|
"Korea, 1950… a hundred years ago.” An interminable war with undefined goals that’s dragged on for three Presidents... the latest of whom is a backstabbing megalomaniac swindler at best. A dense and unshiftable status quo crushing movements for change and progress that seemed unstoppable just a few years earlier. Then, just as now, we needed a way to laugh at the buffoons in power who could get us all killed at a moment’s notice. We needed characters who would speak out for peace and simple human dignity. We needed M*A*S*H forty-five years ago, and we need it today. M*A*S*H can be difficult to categorize. Is it a situation dramedy satire? Heartbreaking, yet uplifting gallows humor? A screwball medical medical workplace comedy dealing with the horror and futility of man’s greatest folly? M*A*S*H is all of these, and more. Once called “a series set in the fifties, presenting the ethics of sixties for audiences of the seventies and eighties,” the franchise had already been through a few incarnations before it hit television screens on September 17, 1972. MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors came out in 1968, credited to “Richard Hooker” - actually a collaboration between former US Army surgeon H. Richard Hornberger and renowned sportswriter/war correspondent/novelist W.C. Heinz. Hornberger drew from his own experiences during the Korean War in a M.A.S.H (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) unit, as well those of others. M.A.S.H units were located near the front lines to treat the wounded as quickly as possible following combat. During campaigns, the doctors (often young, with little surgical training) might see hundreds of casualties a day. The rest of the time, they did what they could to stave off the boredom of waiting for the next push. Tonally, the novel is quite different from subsequent incarnations, best summarized as “spoiled frat boys continue their pranks even after being drafted.” The characters are unaffected by the tragedies going on around them, and see the war as an opportunity to goof off and sleep around. There is no commentary on the morality of war, and Hornberger himself was a Vietnam War supporter. Robert Altman’s 1970 film adaptation, though, is very much a product of the Vietnam generation and the New Hollywood movement. Keeping the character names and basic events of the novel (which Altman referred to as “terrible and racist”), the film adds context and depth through excellent performances and Altman’s trademark overlapping dialogue and “wandering camera” technique. The film may have been set in Korea, but it was obviously about Vietnam. The differences are particularly highlighted in the “suicide” scene where a “last supper” is held for camp dentist Capt. Walter Waldowski (“The Painless Pole”), who has asked the doctors to euthanize him following a bout of erectile dysfunction. In the novel, this as just another moment of wacky hijinx, but the movie presents it as something simultaneously touching, absurd and surreal. The scene also gives the film its theme song, “Suicide is Painless,” which would carry over to the series as an instrumental. M.A.S.H touched a nerve - the film was nominated for five Oscars (winning “Best Adaptation”), as well as receiving the Palm d’Or at Cannes and a Golden Globe (“Best Motion Picture, musical or comedy”), and its episodic nature made it the natural fit for a TV adaptation. M*A*S*H (the asterisks first appeared in movie promo posters, and were officially incorporated into the name of the TV series) would last eleven seasons, famously far longer than the actual Korean War, and go from near-cancellation low ratings at the beginning to a series finale that set records for the most watched television program in history. While any series lasting that long is going to have changes, M*A*S*H underwent a major shift at the beginning of Season 4. Not only were there several cast changes, but the dialogue and overall tone are markedly different. The first three seasons (often called the “Original Cast Era”) generally followed a sitcom structure, with occasional serious moments. The show focused primarily on the mischief of the two leads, and the bucking of authority in general. Starting with season 4, episodes have a much wider range of style and format, greatly developing the characters and wrestling with larger themes. Appropriately, this period begins with “Welcome to Korea”, a double-length episode that almost serves as a second pilot. Other changes would come, but “Welcome to Korea” very much divides the series into “before” and “after” periods. Characters:  Captain Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce (Alan Alda, seasons 1-11): Chief Surgeon of the 4077th, incredibly talented, incredibly smart-assed, Hawkeye is the breakout character of the series, and the only character to appear in all 251 episodes. Hailing from a small town in  Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan (Loretta Swit, seasons 1-11): The only other character present from the first episode to the last (as portrayed by the same actor), Chief Nurse Margaret Houlihan shows the most character growth of anyone in the series. An Army brat who has spent her entire life around the military, Margaret’s need for order and discipline makes her an obvious foil for the authority-bucking draftee surgeons… and vulnerable to one Frank Burns, who has manipulated his way into a relationship with her over the first four seasons. Starting off as a one-note caricature, over time Margaret is revealed as deeply caring for those