I Need a New Word

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by bart_simpson

I only got to know MASH backwards in syndication reruns. So I got used to Winchester and Potter first and then wondered what was going on when the repeats started over with the boss turning into some chill guy in a fishing hat and Hawkeye's tent-mate was a loathesome quack.

I think Potter and Winchester made the show more cozy, less like the novel which was black comedy, a genre that usually does not last long on TV. I was often unsure what to make of Blake and Burns was so horrid I almost felt sorry for him. Potter was a wholesome cup of Black coffee and Winchester, while a snob, at least knew what he was doing. Blake and Burns are like people in real life, Potter and Winchester are more entertaining but a little too easy. I'm not sure which I pair prefer, especially given the limitations of the sitcom.

The shark-jump moment for me was the sequel spin-off: After MASH. All I can remember of it is Hawkeye and maybe Honeycut watching a hydrogen bomb explode on TV. I don't remember what they said. The irreverent/maudlin switch was broken.

M*A*S*H is best watched the first time in order. It doesn't work as well going from The Potter era to the Blake era. It's best going from the Blake era to the Potter era.

[DiapDealer]

My main problem with the later MASH (you can keep your asterisks), is that they turned RADAR into a complete clown. In the earlier seasons he smoked cigars, drank a good bit, played poker, and was quite involved in all of the scheming and conniving. He was smart and a lot more worldly. Then he suddenly became a rube from Iowa who was all "Golly gee."

[theducks]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

My main problem with the later MASH (you can keep your asterisks), is that they turned RADAR into a complete clown. In the earlier seasons he smoked cigars, drank a good bit, played poker, and was quite involved in all of the scheming and conniving. He was smart and a lot more worldly. Then he suddenly became a rube from Iowa who was all "Golly gee."

When MASH started all those things were normal in the Military. Then things changed (including the current Military), where those things were either frowned upon or banned. (Not PC?)

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by theducks

When MASH started all those things were normal in the Military. Then things changed (including the current Military), where those things were either frowned upon or banned. (Not PC?)

That doesn't really explain why they would take it out on one character and let all of the rest run amok and be deviants.

They did it to Potter in reverse. He showed up all hard-core regular army--was going to run things by the book--and within one episode, he was lushing (and yukking) it up with the best of them.

I actually liked Harry Morgan's earlier guest appearance as the whackadoodle General Bartford Hamilton Steele better than his Potter character.

[Dr. Drib]

Did the actor's interpretation of that character differ from those early episodes of the series?

I was never a fan of the series, but can't remember what it was that I watched during its tenure as a series.

I saw the film when it was released, and I remember enjoying it. However, I no longer recall anything about the film.

[Solitaire1]

DiapDealer wrote the following as part of a post:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I actually liked Harry Morgan's earlier guest appearance as the whackadoodle General Bartford Hamilton Steele better than his Potter character.

The problem with Steele is that he wasn't a sustainable character in the MASH Ensemble. It's kind of like Dr. Smith on Lost in Space. It is often forgotten that he started out as an ice-cold villain who could have killed the Robinsons in a minute. He sabotages the Jupiter II but he He only needed them so he could stay alive. He programmed the Robot and used it to hold the Robinsons hostage. Fortunately, Will was able to take control of the Robot by imitating Smith's voice.

Due to the popularity of the character they had to tone down his villainy and make him a buffoon because if he had remained a villain the Robinsons would have ejected him from the ship or abandoned him on a planet at the first opportunity. Considering what Smith had done, I'm surprised that Major West (a military officer likely trained in lethal hand-to-hand combat) didn't just kill Smith at the first opportunity due to the threat that Smith presented to the family.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by Solitaire1

The problem with Steele is that he wasn't a sustainable character in the MASH Ensemble.

Oh I get that. I'm just saying I found that character more interesting than Potter's typical fare. Don't get me wrong, there were some episodes where they gave Potter some good stuff to say/do. It just wasn't consistent enough for me. McClain Stevenson did a better job (IMO) of trying to portray a colonel that wanted to maintain control but just couldn't quite do it. And that's pretty important if you think about it. The better the CO of the 4077th did at maintaining some semblance of normality, the less viewers would have tuned in. The "serious" episodes (and don't get me started on the episodes where they allowed Alan Alda to foam at the brain for the full 24-26 minutes) were the ones I tended to skip in syndication.

[issybird]

I loathed MASH. Hawkeye was protrayed as a sensitive New Age guy thirty years before that was a thing, just like the supposedly sensitive New Age guy who portrayed him, and yet a constant gag was how he’d objectify and hit on his women subordinates. Oh, wasn’t that hilarious? No, actually. They couldn’t have it both ways; you can be either a sensitive New Age guy or a serial harrasser, not both. If you want to argue that was the reality of the situation, I don’t know, but fine, certainly today’s army seems to be rife with harrassment and abuse, but then don’t go all preachy and supposedly embody a higher morality. Ugh. Couldn’t stand Hawkeye and couldn’t stand Alda.

[Apache]

I preferred the book overall. It was great at depicting people using black humor to help get them through the hell they thrust into.
Apache

[j.p.s]

I read the book (for the first time) a few months ago and liked it.

I watched the movie at about the time it came out, and likrd it a lot. I have no idea whyether I would experiece cringe if I were to watch it again.

I didn't like the TV show at all when it came out. In hindsight that was probably because it was nothing like the movie. Later, I realized that it was doing its own thing, and that it was more or less OK. The final episode was meh after all the buildup. I don't think historical accurracy was ever the point nor that the lack thereof detracted in any way from whatever the TV show was trying to do.