As the Korean War remains locked in a grinding deadlock, there is a constant flow of casualties that makes a mockery of the seemingly interminable peace talks. The first point of triage and treatment for the injured are Mobile Army Surgical Headquarters: MASH units. Unless you've been under a rock for the last forty-some years, you probably know that this show concerns itself with the antics and experiences of the men (and to a much lesser extent, women) of one such unit.
Frequently farcical, sometimes poignant, M*A*S*H is one of the most successful, well-known comedies in television history. It ran for 11 seasons, which means it lasted about 3 times as long as the actual war on which it is based, and the movie-length finale remains the highest-rated single television broadcast in U.S. history, some 35 years after it aired.
Given all of the above, you might be surprised to see the "Not Recommended" tag on this review. Allow me to explain.
As renowned and successful as M*A*SH undoubtedly is, it is very much a product of its time. Many of the characters are frankly quite unappealing people (even if they're also quite charismatic), and the depiction of gender relations is awful. Male infidelity is treated as expected and ordinary, and the-not-quite-promises they make in pursuit of young women as a source of comedy. "Ha ha! He led her to think they had a future together, and then lied that he was married so he could break it off! Such japes!". Yes, I am sure that many men did cheat on their wives while overseas for years on end, and that many lies were told in the process, but that doesn't mean the show should depict them as "just a bit of fun". Quite a few scenes in this season left me feeling very uncomfortable in a way that the writers clearly did not intend.
Oh, and let's not forget the many instances of using homosexuality as a punchline. Those wacky gays, it's funny to make jokes about beating them up, right? No, show, it is not right.
Some might argue that it is unfair to judge a show from 45 years ago by modern sensibilities, but I'm not one of them: I won't give a 1930s film a pass for its terrible racial elements, either.
Despite my overall negative opinion of this season, there are some funny and/or touching episodes here. I'll call out "Tuttle" as a great bit of farce and "Sometimes You Hear the Bullet" on the poignant side. Unfortunately, at least for this season, the bad outweighs the good in my books.
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