Back in March 1975, TV viewers were thoroughly blindsided by theshocking death ofMASH’s Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake, in what became one of the show’s most shocking plot twists. Played by McLean Stevenson,Blake was the lovable and usually bumbling commanding officer of the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, best known for his laid-back, yet compassionate leadership style and an all-consuming love for fishing. Blake’s warm demeanor compared to some ofMASH’s other charactershelped balance the rigors of war all around the dark edges of the show during its first three seasons.
The season 3 finale, “Abyssinia, Henry,” opens with the happy news thatBlake has earned his necessary rotation points and is receiving his long-awaited discharge. The mood is celebratory and upbeat, seasoned with poignant goodbyes. As he preps for a return to his hometown of Bloomington, Illinois, Blake bounces between disbelief and joy, revealing how much he’s missed his wife Lorraine and the rest of his family while saying emotional farewells to his 4077th team.
After a tearful goodbye on the helicopter pad, Blake is whisked away from the base for the last time as the surgeons head into the OR to treat a wounded soldier. A short time later, a strickenRadar (Gary Burghoff)returns to deliver the shocking news: “Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake’s plane was shot down over the Sea of Japan.It spun in. There were no survivors.” The unprecedented moment was a tough pill to swallow for the show’s dedicated fans and a true flashpoint inMASH’s groundbreaking 11 season run.
The Response To Blake’s Death In MASH Episode “Abyssinia, Henry”
Viewers Weren’t Ready To Say Goodbye To The Fan-Favorite Character
Blake’s shocking death hit theMASHaudiencelike a proverbial bomb. Complaints flooded CBS’s offices andMASH’s production team reportedly received thousands of letters from upset fans, many expressing anger and disbelief. The head of CBS reportedly said that the volume of criticism was the highest they had seen for a single event in the network’s history. Stevenson, who decided to leave the show to pursue other roles, even became an unintended target for disgruntled fans wrecked by his departure.
Even critics were split on the show’s stunning turn. Premier TV critic Tom Shales of theWashington Postsaid the show heartlessly manipulated viewer emotions, calling the episode “a brutal punch to the gut” for its abrupt shift in tone. Shales argued fans come to television for comfort and escapism, not heartbreak. Similarly, Cecil Smith from theLos Angeles Timesquestioned whetherBlake’s death was just too bleak for fansexpecting weekly chuckles. He noted, “While the narrative choice reflects wartime hazards beautifully, there’s a limit to how far a sitcom should lean into realism without alienating its lighthearted foundation.”
“Abyssinia, Henry” was directed byMASHshowrunner and co-creator Larry Gelbart.
However, famed film critic Gene Siskel of theChicago Tribunepraised the episode.He called the decision to kill Blake “gut-wrenching but truthful,”noting the courage it took for producers to portray the senseless losses of war.
Why Was Blake’s Death SO Controversial?
MASH’s Braintrust Stood By The Decision That Left Even Cast Members Stunned
Sitcoms aren’t usually the land of crazy plot twists and gutting character deaths. Blake was not only a lighthearted, beloved character, butMASHhad quietly established itself as a true comfort show for viewers. For an audience desperate to find any moments of light in war less than a year after the end of the Vietnam conflict,Blake’s off-camera death felt like a rude slap in the face to many of its fans.
Despite the fan backlash,MASHshowrunner and co-creator Larry Gelbart stood by the decision, saying the show’s writers wanted to remind viewers that even thoughMASHwas a comedy, it was still centered on the realities of war – and tragedy could be just moments away. “We wanted to be able to show what that was like by having somebody that America knew and had a fondness for…when you lose a character like that,“MASHproducer Burt Metcalfe told theArchive of American Television.
In fact, Gelbart and company knew very well the possible hornet’s nest of reaction the painful episode might unleash. Radar’s announcement ofBlake’s death wasn’t originally included in scripts given to most of the cast. They expected Radar to report that Blake was safe and sound back in the world. Instead, Burghoff was given his real lines just minutes before the scene was shot, eliciting genuinely shocked reactions from the other characters.
Blake’s Death Episode Was A Turning Point For The Show
New Characters And Darker Themes May Have Ensured MASH’s Ongoing Popularity
While Blake’s death rattledMASHfans, it was only the first major shift that made “Abyssinia, Henry” such a series-changing episode. It also turned out to be thelast episode for Trapper John McIntyre (Wayne Rogers), one of the original main characters. During the hiatus between seasons 3 and 4, Rogers decided he’d also grown tired of the series and departed. While Trapper’s exit didn’t carry the dramatic weight of Blake’s shocking death (Trapper John left the 4077th off-screen), the dual loss marked season 3 as a major transitional period for the series.
The changes were both cosmetic and tonal.Henry Blake was replaced by Colonel Sherman Potter (Harry Morgan), who brought a calm authority in place of Henry’s bumbling likability. Meanwhile, Trapper John’s position was filled by grounded family man B.J. Honeycutt (Mike Farrell), whose easy chemistry withBenjamin “Hawkeye” Pierce (Alan Alda)expanded what the show could do with its core pairing.
Fans who felt Blake’s death marked the beginning of darker, weightier themes in the comedy series were ultimately proven right. The cast shake-up representeda maturation forMASHand its lead characters, allowing the show to explore even more complex narratives about friendship, morality, and resilience in the face of war’s horrors.
The decision to showcase war’s cruelty so blatantly — through the loss of a beloved character — was a creative gamble that paid off in 8 more seasons for the venerable series. While Blake’s jarring exit wasn’t every fan’s cup of tea,MASHremains a masterful example of how a comedy series can balance humor and heart.
MAS*H
Cast
MAS*H is a drama-comedy series set during the Korean War, centering on the lives of the staff at the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital as they navigate the challenges of wartime medical service with humor and resilience.
