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No I don’t think you understand I really don’t think you do

#THIS IS SO BLESSED #I feel blessed by this newfound knowledge

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normal reactions to have about your bunkmate refusing to tell you his real name

#YOUR ART STYLE IS SO AWESOME

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#op this is absolutely gorgeous #hunnihawk

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I think about this often

#more or less?

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ALL 11 SEASONS OF 1080P MASH (1972-1983) uploaded to MEGA for your downloading/viewing pleasure: season 1 | season 2 | season 3 | season 4 | season 5 | season 6 | season 7 | season 8 | season 9 | season 10 | season 11

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For some reason I got emotional about BJ and his motorcycles this morning. This is the result. Be kind.

It's not an earth-shattering piece of information that BJ has a love and passion for motorcycles, but what hurts me about this little piece of his character is how it too is used as something to constantly take away from him.

In "The Yalu Brick Road," we meet "Spokes" Hunnicutt - Mill Valley's finest surviving motorcycle rider. BJ is absolutely delighted to have come upon a rusty old motorcycle. (Side Note: I have tried to figure out what kind of make/model the bike is and never have any success.) There's no way to know for certain, but the viewer is led to believe that this is the first motorcycle that BJ has seen and subsequently been able to ride since arriving in Korea. A reminder of his chosen home is dangled in front of him to get him, Hawkeye and Ralph out of a sticky situation and back to his current forced home.

The three of them arrive with a crash back at the 4077, some conversations are had, and the motorcycle is never seen again. There's no way to even know if the crash damaged it to the point where it became junk, became scraps... nothing. It's never spoken of again, and I don't believe BJ mentions motorcycles in season 8 or 9 after that. (Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. I can't think of another episode in either season where he explicitly does.) The motorcycle was a symbolic vehicle for getting home safely, but also an actual vehicle... for getting home safely. In the end, it appears to have been taken from him.

The next time motorcycles are mentioned, and a specific part of a BJ related plot is in "Blood and Guts," where the wounded soldier gifts the bike to BJ as a thank you for fixing him up. Again, BJ is delighted - and this time we learn that not only does he ride, but he can also recite facts related to the bike off the top of his head.

"This bike is a classic. These and Sherman tanks were the most important vehicles in World War II. And the bikes were tougher!"

"Those things are great hill climbers. Very big on the race circuit."

He was ready to just fork over money to this kid so he could have it - his hobby back. Up until this point, we don't really have a lot of insight as to any personal hobbies and/or passions that BJ really has at Korea. Yeah, we see him taking up some knitting, holding yarn for people, drinking, mentions of fishing, playing chess, pulling practical jokes - and I'm in no way suggesting that he wouldn't take part in any of those things at home. What I am trying to get at is that none of those things breathe life back into him. They are activities to pass the time. They aren't things he could find himself getting lost in - which is exactly what we see happen to him later when he starts trying to put the bike together.

He absolutely is not paying any attention to Hawkeye when Hawk is venting about Clayton Kibbie. He's not being rude or shitty to Hawkeye, he's lost in something that a.) brings him actual joy, b.) he's in control of fixing something and if he fails it's not a life-or-death situation and c.) it's quite possibly something he has either done back home or would love to do when he gets home. For a short time, he is mentally away from the war and maybe actually genuinely content. Then we see him ride it and the man is absolutely beaming.

It doesn't last for long. Joy in Korea never seems to last long. Clayton steals the bike in a pathetic attempt to "see the war," and wrecks it. Totals it. When Hawkeye and BJ find Clayton injured, Hawkeye even says "I think I got my patient under control if you want to check on yours." He knows the bike already means something to BJ, and it's probably quietly eating at him to not know what kind of condition the bike is actually in. So, BJ goes and looks, and it's blatantly obvious the bike is totaled. BJ looks devastated.

I know I know. It's just a motorcycle, but it really feels like some sort of callback to "BJ Papa San," where he actively takes responsibility of a Korean family in a desperate attempt to fill the hole that leaving his family has created. The war took him from his family and then it had the nerve to take his surrogate family as well. BJ was gifted something he has a deep love for because he took care of a soldier who frankly shouldn't even be there to begin with, and subsequently some glory crazed man whose whole purpose is wrapped up in making the war sellable and exciting - loses the gift. It's once again snatched from him out of nowhere and there's really nothing to blame but the war. Maybe it's a reach, but all the events would not have happened if the war was not actively happening and trying to be pitched as a necessary endeavor.

