M*A*S*H (TV Series) The Late Captain Pierce (1975) User Reviews

It's Not Easy Being Dead!

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 9 March 2015]

Hunnicut gets a call from Hawkeye's father but the connection is cut off. This leads Hawkeye to try to speculate on what is going on back home. The enemy has cut the lines and so everything is in limbo. It's all explained when a guy called "Digger," played by Richard Masur, comes to collect Hawkeye's body. It seems he has been declared dead by some snafu and his father has probably been notified. Still, there is no way to get a message out. In their usual "anything for a party" mode, they hold a wake for Hawkeye. He now begins to take advantage of his non-existence and goof off. But when he finds he is also not going to be paid anymore, things change. I wonder if this happens very often in war. Anyway, except for a ridiculous fight with Frank, this has an edge to it. The conclusion is quite satisfying without being maudlin.

Alive!

[safenoe · 8/10 · 14 July 2020]

Richard Masur guest stars in this episode where Hawkeye is accidentally declared dead, much to the understandable consternation of his father. Here Hawkeye displays his serious side which is a prelude for the rest of the series. For me, I'm more of a fan of the MASH with the Pierce/Hunnicutt/Potter/Winchester quartet.

Response to "Flub" comment

[cindysammi · 10/10 · 29 March 2019]

The comment here states a "reference to something written in 1984"..... This not accurate. It was not a "flub" or mistake. The scene has the guy called "digger" reference the book "1984" written by George Orwell in 1949... Although MASH was filmed from 1972-83 it actually takes place from 1950-53 during the Korean War period... So the above referenced book would not have been a mistake but quite relevant for the time frame.

Re flub

[lachlanb87 · 26 April 2021]

Just to fix up a small misunderstanding here about 1884 he was talking about the George Orwell novel 1984 that was written in 1949 and not the actual year 1984.