For 11 seasons, MASH was one of the most popular sitcoms on television. In fact, the show had so many fans who loved it that its final episode, “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen,” was the most-watched television broadcast in the United States for 27 years before a Super Bowl surpassed its viewing numbers. The reason for the popularity was that it was a funny sitcom with some great moments, but it also knew when to change things up and take a more serious tone when needed, even more so than other sitcoms that only occasionally took on serious moments to shake things up.
This was no more evident than in an episode that aired on March 18, 1975, called “Abyssinia, Henry.” In this episode, MASH shocked the world when it took what should have been a happy moment and turned it into a moment of tragedy, slamming home its most basic message that war is hell.
Things Changed Forever on MASH 51 Years Ago Today
On March 18, 1975, “Abyssinia, Henry” was an episode that didn’t do what anyone expected, and most people finished the episode with shocked tears in their eyes. As a reminder, MASH is a show about a United States Army Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) in the Korean War. The CBS series was based on the movie of the same name by Robert Altman, and the two main characters were Hawkeye Pierce (Alan Alda) and Trapper John McIntyre (Wayne Rogers), who were top surgeons and roommates at the unit.
However, they were only part of the incredible cast that included, at this time, McLean Stevenson as the company commander, Henry Blake. The third season presented the episode, “Abyssinia, Henry,” which was a goodbye episode for Stevenson and his character of Henry Blake. Most of the episode saw Hawkeye and Trapper John up to their usual hijinks, but the overall story was that Henry was finally getting discharged after receiving all the Army service points he needed to go home. The characters all took the time to say their goodbyes in several emotional moments.
However, the episode ended in a way that no one expected. The doctors of the 4077 were in the hospital operating on wounded soldiers when Radar O’Reilly (Gary Burghoff) walked into the room. After being told to put on a mask, Radar just stood in shock and delivered a message, verbatim, that he had just received. The plane carrying Henry home was shot down over the Sea of Japan, and there were no survivors. The episode then went silent as the camera rounded the operating room with the doctors continuing to work, but with tears in their eyes.
The episode was a landmark piece of television at the time, and it even ranked as one of the greatest television episodes of all time in a past TV Guide countdown. The reason for its importance wasn’t just because of the shocking death of Henry Blake. This episode marked a stark change for the series, which had been a comedy for three seasons. After this, the horrors of war took on a more important aspect to the series, and MASH became more of a dark, tragic comedy with some increasingly dramatic moments.
This Was Also Trapper’s Last Episode of MASH
McLean Stevenson’s departure was announced before “Abyssinia, Henry” aired, so fans knew he was leaving the series. It was a sweet moment, as he was returning to his wife and family, only to tragically die on the way. However, what no one knew was that Wayne Rodgers was also leaving the series because he didn’t announce it until after the season ended. In fact, he quit the series over the summer, and when Fox tried to sue him for it, they lost because he was not under contract. Unlike Blake, Trapper John lived and went back home.
His departure was done off-screen and revealed in the Season 4 premiere, “Welcome to Korea,” where he ended up replaced by Mike Farrell, who became Hawkeye’s new running buddy, B.J. Hunnicutt. Harry Morgan also joined the series as Colonel Sherman Potter to replace Stevenson’s Henry Blake. This also led to recurring star Jamie Farr receiving a promotion to a series regular as Klinger.
With Henry and Trapper John both gone, MASH took a dark turn. This was a show about the horrors of war, and its theme was even titled “Suicide is Painless,” albeit the instrumental version of that song. However, the biggest change was in the format of the episodes. Instead of the usual Hawkeye and Trapper John hijinks and pranks, the stories were more about the effects and psychological damages of war on everyone, including the doctors at the 4077. The final episode, which broke television records, had Hawkeye break down after all he saw. MASH was an often funny, but always intense sitcom that deserves its sterling reputation, and this episode, 51 years ago, is a big reason why.
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