Changes With Radar

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Dear Sigmund
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Changes With Radar

Post by Dear Sigmund »

I brought this up in an old forum a few years ago and got some pretty good responses out of it, so I figured I'd bring it up here to get your guys' take on it.

The topic at hand is what I would refer to as the "evolution of radar". We're all MASH fans and we know Radar's character like the back of our hands. However, one thing that I've realized (and many people didnt noticed this completely until I brought it up) was that Radars character in the first...I would have to say, 30 episodes or so, (primarily in the first season), was completely different than the Radar we would go on to see through seasons 2-8.

To give you examples.

The Radar that we see in Season 1 had a number of qualities about him that seemingly changes as the show went along.

- Radar was a relatively quiet character in season one, talking only when he needed to.

- Radar's character could easily be considered one of, if not the sneakiest characters during this time period. (ie...tricking Henry into signing certain things, helping Hawkeye with certain tasks such as helping him cheat during a poker game (the moose), mailing home a jeep, one piece at a time (mail call or dear dad I believe it was...), and knowing/having hook-ups with the black market (From Market to Market)

- Throughout season one, we see Radar as generally not caring too much about the war and being completely laid back. (ie...smoking Henry's cigars and then telling a GENERAL, of all people, that he didnt mind doing so, which in the later seasons Radar doesn't even like cigars (fade out, fade in), and greeting General Mitchell with a bed pan on his head.

- In addition, we see that Radar isn't as shy about girls as he is in later seasons, (The Army-Navy Game, he asks out a nurse by himself). In "The Moose," we see him being distracted while helping Hawkeye cheat, following the nurse into the nurses showers, something we would never see in later seasons.

- The best line leading to my point here, is in Season 2, Episode 1, "Divided We Stand", where everyone in the office is fighting with each other. Radar comes up to the outside window to inform everyone that there are incoming wounded and Margaret yells out "And that one spies on everyone!", with Hawkeye replying, "Well he is our son."

Needless to say, that is what Radar's character was up until about halfway through season 2. The Radar that emerges afterwards is kind of what bugs me. They took his character and in my opinion, turned him into a type of.."sissy/coward." When it came to protocol, Radar all of a sudden could not and would not break any rules. Everything had to be done according to army regulation. When it came to nurses, Radar all of a sudden knew nothing about them and wouldn't even allow himself to look at them, based off them being of either high rank or because he himself was scared. ("I can't do that sir, thats the nurses shower!")

While I will say that they probably were able to get more Radars character by changing him, I really did enjoy his character a lot more in season 1. He, along with Trapper, were my two favorite characters. Once the writers decided to change him and make him "Wimpified," I just didn't really care to follow Radars character anymore. It fell flat in my opinion and the fact that they had him play that type of character for 6+ seasons was just too much. I could, hypothetically, see why Gary Burghoff would have been frustrated having to play that character for soo long.

But overall, I just wanted to get everyone's input on the matter or at least give you all something to think about.
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Big Daddy O'Reilly
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Re: Changes With Radar

Post by Big Daddy O'Reilly »

Well somehow, neither the writers, nor Gary Burghoff, were entirely satisfied with the way Radar's character were turning out, which is why the decided to go off in a different direction (which is something I think Gary sort of later regretted, since he said one of the reasons he wanted to move on was the difficulty of continually playing a naive 18-year-old farmboy at war)... I think part of it may have been they wanted to show people, who were still not quite mentally or emotionally mature, being thrown into a position they have to grow accustomed to. Gary's also said that this version of Radar brought a level of sincerity and innocence that you rarely see on television anymore.

Plus, you have to remember too, that the newer Radar also had a more compassionate side too: we see how well he does with all different kinds of animals (being from a farm, he should be), and even how well he does with little kids to, like helping one of the orphans go to sleep by singing her a lullabye. Plus, from time to time, he still had some occasional sneaky moments, especially when it involved putting Frank or Charles in their places, or if it was something that would benefit him, Hawkeye, or the Colonel... though every once in a while on those occasions, he may have to be bribed with nudist magazines or whatever.

For me, I prefer the newer Radar mostly because he was the most relatable character on the show to me: when I was a kid growing up, I lived a very sheltered, protected life, so I was always that innocent little naive kid among all the other more "knowledgable" kids in school, so they'd take pleasure in teasing me about my lack of knowledge of things like sex, just like they did with Radar, and I too even had that moment he did where he was asked, "Everybody here says you're a virgin, is that true?"
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Re: Changes With Radar

Post by Chuck »

I like Radar's character too (in earlier episodes). I think his last seaon, right before he left the show was his most significant change. He seemed to come back from leave all grown up. He wasn't the same Radar. It was almost like he had a chip n his shoulder. Even his voice seemed to change. I dislike his character in "Goodbye Radar".
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Re: Changes With Radar

Post by Big Daddy O'Reilly »

Probably because Gary felt obligated to do so when he probably didn't really want to, some say it was his burn-out showing through in Radar's final episodes.

Ken Levine has written on his blog about difficulties with Gary during filming of those episodes, with Gary's irritability from burn-out showing through in his performances, not feeling up to pitching his voice to make Radar sound younger anymore, and Ken was especially displeased that Gary refused to wear Radar's cap (which is why he hardly wears it in those last episodes).

Speaking of which, Gary recently explained the change in Radar's character on Ken's blog, saying that the shift in personality was the work of both himself, and Larry Gelbart:
http://kenlevine.blogspot.com/2012/05/g ... radar.html
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Re: Changes With Radar

Post by Dear Sigmund »

Aww, thanks for the link there! I hadn't seen that before.

well regardless, i still prefer the first Radar, but its definitely interesting to hear his take on it.
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Re: Changes With Radar

Post by Big Daddy O'Reilly »

Maybe it's just me, but does it seem like Hawkeye dislikes Radar during Season One? Like he writes home about Radar reading other people's minds and being a fink, when Radar asks to see him while he's busy with a nurse he keeps trying to shoo him away (as opposed to another occasion later where Hawkeye tells him to meet him in the Swamp), or when he tells Henry he has problems talking to him because wherever he goes Radar's sure to follow, etc.
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Re: Changes With Radar

Post by Dear Sigmund »

I don't think that Hawkeye disliked Radar at all during season one. If I remember correctly, the episode in which Hawkeye tries to shoo Radar away might be one of the Dear Dad episodes, when Radar informs Hawkeye about Capt. Casey not being a doctor. I think that was more of a "Radar, you're messing up me trying to get a date with this girl. wait until later unless its important." type of deal. I do remember in later seasons, Hawkeye had similar "if this isnt important" quotes with Radar.

As for the telling Henry he has problems with Radar, I believe that was the episode where Hawkeye moved out of the Swamp in hopes to get some alone time while trying to figure out that case. Saying "Radars sure to follow" was just a way of saying "theres going to be more people interrupting since Radar is always somewhere around Henry" Thats just my opinion though. The little fink comment I also didn't take very seriously, I just assumed he meant it as a joke like "you bastard" or whatever phrase you might like to use.
"Right! Should I write "Wammo," sir? "
"Uh, no, no, it doesn't sound too G.I. Make it... "Socko."
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