around her and totally dedicated to medicine. She’ll never approve of the shenanigans going on around her… but smile about them when she thinks no one is looking. (The nickname “Hot Lips” is a holdover from the movie, and was phased out as her character developed over the first few seasons.) Captain “Trapper” John McIntyre (Wayne Rogers, seasons 1-3): The other half of Hawkeye’s double-act for the first three seasons, Trapper is the more direct of the two, more impulsive and cynical, going for the quick, cutting remark as opposed to Hawkeye’s constant patter. Trapper’s role is diminished as the show began to focus more on Hawkeye, and Rogers grew frustrated with his character’s reduction to “sidekick” status, electing to leave during the break between seasons. Major Frank Burns (Larry Linville, seasons 1-5): Second-in-command of the 4077th and avowed nemesis of the other Swamp residents, Frank is stingy, weasley, self-serving, and cowardly… and those are his best qualities. Obsessed with authority (but terrified of responsibility), a stickler for discipline (of everyone else), and quick to send others into danger (while going to great lengths to avoid any risk to himself.) Frank maintains a relationship with Margaret through an implied promise that he would eventually leave his wife for her, but would never consider actually doing it for a second. (After all, the house and stocks are in her name.) Frank is left out of the character development of the series’ second era, becoming, if anything, more unhinged and buffoonish. Feeling he’d done all he could with the limited character, Linville left at the end of season 5.  Lt. Colonel Henry Blake (McLean Stevenson, seasons 1-3): In contrast to the book and movie versions, Henry is another draftee doctor, a little older and, as CO, given the unenviable task of overseeing the 4077th. Despite his position, Henry has more in common with the other surgeons than with military leadership and will be the first to admit that he’s in over his head, preferring fishing and booze to hassles of leadership. Fortunately, he has Radar to keep the camp running, and the two develop a close relationship. Despite his “goofy dad” demeanor, Henry will sometimes serve as a level voice of experience to the younger, impetuous surgical staff. Wanting to pursue more leading roles, Stevenson left at the end of season 3 with the farewell episode “Abyssinia, Henry,” very much a finale to the series’ first era. Corporal Walter “Radar” O'Reilly (Gary Burghoff, seasons 1-8): Company clerk and the youthful innocent amidst the debauchery, Radar (so named for his prognostic abilities or excellent hearing, take your pick) handles most of the 4077th’s day-to-day operations, official and... otherwise. He sees Colonel Blake (and to a lesser degree, Colonel Potter) as a father figure, his own having died when Radar was a baby, and is himself a “little brother” to the rest of the camp. With his teddy bear, comic books, and love of animals, Radar is often a go-between for the jaded surgeons and youthful wounded soldiers. Wanting to spend more time with his family (and increasingly unbelievable as an 18-year-old), Burghoff left in season 8 with the two-part “Goodbye, Radar.” Father Francis John Patrick Mulcahy (William Christopher, seasons 1-11): Company Chaplain and, like Radar, a counterpoint to the wilder leads, Father Mulcahy helps keep the camp running on the emotional and social side of things. Very open-minded, he tries to help everyone regardless of religion (or lack thereof), without proselytizing, earning his the respect of anti-authoritarians like Hawkeye (“that crazy agnostic!”) Loving its simplicity and honesty, he is also an avid boxer, using it to teach more than one character to stand up for themselves.  Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger (Jamie Farr, seasons 1-11): Orderly/corpsman and Company Clerk after Radar leaves, Klinger wants nothing more than to get out of the Army, usually by way of a Section 8 psychological discharge. To achieve this, he tries a number of wild schemes but is known primarily for dressing in drag (although this is phased out by the time he takes over from Radar). Blue-collar through and through, Klinger takes pride into the work he’s put into his wardrobe and occasionally sought out for his “street smart” skills. Originally intended as a one-off character, Klinger quickly became a fan favorite and was added to the main cast. Captain B.J. “BJ” Hunnicut (Mike Farrell, seasons 4-11): Replacement for Trapper John, BJ is a dedicated family man who always tries to do the right thing, occasionally even getting in moral arguments with Hawkeye. A lover of practical jokes, BJ often helps to undercut the more serious tone of later episodes, and is something of a craftsman, rebuilding a motorcycle at the end of the series, as well as inventing the defibrillator (but not taking credit for it.) Colonel Sherman T. Potter (Harry Morgan, seasons 4-11): Replacement for Henry Blake, Colonel Potter is the only career officer in the 4077th other than Margaret Houlihan. Older, folksy, and direct, he served in the Cavalry during WW I before becoming a doctor and has loved horses ever since. Potter believes in rules and order, but not necessarily regulation, making him a good fit for the camp, and is able to “talk Army” well enough to get other characters out of scrapes. Harry Morgan first appeared as another character in “The General Flipped At Dawn,” proving himself easily capable of holding his own with the regular cast, and so was a natural fit when McLean Stevenson left.  