Nurse Cutler was introduced in the show’s third episode, “Requiem for a Lightweight,” and it was immediately clear that she was there for a romantic interest. At first, he gets between Alan Alder’s Hawkeye and Wayne Rogers’ Trapper John, but during his next five appearances throughout the first season, it’s his connection to Hawkeye that crystallizes. In his final appearance, the season finale episode “Armistice”, a rumored end to the Korean War prompts Nurse Cutler to wonder about her and Hawkeye’s life after the war, to which he lies and says he is married.
And that episode is the last we see or hear of Nurse Cutler. Romantic interests are key to American sitcoms, so it’s odd to abandon him for no reason. Well, there was a reason behind the scenes. As noted in the book “Mash FAQ: Everything Left to Know About the Best Care Anywhere” by Dale Sherman, creator Louise Gelbert said of the character’s departure in 2000 that they “had too many regulars on our hands.”
The cast of “M*A*S*H” is rather extensive, and over its 11 seasons, many people would join as regulars as others left the show. Notably, Loretta Swift was the only female series regular on the show, playing Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan. Nurse characters were often cycled, often paired with Hawkeye for some flirting or flinging. They weren’t going to tie him to a woman so soon. Also, if Nurse Cutler becomes a regular in Season 2, that would mean two female regulars both playing characters named Margaret.
Things worked out for Marcia Strassman, though. Eighteen months after her final “M*A*S*H” appearance, the first episode of “Welcome Back, Kotter” aired, on which she was a regular.
