MASH Survey!

[captain-lubey.livejournal.com]

To celebrate the release of MASH Season 11 in Australia I am posting this little survey that I found. Please fill it out because I would like to see what you people love about MASH!

 

These are my favourite MASH moments!

Character: Series 1-5 Hawkeye, series 6-11 Charles

 

Least fav: Mulcahy, he was sweet but too annoying *gets attacked by rabid Mulcahy fans*

 

Favourite ep: 'Movie Tonight' and 'Mr and Mrs Who?'

 

Least favourite ep: Some episodes are kinda crap (all series have those!) but overall I'm happy with the entire series.

What ticked you off? When Klinger stopped wearing dresses, I loved that cross-dressing Corporal!

 

What made you cry? When Hawkeye and Kyung Soon shared that romantic moment in the ep 'In Love and War'.

 

What made you feel fuzzy? Hawkeye/Trapper or Hawkeye/BJ moments.

 

What made you feel sleepy? When I watch the show late at night lol.

*

Comments

oops, missed the last two :-)

[lydia-petze.livejournal.com]

Character: BJ. Love Beej to bits.

Least fav: Radar. Never found him all that appealing, that wide-eyed innocent thing got so old.

Favourite ep: The Novocaine Mutiny. Always loved the Hawk/Beej in that one, and the glimpse at how far Frank's pathological problems extended is disquieting in a good way.

Least favourite ep: Um, not sure I really have one. Even at its worst, the show was always watchable.

What ticked you off? Radar, usually. I always thought his character was given a lot more screentime than he needed. Probably a personal reaction.

What made you cry? Oh god. Henry Blake. The "GOODBYE" in GF&A. Not that unusual, I guess :-)

What made you feel fuzzy? Hawk/Beej, the quiet h/c moments. Potter's reaction when Radar gives him Sophie.

What made you feel sleepy? Watching the show tired?

Re: oops, missed the last two :-)

[captain-lubey.livejournal.com]

Even at its worst, the show was always watchable.

I agree although I found it hard to watch Hawkeye and Trapper drive a gold jeep past Frank and Margaret in 'Major Fred C. Dobbs' lol!

So not a Radar fan huh? I think I relate to him a little...you know...because we're both virgins that don't have a clue about the opposite sex...lol...*cries pathetically*

[kabukiziggy.livejournal.com]

Character: Charles and Mulcahy

Least fav: i cant really think of one besides frank

Favourite ep: cant really pinpoint one, but i really like the ones where mulcahy is focused upon...ooh and "dreams"



Least favourite ep: the one with charles and the korean prostitute, it was really cheesy

What ticked you off? when trapper left real fast like a dum dum...that made me sound like i was 4


What made you cry? besides the henry dying thing, the last 15 seconds of GFA i was bawling



What made you feel fuzzy? any scene between henry and radar, and hawkeye and mulcahy (not necessarily slashy)



What made you feel sleepy? hearing frank give speeches lol.

[soi.livejournal.com]

Character: Frank, hands down. He's somehow managed to become my favorite fictional character ever.


Least fav: Hawkeye. I'm sure part of this is just a side effect of being a Frank fan, but honestly, after a while, his snarky self-righteousness just grates on me to the point where I want to knock him out.


Favourite ep: I'm not really sure. I love the ones that make me cry, because I'm an idiot, but I also love the fun ones. "As You Were" was pretty great, I love the gorilla suits.


Least favourite ep: "Hawkeye." I spend the entire series wishing he'd shut up for a while, and I get an entire episode devoted to his doing just the opposite.


What ticked you off? When Hawkeye (....oh, there is such a pattern here) yelled at Radar in "Fallen Idol." Oh my GOD, I never forgave him for that.


What made you cry? "Abyssinia Henry," of course, and in retrospect, the scene in an earlier episode where they watch that home video from Henry's family just because I know he never got to see them again. Also, at the end of "Margaret's Marriage" when Frank's standing alone watching the helicopter fly off.


What made you feel fuzzy? I always thought the Charles and Klinger bonding moments were the cutest things ever. Also, most Mulcahy scenes, because he's adorable.


What made you feel sleepy? Watching reruns on the Hallmark channel after midnight. And, you know, listening to Hawkeye's little spiels.

[katiemariie.livejournal.com]

Dude, I'm in total agreement with you on the Frank!love and Hawkeye!tolerate thing. I thought I was the only one. There's somebody who roots for the underdog.

[soi.livejournal.com]

Awesome, it's SO rare to find that.

[captain-lubey.livejournal.com]

I'm inclined to agree with you on a certain level.

There were a few times throughout series 1-5 where I thought Hawkeye and Trapper/BJ were really cruel to Frank (although most of the time I thought it was amusing lol). I felt sorry for him during 'Margaret's Engagement' and 'Margaret's Marriage'. So, on the subject of Frank I would have to say I love/hate him.

