Here’s why we agree with Swit!
Parting is such sweet sorrow. Especially after eleven seasons!
Series finales tend to fall into two categories. There are the ones that we deem “satisfying,” and there are the ones that leave us feeling “disappointed.” Sometimes a finale episode will deliver on the promise of all that precedes it, wrapping up storylines efficiently in a way that resonates emotionally. Other times, though, the ball is fumbled right before we cross that goal line, and we’re left questioning whether it was all for nothing.
For our money, one of the best finale episodes of all time is “Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen,” the last episode of M*A*S*H. The two-and-a-half-hour climax does a great job of ending the series in a way that feels tonally consistent with the other 255 episodes. It’s one of the most-watched television broadcasts of all time, and repeat viewings serve to remind us of the tear-filled closure viewers felt when it first aired on CBS on February 28, 1983.
However, if there’s one detail that could use a tweak, it’s the ending that the writers gave Maj. Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan. As one of two characters present in the premiere and the finale, Margaret was crucial to the show’s legacy.
Loretta Swit, who starred as Maj. Houlihan in 251 of the series’ episodes, was one of the most recognizable faces on M*A*S*H. As the person who presented us with Houlihan’s story, Swit agreed that the show could have served the character better.
Fans will recall that after spending some time considering whether she’d rather head to Tokyo or Belgium, Margaret ultimately opts to head home stateside to work at a hospital. In a 2023 interview with Yahoo! Entertainment, Loretta Swit spoke her truth about how the ending didn’t suit the character.
“I didn’t think that was correct for my Margaret,” said Swit. “For me, she was off to the next war. Margaret is military, just like Potter. I think her next move was Vietnam. So I didn’t agree with that, but that’s what they wanted her to do.”
We stand unequivocally with Loretta Swit.
