This Milestone MASH episode covered an entire year (and is a total continuity nightmare)

A very special episode of MASH It took place over the course of an entire year – and created many continuity gaps in the process. MASH it ran for 11 seasons, and later series had to be totally experimental with certain episodes just to keep things interesting. Alan Alda’s divisive “Dreams” was a horror-filled dive into the dreams (and nightmares) of the 4077th, while season 8’s “Life Time” took place entirely in real time.

Some of these efforts were more successful than others, but they also often resulted in unique episodes. Of course, another problem the show often faced was the passage of time. The Korean War lasted three years while MASH ran for elevenwhich resulted in some major timeline errors at the end. MASH The 200th episode decided to throw caution to the wind with its unique premise that had to break continuity into pieces to work.

“A War For All Seasons” marked MASH’s 200th episode

MASH celebrated a major style milestone

MASH was nearly canceled after its first season, with the show plummeting in the ratings. Fortunately, viewers caught up with this during reruns. It quickly became one of the most watched shows in America – although even the most optimistic forecast couldn’t predict it would last 256 episodes. The 200th episode arrived during the ninth seasonwith ‘A War for All Seasons’ having a killer hook that also encapsulates the wartime experience throughout most of 4077, where it can be difficult to distinguish one day (or even a year) from the next.

MASH “A War for All Seasons” was a total victory lap for the show and its incredible success. Even in its final years, the dramatic comedy was a ratings success, to the point of only ending with a majority vote. So the 200th performance had to be a huge event, giving a place to all the main characters and largely saving the drama in favor of the comedy. The result is one of the best episodes of MASH final years – although its premise creates some glaring flaws in the timeline.

MASH’s “A War For All Seasons” takes place throughout 1951

From New Year to New Year, not much changes in the 4077th

“A War for All Seasons” opens on New Year’s Day 1951, where the beloved Colonel Potter (Harry Morgan) states “Here’s to the New Year: may it be much better than the old one, and may we all be home before it’s over.” During this time, Margaret (Loretta Swit) starts a knitting project, Father Mulcahy (Christopher George) grows corn while Hawkeye (Alda) and BJ (Mike Farrell) decide to build a kidney machine themselves.

Between his various antics and saving lives, time passes quickly, with “A War for all Seasons” jumping in time every two minutes. Having to cover a year in 23 minutes is no easy task, and while MASH The 200th episode moves quickly, never feeling rushed. It’s a very warm episode too, without the heavy, overly dark tone that later MASH the stations could load.

On the contrary, most of the characters are having a great time. Even snobbish Charles (David Ogden Stiers) is having fun betting on sports with Klinger; at least until it goes horribly wrong. MASH ‘A War for All Seasons’ still ends on a truly bittersweet note, with Potter restating the same New Year’s speech word for wordunderscoring the repetitive nature of 4077 time in Korea.

How “A War For All Seasons” Completely Breaks the MASH Timeline

MASH’s 200th episode is a nonsense watcher’s dream

The showrunners behind MASH I should have been aware that “A War for All Seasons” would be a total nightmare in terms of the timeline. The 200th episode is infamous among fans in this regard, as certain characters’ appearances don’t match up. in any way. In the early seasons – when the writers were less concerned with the timeline – certain dates and years were referenced. For example, Potter definitely arrived at the 4077th in September 1952 – which means he should have been absent from “A War for All Seasons” since the late Henry Blake (McLean Stevenson) was still in command.

Charles also arrived someday after Potter, which means his presence is also a mistake. To MASH To make sense, “A War for All Seasons” would have to bring back original cast members like Wayne Rogers’ Trapper, who left camp in September 1952, with B.J. arriving to replace him soon after. Briefly, the show really had to be faked MASH timeline and ignore certain dates to make the premise of “A War for All Seasons” work at the very least.

However, when the 200th episode aired, viewers were less concerned about these details. Looking back MASH In the timeline, there are some glaring logic gaps, but ultimately it doesn’t matter much. “A War for All Seasons” was the perfect way to celebrate such an important milestone, and the concept was too good to let something silly like continuity get in the way.