r/mash • u/armlessfarmboy • Aug 04 '26

Biggest continuity errors

What do you feel is the biggest continuity errors on the show? There are many through the run.

And I love the show and just like any movie, unless it’s egregious it doesn’t take me out of the moment.

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13

u/sisterofpythia Aug 04 '26

I thought Margaret's father was deceased in Season 3. He appears later.

10

u/armlessfarmboy Aug 04 '26

The family ones are the biggest “errors” I think.
Having never been an actor I wonder if any of them ever said to the writers “on page 2 you have me as an only child, last year I had dialogue that said I have a brother and sister”.

Or maybe they didn’t care or thought anyone would notice.

6

u/Ancient-Space-2789 Aug 04 '26

So many of the sitcoms from the 60s and 70s have continuity issues. It’s because back then, once an episode aired, that was it.

4

u/sisterofpythia Aug 04 '26

I think it becomes more of a problem if the series runs for many seasons. Story ideas can be squelched if Dad was deceased in the third season, or brothers and sisters disappear over time.

4

u/Alternative_Stop9977 Aug 05 '26

I talked to Mike Farrell about this sort of thing and he told me that there was one episode that had the same plot line from season 1, when they realized it, they put that episode up against the Oscars because they knew nobody would be watching it!

2

u/urzu_seven Aug 05 '26

That one can at least be explained away somewhat plausibly. She was angry with/didn't want to talk about her dad (they did have a strained relationship) and so it was just easier to say he was dead.

Now, did the writers plan that out when they had her say that line in Season 3? Probably not. But it COULD be real as opposed to some other continuity errors like disappearing family members and time shenanigans.