Then finally, in "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" when the group of musicians surrender arrive at camp with Charles, BJ makes a beeline for the motorcycle (it has a side car at this point which feels like a call back to Yalu but is honestly probably just a coincidence) and says, "I'll make sure the motorcycle doesn't escape." He wastes legitimately no time getting his hands on it. The next shot of the bike we see is when BJ is painting it yellow, while Charles is listening and conducting to music.

"What is that atrocious odor?" "Yellow."

I find this scene to be fascinating because the two of them are actively taking part in passions, in hobbies, simultaneously. They are both trying to lose themselves in things that they know bring them joy - but the damn war and not knowing if the truce will go through is keeping them (as always) from doing so. The next time we see the bike it's complete. It's yellow and beautiful and waiting to for its final ride.

Back in "The Yalu Brick Road," Hawkeye screams a lot about BJ's driving and ordering him to slow down. He does it when BJ is driving like a maniac in the jeep, but also in the side car of the beat-up motorcycle. In "Blood and Guts," Hawkeye refuses to let BJ give him a ride. Rightfully so, since the man does seem a tad bit chaotic when driving. And I don't want to get too far into Beejhawk territory because the symbolism of motorcycles being a tangible lifeline for BJ that consistently gets ripped from him is far more pertinent, but at the very end - when it matters the most - Hawk willingly gets on the back of BJ's motorcycle. He lets BJ drive him up to the helipad.

A passion. A friendship. A thing who brings joy. A man who brought joy. A machine that delivers from point A to point B. A man who delivered life to those on the brink of death. An item that needed fixed. A man who did fixing.

A motorcycle allowed BJ to forget where he was temporarily, but Hawkeye kept BJ from forgetting who he was permanently.

In the end, both are ripped away from him. Best friends are forced to separate, because they finally get what they always wanted. The war is over. BJ most likely lost that final bike because I can't imagine a scenario where he would've been able (or even wanted to) bring it home with him. Both the friendship and the final bike, BJ wouldn't want to lose or leave behind - and it's got to be confusing to know each are being ripped away from you because the ultimate goal has FINALLY been achieved.

So what does all of this mean? I think it's just another layer of how war destroys individuals. It takes and it takes and sometimes it brings the tiniest of sparks that grow and grow - until it's forcefully put out again. It thrusts people into situations with other people they'd otherwise never be in or meet - and eventually it must end. Passions and things become coping mechanisms for escape instead of for joy. Joy becomes fleeting and exhausting to chase after. And at the end of the day all that you're left with is yourself.

And if you don't have the right people around you, you don't even have that.

#THIS IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL ANALYSIS #There is so much depth to BJ’s character that people don’t talk about enough #and I love that he has this hobby that means so much to him #even if he has limited access to it in Korea

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Welcome to Korea

ive been working on a buncha MASH stickers to sell and i was gonna wait to post any of the designs until i had the first 5 done but i couldnt wait to post this one!! please lmk if youd be interested in buying this design as a sticker!

i have a BUNCH of sticker ideas for MASH but i wanna make sure people are interested before i invest a ton of time and money into making these so if you genuinely wanna buy some let me know! :D! ill post the rest of the designs im working on in a few days, and i think ill post some concepts for stickers after that if people would wanna see!

#This is such a cool vibe #I LOVE ITTT

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My beloved

#IT’S HIM #😖❤️

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some of the mash 4077 as animals, i had a lot of fun picking them out my favorite is peacock klinger and dog bj!!!

#THIS IS SOOO CUTE #I LOVE YOUR ART STYLE SO MUCH #brb going to stare at this for an hour

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why is this guy always juggling

#if I knew how to juggle #i would do it all the time #i get him

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bj hunnicutt.

#STOPP WHY DOES HE SOUND LIKE HIM

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Am I the only one who thinks Alan’s right cheek dimples look like a heart?

#ahh that’s cuuute ❤️ #I never noticed before #but you are 100% correct

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Have physically felt like shit all day today has been strange

#CATBOY HAWKEYE #SO CUTE 😭 #you’ve captured his energy so well #absolute chaos

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M*A*S*H Dreams

#:0

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"are you deaf too?"

Father Mulcahys ending makes me feel so many feelings WAAA WAAA I CARE ABOUT HIM!! he saved peoples lives and he suffered for it THATS SO FUCKED UP WAAA WAAAA

#OMGGGGGG #CRAZY ABOUT THIS #spoliers

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the original golden retriever boy

#crying screaming throwing up

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i am a serious artist

#CUTE CUTE CUTE