Major Charles Emerson Winchester III (David Ogden Stiers, seasons 6-11): Replacement for Frank Burns, Winchester is very, very upper-crust and sees the living conditions in the camp as a personal hell. Nonetheless, his belief in values, tradition, and ethics is unwavering, and his surgical skills even earn him the grudging respect of Hawkeye and BJ. His love of culture and music make him a far more accessible character than Burns, and lead to a few very emotional moments. Nonetheless, he rarely lets his guard down in front of others and would rather be seen as cold than vulnerable.Recurring Guests:  Major Sidney Friedman (Allan Arbus, seasons 2-11): Army psychiatrist who often offers the 4077th an outside view. Sidney helps the regulars when they feel they’ve gone over the edge, and readily admits they help him the same way. He appears in twelve episodes and plays a major role in the series finale “Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen.” Lt. Colonel Flagg (Edward Winter, seasons 2-7): Where to Start: If you’d like to be introduced to the series as it’s best known, start with “Welcome to Korea,” in which everything is reintroduced by way of BJ Hunnicutt. If you’d like to watch the original cast before the changeover (the earlier episodes are better appreciated before seeing the later ones), I would recommend the first “Dear Dad,” which manages to juggle storylines for the entire cast as well as showcasing wide variety of tones the series was capable of, even in the early episodes. There’s even a cast and character list at the end. The Laugh Track: Despite being ahead of its time in many ways, one thing that can keep M*A*S*H from connecting with modern viewers its use of a laugh track. The series creators were adamantly opposed to this, but the network demanded its use. Ironically, M*A*S*H went on long enough for it to become the last US television series to use “canned laughter,” rather than a studio audience. In addition to simply being bizarre (as creator Larry Gelbart put it, “Who are these laughing people? Where did they come from?'") the jokes that key the laugh track aren’t necessarily what a modern audience would find funny. All the DVD releases feature an audio track without the laugh track, which is highly recommended. Recommended Episodes: “Welcome to Korea”, “Dear Dad”, “Sometimes You Hear the Bullet”, “Adam’s Rib” (more to be added.) After The War fucked around with this message at 21:14 on Sep 17, 2017 |
#
¿
Sep 17, 2017 21:09
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 10, 2024 19:54 |
|
|
 (Reserved for future use.)
|
|
#
¿
Sep 17, 2017 21:11
|
|
|
 (Reserved for future use.)
|
|
#
¿
Sep 17, 2017 21:12
|
|
|
Hipster_Doofus posted:You know, I never thought of that, but now that you've pointed it out it almost seems deliberate. There is of course, the major event at the end of season 3 that I haven't spoiled, because if someone has gone this far without knowing, I'm not going to the one to ruin it. Or not, what do people think? It's from 40 years ago, but... wow. I've been showing the series to a friend who came in knowing nothing about it, and has subsequently fallen in love with it. I'm terrified he's going to find out before he gets there. My friend is basically the reincarnation of Radar, and I want the scene where he breaks the news of Henry's death to be as devastating as when it first aired.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 17, 2017 22:35
|
|
|
Hipster_Doofus posted:Oh yeah the difference is truly stunning. I had a hard time with it at first; it was just so weird for it to suddenly be dark as gently caress. It turns from a semi-sitcom/zany antics kinda thing into a very serious drama that has very funny characters in it. I actually think the network may have made the right choice, though. I'm not sure something like that would have gone down well with the audience of the time. It's always easy to underestimate people from an earlier time, I think the viewers that stuck with the series past season 4 certainly wouldn't have needed the cues. Plus, it was also the great era of TV movies and miniseries, so heavier issues were approached more than you'd think - just not necessarily mixed in with the comedy. And, after all, people of the era made the show. It's not all dark, either - I'll need to see if I can find the thing someone wrote about early Klinger scenes coming off completely different without the laugh track, where you get characters totally unfazed by gender noncomfority and no indication that the viewer should be mocking it either. Who's going to watch the pilot tonight for the 45th Anniversary? I have too much to do, so I listened to it while cropping and resizing photos for the OP. It's interesting how much closer to movie it tries to be, with hints of the series it would become.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 17, 2017 23:20
|
|
|
Chieves posted:I think there's a third era of the show the OP is neglecting. Seasons 4-7 are some of the best "hybrid" drama/ comedy TV of all time. Radar leaving in Season 8 is definitely where the show shifts heavily to drama IMO, and the show does slowly begin losing its luster afterwards. The finale, obviously, sticks the landing perfectly though. I actually had started a section for this but pulled it out as I approached the "deadline" of getting the thread up today While there's a definite shift, it feels more like a natural progression than the deliberate "reboot" of season 4. Plus, I don't think anyone would recommend new viewers start with that final era. I'll get something in there later, the whole thing is still a work in progress.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 18, 2017 04:02
