MASHis rightfully regarded as one of the most remarkable television series ever. The dramatic comedy, set in Uijeongbu, South Korea, during the Korean War, detailed the lives of the men and women stationed at the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH). The series is a spinoff of the1970 Robert Altman filmMAS*H, which was based on Richard Hooker’s novelMASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors. The show is a situational comedy about Army doctors and medical staff grappling with the day-to-day realities of life and death in their hospital, set against the backdrop of war. In reality, it’s also a satirical look at the foolishness of war and the human collateral such campaigns require. This is especially evident in the Emmy-nominated episode written byAlan Alda, “Follies of the Living-Concerns of the Dead.”
‘MAS*H’ Gets Serious From Time to Time
In a lot of ways,MAS*His just a typical sitcom. The series' focus is the ensemblecast of carefully crafted charactersand their interpersonal relationships. The charismatic cut-up Captain Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce (Alan Alda) is a brilliant but rarely serious surgeon who is always at odds with someone in the medical unit. Hawkeye’s main adversary in the first five seasons is Lieutenant Colonel Frank Burns (Larry Linville) and, later, Major Charles Emerson Winchester III (David Ogden Stiers). The opposition between these characters drives the series' central conflict,making for some hilarious and even tense moments.
MASHhas a lot of episodes during its tenure that depicted the realities of war. In the emotional Season 1 episode “Sometimes You Hear the Bullet” starringRon Howard, the doctors fail to save a patient, a heartbreaking reality of the field. In “Abyssinia, Henry,” the unit’s beloved commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake (McLean Stevenson) is honorably discharged and prepares to return home, only to be killed when his plane is shot down. ThoughMASHrelies heavily on humor to drive its narratives forward, the show doesn’t shy away from the emotional componentsof war. As the series evolves, the writers experiment with more dramatic episodes.
MAS*Htaps into the horrors of war exceptionally well in the Season 10 episode “Follies of the Living-Concerns of the Dead.” In this episode, Cpl. Maxwell Q. Klinger (Jamie Farr) is seriously ill with an unidentified kidney infection. He is delirious from fever, and when Private Jimmy Weston (Kario Salem) is laid down on a stretcher near him, Klinger watches as Weston’s spirit leaves his body.Weston’s spirit then wanders through the camp, listening to the doctors as they argue about trivial things, listening as his friend grieves his loss and writes a letter to his family, and listening and watching as Colonel Sherman Potter (Harry Morgan) and Father Mulcahy (William Christopher) catalog his belongings.Klinger is the only one who can see him, and he talks to Weston in a very matter-of-fact manner, telling him he is dead, though he doesn’t want to accept it. Finally, Weston realizes he is deceased, and he wanders off and meets another soldier who guides him down the road toward some unknown destination with the other wandering souls lost to war.
The True Story of How a Teenager Created ‘MAS*H’s Theme Song
Robert Altman made this a family affair.
At its heart,MAS*Hwas a social commentary on thetragedies and absurdities of war. As doctors, the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital officers value life above all else and strive to refrain from causing hurt or harm, as is their duty to the Hippocratic oath. But how do you uphold that kind of oath when the very nature of war is harmful and hurtful? In “Follies of the Living-Concerns of the Dead,” PrivateWeston’s death is not meant to be a tragedy in and of itself, but to serve as a reminder of what is importantand how fleeting life is. His spirit wanders around the camp, trying to speak to others (to no avail since Klinger is the only one who can see him). We see Hawkeye and Charles arguing over which hook to use, Major Margaret Houlihan (Loretta Swit) trying to offer valuable insights only to be brushed aside by the doctors, and another argument ensuing over which fork B.J. Hunnicutt (Mike Farrell) likes to use in the mess hall. Weston’s spiritual presence is part of the bigger picture of life and death, against which the little squabbles mean nothing.
As Weston’s spirit wanders between these scenes, his ghostly presence highlights the pettiness of those moments compared to thereal tragedies others are experiencing. When Klinger’s fever finally breaks and he can speak coherently, he asks about Private Weston, and the doctors have no idea to whom he is referring. In that moment, Weston is reduced to just another number of other soldiers killed in action, not even worthy of a second thought. But his anonymity showcases anothertragedy of being just another name on a list, another body in a bag, and another letter home.
‘MAS*H’ Highlights the Uncertainty of the Afterlife
The last scene of theMAS*Hepisode shows Weston being drawn towards something he doesn’t understand. He walks toward the road, and another soldier, who we know to be deceased, tells him to go with him. He doesn’t know where they are headed, butthe implication is that they are headed toward whatever lies beyond death.Weston is joined by many other soldiers who have died and are now on the road to the hereafter together. In this moment, the biggest tragedy of war is revealed: the senseless and ceaseless death of our young servicemen and servicewomen.
MAS*His a brilliant television showthat balances the fine line betweenanti-war activismand political neutrality. The series was beloved by people everywhere. While the series pokes fun at the absurdities and bureaucracy of the government, the central focus of the show is the characters. People love the individual character development and the interpersonal relationships between the characters. You could tune in for that alone, ignore the activist overtones, andfind complete enjoyment in the emotionally charged, often hilarious moments in each episode. But in episodes like “Follies of the Living-Concerns of the Dead,” it’s hard to ignore the true tragedies of war.
MAS*His available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.
WATCH ON HULU
MAS*H is set in a mobile army hospital during the Korean War, following the lives of the doctors and nurses who must balance the grim realities of war with moments of humor and camaraderie. Led by the wisecracking surgeon Hawkeye Pierce and his colleagues, the show explores themes of friendship, sacrifice, and resilience in the face of adversity.
