I like how the General's aide stepped outside when Hawkeye told him the news that his son passed away. He knew that this did not involve him and wanted to respect the General's privacy in this matter, giving him time to grieve, no matter how short it was.
I watched mash so much as a child. I learnt so much about the adult world. What makes a leader from Col potter. Class and elitism from Winchester. Trauma and sanity from from the psychologist. Dependability from Radar. The power of women from Margaret. Self hatred from from Frank. That show was a hell of a father for a kid whose father left when he was 8.
And then there's dedication from BJ, sense of goofiness from Col. Blake, fun and humor from Trapper, outright decency from Fr. Mulcahy, ability to display feelings and diligence from Klinger, a sense of wonder from Nurse Kellye, and how to soldier on and do your best despite having to play a goofball from Larry Linville.
General George Patton noted that every commander has to send a certain number of men to their deaths every day. He said, "Some of them are his personal friends; all of them are his personal responsibility. Any man with a heart would like to sit down and bawl like a baby, but he can't, so he sticks out his jaw and swaggers and swears."
This is when MASH showed the reality of war. Hawkeye showing his humanity here. No wisecracks. Somber and respectful, as it should be when delivering news like this. John Robert Anderson, is a phenomenal actor in his own right. I really enjoyed his performance when he played Kevin Uxbridge on Star Trek the Next Generation.
What a powerful actior he was late in life. I don't know his early work at all but he is fantstic here as the general. Alda is restrained and dignified, proving that he could do the kind of acting he did after MASH wrapped up.
This is the most brilliantly understated anti war acting Alan Alda ever did on the show. No sanctimony. No noise. No antics. Just deep, quiet sorrow and compassion for the entire situation. Anderson as the general is magnificent.
MASH is one of those special series that has aged better than most series. the second part of the series, after winchester, bj and potter came along brought some of the episodes that aged the best. regardless if you prefer blake mash or potter mash, the series has aged beautifully well, like a bottle of fine brandy
So much of the humor has aged badly (racist stereotypes, sexism) but the big themes were brilliantly done. The inhumanity of war and what it does to people, the personal relationships in all their myriad appearances, the difference between morality and obedience... Amazing show.
@@MelDaltonMusic It didn't age badly so much as we became the _United States of the Offended._ People get their little feelings hurt over the tiniest things these days, that in the past was an obvious and innocent joke.
As Dennis Miller once said about this country; "We've become a politically correct, mincing leviathan". Yup. We all are supposed to walk on eggshells now. It's called "repressive tolerance" ala the Marxist Frankfurt School egghead's. And btw; God bless Archie Bunker.
M*A*S*H was originally a movie; the show is based on the movie, which, itself, is *not* a comedy. When the show aired in the UK, it didn't air with a laugh track -- from what I understand, it doesn't play when they're in the OR, only in the camp. The show isn't a comedy, it's a drama set to the nauseating laughter of trauma. If anything, "it went from drama to screwball comedy seamlessly" would be more accurate.
That was a pretty big "seam": the simultaneous loss of Wayne Rogers and MacLean Stevenson, plus the de-emphasis of comedy in favor of ridiculously over-crafted dialogue that you NEVER hear in real life, dialogue with one witty-titty remark after another, with no time to breathe. Wayne Rogers' yadda-yadda was a good counterpoint to Alda's Groucho rat-a-tat delivery; sounded like legitimate conversations. B.J. was like another Hawkeye, and eventually EVERYBODY sounded like a Hawkeye. Give me the first three seasons any day. The fourth and fifth were aieeet. They hadn't become so cloying yet.
Yeah, and one of the many reasons I quit watching television. I was weary of being lectured to by people whom knew about me. If the powers that be had used television as a educational tool in the beginning, but no, they went straight for the monetary jugular. We are no longer entertained by the "Entertainment Industry", we're being lectured and vilified for our own personal thoughts.
@@kennethlatham3133 the show was always about war and the great waste it is. The line between "a comedy with war" and "a war with comedy" was crossed in Sometimes You Hear The Bullet. That's when they realized the potential the show could tap into. That potential was fully realized when they killed off Henry. Anyone calls that the high water mark of the show, and it's hard to nail the points about the uselessness of war even deeper after that.