I also agree (slightly ;-)) that Hawkeye's self righteousness did get really annoying! Alan Alda did kind of shove his morals and values down our throats during the last few seasons. However I still heart Hawk but I think he was the most fun during seasons 1-8!

Btw...love your icon lol!

[soi.livejournal.com]

Okay, now that I've written that whole serious Frank thing a few comments down, as a disclaimer, I'll say that it WAS hilarious when Frank made a total ass of himself, and, lots of times, when Trapper and Hawkeye played jokes on him (putting him in that crate while he was sleeping cracked me up so hard). Part of what I love about him is definitely what an absolute idiot he can be. XD So... yeah, I appreciate him on several levels. <3

[http://users.livejournal.com/_grayswandir_/]

Actually, I think what they did with Frank added an interesting dimension to Hawkeye's character. The show never seemed to make up its mind about whether Frank was an unforgivable jerk or a sad, screwed-up guy who was trying his best but just couldn't get anything right, no matter which side he tried to play on. He tried being military, and everyone hated him for that; he tried being "one of the guys," but the "guys" didn't want him. He was an idiot and an ass, but in his own way, he was also subtly tragic (unlike Hawkeye, whose tragedy hits you over the head).

I think the interesting thing is that Hawkeye never even tried to see beneath the surface with Frank. With most other characters, Hawkeye forgave them over time, and even tried to understand them; but he was still cracking jokes about Frank in the very last episode, ages after Frank had been sent home. I think it shows a telling character flaw, one of the few we get to see in Hawkeye; he's usually portrayed as being so perceptive, but with Frank he never was.

It shows a pettiness and a meanness and possibly even a hint of jealousy in Hawkeye that makes him a worse man, maybe, but a better character. Or at least a more believable character. I think Frank and Hawkeye complemented each other well on the show; they had an interesting dynamic.

I do get what you're saying about Hawkeye's snarky self-righteousness, though. He's obviously central to the series, but I think he often works better when he's not the one in the spotlight.

Whoa... long random comment. :/ Don't mind me...

[captain-lubey.livejournal.com]

It shows a pettiness and a meanness and possibly even a hint of jealousy in Hawkeye that makes him a worse man, maybe, but a better character. Or at least a more believable character.

Definitely, the fact that he could never forgive Frank for anything does make Hawkeye more believable and it just proves that nobody's perfect!

The show never seemed to make up its mind about whether Frank was an unforgivable jerk or a sad, screwed-up guy who was trying his best

I think it was possibly a little bit of both...as the late, great Larry Linville once said:
'Frank Burns is everywhere.' (Correct me if I'm wrong!)

This comment got so much longer than I intended.

[soi.livejournal.com]

The thing about Frank is that it's not really fair to consider him unforgivable because he was shaped entirely by other people. All the little glimpses we get into his family life and childhood, they're almost always these throwaway jokes meant to emphasize what an unlikeable loser he is, but when you add them all up, you can see exactly why he is what he is. He's built up all these pretenses trying to get the approval he was never able get as himself, and he never does.

In an interview, Larry Linville said, "You had to know that he could feel pain like anyone else... maybe more than anyone else." Frank was an incredibly sensitive character; to cover it up and protect himself, he just built up on his guise of being the authoritarian hardass. This is a big part of what bothers me about Hawkeye so much, that as much as he complained about what a terrible person Frank was, he helped make him that way and only continued to make him worse.

...Good lord, I get way too involved in things. Anyway, you're right, they showed Frank as a combination of unforgivable and pitiable, but I think they focused too much on the former. They'd created this character who was a fascinating psychological mess and they decided to keep using him as the butt of every joke rather than really give him a chance for development when there was so much room for it. Every time they started to, it was shot right down in the next scene. And that's kind of tragic in itself.

[soi.livejournal.com]

I definitely agree with you on this, and that's just another part of what makes me like Hawkeye less. I think it makes him more interesting, maybe, but, like you said, a less respectable person.

I think it's kind of weird how few people seem to notice this. There are a lot of fans who think Hawkeye is the best person in the world, and while most of the time he IS a very good person, they don't realize that he's only good to you if he thinks you're worth it.

[murf1013.livejournal.com]

Favorite Character: It's a tie between BJ and Hawkeye ... but if I have to pick one, it's BJ.

Least fav: Frank. Frank. Frank. Did I mention Frank?

Favourite ep: That's a toughie ... I love so many. But if I have to pick one, I'd say Welcome to Korea pt. 2 because that's the episode that brought BJ and Hawkeye together.

Least favourite ep: The Pilot. The acting was awful. The plot was awful. If I had seen that episode first (I was 2 when it originally aired) ... I wouldn't have watched the following week.

