghost of a recently dead soldier wanders the 4077th refusing to believe he is dead. Only Klinger, delirious with a high fever, can see him. > \* IIRC, Klinger had everyone worried about his mental state because he was talking to someone they couldn’t see. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-ludicrous-episode-in-tv-history/520166/69 "2009-12-08T19:55:43Z")
In episode 22 of _Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagaan_, Gurren Lagaan summons a massive drill and rams the starship Arc-Gurren, transforming it into a skyscraper-sized robot, which then punches an enemy ship so hard it goes flying, hits _nothing_ and breaks a hole in reality. They then stop the moon from falling and transform it into a moon-sized starship. ---
**Author:** ![3waygeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/e95f7d/32.png) [@3waygeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3waygeek)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-ludicrous-episode-in-tv-history/520166/70 "2009-12-09T17:10:12Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > IIRC, Klinger had everyone worried about his mental state because he was talking to someone they couldn’t see. Which is in itself ludicrous, as Klinger spent most of the war wearing dresses. In real life, they’d just think he was taking a different approach to getting his coveted Section 8. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-ludicrous-episode-in-tv-history/520166/71 "2009-12-09T18:34:24Z")
What better vehicle for introducing “Mork” the alien from outer space but “Happy Days,” the family sitcom set in the 50s? It was a bizarre episode, to say the least. What was even more pathetic than the strained plot device is that, as usual, Fonzie saved the day, even in Richie’s dream. Happily for Robin Williams, his appeareance as Mork led to the spin-off series “Mork & Mindy” which was set in present day. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-ludicrous-episode-in-tv-history/520166/72 "2009-12-09T18:39:44Z")
> [@](#): > > What better vehicle for introducing “Mork” the alien from outer space but “Happy Days,” the family sitcom set in the 50s? It was a bizarre episode, to say the least. What was even more pathetic than the strained plot device is that, as usual, Fonzie saved the day, even in Richie’s dream. Happily for Robin Williams, his appeareance as Mork led to the spin-off series “Mork & Mindy” which was set in present day. I wouldn’t call that episode one of the most ludicrous. When I first saw it, my thought was “Oh, great, they’ve run out of ideas and are dragging in a fantasy character.” The term didn’t exist yet, but I would’ve said they had “jumped the Shark” (ironically, considering…) But then I caught Robin Williams’ manic interpretation of Mork, and I was hooked. It was orders of magnitude better than I had anticipated. It was, i think, the best episode I saw that year. I’d never heard of Williams before, but after this appearance they started running ads for the movie “If you don’t stop…you’ll go blind” featuring Williams’ performance. It’s not surprising that they created a series around his character to exploit its potential. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-ludicrous-episode-in-tv-history/520166/73 "2009-12-09T18:44:28Z")
The last episode of the original “The Prisoner”. A _hidden missile silo?_ ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-ludicrous-episode-in-tv-history/520166/74 "2009-12-09T19:51:20Z")
> [@3waygeek](#): > > Which is in itself ludicrous, as Klinger spent most of the war wearing dresses. In real life, they’d just think he was taking a different approach to getting his coveted Section 8. He’d stopped seeking a Section 8 by then and was actively seeking other ways out. Getting fat, getting thin, getting pneumonia, heroism, admission to West Point, joining the MPs, going deaf (which turned out to be not a gag), malingering (also turned out to be not a gag), etc. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-ludicrous-episode-in-tv-history/520166/75 "2009-12-09T19:56:30Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > The last episode of the original “The Prisoner”. A _hidden missile silo?_ How is that the ludicrous part? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-ludicrous-episode-in-tv-history/520166/76 "2009-12-09T20:07:35Z")
All the other ludicrous stuff sorta fit together, in a fairly self-consistent world of ludicrousness. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-ludicrous-episode-in-tv-history/520166/77 "2009-12-09T20:17:33Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > All the other ludicrous stuff sorta fit together, in a fairly self-consistent world of ludicrousness. I’m not so much knocking the other stuff; I’m just not seeing how a hidden missile silo is any different. It certainly fits with the premise in THE GIRL WHO WAS DEATH, and it doesn’t seem _ **inconsistent** _ with anything else we’re told during the series. ---
**Author:** ![Mike\_Fun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a9adbd/32.png) [@Mike\_Fun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike_Fun)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2009, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-ludicrous-episode-in-tv-history/520166/78 "2009-12-10T00:28:22Z")
The first thing I thought of after reading the OP was the “Quincy, M.E.” infamous punk episode. ---
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2009, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-ludicrous-episode-in-tv-history/520166/79 "2009-12-10T03:27:21Z")
Sadly enough, I actually found a more ridiculous episode of “CHiPs” than the punk rock episode. When casting Ralph Malph from “Happy Days” as a satanic rock star is one of the less ridiculous parts of a show: [Part of “Rock Devil Rock”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYf0ByjfEDo&feature=related). Were the writers on this show utterly incompetent or secret satiric geniuses? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-ludicrous-episode-in-tv-history/520166.md?page=3)