Behind MASH’s polished wit were deeply human stakes. When William Christopher fell ill with hepatitis, he was nearly written off—until Alan Alda rewrote reality, building an episode around the disease so Christopher could keep working and supporting his family. In the same storyline, Larry Linville’s Frank Burns joked about a “pea-sized tumor” beneath his sternum; years later, a tumor in that exact place took Linville’s life, turning a throwaway gag into one of television’s most chilling coincidences.

Jamie Farr wore his own Army dog tags on set, blurring the line between character and veteran, while Loretta Swit quietly pushed to transform “Hot Lips” from a sexist punchline into a respected major with depth and dignity. By the finale, Alda and Swit stood as the only original cast members still there, sharing TV’s longest, most uncomfortable goodbye kiss—an onscreen farewell layered over a real one, closing a show whose flaws, errors, and accidents only made its humanity more unforgettable.