I'm sure from Hawkeyes point of view, the father couldn't stop being a soldier long enough to grieve But from the father's point of view, there were men depending on him to stay in the game. He had to push it all aside and keep going or more of them might get killed
I always saw it as the General winning over Hawkeye in that moment. He can't afford to take time as a commander any more that Hawkeye can take time as a surgeon, and Hawkeye recongnises that as a fellow proffesional. He dislikes Generals on principle, but he respects this man for understanding the costs of war and not being a hypocrite when the cost lands on his own family. It is a truly great bit of writing and acting.
True test of leadership. An need of a good leader. Is too bear the emotional turmoil in order to do his job clearly and efficiently. Can you imagine the weight on their shoulders
As much as the general was hard hit by the sudden death of his own son, he knew he didn't have the luxury of time to grieve long and he had a war to run.
John Anderson was a lovely actor. He put such heart into all his performances. I especially liked him as the angel Gabriel in Passage for Trumpet, and the Douwd in Star Trek TNG.
You know when I was a kid watching this show. I didn't appreciate the reality that it was trying to show. Now as an adult I feel like it's one of the most underrated shows that has ever been.
Couldn't agree more. Have the box set on blue ray an always will. It's a masterpiece of a series. It never stopped trying to make you laugh and cry 😢 an feel what these people, the ones in real life they represent that did all this for real. Hopefully so we know more about the pain of war to hopefully deter it. Shame it's lessons weren't learnt better
It was and is one of the most successful and beloved TV shows of all times. So not exactly underrated, but I know what you mean. You can watch it several times over and always find a new meaning depending on your own age and situation. This particular episode I always liked and felt all sad - but I never really understood it before I became a father myself.
@@DH-rj2kv totally, it's timeless. An that's the beauty of it. I remember seeing it when was a kid on gold back when if ya had cable or really rich an had sky/satalite lol. I can just watch it over an over
One of the things that I have always thought that Alan Alda was really trying to show when he took over creative control, was that people going through something as horrifying and traumatic as working as a MASH unit, the people will naturally begin to lean and rely on each other, no matter how different their backgrounds are. And that eventually it will lead to a kind of love and respect for each other, to a point where they are actually family.
MASH is still my favorite TV show. Watched it as a kid growing up. As a vet and former Army medic, this episode has always struck a chord with me. To see a man who has lost so much still rise to the occasion and be a leader because thousands of other young men under his command need him. Sacrifice, honor and duty. Words that weigh heavy on those who serve. God bless them all.
Agreed, Leland. He was a guy who could gain the trust of the audience through his acting. Still, to this day I'm really captivated by his performances. Always thought he could be cast as the brother of James Whitmore.
He was a classic character actor that filled each role with dignity and professionalism. His plaintive plea in the last line here “I don’t have any choice”, indicating that he knows he will be sending others to die because he has “no choice” and if not him, another will bear the burden.
These were the best episodes. They ought to market M*A*S*H as two different series. The early ones in which it was "Animal House Goes To Korea", and the later episodes where it was an intelligently written, well-acted comedy-drama.
when i was younger i used to think hawkeye looked back in disgust like you just lost your kid and you go right back to it. as im much older now i like to think he looked back in pitty like you just lost your kid and you cant even take the time to grieve.
The SNG character he played in that episode ("The Survivors") was insane with grief about his wife dying, and in reality, John Anderson's own wife had passed away not too long before he played that role. Said it was the most difficult part he'd ever played.
This was a show that was committed to detail, and it's the little moments you learn to appreciate, especially when watching them for the first time in a very long time. The moment where the aide quietly leaves the tent out of respect for the general when he learns his son just died. That did not need to be included, but it made the whole scene more meaningful.
This episode was just on TV tonight. I remembered that scene with John Anderson from years ago. He was perfect in that role, and the writing was excellent. And I always liked Hawkeye in those serious moments when he wasn't cracking wise. Thanks for posting this.
I didn’t appreciate the show moving away from silly comedy to a more serious compelling types of scripts. I was too young to appreciate good writing and thoughtful 🤔 insight.
