They met him in the incubator ep, the ep where Henry is court martialed, and the ep where Mitchell (in return for saving his son's life) gives the 4077th an officer's club. In two of these eps we never hear about the time they first met General Mitchell. It would have been good to hear in the officer's club intro ep Henry and Mitchell discussing the old court martial! The writers of Mash were bizarre on this concept! Didn't Simon say anything about this? These eps were made within a short time of each other!

Were they all written by the same person ? That could explain the loss of continuity.

Different people write different episodes. In the first few seasons, Hawkeye had a sister, and later he's an only child. Things like that happen sometimes.

Our answer seems to be in the fact they were written by different authors. "The Incubator" was co-written by Gelbart & Marks, "The Trial of Henry Blake" was written by McLean Stevenson while "Officers Only" was Ed Jurist. It is probable the writers weren't aware of the other scripts and had no reason to make any reference to a previous meeting at the time they were written.

Had they been written by the same person, then we may have seen the response from Gen. Mitchell as suggested by Best Man. Lu Lu's example of Hawkeyes sister demonstrates further the different takes on the characters.

Our answer seems to be in the fact they were written by different authors. "The Incubator" was co-written by Gelbart & Marks, "The Trial of Henry Blake" was written by McLean Stevenson while "Officers Only" was Ed Jurist. It is probable the writers weren't aware of the other scripts and had no reason to make any reference to a previous meeting at the time they were written.

Had they been written by the same person, then we may have seen the response from Gen. Mitchell as suggested by Best Man. Lu Lu's example of Hawkeyes sister demonstrates further the different takes on the characters.
It's 100% beside the point (seems to me) who wrote them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bob Simon played the character three different times and in a short period of time. Didn't he find it curious (if not Alda and Rogers as well)?

Different people write different episodes. In the first few seasons, Hawkeye had a sister, and later he's an only child. Things like that happen sometimes.
More likely than not Alda refused to go on playing Hawkeye having a sister (as he had none in real life though he has three daughters) once he got more creative control of his character and it was a deliberate decision to x her out of Hawk's character!

It's 100% beside the point (seems to me) who wrote them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bob Simon played the character three different times and in a short period of time. Didn't he find it curious (if not Alda and Rogers as well)?


Who wrote them isn't beside the point, that's the explanation for why it happened.

More likely than not Alda refused to go on playing Hawkeye having a sister (as he had none in real life though he has three daughters) once he got more creative control of his character and it was a deliberate decision to x her out of Hawk's character!


I really don't think it was Alan's decision to change that. Most actors don't play characters who are exactly like them. For example, Hawkeye is a ladies man and Alan Alda is the total opposite. I'm sure the fact that Alan doesn't have a sister had nothing to do with that decision.

It's 100% beside the point (seems to me) who wrote them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bob Simon played the character three different times and in a short period of time. Didn't he find it curious (if not Alda and Rogers as well)?

I suggest Mr. Simon was but a casual actor on the show. And as such, he had no reason to question any parts or lines he was given to perform. It would also seem both Alda and Rogers were more interested in the current script at hand and not what happened a few weeks ago or longer.

It's all Captain Tuttle's fault! :lol:

I really don't think it was Alan's decision to change that. Most actors don't play characters who are exactly like them. For example, Hawkeye is a ladies man and Alan Alda is the total opposite. I'm sure the fact that Alan doesn't have a sister had nothing to do with that decision.
Actually Lulu, Alda could still really smooch with a lady not his wife here and there --he was not entirely unlike Hawkeye. The decision to drop the sis angle was probably his and on purpose. But hey Kim II Sung's lack of mention on Mash is most important thing about the series.

Twice Simon forgot, Dog Tags? Casual actor indeed! Ah well--- remember bad Sung as Mash did not.

They met him in the incubator ep, the ep where Henry is court martialed, and the ep where Mitchell (in return for saving his son's life) gives the 4077th an officer's club. In two of these eps we never hear about the time they first met General Mitchell. It would have been good to hear in the officer's club intro ep Henry and Mitchell discussing the old court martial! The writers of Mash were bizarre on this concept! Didn't Simon say anything about this? These eps were made within a short time of each other!

I don't recall, but did actually appear to be meeting the General for the FIRST time in each of these?

That really is some sloppy work by all concerned, if so.

Different people write different episodes. In the first few seasons, Hawkeye had a sister, and later he's an only child. Things like that happen sometimes.

True, but it doesn't seem like it would have bee so difficult for /someone/ to have noticed these continuity goofs... I take it they just didn't care enough about the characters they were working with to take the trouble.

More likely than not Alda refused to go on playing Hawkeye having a sister (as he had none in real life though he has three daughters) once he got more creative control of his character and it was a deliberate decision to x her out of Hawk's character!

In a way that just about makes the changes acceptable, since Alda clearly /did/ care a lot about Hawkeye, and maybe he considered the added sister to not jibe with his presentation of Hawkeye.

A man without a sister would have a different thought process than a man who grew up with one.

Since both the novel and the movie (best I can recall) portrayed Hawkeye without any siblings, the move to "Chuck Cunningham" the sister is actually more in continuity with the creator, Richard Hooker.

:D

I suggest Mr. Simon was but a casual actor on the show. And as such, he had no reason to question any parts or lines he was given to perform. It would also seem both Alda and Rogers were more interested in the current script at hand and not what happened a few weeks ago or longer.

Yes, pretty much they were handed apt and they delivered it, but I would almost wager there had to be some discussion at least between the actors, casually.

It would really depend on the sister, Will (about the different thought process you wrote of).Also, Hawk indeed talked to Gen. Mitchell-- once trying to get an incubator, once at a court martial and finally when the general gave him a few nights in Tokyo ( I know Trap was by his side in all this but I only remember two eps when Trap for sure spoke to the general). Ah well, remember Sung's lack of mention most important on Mash!