Deal Me Out - S2-E13
Factual error: In this episode, Henry is seen handing Radar the keys to his jeep. While this probably benefited the understanding of the audience, it is historically incorrect. Jeeps assigned to a combat zone were outfitted with an ignition switch, not an ignition lock, for the simple reason that in an emergency the vehicle had to be useable by anyone. (00:03:40)
Audio problem: Right before throwing the football, Trapper says "Yo, Hawk!" but his mouth movements say "Hey, Hawk!" (00:09:05)
Plot hole: In this episode, Margaret is required to give a lecture on the use of Levophed, because it is being introduced. However, in the Episode "Period of Adjustment"(8-6), Hawkeye orders an IV of Levophed for one of his patients. (00:12:15)
Character mistake: After Potter mocks Hawkeye for not hitting anything, Hawkeye replies "You fired as many shots as I did". In fact, Potter fired seven shots, Hawkeye only five. On a side note, this also suggests that Hawkeye probably was supposed to fire seven times, but his weapon jammed after the fifth shot. (00:22:00)
Other mistake: In the episode where Radar is talking to Corporal Hendrix, Radar says that he was thinking about getting a tattoo himself. But in season 3 episode 7 when Col. Blake was giving Radar his physical he had an anchor on his right arm which he said was his new tattoo. (00:08:20)
Factual error: The Chinese soldier holding the grenade in the operating theatre is speaking Japanese. (00:20:00 - 00:22:00)
Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen - S11-E16
Continuity mistake: B.J. is holding a Korean child who is subbing in for his own daughter when Margaret hands B.J. a piece of cake. Just as it looks as if he is about to feed the cake to the girl, the scene cuts to a full facial shot of Hot Lips, then cuts back to B.J. The cake has disappeared. There wasn't enough time to eat it all, and neither the child nor B.J. is eating. B.J. has no icing on his fingers; it has just disappeared. (01:16:50)
Other mistake: Charles starts a discussion on the army having forbidden the use of curare. The following chatter is all about how things in the M.A.S.H. OR have slowed after curare was banned, leaving us with no choice but to understand that the ban came into effect during the Korean War. Actually, curare was not approved for use by the U.S. Army at any time during the Korean War. (See "Notable Names in Anasthesia" - J. Roger Maltby, Royal Society of Medicine, Great Britain, pg. 14). (00:00:25)
Suggested correction: The whole point of the discussion is to make it clear that curare was never allowed for use by the US military, however since the majority of the doctors there are not enlisted, they know of curare and how to use it on a patient. At no point is it mentioned that the banned occurred during the Korean war.
While they never specifically say that the ban occurred during the Korean war, at the beginning of the episode, Charles says "Ever since the army forbade our use of curare..." Then at the end of the episode, COL Potter says "It sure is the cat's P.J.s having our curare back." after they get some supply from another non-American unit. These conversations imply that the doctors had been allowed to use curare by the army until this point and the ban by the army is why they aren't using it any more.
Father Mulchahy says "I've noticed the work goes much faster with curare." Father Mulchahy's only experiences in operating rooms are from his deployment at mash 4077 (he mentions he used to work with children before the war), so he must have "noticed" it there. This makes it clear as daylight that curare was used at mash before it was banned.
Continuity mistake: When Trapper turns around to ask Klinger for the status about the movie's sound, a small patch of his hat becomes wet from the roof's leaking, but in the next shot, his whole hat is instantly soaked. (00:01:55)
Continuity mistake: When they get the soldier into the OR, Hawkeye tells Klinger to get his canvas tub from the swamp. Yet Col. Potter specifically ordered them to get rid of the tub in episode titled "None Like It Hot" - which they did.
Other mistake: When they're playing poker, Hawkeye is sitting at an angle so that Sgt. Baker cannot see the earpiece that Hawkeye is wearing. However, Hawkeye sometimes turns his head enough for us to see his ear and, since the camera angle is over Baker's shoulder, Baker must have been able to see the earpiece too and realise he was being cheated. (00:13:20)
Factual error: Nearly every show depicts the use of disposable plastic syringes, which weren't introduced till 1955, two years after the war ended.
Factual error: While eating, General Haggarty was told about how Conway should be a cook. Haggarty said "Change his (Conway's) MOS. MOS means Military Occupational Specialty, your job in service. Since M*A*S*H was set in the early 50's, Haggarty wouldn't have said that, because 'MOS' wasn't used until 1965.
Suggested correction: "MOS" most certainly was used during the Korean War. In 1965, the MOS system was simply changed, not created.
I perhaps misspoke. It was titled PMOS, and revamped in 1965 as just MOS. My apologies and thanks for the info.
According to "Introduction to Special Regulations SR 615-25-15, Enlisted Personnel Military Occupational Specialties" from the Department of the Army in November 1950, it's MOS. The "P" just means primary, but MOS was/is used way more than PMOS.
Character mistake: As Hawkeye goes to help Maj. Burns right at the end of the episode, he touches the patient with his bloody, contaminated gloves he used to work on the last patient. Such a blatant error would be anathema to any surgeon from the civilized world of the 20th century, let alone one of Hawkeye's caliber.
Other mistake: When the scene is of the cow in the barn, the background hilly area can be a painted backdrop.
Continuity mistake: After the files blow up, Klinger sees BJ looking at them. If you look carefully, you see that his head changes position between shots.
