The Big Picture "Abyssinia, Henry" was a heartbreaking episode of M*A*S*H that received massive backlash from fans due to the tragic death of Lt. Colonel Henry Blake. The episode showcased the storytelling power of M*A*S*H in attaching audiences to its beloved characters. Despite the backlash, "Abyssinia, Henry" remains one of the show's best episodes and a testament to its enduring popularity.
M*A*S*H is arguably one of the greatest television shows of all time, but its fans haven't always been so happy with the daring decisions the show has made.
It's a comedic drama with some episodes leaning one way, and others leaning the complete opposite. Of all the episodes that have favored the dramatic over the comedic, "Abyssinia, Henry" just might be the one to have hit fans the hardest. Not only that, this episode hit viewers so hard that the showrunners and network behind M*A*S*H received backlash, unlike any other period in the show's history. Looking at "Abyssinia" aside from the heat that it took upon airing, more than anything, it's one of the truest testaments to the storytelling power that this show has in attaching audiences to its characters.
If you've ever watched M*A*S*H, then it probably didn't take you long to realize how great this team was at telling stories. It's a strange case of a show that was adapted from an already acclaimed feature-length movie, Robert Altman's 1970 war comedy M*A*S*H, only to become more beloved than the movie that it spawned from.
That film was nominated for five Academy Awards, but the show went on to be nominated for over 100 Emmys during its run, among numerous other accolades. People loved this series, and for good reason.
M*A*S*H aired from 1972 to 1983 and follows a large group of doctors and medical personnel that operate at the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in UIjeongbu, South Korea during the Korean War. The series features a large ensemble, including
Alan Alda, Wayne Rogers, Larry Linville, Loretta Swit, and McLean Stevenson, among many others. Its mixture of a strong sense of humor and a sincere dramatic narrative made it an easy show to latch on to. Because of this, few television programs have managed to win audiences over in the way that M*A*S*H did.
Its rotating main and supporting cast of characters weren't just folks that you saw on screen. This is a show like Seinfeld or The Office
; whenever you throw on M*A*S*H, you're doing it to hang out with this particular group of people. And while the series would run for over a decade, its first few years had the most iconic cast of them all, building the show of its most beloved batch of characters, before many would be sent back home to the United States or tragically killed off.
For fans of M*A*S*H in 1975, "Abyssinia, Henry" wasn't just a goodbye to one of the show's main characters, it was a devastating ending.
This was the finale for the show's third season, and the final appearance of McLean Stevenson as Lt. Colonel Henry Blake, the unit's commanding officer. Blake was a dynamic, sophisticated, and fun colleague that his unit could look up to. He wasn't quite the lead character of the show (that title would obviously go to Alan Alda's Hawkeye), but he was very beloved. So much so, that when it is announced at the beginning of "Abyssinia, Henry" that he has been honorably discharged and can return home, it's about as bittersweet of a feeling as this show gets.
You're happy that Blake gets to return home to his family, but you're sad to see him leave. If only audiences knew what was coming.
