MovieChat Forums > M*A*S*H (1972) Discussion > Most under-utilized characters on the sh...

Most under-utilized characters on the show?

posted 8 years ago by crockett_john
15 replies | jump to latest

Similar to the question about under-rated actors on the show, which character was under-utilized. I'd nominate Colonel Flagg, but he was in the spotlight at least a few times.

I might have to nominate Nurse Ginger. She was a petite, black, female nurse in the Army in the 1950s, but very little revolved around her. Pairing her up with a large, white, uneducated Marine at an aid station seems like an easy story to write with plenty of room for issues and differences.

Even Nurse Kellye got the spotlight a few times, but in "The Nurses" episode, Margaret was the only series regular nurse featured in the episode.

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I blame autocorrect.

You may all go to hell, and I will go to Texas.

[–] joannabaroncelli 8 years ago

Nurse Bigelow character could have been utilized and developed more. Bigelow seemed to be Hawkeye's girlfriend for a time in season 6 where they were together a lot but only one episode sort of revolved around her where she is injured in an accident in season 7 and Margaret blames herself for assigning Bigelow to the position where she was hurt. And then in the farewell episode where along with several others Bigelow indicates her future plans but she seemed like an interesting character who could have been fleshed out more.

[–] knight523-383-350235 8 years ago

For me it's Goldman,..he shoulda had his own spin-off...

[–] pchrp 8 years ago

Biggest role I remember Nurse Ginger having was in the episode where the GI asked to be sure he received the "right color blood." After the doctors darkened up his skin, she walked by and made a crack about him "passing" as white due to his chart listing his race as white.

[–] crockett_john 8 years ago

There was another one where she was in two consecutive scenes. Frank had yelled at her in surgery. Afterward, Hawkeye and Trapper cheered her up again.

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I blame autocorrect.

You may all go to hell, and I will go to Texas.

[–] indy_go_blue44 8 years ago

I love the end of that episode when the soldier thanks Hawkeye for "giving me a lot to think about" then salutes Ginger. Very classy.

[–] crockett_john 8 years ago

I think I would have liked it if Ginger had had a bigger role in changing the guy's mind about his racism, but at the same time, the guy was racist and worthy of some sympathy (being wounded) and it was the 50s, where a lot of people were racist.

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I blame autocorrect.

You may all go to hell, and I will go to Texas.

[–] marktayloruk (2506) a year ago

People Don't generally change that easily.

[–] muchmeow 8 years ago

Rizzo, Igor, and Nurse Kelly.

[–] couchpotato67 8 years ago

I would have liked to have seen more of Zale. He did get the spotlight a couple times, but never rose to the level of Rizzo as far as screen time.

I also would have liked them to flesh out more of the nurses than just Kelleye. Ginger was pretty good, but disappeared pretty quickly. Unless Hawkeye was trying to bang one of them, they never got more than being Able or Baker.

[–] crypticanomaly73 8 years ago

Any of the main nurses, Ginger, Baker and Kellye.

It would have been nice if they chose one of them to be another regular female cast, someone softer and more feminine that Margaret.

Sometimes a movie or tv show plot is so stupid that only the stupid can understand it.

[–] FatherMulcahyFan 8 years ago

It would have been nice if they chose one of them to be another regular female cast, someone softer and more feminine that Margaret.

I liked Ginger and thought she could be firm and sassy when she needed to be without screeching like God got her periods reversed and she was only nice for a couple of days like Margaret did.

[–] crypticanomaly73 8 years ago

Yeah, Margaret's idea of being tough was just to become so irrational that people would give up just so she would stop screaming.

Sometimes a movie or tv show plot is so stupid that only the stupid can understand it.

[–] airborne3502 8 years ago

Nurse Margie Cutler.

RIP Marcia Strassman.

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[–] BiffGG 8 years ago

Strassman was a regular on Welcome Back, Kotter during the later part of the 1970's so she most likely was unavailable. I would have to check but it seems to me that theater was her first love so as long as the bills were getting paid there was no need to agree to do television.

[–] JosephQCat (706) a year ago

Once per season was enough for Flagg. His shtick was not so deep that it would hold up to regular viewing.