Why Henry Blake Was Really Killed Off In MASH Season 3

Henry Blake's departure from MASH came in the season 3 finale with his tragic death summarizing the show's core message about war. Played by McLean Stevenson, Blake was 4077's commanding officer during the groundbreaking dramedy's early years. While not as respected or capable as Col. Sherman Potter, Blake was a fair and good-hearted doctor who was liked by his subordinates despite his inadequacies. The news of his death was delivered by a stunned Radar O'Reilly to a busy operating room, making for one of the most iconic TV deaths.

Given the nature of MASH, injuries, deaths, and other tragedies were the norm. The medical show leaned on it frequently, with its best moments not shying away from these difficult topics. Balancing silly humor with the horrors of war is what made MASH one of the most popular shows ever. While other actors left MASH as well, the death of Henry Blake is unique not just because it was so unexpected, but also because of how the show executed it. His demise is largely deemed as the turning point of the show from being good to great.

MASH Killed Henry Blake To Show The True Horrors Of War

The Decision Earned Complaints From Angry MASH Fans

Despite MASH's success, leaving the show was actually Stevenson's idea, as the actor reportedly didn't particularly like playing a supporting role to Alan Alda's wisecracking Captain Hawkeye Pierce, who was becoming the show's lead star. Instead of just writing off the character, however, creators Larry Gelbart and Gene Reynolds revealed in the 1997 Archive of American Television interview that they wanted to do something drastic and meaningful with his send-off. Hence, Blake was killed after his "plane was shot down over the Sea of Japan. It spun in. There were no survivors," highlighting the horrors of war.

It was a tragic way to write out the character, heavier than John Trapper's MASH exit. The show received fan complaints about Blake's final fate, but the creators stood by their decision, and they were right to do so, as it re-emphasizes the ugly truth about war. Despite the show's comedy, it inherently deals with a serious matter, with its storytelling used to antagonize the controversial Vietnam War (despite the series tackling the Korean War). The fact that Blake wasn't even killed in combat and was already on his way home effectively makes it more heartbreaking.

Blake’s Death Was A Turning Point For MASH

The Shocking Moment Allowed The Show To Experiment With Drama More Freely

Henry Blake's death in MASH was a critical moment for the show for a couple of reasons. For starters, he was the first of the main MASH cast to leave the series, followed by Trapper and Frank Burns. More than kick-starting a series of big MASH exits, however, Blake's death almost served as a litmus test for viewers' response to the show leaning on a more realistic depiction of war.

Granted that MASH had some emotional moments before losing Blake, it was only after his demise that it further explored death, destruction, and all the other horrors of war which made it the iconic show that it eventually became.

What McLean Stevenson Did After MASH

Stevenson Passed Away In 1996

After exiting the role of Henry Blake on MASH, actor McLean Stevenson's career went somewhat into decline, despite the fact that he continued working for many years. In the aftermath of leaving such an acclaimed show, he got his wish to be the lead in a series, starting with The McLean Stevenson Show, in which he played Mac Ferguson, a store owner and family man which only lasted one season. He then starred as Larry Adler in Hello, Larry, which was canceled after two seasons.

He ended up guest starring in a lot of series, like Match Game and The Golden Girls, and he played three different characters in The Love Boat. He also was a guest host on The Tonight Show 58 times when Johnny Carson was still headlining the iconic talk show. One of his final appearances was in the role of Max Kellerman in the short-lived TV adaptation of Dirty Dancing.

McLean Stevenson's Notable Roles After MASH

Stevenson became somewhat of a source of criticism for leaving such a hit show only for his career to falter. Before his death in 1996, Stevenson acknowledged his inability to find a series as good as MASH after he left and considered leaving the show to have been a mistake (via Los Angeles Times):

"I made the mistake of believing that people were enamored of McLean Stevenson when the person they were enamored of was Henry Blake," said Stevenson. "So if you go and do The McLean Stevenson Show, nobody cares about McLean Stevenson."