tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post1797545767959547230..comments2024-03-28T08:51:47.164-04:00Comments on Patricia Abbott (pattinase): Forgotten TV-A Favorite Episode of M*A*S*Hpattinase (abbott)http://www.blogger.com/profile/02916037185235335846noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-35501366982313883782014-01-07T11:07:55.159-05:002014-01-07T11:07:55.159-05:00Well, Jeff...not quite. Margaret threatened to bec...Well, Jeff...not quite. Margaret threatened to become a real character, as did Frank, fleetingly in the early series, and then Margaret became an Earth Mother and Frank was made ever more witlessly cartoonish till he was written off.<br /><br />Trapper and Henry were supposed to be spikier characters than Potter and BJ. That was part of what made them better characters in the series. I didn't need a TGIF version of M*A*S*H, but that's what we got. There were some good episodes, but it lost a lot of integrity. Todd Masonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01815516018079824802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-3962702310542173572014-01-07T11:01:06.146-05:002014-01-07T11:01:06.146-05:00My second comment disappeared...yet again.
Anyway...My second comment disappeared...yet again.<br /><br />Anyway, Frank Burns was basically a cartoon character and Margaret became much more of a real person as the series went on.<br /><br />Jeff M.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-14540666332085214852014-01-07T10:56:07.010-05:002014-01-07T10:56:07.010-05:00It is not the replacement of characters I meant. I...It is not the replacement of characters I meant. It was that the show became mushy and didactic (Alda's influence as Deb points out). Now I am in agreement with its loathing of war and I like Alda, but it does not make good TV week after week. The cast was good in both incarnations to me. <br />I was very excited to see HELLO, LARRY and then I realized he had always and would always play himself. pattinase (abbott)https://www.blogger.com/profile/02916037185235335846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-53687174545384905982014-01-07T10:23:22.201-05:002014-01-07T10:23:22.201-05:00The actors were not told ahead of time that Blake&...The actors were not told ahead of time that Blake's character would be killed. Their reactions on-screen when told his plane went down were real. Great television, but I always thought it was a rather cruel trick to play.Jerry Househttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09482856733981933159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-6698781962334120632014-01-07T09:52:41.870-05:002014-01-07T09:52:41.870-05:00I don't agree. I liked Potter and BJ better t...I don't agree. I liked Potter and BJ better than Henry Blake or Trapper. But this was a good episode.<br /><br /><br />Jeff M.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-50037398167146805602014-01-07T09:37:02.433-05:002014-01-07T09:37:02.433-05:00I barely remember HELLO, LARRY. Yes, it was a big ...I barely remember HELLO, LARRY. Yes, it was a big mistake on Stevenson's part, even if the scriptwriters never did get a consistent bead on him (apparently Stevenson and Burghoff were the least popular cast members on the set; Harry Morgan apparently kept his aggression in check till he got home). Potter the character helped them further the sloppy sentimentalism they encouraged throughout the later seasons, after the often very sharp observation of the first three seasons. Henry having in his indirect way to chew out Pierce, Trapper learning, without really wanting to, how a Frank Burns is created (some savage child abuse in an otherwise repressive family), the adventures in desk-trading and boot seeking, the sniper vs. the camp were all more memorable than nearly anything in the final eight seasons. Though this might win the Least Overlooked award this week...this episode has stuck with people. "Abyssinia, Henry", episode 324.Todd Masonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01815516018079824802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-12378950585429441802014-01-07T09:36:55.582-05:002014-01-07T09:36:55.582-05:00I started watching Mash after it was in syndicatio...I started watching Mash after it was in syndication. I generally enjoyed it pretty well. Liked Colonel Potter best.Charles Gramlichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02052592247572253641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-27736896453819465252014-01-07T09:24:48.388-05:002014-01-07T09:24:48.388-05:00The more power Alan Alda got behind the scenes, th...The more power Alan Alda got behind the scenes, the worse the show became, IMHO. And does anyone remember McLean Stevenson's post-MASH show, "Hello, Larry"?Debnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-9576502910084116912014-01-07T09:21:48.869-05:002014-01-07T09:21:48.869-05:00I cried watching this episode and the reruns for a...I cried watching this episode and the reruns for a decade after. One of the best episodes of American television.David Cranmerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04749857752139212888noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-5778099907698174862014-01-07T09:03:32.495-05:002014-01-07T09:03:32.495-05:00I watched MASH sporadically. I agree with you: the...I watched MASH sporadically. I agree with you: the early years were better.Georgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04546161337366365635noreply@blogger.com