This MASH Season 4 Episode Played A Mean Trick On Viewers (& Could Explain A Trapper Mystery)

A dark season four episode of MASH teased the impending exit of a major character, and could also explain why Trapper never tried to contact Hawkeye again. MASH ran for 11 seasons and season four was one of the most impactful. It arrived in the aftermath of Henry Blake’s shock death in MASH season 3, while “Trapper” John actor Wayne Rogers also left between seasons. Thus, season four introduced major new characters like B.J. (Mike Farrell) and Colonel Potter (Harry Morgan), and was the first to lean on the show’s emerging dramedy tone.

One of the earliest episodes, “The Late Captain Pierce”, saw Alan Alda’s Hawkeye being declared dead due to a clerical error, and learning his father back in America is mourning his demise. MASH’s “The Late Captain Pierce” is a blackly comic outing, with B.J. and the 4077th even throwing Hawkeye a wake so they have an excuse to party. Still, coming so soon after the exits of both Trapper and Blake, this episode has a dark undercurrent, with Hawkeye becoming so infuriated by the army’s incompetence that it looks like he’ll actually leave the camp.

“The Late Captain Pierce” Made MASH Viewers Believe Alan Alda Was Leaving

Hawkeye almost used his death certificate as a ticket home

After learning it could take months for his “death” to get corrected on official documents – and that he’ll be taken off the payroll in the meantime – Hawkeye decides to take the morgue bus out of camp. The closing moments of “The Late Captain Pierce” sees B.J. trying to talk Hawkeye out of leaving, letting him know wounded soldiers are incoming. Pierce bitterly states he “Doesn’t care” anymore, since the wounded will be arriving whether he’s there or not. So then the bus drives through the camp’s entrance, and it genuinely looks like Alda’s Hawkeye is leaving MASH.

Of course, the bus stops and a weary Hawkeye jumps off and walks back. It should be noted that the loss of both Blake and Trapper was still fresh in the minds of viewers, so it wouldn’t have felt unbelievable if Alda had also exited. “The Late Captain Pierce” walked right up to the line with this idea – only to pull back at the last second. The episode also closes with Hawkeye calling with his father back in the States, letting him know he’s alive – and asking him to send him his allowance again since he’s no longer being paid.

Trapper May Have Believed Hawkeye Died Following “The Late Captain Pierce”

The Trapper/Hawkeye mess could all be down to a paperwork mixup

The sudden exit of Rogers meant that Trapper never said goodbye to best buddy Hawkeye before he left. It should noted that Trapper tried to get in touch with Pierce before his discharge, and gave Radar (Gary Burghoff) a kiss on the cheek to pass along to him. Still, it has never sat well with MASH devotees that Trapper didn’t attempt to get in touch with Hawkeye again, either through a call or a letter. Well, the explanation may lie within “The Late Captain Pierce,” which takes place shortly after Trapper’s departure.

It’s possible Trapper tried to get in touch with Pierce during this time, only to be told the surgeon had died shortly after he left the 4077th. “The Late Captain Pierce” makes it clear it could take weeks or even months for the army to correct the mistake, so Trapper could have been told Hawkeye was dead. This means Hawkeye believed his old friend didn’t care enough to reach out, and conversely, that Trapper spent the remainder of the Korean War thinking Pierce had been killed.

That’s a tragedy in and of itself, and considering this was the 1950s, it could very well be that both men spent the rest of their lives under false impressions about their old friend. Sadly, MASH never resolved the Hawkeye/Trapper friendship arc – though an optimist could suggest the two reunited sometime after the war and renewed their friendship.

“The Late Captain Pierce” Would Have Been A Great MASH Exit For Hawkeye

If Alda had to leave MASH then “The Late Captain Pierce” was a great finale

When MASH began, Hawkeye and Trapper were meant to be co-leads of equal importance. Over time, Alda emerged as the breakout star, so he was given more material and screen time while Trapper’s role was progressively watered down (via MeTV). This is why Rogers decided to leave before season four, as Alda had become the undisputed lead of MASH. It would have been a total shock move if the actor had decided to quit, but on paper, “The Late Captain Pierce” would have made for a fitting exit for his character.

After all, the final shot would have been a heartbroken, disillusioned Hawkeye hitching a ride on a bus full of bodies as incoming wounded arrive. MASH always had an anti-war tone, and during the early seasons, it’s easy to see how the weight of so much death is taking a toll on Pierce’s mental health. The death certificate issue could have been the final straw and made for a bleak ending for Hawkeye’s time on MASH. That said, there was no way the surgeon was going to let wounded soldiers die because of his anger at the army.

Source: MeTV

M*A*S*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.

Cast

Alan Alda , Loretta Swit , William Christopher , Jamie Farr , Harry Morgan , Mike Farrell , Gary Burghoff , Larry Linville , David Ogden Stiers , Wayne Rogers , McLean Stevenson , Jeff Maxwell , Kellye Nakahara , Odessa Cleveland , Johnny Haymer , Patricia Stevens

Character(s)

Hawkeye Pierce , Margaret Houlihan , Father Mulcahy , Maxwell Klinger , Sherman Potter , B. J. Hunnicutt , Radar O’Reilly , Frank Burns , Charles Winchester , Trapper , Henry Blake , Igor Straminsky , Kellye Yamato , Ginger Bayliss , Sergeant Zale , Nurse Able

Release Date

September 17, 1972

Seasons

11

Showrunner

Larry Gelbart

Expand