I'm reasonably certain there are multiple M*A*S*H references to this Matlock episode, 'The Kidnapping.'
8.13, 20 Jan 1994, written by Anne Collins, Joel Steiger, Gerald Sanoff. directed by Christopher Hibler.
The main guest character, Ed Windgate, a character that is painfully modelled after Ed Winter's M*A*S*H character Col Flagg, played by J. Kenneth Campbell.
Ed Winter
J Kenneth Campbell
I don't understand why they didn't hire Ed Winter, maybe they felt it would have been too on the nose-- but the characters literally could not have been more on the nose. They should have just stapled Winter's face to Campbell's.
He's an incompetent, bumbling, absurd fool who comes in and out with various costumes and dark sunglasses, speaks in hyperbole, often sounds utterly absurd, and disappears without people seeing him.
Part 1 was full of multiple characters like Flagg, but Windgate was obviously the one we were supposed to... root for? I guess? I don't know. Frankly, because there were so many versions of this character in P I, I really hated the first episode. If you really love Col Flagg, you'll like this episode because EVERYONE in the entire show is basically Flagg.
It did not work for me. The second episode is a bit better-- but full disclosure, I didn't mind Flagg for the first episode, but I really couldn't handle dealing with him for more than that. Nothing against Ed Winter, he played Flagg perfectly. But the character Flagg wore down every single nerve I have, and I really just couldn't deal with him, because he stopped being funny to me.
So this episode was not enjoyable for me because they were doing a caricature of Flagg-- but Flagg was already a caricature of every buffoon, incompetent, absurd authority figure in the US military and government (including Frank Burns- who absolutely reached caricature by the time he leaves).
As such, I really couldn't stand this Windgate character created in homage to Flagg, either. He is completely Flagg, but FBI instead of CIA, and a caricature of a caricature (of a caricature) is not always a character I can enjoy.
With all this said, even though I clearly don't care for Flagg, if you love him, watch this two-parter because you'll probably love this character.
Also, there are a few names that are, in my opinion, additional references, such as a (corrupt) FBI duo, Alan Pierce and Brenda Farrell (Obviously Hawkeye Pierce/Alan Alda and Mike Farrell).
There's also a character called Spears, which may or may not be a reference to M*A*S*H's Oliver and the racist nickname Hooker named him that I will not use. I'm going to guess this one was an accident, especially as it was spelled Speirs on imdb. But quite confident the Alan Pierce and Farrell references were intentional.
Oh, by the way, Pierce and Farrell were having an affair. You can just do whatever you want with that.
