Rhiannon Elizabeth Irons
It’s been 40 years since we said Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen to the members of the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital. Now, with the entire 11 seasons available on Disney+, it’s time to relive the shenanigans with our favourite surgeons and nurses.
Originally centered on two army surgeons, the quipping but empathetic Benjamin “Hawkeye” Pierce, played by Alan Alda, and the deadpan “Trapper” John McIntyre, played by Wayne Rogers, M*A*S*H provided the laughs for a subject matter that is no laughing matter.
The shows ensemble cast provided the backbone, proving that loveable characters come in all shapes and sizes. There was the meek and mild, Corporal Walter “Radar” O’Reilly, cross-dressing Corporal Max Klinger, the easy-going Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake, and pious Father Francis Mulcahy. The antagonists included the conniving Major Frank Burns and Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan, were often foils for Trapper and Hawkeye, but occasionally were central characters in some episodes too.
Based on the 1970 movie, itself based on a novel, M*A*S*H was designed as a black comedy set during the Korean War, but the reality was the creators of the show knew they wouldn’t be able to get away with making commentary about the ongoing conflict in Vietnam, let alone create a comedy, so the show was a thinly veiled critique of the war in Vietnam that was raging at the time. And while it might have started as a criticism of what was happening in Vietnam, it eventually turned into a criticism of all wars.
In many episodes, audiences would be reminded of the horrors of fighting on the front lines, the lives lost, and the trauma and angst that those left behind, and survived, dealt with.
M*A*S*H didn’t discriminate. It didn’t matter which war was the focus of the show, the message was the same. War is hell.
But the writers had something special up their sleeve. Cloaking the message of shattered lives and disturbing visuals, the creators went above and beyond to make it acceptable to a worldwide audience. The early seasons had a distinctive sitcom feel to them, mostly due to Larry Gelbart and Gene Reynolds, the series co-creators, who were from a comedy background. After they left by the end of season five, the show took a more dramatic turn and Alan Alda became more involved, not only in writing, but also in directing. This was also reflected in the lineup change of the cast of characters.
The romancing, practical joker Trapper was replaced by the strait-laced, professional and moral, Captain B.J. Hunnicutt (Mike Farrell). The sniveling Frank Burns (Larry Linville) was replaced by the pretentious Major Charles Winchester (David Ogden Stiers). And the laid-back Henry Blake (McLean Stevenson) was replaced by the officious Colonel Sherman Potter (Harry Morgan). Most notable member of the original cast that was missed as the series progressed was Gary Burghoff who was the loveable Radar. After eight seasons, fans of the show tearfully said goodbye to the company clerk that they had adopted as one of their own.
Audiences responded positively to the change of the characters, particularly the radical anti-authoritarianism of Hawkeye and Trapper/B.J. Almost all the characters are anti-war. Even Frank and Hot Lips, the most patriotic characters, sometimes questioned if the war was worth all the suffering and death. And the series reminded people the humour used was not meant to disrespect those fighting but as a coping mechanism of the trauma by those involved.
To say M*A*S*H is a timeless classic is an understatement. But that doesn’t mean it’s not without its flaws. Modern audiences would find problems with some of the representations of characters as well as issues addressed within the series. Klinger, for example, would be seen as contentious. And it wouldn’t be for his dressing in drag, but rather because he was trying to get a “Section 8”, or a mental health discharge.
Many of the female characters were relegated to background characters. Some had a little more substance, but were nothing more than two-dimensional romantic interests, or one-episode wonders.
The only female who starred with a significant recurring role was Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan, but as her nickname suggests, she was often the butt of sexualised humour.
Despite these flaws, it hasn’t stopped the show maintaining its popularity. Its continual re-runs on both cable and streaming services have cemented its status as a timeless classic.
M*A*S*H was a product of its time. Its themes on the absurdity of war were felt the world over. It became more than a TV show. It became a shared cathartic experience for war-wary audiences. It was dark, yet silly. It made light of a subject matter that has no real winners. It wasn’t afraid to get real, dismissing the laugh track for some episodes to really hammer home the story being told.
No matter how zany the characters became or how far-fetched their antics seemed, they always remained grounded in the horrors of the situation around them.
Alan Alda said it best in an interview, reflecting on the show years later. “We knew we were telling the story of real people… We weren’t comic characters who were there just to amuse you.”