M*A*S*H

Fade Out, Fade In - S6-E1

Continuity mistake: In the episode 'Chief Surgeon Who' (season one), near the end of the episode we see Radar in Col. Blake's office smoking a cigar with ease, but in the first episode of season six when Col. Potter offers Radar a cigar, he doesn't know how to smoke it and he throws up after he puffs it.

The Kids - S4-E8

Continuity mistake: When Hawkeye is examining the orphan who is wiggling his tongue, there are two camera angles: one of Hawkeye from the front and one of the orphan over Hawkeye's shoulder. In the first shot, the tongue depresser that Hawkeye is holding is horizontal, in the other it is vertical. This flips back and forth a couple of times. (00:06:30)

jle

M*A*S*H mistake picture

Divided We Stand - S2-E1

Continuity mistake: Margaret is shampooing Frank's hair; she raises her foam covered hands to allow him to kiss her. The camera angle changes and her hands are nearly foam-free. (00:03:25)

jle

Show generally

Other mistake: Across the show, several times doctors looking at an x-ray picture say things like, "Looks like he swallowed a whole junkyard" or "His belly is full of shrapnel." In fact, shrapnel, being metal fragments, should show up as clear white spots on the x-ray pictures, but none of that is visible in any of the x-rays shown throughout the show.

Ping Pong - S5-E16

Factual error: When BJ and Hawkeye go to Potter to talk about Cho Lin wanting to get married at the 4077th, Potter mentions he expects to be home in Nebraska in 16 months, three weeks and four days when they try to fool Potter about Cho Lin. Potter has always said he and his family live in Missouri, however.

M*A*S*H mistake picture

For the Good of the Outfit - S2-E4

Revealing mistake: Frank is shaving; when he bends down to pick up the envelope containing shrapnel fragments, the foam on his face and ear suddenly all dries up. The shot must have needed a lot of takes. (00:07:20)

jle

Letters - S9-E2

Factual error: In this episode, the regulars receive and respond to letters from a Fourth-Grade class in Hawkeye's home town. Charles receives one from a little girl who says she's sent him a birch leaf. Unfortunately, the leaf he removes from her glassine envelope is a maple leaf. (Note: there was no indication that this was supposed to be her mistake.)

Bob Blumenfeld

Potter's Retirement - S6-E22

Continuity mistake: When BJ and Hawkeye are trying to find out who snitched on Potter, they search Charles' belongings back at The Swamp. BJ wraps Charles' white scarf around his neck. Once Charles returns to his tent, the scarf changes positions several times.

Sometimes You Hear the Bullet - S1-E17

Henry Blake: All I know is what they taught me at command school. There are certain rules about a war, and rule number one is that young men die. And rule number two is that doctors can't change rule number one.

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Dear Dad - S1-E12

Question: A number of times it is mentioned that the outfit is unarmed, yet several times, Frank has a rifle, or a pistol, and once Klinger had a grenade, and the guards and Klinger, while on sentry duty, has a rifle. Was this standard, or is this a mistake?

Answer: Even an Army field hospital would have SOME weapons for self-defense if the enemy attacked. What's meant is that it's not a combat outfit, and therefore wouldn't have enough weapons to actually attack anyone. (It's also mentioned a few times that the Officer of the Watch is supposed to carry a pistol at all times, but Hawkeye refuses to do it when he's in charge and Colonels Blake and Potter don't enforce the rule).

Captain Defenestrator

Answer: The Geneva Convention allows even doctors to carry a sidearm to be used in their self defense or the defense of their patients, however it is rare to do so.

stiiggy

Answer: As an old medical unit staffer, my experience is that med units have combat units assigned to defend them. Usually it was marines.

Answer: My old doctor (now deceased) served in Korea during the War. He was required to carry a sidearm anytime he was not in the hospital.

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