Henry Blake's death is often cited as the moment that changed MASH, but its transformation into a dramedy began with a season 1 outing. MASH evolved in many ways during its first few years, moving from a sitcom with a not so subtle anti-war message into a medical drama that happened to be funny. This mix of laughter and darkness would have a big impact on the TV shows that came after, with Scrubs being the most obvious example. Showrunner Larry Gelbart and star Alan Alda were both behind this push toward a more dramatic tone in later MASH seasons.
Of course, it was the death of Blake during MASH season 3 that became the show's most infamous moment and informed its more dramatic tone moving forward. Blake had been a popular supporting player on MASH for years, and his abrupt demise shocked audiences. It was also one of the first times on American television that such a major figure was killed off. For many devotees, the season after Blake's death is considered the highlight of the entire show, as it fully embraced blending humor and drama.
This MASH episode also featured a young Ron Howard
Blake's passing in "Abyssinia, Henry" was undeniably a turning point, but "Sometimes You Hear The Bullet" is the episode that really informed what MASH became. In this outing, Hawkeye is visited by a childhood friend called Tommy Gillis (James T.
Callahan), a soldier who is also working on a book called You Never Hear the Bullet. In the finale, a badly wounded Gillis is brought into surgery, where he quickly dies despite Hawkeye's best efforts.
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