There’s an episode of MASH that features only one main member of the cast that has become a divisive outing among viewers. Neither the original author of MASH, Richard Hooker, nor the director of the 1970 movie adaptation, Robert Altman, liked the TV spinoff, feeling it cheapened the story or missed the point. Even so, MASH ran for 11 seasons and received acclaim for its then-groundbreaking mix of laughs and drama; there were even some MASH spinoff shows.
The death of Henry Blake in MASH season 3 was so shocking to audiences – since the killing of major characters simply wasn’t done at this time – that the showrunners received around 1,000 letters of complaint (via MASH – Finest Kind). “Abyssinia, Henry” was far from the only controversial episode, with other examples being season 8’s “Dreams” – where audiences got to see the disturbed dreams of the various members of the 4077th – or the underwhelming clip show outing “Our Finest Hour.”
MASH “Hawkeye” Is The Only Episode Where Only One Main Cast Member Appears
It’s a one man show for Alan Alda’s Hawkeye
The first four seasons were spearheaded by Larry Gelbart, who developed the show for TV and wrote and directed many episodes. Gelbart was key in shaping what the series became, but by the end of season 4, he was feeling both tired of the medium and coming up with fresh challenges for himself. One of those challenges was MASH season 4’s “Hawkeye,” where Alan Alda’s surgeon is the only main cast member to appear in the entire episode.
This outing opens with Hawkeye getting into an accident while away from camp, and being taken in by a Korean family who don’t speak English. Hawkeye soon discovers he’s suffered a concussion, so to keep himself awake until somebody from the camp picks him up, he has to keep talking; as viewers will know, this is something the motormouthed surgeon really knows how to do. Despite the rest of MASH’s cast being credited on “Hawkeye,” none of them appear during the episode.
“Hawkeye” Was An Experiment For MASH’s Creator
Larry Gelbart thought “Hawkeye’s story was a good challenge
In a conversation with a fan (via MASH4077TV.COM), Gelbart spoke about the one-man show nature of “Hawkeye.” In short, the episode was created because the premise was something unique, while giving it’s leading man a showcase for his various talents.
Much of MASH’s “Hawkeye” is the titular character rambling on about different subjects, such as a waitress he once dated, a math teacher who had three nostrils or just what a wonderful thing the human thumb is. To entertain the family, he even does some singing and juggling, though as is his nature, Hawkeye turns melancholy too, especially when he’s concerned he’ll fall unconscious before he gets picked up.
Whatever else might be said about “Hawkeye,” Alda gives a committed, energetic turn. The fact nobody else in the entire episode speaks English gives him the stage, and he holds the story together. Of course, sometimes a little of Alda’s Hawkeye goes a long way, and his breathless shtick gets wearing the more the story drags on.
MASH’s “Hawkeye” Is Extremely Polarizing For Fans
“Hawkeye” is a real love/hate episode
If the showrunners had to pick any cast member to front a solo outing, Alda’s Hawkeye was the obvious choice. By this point, Alda was the undisputed star, and his commitment to the series for 11 seasons underlines how much he cared about it. Even so, some feel MASH’s “Hawkeye” was a blatant showcase for Alda, and the episode suffers as a result. In short, they feel it’s an experiment that completely fails, and it can be a tough episode to sit through.
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On the flipside, there are MASH devotees who praise Alda’s high-energy work in “Hawkeye,” and the subtleties he sneaks into it throughout. Hawkeye is using humor to mask his fear, and while he’s trying to forge a connection with total strangers, there’s little they can do to help him. It’s a touching moment when Hawkeye later returns with gifts for the clan who helped save his life, though a brief gag about them having eaten their dog is a cheap shot.
“Hawkeye” is one of MASH’s most divisive outings for that reason, and how much people enjoy it depends on their tolerance for 20 uninterrupted minutes of Alda doing his thing. It’s a must watch either way, but perhaps it’s telling this is an experiment that was never attempted again.
M*A*S*H
Originally adapted from the 1970 film of the same name, M*A*S*H encompasses comedy, drama, and everything in between as it follows the lives of army doctors stationed in Uijeongbu, South Korea, during the Korean War.
- Release Date
- September 17, 1972
- Cast
- Alan Alda , Wayne Rogers , Loretta Swit , Mike Farrell , Harry Morgan , Jamie Farr , David Ogden Stiers
- Seasons
- 11
- Writers
- Larry Gelbart , Richard Hooker
- Network
- CBS
- Streaming Service(s)
- Hulu , Apple TV+
- Showrunner
- Larry Gelbart
