There are some shows that truly epitomize the phrase “lightning in a bottle.” Other shows have come close but nothing has fully captured the perfect storm of success that was M*A*S*H, though its spinoff, AfterMASH, did seek to capitalize on its legacy, going so far as to recruit some familiar faces.
Ultimately, though, just five actors from the original M*A*S*H can be seen in AfterMASH. Premiering in 1983, AfterMASH is a continuation of its predecessor, chronicling the postwar lives of three main characters. Besides these central figures, there were two others whose stories audiences got to follow.
‘AfterMASH’ followed the lives of three familiar characters
The original M*A*S*H finale aired with historic and unbeaten numbers, bringing the characters to the end of the Korean War. AfterMASH continues right from that endpoint, but this time it follows Colonel Sherman T. Potter (Harry Morgan), Sergeant Maxwell Klinger (Jamie Farr), and Father John Mulcahy (William Christopher).
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Viewers were treated to plenty of glimpses into the life of Potter thanks to his penchant for sharing about his life back in Missouri. Finally, he could reunite with his much-mentioned wife Mildred, before feeling driven back to work, this time at General Pershing Veterans’ Hospital, where he served as chief of staff.
As for Klinger, he famously wanted to avoid combat and did so by donning dresses – and matching cute accessories. The very thing and place he wanted no part of, however, ended up helping him find love and he made the huge choice to stay in Korea to help her find her family. It’s a powerful twist that’s somewhat undone at first by AfterMASH, although Klinger, like the audience, feels something is off. Fortunately, Potter’s arc helps Klinger return to some of the old development he had at the end of M*A*S*H, which helped tell such a compelling story against glorifying war.
Some characters played off of the ongoing arcs of others
AfterMASH did succeed in putting a brighter spotlight on characters who, in the large ensemble cast, had only so much screen time. One of the most prominent examples of this is with Rosalind Chao, reprising her role of Soon-Lee, Klinger’s wife. She came relatively late in the game in the original series but the love shared between Soon-Lee and Klinger is as passionate as ever in AfterMASH. She’s one half of this whole equation, which eventually even sees them becoming parents.
Another key player in this continuation of M*A*S*H was Father John Mulcahy, one of just a few original characters to appear in all 11 seasons of the show. His was perhaps the strongest presence in the spinoff, especially because of the dire twist to his journey, after losing his hearing in the finale. Fortunately, like many of his former comrades, he found solace at General Pershing Veterans’ Hospital, serving as chaplain there.
Courtesy: Everett Collection
On the opposite end is Walter “Radar” O’Reilly, played by Gary Burghoff. Burghoff was not a consistent presence throughout M*A*S*H, since his character was discharged by season eight. So, when AfterMASH came along, Radar couldn’t be in the midst of figuring out postwar life, but this gave him more breathing room to establish the groundwork for yet another show, this one called W*A*L*T*E*R, although it never made it up off the ground.
DId you watch AfterMASH and feel satisfied by the path they took these five returning characters down?