A season 8 episode of MASH was a real Alda family affair. When the sitcom debuted in 1972, it was intended that Alan Alda’s Hawkeye and Wayne Roger’s Trapper would be equal co-leads, just as the characters were in the Robert Altman movie of the same name. It soon became apparent that Alda was the breakout star, and Hawkeye became the de-facto lead. Rogers was one of the first MASH actors to exit the show when he felt Trapper’s role was diminishing, while Alda would become a bigger creative voice behind the scenes.
Alan Alda is the only MASH actor to appear in every episode, with season 4’s “Hawkeye” featuring none of the cast outside of the titular character. The star was also key in the show’s move from sitcom to dramedy and helped further underline MASH’s anti-war subtext. Alda went on to direct over 30 episodes too, with MASH’s finale still the most-viewed scripted television episode ever broadcast. In short, he was a big reason it lasted so long and he invested a lot of creative energy into the series.
MASH Season 8’s “Lend a Hand” United Alan Alda With His Father And Brother
Robert and Antony Alda make special guest appearances in this MASH outing
The fanbase seems to have conflicting feelings towards Alda’s influence on the series, and his episodes in general. The likes of MASH’s divisive “Dreams” or “Follies of the Living – Concerns of the Dead” take big deviations from standard formula, and often eschew comedy in favor of straight-faced drama. The same can’t be said of season 8 outing “Lend a Hand,” where Hawkeye is forced to work alongside overbearing surgeon Dr. Anthony Borelli. Despite Borelli getting on Hawkeye’s nerves in a big way, when both men are injured, they have to work together with their uninjured hands for an operation.
“Lend a Hand” also saw Alan Alda write a role for his half-brother Antony as Corporal Jarvis, who assists Hawkeye and Borelli (Robert Alda) during surgery.
Throughout “Lend a Hand,” Hawkeye and Borelli bicker like an old comedy double act. They exchange rapid-fire quips and insults, but despite barely knowing each other, they act like squabbling family members. This is because Borelli is played by Alan Alda’s actual father Robert, who was a former vaudeville performer. During Alan’s youth, the two had performed in sketches together, explaining their onscreen comic chemistry.
“Lend a Hand” also saw Alan write a role for his half-brother Antony Alda as Corporal Jarvis, who assists Hawkeye and Borelli during surgery. This marks the first and only time in MASH where the Aldas worked together, with their onscreen relationship supposedly mirroring their real-life one; Alan and Robert sniping at each other, while Antony acts as peacekeeper.
Alan Alda Claims MASH’s “Lend a Hand” Helped Him Reconcile With His Father
“Lend a Hand’s” final scene has a couple of meanings
Alan Alda has made no secret that he had a sometimes tense relationship with his father, with the two having an odd rivalry. Alda wrote and directed “Lend a Hand” as a way to work with his father again, and it was Robert’s idea to have the two surgeons literally work hand in hand during “Lend a Hand’s” finale. Alan himself was originally against the notion but included it in the script to make his father happy. The visual is certainly on the nose, but Robert was reportedly moved to tears while filming the sequence.
Every MASH Movie & Series | Release Year |
|---|---|
MASH (Movie) | 1970 |
MASH (TV Series) | 1972-1983 |
AfterMASH | 1983-1985 |
W*A*L*T*E*R (TV Pilot) | 1984 |
Alda stated in his memoir Never Have Your Dog Stuffed: And Other Things I’ve Learned that Hawkeye and Borelli’s relationship was a reflection of how the Aldas were in reality. This makes sense in “Lend a Hand,” where Borelli is obnoxiously paternal to Hawkeye, suggesting he open his coat to get warm or remarking on how he washes his hands. It’s strange behavior for a character who, within the reality of MASH, doesn’t have much of a relationship with Hawkeye.
Still, father and son enjoyed working together on the series, even if “Lend a Hand” wasn’t a highly regarded outing. Knowing the familial relationship between Alan, Antony and Robert gives their scenes a fun metatextual element too, right down to how they’re working out their interpersonal tensions with their characters.
Robert Alda later guest starred as a different character in an episode of
MASH
spinoff
Trapper John, M.D
.
“Lend a Hand” Was Robert Alda’s Second Appearance On MASH
MASH season 8 was Dr. Borelli’s second visit to the 4077th
Hawkeye and Borelli’s relationship can be somewhat explained by the latter’s first appearance during MASH season 3 when Robert Alda made his debut in “The Consultant.” This version of the character is quite different from the one seen in “Lend a Hand”, though, being a more somber figure who lets his alcoholism get the better of him. This results in a heartfelt scene between Hawkeye and Borelli, who admits he has a problem, but that the same thing could happen to Hawkeye in the future.
Indeed, MASH’s “Fallen Idol” sees this prediction come through, where the surgeon is so hungover during an operation that he’s forced to step away. Of Robert Alda’s two appearances, “The Consultant” is the best, but “Lend a Hand” is worth viewing for its meta elements alone.
Source: Never Have Your Dog Stuffed: And Other Things I’ve Learned
