Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/08/23/how-to-lose-ones-mind.html
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I remember this quite well from my youth. I can’t remember if this was the moment when M.A.S.H. became un-comedy, but it was definitely revelatory for me as a child in recognizing how our brains work.
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Farscape is my 1a, M * A * S * H is my 1b. The influence that series and it’s characters had on me is unmistakable.
I am watching S4 ep20 The Novocaine Mutiny right now.
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Spoiler alert! Not a chicken!
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Technically it was season 1 episode 17 “Sometimes You Hear the Bullet”. They established very early on that they would take on some hard hitting points about war and not always be the juvenile prank romp that many episodes revolved around.
Season 6 with Larry Linville leaving and the intro of Winchester; the writers decided to have a character capable of handling Hawkeye and BJ. It definitely turned in that season right away. Episode 2 “Fallen Idol” was far less laughs and the trend continued.
By the time season 8 rolled around and Radar went home…it had a slog for its final 4 seasons. There were some great episodes in those final years (Old Soldiers, Dreams, War Letters, Blood Brothers, The Tooth Shall Set You Free) but it rehashed some of the same jokes and many episodes were “boring” compared to earlier seasons.
I will say my absolute favorite episode came in season 10: Sons and Bowlers. When my father passed a few years ago (one of his favorite shows was MASH) I actually quoted this episode when I gave his eulogy: Major CHarles Winchester (to Hawkeye): “But, where I have a father, you have a dad.” I added…“We all lost a dad.”
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I… thought the show stood up poorly to the movie.
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Since it was in the finale, no, not the moment.
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(Holy shit, you know your M.A.S.H.)
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That was a brilliant plot to end the series. The main character, who used his irreverent humor to ward off insanity during the entire show (war) finally snaps as the horror of war catches up to him. Such great writing.
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If I say I’ve watched all 11 seasons (and the original film) 100 times each…I’m low. Really low. 
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Damn you! I remember that back in the 70s … you are not tricking me into watching that moment again.
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ftfy.
(finale was in 1983)
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Hard to believe how much that kid from Ottumwa Iowa aged in just three years in Korea.
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War does crazy things to a communications flunkie.
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It was so very long ago. For some reason I thought that episode was earlier and not the series finale.
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Oh no you don’t. I’ve seen that episode; no way I’m watching that again.
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