MASH was one of the most poignant comedy dramas on TV in the 70s. Few shows or movies are able to evoke tears of laughter and sadness the way this show can. It allowed its characters to be multifaceted, as people are. I need to watch Saving Private Ryan now. ;)
This scene always stood out to me because almost all the other high ranking officers are silly, mean, or incompetent. This was a rare high ranking officer with more dimensions.
Yep, back then, you got some poor girl pregnant you could just brazen it out and pretend none of the little tykes had anything to do with you. There is a different episode of MASH all about the illigitimate children US servicemen left behind in Korea, and the absolute refusal to even admit the problem existed.
@@bretwein3793 Ahh yes.. it was so much better when marriages were forced when it was found out kids were on the way. Totally didn't lead to a culture of abuse and misogyny... That's sarcasm by the way. Kids are better off with single parents than with two parents who hate each other.
Reminds of the book "The G. I. Diary, which told of WW II battles and very small incidents. One part a naval capt asked if a fighter pilot who'd been wounded, could be transferred to his ship. They did, the captain met the pilot (his son) who said "I wonder how mom will take this" and died Later, the mother was contacted and replied "A force greater than we has taken charge of him" Then went to her job as a nurse.
This was a very sad episode The actor that played the father was a well-known character actor through the years I think this was one of the last Mash episodes before it went off the air
I must have grown up since this episode Aired. But this has to be one of the best written and played scenes for mash that in Colonel Potter saying goodbye to his war buddies
I remember the first time I saw him on TV, it was an episode of Star Trek the Next Generation where he played a husband who's wife died in an invasion, a pacifist whom when he saw his wife's dead body killed an entire species with a thought. "No, no, no, no. You don't understand the scope of my crime. I didn't kill just one Husnock, or a hundred, or a thousand. I killed them all. All Husnock everywhere. Are eleven thousand people worth fifty billion? Is the love of a woman worth the destruction of an entire species?" Such an epic actor.
@@gmnewlook "No, you don't understand the scope of my crime. I didn't kill just one Husnock or a hundred or a thousand. I killed them all. ALL the Husnock, everywhere. Is one life worth fifty billion? Is the love of a woman worth the death of an entire species? That was the secret I tried so desperately to prevent you from finding out."
The airline pilot in the Twilight Zone, in which his plane mysteriously travels back in time. The taciturn farmer in an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, whose mail-order bride grows to suspect that he murdered his first wife. Two of his most memorable roles.
MASH - the show that was like a box of chocolates with every episode. Drama, comedy, documentary, biography... you never knew what you were going to get. Credit to the writers and among the greatest TV actors to ever grace our living rooms.
John Anderson, who played the General, just didn't seem age. He was on several episodes of Perry Mason and many other shows of the 1950's, here on MASH in the 1970's and was on one of the best episodes of Star Trek The Next Generation in the 90's and he was always excellent in any role he played.
One thing to take away from this scene is that we see the general go through the first few steps of loss. We see that he was shocked and in disbelief. Denial. Then we see he is coming into the phase of sharing memories and personal innsight. Then we see he sinks into a reality of comparision. The pins and numbers part. Lasty we see him return to work. He just cant grieve yet. His whole world goes back into denial and trying to lose himself in his work. When he does finally mourn the loss of his son, it will have been days or months later outside the eyes of the world he knows. This scene was and is still very powerful. We all go through mourning differently. The initial shock hits us, then we come to denial, lastly we come to acceptence. However, there are many things that can happen between denial and acceptence, and it will be different for everyone. We see the general hasn't even really gone to acceptence yet. He lives on in denial though he acknowleged his son's death, he never accepted it yet.
"I didn't kill just one Korean, or a hundred, or a thousand... I killed them all... all Koreans... everywhere." Paraphrasing Kevin Uxbridge. John Anderson as the Douwd. Star Trek Next Gen: The Survivors
For me , personally, one of the TOP 10 MASH episodes....Along with: Dreams; In Love & War; Kim; OR; Smattering of Intelligence; Tuttle; Deal Me Out; Incubator; I Hate a Mystery ; etc....
Abyssinia Henry and Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen will be the ones that stick with me as the most memorable. Honestly, the whole show is memorable. Probably why it was a great series then and a great series now.
