M.A.S.H - Discussions and everything else...

[ecgordon]

I think either ME-TV or COZI is running it now, but the first five seasons are also on Netflix Streaming. It's been a while since I've watched it with any regularity, but I should check back in on it just to see if they have the original pilot episode that had a different actor playing Father Mulcahy, plus Timothy Brown as "Spearchucker" Jones (played by Fred Williamson in the movie), even though Brown was in the movie as Corporal Judson. Then they dropped Brown after he had appeared in just six episodes, I guess to give more screen time to Hawkeye and Trapper John.

[mandogater]

Thanks for starting this thread, imzadi35!!!!

I so loved M*A*S*H. It was my favorite show growing up. I think I love it more now that some of the jokes don't go over my head.

[imzadi35]

You're welcome everyone! I absolutely LOVE the show, from the pilot to the very ending where I bawled. Sometime it was serious, sometimes it wasn't, but most of the time it was just plain great! Also, if you'd like to keep the love going, there's a great website to go to, if you haven't already discovered it. It's called Best Care Anywhere, and here's the addy...
http://www.bestcareanywhere.net

It's got cool stuff like series stuff, pics and sounds, and even Radio Tokyo. That has sound bytes from the show, and one of the best is this one from the epi 'For the Good Of the Outfit'...

Frank: "Pigpen! Brothel!"
Hawkeye: "Here, Sir!"
Trapper: "Yo!"

But let's get the discussions going. First up, who was your favorite commanding officer? Was it Lt. Col. Henry Blake...


Or was it Col. Sherman T. Potter...


Tell us who was your fave and why!

[Skydiver]

I liked Potter.

Henry Blake was fun, but so easy for them to pull things over on. Potter gave as good as he got. He was a willing conspirator or the one that busted them, or the one that simply allowed them to get away with stuff (a big picture why sweat the small stuff kinda guy)

[mandogater]

I always liked Potter.

Like Skydiver said, he always gave as good as he got. Potter seemed to know how much lease he could give each of the them. How he delt with Burns always made me laugh.

[imzadi35]

I agree with both of you. Henry's antics were funny, but Col. Potter was a riot many times, and serious when he needed to be.

[Skydiver]

Potter also controlled Frank while Henry caved to him and Margaret.

Made sense, the difference between a civilian and military commander. But Potter was a commander long enough to just let people do their jobs and not stick his nose in until he has to.

[iiradned]

Canonically, both Margaret and Potter were regular Army, the rest of the staff were all draftees.

[Skydiver]

Margaret had a real stick up her bum in the beginning. Of course, they needed her to be the antagonist with Frank so she was written that way.
Later, when it was less 'staff vs staff' and more 'people vs the war' she changed and became more a partner to all of them (and in some ways, the softness or heart of the show...as most often happens with female characters)

Honestly, margaret wasn't all that interesting until after she crawled out of the cliche.

[jelgate]

Honestly I wonder if we are being fair about Blake vs Potter. Lets not overlook that they represent differences in storytelling. S4 is when the show went away from the comedy and more towards the dramady storytelling the show is known for

[Skydiver]

True.
It's like Blake's demise was their opening to take things a more serious turn.
Honestly I wonder, had it stayed like the early seasons, if it'd have lasted til season 11

[imzadi35]

You're all right. And I don't think they would have lasted, Skydiver. I'm glad they did though. So now on to the next discussion. Who was better...


Trapper John

OR


BJ

[jelgate]

True.
It's like Blake's demise was their opening to take things a more serious turn.
Honestly I wonder, had it stayed like the early seasons, if it'd have lasted til season 11

I think they would have as long as they were respectful the content. Its not like show drastically changed to serious. It still had comedy but just not as intense. I for loved Klinger in later seasons when he became more than just a cross dresser. As long as the show was respectful with the comedy it would have lasted. A lot of people were also negative about the overdramatic and people still watched.

[pscard]

It was during those years when M*A*S*H had a mixture of drama and comedy that a new term was coined - 'Dramedy'.

[Kliggins]

I'm behind; Lt Col Henry Blake and Trapper John.