What ticked you off? I don't like that fact that Trapper never wrote even a quick letter to Hawkeye after he got home. It seemed mean. And even though Wayne Rogers left the show, there's no reason TPTB couldn't have put a letter in there somewhere.

What made you cry? The entire second half of Goodbye, Farewell and Amen

What made you feel fuzzy? Any time Hawk/BJ were together ...even when they were fighting.

What made you feel sleepy? 90% of the episodes during S1-3. The only ones I actually enjoy are Check-up, Bombed and Showtime ... and I only like those because they've made me a Trapper/Margaret shipper (after H/BJ of course!).

[captain-lubey.livejournal.com]

It's a tie between BJ and Hawkeye ... but if I have to pick one, it's BJ.

No surprises there lol! I think BJ would have to be my second favourite character (with the 'stache!)

Who honestly didn't think that there was sexual tension between Trapper and Margaret? I reckon they so should have at least had some tawdry little affair..now THAT would have been very interesting...

[soi.livejournal.com]

Haha, yes. Trapper/Margaret was so adorable.

[murf1013.livejournal.com]

>>Who honestly didn't think that there was sexual tension between Trapper and Margaret? I reckon they so should have at least had some tawdry little affair..now THAT would have been very interesting... <<

YES! That's what I keep saying. Like in Bombed! ... why couldn't they have just KISSED? Why did Margaret have to turn away. GAH!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_grayswandir_/]

Character: Depending on the episode, Charles, Klinger, or Hawkeye.

Least fav: I know this isn't going to go over well, but... Margaret. She came through sometimes, I'll admit, but most of the time she was bitchy to everyone, and just generally superficial -- attracted to shiny things like jewelry, weddings, high-ranking men in uniform, and other typical girly attractions. I understand why other people like her; she's just not my thing.

Favourite ep: Lord, I couldn't pick just one. The first ones that comes to mind are "Period of Adjustment," "Death Takes a Holiday," "Fallen Idol"... I'd have to look at an episode list, but I'm sure there are several.

Least favourite ep: "That's Show Biz." Argh. I watched it once, and haven't been able to bring myself to watch it again.

What ticked you off? Overall, nothing. I didn't even mind that Klinger left off wearing the dresses, as much as I loved them -- but it was nice that he kept the scarf and earrings most of the time. ;)

What made you cry? I've never physically cried while watching anything, but I guess if I did it'd be in the same places as everyone else -- when Blake's plane goes down, and at the end of GFA.

What made you feel fuzzy? I'm also not a "fuzzy" person, per se, but... Klinger, in general, is always squee-worthy, and I think the brief little warm moment between him and Charles at the end of "Death Takes a Holiday" is one of the best scenes in the series.

What made you feel sleepy? Staying up 24 hours to watch a M*A*S*H marathon the whole way through. ;)

[mijmeraar.livejournal.com]

I know this isn't going to go over well, but... Margaret.

Margeret was definitely a character who developed into somebody likable, though some may argue she just became boring and predicatable. I think the war really slapped the idiot out of her, in the beginning she was impressed by Frank's stupid tirades and any man with a lot of decoration. She had some really key episodes, the one where she becomes close to her nurses, the one where she stands up to her father, even her relationship with Scully. She's brought back down to earth a lot. That said, I don't disagree with you, many times during the show she was unbearable.

[mijmeraar.livejournal.com]

Character: Seasons 1-3, probably Radar [and of course until the time he left the show], but BJ wins hands down. For me it's not the wholesome family man that makes his character work, it's his passion and determination and how sometimes that leads him to do things which are flawed and mistaken. He's supposed to mirror Hawkeye but he's still effected by the war and he still does whatever he can to save a life [preserve his own] even if that means disregarding the rules.

I also love how sly he cane be, the episodes [Dear Sigmund for one, The Joker is Wild, and maybe an April Fools episode?] where he completely plays everyone, lays the whole good guy routine really thick and then Bamn. Gottcha. I'm not saying he's not a well meaning bloke, but nobody is all Ice Cream and Apple Pie, especially in war time. So I like BJ for being Mr. Hyde and for the possibilities his character allows.

Least fav: I don't think there's any character in the series that they could have done without. I dislike Frank mostly, but I dislike him because I'm meant to and his role as antagonist - but also as Hawkeye's anit-thesis, being all gun-ho about war and patriotism and what the hell ever - was crucial in MASH's success. I disliked Frank for all the obvious reasons, but also for that ridiculous high pitched voice and the way he threw temper tantrums like whoah. Re: Change of Command and "it's my MASH it's my MASH".


Favourite ep: Period of Adjustment, again for the new shade of BJ's character, the way he presents his anger on Hawkeye and on the still and everything that make up the 4077 and his life there. It's a really powerful episode and Mike Farrell does so well.