@@animatedpencilstudios6704 YES!!! horrible party foul by myself!! yeah the Final Episode stands alone & Lt.Colonel Henry Blake was brilliant... Never heard why they chose a death for him...he was already leaving the show; Trapper left & they chose not 2 kill him ...always sat strange 4 me on that issue & I've never Googled [ M*A*S*H ] ...probably b/c Never had 2 since I've always had 2 Much info Memorized about it ...lol I'm in that age bracket where : M*A*S*H & SEINFELD are , argueably , the two Greatest Sit-Coms ever in my book , personally... I could be wrong , watever....Anyways, Thx 4 the reply ....God Bless & GO BUCS !!!!
@@richardsanders5275 it wasn’t a vindictive move on the writers/producers part. They wanted to show not only do young men/soldiers die, but beloved characters like Henry could too. That characters who deserve a happy ending don’t always get it, especially in war. That particular episode also made history by having a main character die. All sitcoms/shows back then would always make a character “move away” to explain a character’s absence. Steve McLean didn’t want to come back as well, saying he was tired of being part of an ensemble and wanted to be number one. (Which came back to bite him.) Side note, I think the series finale hits a particular chord with me as most memorable bc of Hawkeye’s breakdown. Also, it was the catalyst that made me finally grieve over my grandfather’s death. (MASH was his all time favorite show.)
@@animatedpencilstudios6704 very well stated!!!! Absolutely very few things that happen in WAR , is good I suppose ....been watching M*A*S*H since I was a kid & I STILL do today !!! I've ALWAYS felt it IS the best situation comedy ever !!!
I like how the last line of the scene was "I don't have any choice!" like he's sending other children to die immediately after losing his, because despite being a general he's still trapped in the machine.
I've seen this scene many times and I always wonder if his father saw him as just another casualty, one he felt for perhaps, but just another pin on the map to be removed.
i used to wonder that with age i think comes wisdom and i feel hawkeyes glance back in is not in disgust but pitty and sorrow like he gets it he has a job to do and he cant even take the time to process his owns sons loss if you notice the generals tone changes on the second phone call to one much softer but still with authority and i think thats what we are supposed to get from it his view has changed but war is war and his job has to be done or far more pins will be removed from the map.
The problem with this is it fails to note that they are there for the sake of our allies, South Korea. The show makes it appear the top officers are the ones that brought the army there to fight. Noone wants to go to war less than the men who will have to fight it. Truman and the State Department that failed to convince N. Korea they don't want to attack S. Korea are the ones on the Allied side that sent these men to war. They did it for the right reasons, to preserve freedom, but only after they failed to prevent it.
He wanted his father's love and approval. That's all we ever want. And as much as we need to grieve... We have our private time. Right now, time to get back to work.
For Every MAN that Dies in War. THEIRS SOMEBODY GOING TO CRY FOR HIM ! HIS PARENTS, OR WHOEVER. I'LL CRY FOR THE NAMELESS SOULS WHO HAVE DIED IN WAR. SOMEBODY HAS TO CRY FOR THEM😭🙏✝️💋🌈✝️
My wife had a fat embolism in a lung after a caesarian. It was a military hospital, and I remember the doctor being a LOT less caring about her, the baby, or me. If we weren't in uniform, I'd have punched his face in, and I'm pretty sure he was counting on it. Thankfully, I knew his boss, and he was reprimanded and it was placed in his permanent file. Not much else I could do and not go to jail.
@@HoldenNY22 - She did, but I wasn't told about it until I was able to see her the next morning. She passed away last year from a rare complication to a brain injury she suffered from for more than 20 years. We'd been married for almost 40 years.
@@rockysquirrel4776 - I am sorry for your loss. WAs your wife Vaccinated and did she recently receive a Vaccine Shot. There is strong evidence now that the Vaccines are causing Heat Problems and Blood Clots.
This was something that I liked about mash. It was comical. It was fun to watch. It was entertaining but it brought reality in an exposed. The whores of war just as much as you could. A lot of people, lot of men, lot of people died in Korea and a lot of ways it could have been avoided but the people to avoid it are the ones who started it
