end the series after ten seasons, but the Columbia
Broadcasting System (CBS) and Twentieth Century-
Fox persuaded them to participate in an abbreviated
eleventh season. The finale followed 250 half-hour
episodes, which were produced over a time span al-
most four times as long as that of the Korean War. As
the series progressed, it tempered its early comedic
satire with quite serious and dramatic story lines. In
particular, star Alan Alda, who directed the finale,
used his character to espouse liberal political views
and address more serious topics during the latter
years of the series.
The two-and-a-half-hour finale reflects the series’
evolving tone and focus. Titled “Goodbye, Farewell,
and Amen,” it begins in familiar fashion. A helicop-
ter bringing wounded to the unit is met by dedicated
MAS*H personnel rushing to the landing pad.
(The show’s opening theme music remained the
same for eleven years, “Suicide Is Painless,” which
had been performed in the 1970 movie.) Through a
series of flashbacks, viewers learn that Hawkeye is
being treated at a psychiatric facility after suffering
a breakdown in response to witnessing a terrible
event. Through conversations with recurring char-
acter Sydney Freedman, an Army psychiatrist, Hawk-
eye remembers the event in stages: He was on a bus
full of people that had to hide from an enemy patrol.
One of his fellow passengers killed a chicken she was
carrying in order to keep it quiet so they would
not be found. Finally, Hawkeye remembers that she
killed, not her chicken, but her infant. The emer-
gence of the suppressed memory allows him to re-
gain a modicum of sanity.
The entire episode is full of such drama. Klinger
futilely searches for his fiancée’s displaced parents.
Chaplain Mulcahy suffers hearing loss. A forest fire
causes the unit to dismantle its camp and relocate.
Major Charles Emerson Winchester III (DavidThe Eighties in America MAS*Hseries finale 627
Members of the cast ofMAS*Htake a break from filming during the show’s final season. From left: William Christopher, Harry Mor-
gan, Mike Farrell, Alan Alda, and Jamie Farr.(AP/Wide World Photos)