Fallen Idol is also another favourite, finally recognising the Radar=Hawkeye issue and allowing Radar growth and independance. I like Quo Vadis, Captain Chandler? as well because we finally learn Radar's real name, and it really brings it home that he's this little kid who has been forced to adapt to this life. It's really shocking.

Also GFA but I don't really think that a long winded explanation is necessary.


Least favourite ep: Dreams, Nurse Doctor and In Love and War, because they're the only ones I remember right now and when I remember them I wince.

What ticked you off?: Probably the whole Trapper thing. I can't believe that after being such close friends he could leave with nothing but a kiss from Radar. I realise it's sort of excused in GFA when BJ can't write a note either, but surely Trapper could have gone home and done something, let Hawkeye know it was all ok.

What made you cry?: I've cried numerous times watching MASH. During all the big ones [Henry dying, GFA] sure, during my favourite episodes that I mentioned above [when BJ breaks down in PoA I just. Guh]. Other times I remember crying is when Radar gives Potter his Sophie; when Radar and Henry and BJ get their videos from home [they're the ones I remember right now]. And of course for all the soldiers they can't save or they have to send back out to the front.


What made you feel fuzzy? Whenever Soldiers were sent home or whenever there was moments of peace, like at the end of War of Nerves. I'm not sure if that was fuzzy or unresolved but it was a feeling that stayed in my gut. Also whenever there was practical jokes played, especially when it involved Hawkeye and BJ pooling their resources to do so ;)


What made you feel sleepy? Whenever anybody of higher ranks or of 'importance' spoke longer than necessary. During my least favorite episodes, too, I suppose.

[flamingkitsune.livejournal.com]

Character: I want to say Hawkeye, but... I dunno. He's beginning to get just a liiiittle bit on my nerves, what with the fact the show seems to be so Hawkeye-centric. So my favourite character is either Hawkeye or Radar.

Least fav: See, I wanna say Frank but yet I don't. And I'm still mad at Trapper for what he did, but... grr. Colonel Flagg? *hit with rocks* XD

Favourite ep: I'll get back to you after I've seen more than three seasons. :\

Least favourite ep: There are a few I skip over when watching my DVDs, like Henry in Love and The Incubator. But again, I only own three seasons, so...

What ticked you off? Trapper's leavage, and I'm sure there are a few things I'm not remembering right now.

What made you cry? Henry dying. Not sure if there was anything else.

What made you feel fuzzy? Whenever Hawkeye and/or Trapper so blatantly implied Hawpper things. :D

What made you feel sleepy? I... don't know? XD

[amberdowny.livejournal.com]

Character: Hawkeye and BJ...equally.

Least fav: I really dislike Margaret in S1-4, and she's a little better in 5. Um...I don't really like Spearchucker, Ugly John, or Ho-Jon either, but I think that's more because I prefer the BJ years.

Favourite ep: Period of Adjustment. GFA. Movie Tonight. Oh, I like George too. And Crisis.

Least favourite ep: A War for All Seasons. It needlessly complicates the timeline even more. Um...Dreams confused me a little bit. I've only seen it three times.

What ticked you off? The way Trapper left. And Alan Alda's acting in Bless You Hawkeye. Way over the top.

What made you cry? BJ/Hawkeye goodbye in GFA

What made you feel fuzzy? Hawkeye/Trapper or Hawkeye/BJ moments. Yeah, I'll go with that.



What made you feel sleepy? When I watch the show late at night lol.

[captain-lubey.livejournal.com]

I liked 'Bless You Hawkeye' although I keep thinking 'could that sneezing be any more fake?'

[amberdowny.livejournal.com]

Well, that too, but the part that really annoyed me was when he remembered what happened in the lake. I think I posted something about it in my LJ a week or so ago, if you're really interested.

[captain-lubey.livejournal.com]

I read it already and I left a comment lol!

[akiseo.livejournal.com]

I might as well add...

Character: Hawkeye, BJ, Charles

Least fav: Sometimes Frank, somtimes Trapper

Favourite ep: "Hawk's Nightmare", "Welcome to Korea 1-2", "Sons and Bowlers" then the one where they get into a prank battle. How about the ones with the really good slashy parts. ;)

Least favourite ep: Some were kind of pointless... Like when Sofie was sick. Maybe the random ones, where nothing was really accomplished, no character development.

What ticked you off? I wasn't fond of the way Henry died and I became kind of annoyed at Frank. Could only take so much.

What made you cry? I've cried at quite a few, can't quite remember them all now.

What made you feel fuzzy? Hawkeye/BJ, Radar/Henry/Potter, Charles/Klinger

What made you feel sleepy? Long day and I stay up to watch.