McLean Stevenson's exit from M*A*S*H led show creators to kill his character Henry Blake in a dramatic twist. The decision aimed to underscore the unpredictability of war rather than provide a happy send-off.
The third-season finale titled Abyssinia, Henry saw Colonel Blake granted a discharge only for Radar to announce that his plane had been shot down with no survivors. Cast members learned of the plot minutes before filming the scene.
Series creator Larry Gelbart explained the choice in an interview. He said the team decided to have Blake die on his way home because they wanted his death to mean something after discussing the topic many times.
The episode aired the same week as a real plane crash in Saigon that killed dozens of Vietnamese children being adopted in America. Gelbart noted that this timing helped justify the storyline against viewer backlash.
The episode reached the top of the Nielsen ratings for only the second time in the series run and is now viewed as one of its strongest installments.
