ChakotaysLover

Hawkeye and BJ were great at the snappy one liners, while Trapper and Hawkeye were great at the pranks! LOL! I love when Trapper and Hawkeye boxed up Frank, or when they were in the gorilla costumes! hahaha! OMG!

CatFoley16

They're boxing up Frank was great. BJ had some good pranks later too, I love how he messed with Charles about his weight at first.

ChakotaysLover

YES!! hahaha!! And then he goes, "Next week, he get's taller!"

I really love when Hawkeye, Margaret, BJ, and Charles went on a APRIL'S FOOL prank-a-thon, but Col. Potter and his friend got the last laugh! Lol!

And I love the episodes where Margaret and Hawkeye take center stage. Especially the one where everyone comes down with the flu except for them, and he has to operate all by himself.

CatFoley16

I loved when Col. Potter and his buddy got the best of the whole gang in the prank war. Col. Potter was a great character overall.
I didn't like Margaret a lot at first but that's how the character was written so it made sense. I think the season 3 episode where she goes to the aid station with Hawkeye and Klinger started making her more human.
I thought Hawkeye got a bit too much limelight by the end but with all that Alan Alda was doing on the show that's not a huge stretch about why.

ChakotaysLover

Once Margaret got away from Frank, she was a better character, that's for sure.

I definitely love the episode with Hawkeye, Margaret, and Klinger going to the aide station. We got to see her in her element. And Klinger was amazing in that episode too. Especially the end when he puts his hat on and then they start singing! haha!

OMG! Col. Potter was an awesome commander. I liked him a little more than I liked Henry.

CatFoley16

I would have to agree in liking Col. Potter a bit more. I felt Henry was out of place in Korea, it showed he was drafted and not in his element. The goofy humor of his character though fit for what the show was during the time he was on it though. His death was very memorable too, I still get sad watching that episode.

Jasper1975

Next week, the 28th of February is the 35th anniversary of the finale...

Hollywood Reporter did a feature on it, they talk to some of the surviving cast and creators and talk about some of the behind of the scenes stuff, and favorite episodes...

A fun read...

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/fe...-shows-1086322

Margaret definitely grew as a character once she broke it off, and given she stayed for the full 11 years. It had to happen. From the feature, it sounds like the actress was tired of Hot Lips and Frank, and the show agreed and went a new way with her...

I wonder if the show were to be done today, would the show have been pressured to put Hawkeye and Margaret together. In the actual show, you could tell they probably had feelings for each other... but they knew it wasn't wise after their "fling"... And as a result they developed a great friendship. I still wonder if they saw each other after the war.

You really saw how Hawkeye came to respect Margret, and visa versa.

Definitely the first three years with Henry and Trapper. You saw Henry really wasn't the right commander but everyone loved him, even if he was easy to pull one over on. I loved Henry and Radar's relationship.

And yet when Potter came, the show managed to find a new level. It showed the insanity of war, but also how it affects people who stay and work there...

CatFoley16

Great post Jasper and thanks for the link.
I can see why the actress who played Margaret would have grown tired with her role if it was constantly connected to the Frank character.
Hawkeye's respect of Margaret and most of the nurses had some influence from his actor's feminism and equal rights campaigns, I would bet.
I think had this show been made now, there would have definitely been more of a "will they/won't they" aspect between Hawkeye and Frank. There also would be a lot more political fodder and allusions they could make now too.

Jasper1975

Given the show lasted for so long, it made sense they had to stretch the characters. Once Trapper was gone, you really couldn't do the skirt chaser Hawkeye as much. I am sure Alan influenced it, although he has always said he didn't mind that aspect of Hawkeye. But you definitely saw Hawkeye grow up, as he respected at least Margret more... And they peeled back the layers a bit. We learned he lost and loved a woman back in medical school... Which probably only made him go on with his anti-commitment, all the women in the world mode.

Hard to believe tomorrow is 35 years since the finale...

BJ and Colonel Potter really allowed the show to change. And it wasn't as slapstick as the first three seasons.

I loved BJ and Hawkeye together!

Summer Falls

Hey more mash fans hiii

Jasper1975

Happy Anniversary MASH. 35 years since the finale.

Hollywood Reporter has another article. This time with some amazing details about cast changes, episodes from surviving cast members...

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/li...stings-1088774

CatFoley16

Yay another article!
I'm glad the show expanded/grew over time in plot, characters' roles, etc. It's a good model for other shows on how to adapt while not alienating the fanbase too much. I say that because sometimes it got a bit preachy or overly lesson heavy. Overall, I wouldn't change it at all. it's one of my top 10 fave shows of all time.

Jasper1975

Sad news...

Rest in Peace, David...aka Charles!

The actor who played Charles Winchester passed away after a battle with cancer...

David Ogden Stiers Dies: Actor Known As Major Winchester In M*A*S*H Was 75 | Deadline

CatFoley16

I just read that on another MASH thread. That leaves Alan Alda (Hawkeye), Mike Ferrell (BJ), Gary Burghoff (Radar), Loretta Switt (Margaret) and Jamie Farr (Klinger) I think.

Jasper1975

Yeah, of the major characters. So sad. I was wondering why he wasn't featured in the recent set of interviews by Hollywood Reporter. He was probably too ill...

He led a incredible career after the show! Charles might not have been a favorite, but he really changed up the show when he came on, replacing Frank and really gave a good foil for Hawkeye and BJ to compete against...

Rest in peace!