|
|
|
Hipster_Doofus posted:Well you've done a fine job so far. I kinda wondered why you reserved the next two posts, but now I know at least one reason for it. While I'm definitely a MASH buff/aficionado, I wouldn't quite call myself an expert (case in point: my Pilot/I Hate a Mystery mix-up), but like many who I'm sure will venture in here, I am a son of a MASH-loving parent, which is only one of the (but probably the greatest) reasons it's so near and dear to my heart. Perhaps I could help you out a bit, so please feel free to PM me if you'd like some input, or brainstorming assistance or whatever. I'm tickled pink that we have this thread now, and as someone else said early on, I'm pretty surprised that we didn't already have one. Wasn't totally sure what I would do with the reserved spaces, but I figured it would be better to have them ready in advance (and putting the first/last casts in there was pretty fun). One thing I was thinking was a repository for different posters' favorite or recommended episodes, since I'm trying to keep the OP objective. It's something I thought of when trying to keep track of the various recommendations for audios in the Doctor Who thread. F_Shit_Fitzgerald posted:Edit: The encapsulated character bios in the OP are excellent. I feel bad because they get shorter after the first few as I started to run out of time. I'll go back and expand the latter-day characters when I get a chance, especially Colonel Potter, who deserves a lot more. After The War fucked around with this message at 05:36 on Sep 18, 2017 |
|
#
¿
Sep 18, 2017 05:30
|
|
|
Madurai posted:It's probably worth noting in the OP that Gary Burghoff was the only actor from the movie to play his character in the series. I had something in there, then took it out. I'll probably put it back in as a parenthetical. Mostly, I wanted to talk about the movie in regards to its progression towards the series, but not as comparison between the two. Altman's film is ultimately a different beast and should be considered for it's own merits and flaws, particularly as an anti-Vietnam piece and major role in the New Hollywood movement - Easy Riders, Raging Bulls spends quite a bit of time on it. Mister Mind posted:Rene Auberjonois (you know, Odo, from Deep Space 9, to keep going with the Star Trek) played the original movie's Father John Mulcahy (not Francis, as in the TV series.) I know, when William Christopher died, I was terrified for a while of the Henry Blake curse ("Movie Henry" Roger Bowen one day after "TV Henry" McLean Stevenson), but our Odo seems to have avoided it.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 19, 2017 13:01
|
|
|
HIJK posted:To add on to this: there's a throwaway moment between Hawkeye and Frank where Frank remarks something like "I've always been scared of the dark unless I have a nightlight, like my Pop-eye nightlight when I was young. But my father threw it away and made me sleep without it." The part that makes it work is where he cheerfully quotes his father: "It's dark for ten hours a day, and I'm not going to have a son who's a coward."
|
|
#
¿
Sep 20, 2017 03:20
|
|
Frank is a jerk but he has little moments like that where you get a small view into what it was like to be him and he must have been miserable.
|
Pham Nuwen posted:I've started watching from the pilot. It's drat good, even in these early episodes. I'm up to s1e6, "Yankee Doodle Doctor" There are more decent ones than you'd think in Season 1, ("Sometimes You Hear the Bullet", especially if you're going through them in order and paying attention to Hawkeye's characterization/role in the group) but Season 2 is where OG M*A*S*H definitely get their poo poo together. Man, Henry in "Bullet" as well. That episode is so good, really sets the stage for later stories.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 21, 2017 05:13
|
|
|
Mister Kingdom posted:The creators made a point of saying that the fate of the characters was due to the fact that war changes people: Four decades and all, but since we have some people working through the series for the first time (and we've already had at least one request for it), would you mind spoiler-tagging that?
|
|
#
¿
Sep 22, 2017 21:18
|
|
|
Since we've never talked about it, how about this as a spoiler policy: we only spoiler-tag the two "finales": "Abyssinia, Henry" and "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen." Besides anyone just starting out, it also covers folks who have only watched piecemeal through syndication (which didn't even include "Goodbye" for a decade) and may have missed one of the two.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 22, 2017 21:57
|
|
|
Mister Kingdom posted:e: spoilered by request. Thanks Mister and Pham!
|
|
#
¿
Sep 22, 2017 21:57
|
|
|
 M*A*S*H had three dedicated Christmas episodes ("Dear Dad," "Dear Sis," and "Death Takes a Holiday") and they are all knockouts. Anybody going to try and get one (or several) in for the holiday?  (Just posting that pic makes me a little teary, it's such an amazing episode.)
|
|
#
¿
Dec 24, 2017 04:02
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 10, 2024 19:54 |
|
|
Got the news at my birthday party.  David Ogden Stiers is the reason the thread was created - the Star Trek thread was starting to derail after discussion of the TNG episode in which he appeared.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 4, 2018 18:02
|
|