Deliberate mistake: With the show having lasted longer than the war, the producers apparently decided to turn back the clock to the very beginning of the War (June 25, 1950). To do this, it seems they have tried to make things as confusing as possible, intentionally mixing up facts, even when this openly contradicts the facts as presented in earlier episodes. For example, both B.J. and Potter arrived in or about mid 1952, but now are in the O.R. when the Chinese launch their massive offensive on 1st Nov. 1950, almost two years earlier. Trapper and Blake, who were there for the Army Navy Game which would have occurred Nov. 25 1950, are not. Many of the supporting clips also are too early or late for the events being discussed. For example, Winston Churchill's speech must have been before August 28 when the first British troops started arriving, likely also before the Canadians in July 1950, but the first MASH Unit was not set up in Korea until September 1950. Truman's speech to University of Wyoming students is actually from May 9 1950, a month and a half before the beginning of the conflict and 5 months before the first MASH was established, but the clip about his "Whistle Stop Tour" must be from the 1948 campaign. MacArthur's speech, on the other hand, is in response to the ticker tape parade of April 22 1951 when he was replaced.
Factual error: Nearing the end of the show, we are told that the Chinese have become involved in the conflict and have attacked with some 300,000 soldiers. This apparently refers to massive attacks by the Chinese starting on November 1, 1950. Although the numbers are correct, the US/UN forces were unaware of the numbers. As late as November 6, the Far East Command continued to insist that there were no more than 34,500 Chinese communist soldiers in country. http://www.history.army.mil/brochures/kw-chinter/chinter.htm.
Continuity mistake: As the interviewer talks to Hawkeye, his hand alternates from just below the microphone head to just above the bottom end between angles.
Revealing mistake: When Col. Potter is in the helicopter looking for a new site for the camp, you can see landscape reflecting in the canopy. This never changes position although they're meant to be flying around. (00:22:30)
Continuity mistake: When the chopper carrying the soldier with the wounded back takes off, the sky is cloudy and, even accounting for the poor quality of the film, the weather looks very dull. The shot changes to show Radar, Hawkeye and Margaret watching the chopper leave and it is now bright sunshine. (00:44:20)
Continuity mistake: After Radar calls assembly, Potter starts to address the personnel. Accounting for Hawkeye, BJ, and Margaret in Surgery, there are only thirty-three people there. In the episode "Dear Ma" (S4: Ep 17), Radar wrote that there were almost two hundred people there.
Character mistake: At the end of the episode, while Col. Potter is in the helicopter asking where they are, the pilot says they are about 10 miles west of Inchon. Col. Potter says this is no good and he tells the chopper pilot to "head west, towards Inchon." If they are already west of Inchon, heading west will take them further from Inchon.
Suggested correction: Potter tells the pilot to head to a different city, Chuksan (not sure of its spelling).
Visible crew/equipment: As Potter turns away from looking at Burns rousting a man, he walks past the camera talking to himself. As he gets close to the camera, the shadow of the boom mike plays on his left sleeve.
Continuity mistake: After a distant aerial shot of Potter's chopper, the camera closes in for a close up. When in the distance, the rotors are running full speed. In the close up, they are barely running, just enough to make the familiar whooshing sound. The chopper that they are in is being raised and lowered to simulate flight. Also, if you look in the canopy in front of Potter, you can see the camera and crew's reflection. Then when the chopper is over the building, the sound of the blades is still the slow moving whooshing mentioned earlier, instead of the full power sound it should be.
Continuity mistake: When Margaret arrives from Tokyo, BJ and Hawkeye's squashed orange disappears from the ground. (00:05:35)
Revealing mistake: When Radar salutes Major Burns dropping the package, you can see wet spots on his uniform where he held the package. Before the bottle inside breaks, it is supposed to be dry. The crew probably re-used a single package for several takes of the shot. (00:04:45)
The Nurses - S5-E5
Continuity mistake: As The Nurses look at Baker, Walsh is keeping a lookout, then straightens up, partially turns and raises her right arm. A second later, she's back in position, and starts to straighten again.
The Abduction of Margaret Houlihan - S5-E6
Factual error: When Col. Flagg makes everybody close their eyes when he leaves, you hear the sound of glass shattering, but the window was a thick sheet of plastic.
The Abduction of Margaret Houlihan - S5-E6
Other mistake: As Frank cocks his gun in the Swamp, the slide locks open and he has to hit the slide release to get it to move forward. Next he fiddles with the hammer. Next we hear the shot go off. Burns' excuse later is that he was cleaning The Gun and it went off (although admittedly, Frank doesn't always stick to the truth that religiously in situations like that). The slide on a semi-automatic locks open only if the magazine is empty or missing. The Gun locking open is also a clear, unmistakable indication that the breech is empty. He would have to insert a filled mag, then pull the slide back again to chamber a round before The Gun even had the chance to go off. One never does that while cleaning a gun. One does what Frank did to begin with: Pull the slide back without a magazine inserted to make sure the breech is empty.
Suggested correction: Frank has demonstrated on numerous occasions that he does not follow the rules of safe gun handling, so ascribing his failure to do so is not a mistake.
You are missing the point. His gun is demonstrably unloaded when we last see it. He would either have to change his mind about cleaning it and load it instead, or load it first and then try to clean it (which makes even less sense), neither of which is not supported by anything in the dialogue.
The Abduction of Margaret Houlihan - S5-E6
Continuity mistake: In Potter's office, after BJ and Hawkeye finish their lines Hawkeye starts to play with his yo yo. After the angle change he starts with his yo yo again.
Dear Sigmund - S5-E7
Factual error: Klinger says he would wear Hula Hoops(R) in his ears if it would get him a discharge. For several reasons, he is using a phrase that does not yet exist: 1) Show wise, Klinger will later try to convince Charles to invest in developing a new toy, a hoola hoop like plastic tube, being inspired by Korean children playing, and 2) plastic hoops which came to be called Hula Hoops were only introduced by Whamo in 1958. Setting episode dates is always difficult for MASH, but the Mash Olympics (inspired by the 52 Helsinki games) are still to come so we can say it must be 52. 3) The Hula Hoop trademark was only registered in 1962 to Whamo. No info. as to what name the hoops were marketed under prior to 62, but Klinger is using a term at probably ten years, at least 6 years, before it came into use. (00:04:00)
Dear Sigmund - S5-E7
Visible crew/equipment: As Potter is panning with the binoculars, you can see the lights, camera and crew reflected in the lens.
Dear Sigmund - S5-E7
Other mistake: As the ambulance takes off rounding a corner, the back brightens as stage reflectors or lighting rigs shine on it.
