THE PACIFIC : Official discussion thread.

[Uber Fett]

This series just doesn't seem to have grabbed me the way BoB did. I liked the 2nd episode regarding Basilone...but this latest...I don't know.

Obviously they are trying condense 3.5 years of war into 10 episodes...unlike BoB where they had to get a year (a bit over) into the same 10 episodes; therefore, they could do a bit more character development. But, they just seem to skip over too much info for some reason. Of course, the BoB mini-sodes were about 70 min per...as these are only 50 to 55...I think they could have extended these a bit out to the 70 minute mark as well.

Shawn

 

[0neiros]

I'm enjoying it, but damn, 10 minutes before the actual episode starts...

 

[judgedredd]

Its not a scratch on band of brothers so far.
Seems a lot more back story.Well made but much slower pace.

 

[CGClone]

I really like this show so far. My wife wont watch as she does like the gore, but my grandfather served in the pacific theater and it wasnt until after he death a few years ago that I understood some of the things he went through. Watching this show for me is a way to get understanding of it as he never spoke about it other than some shrapnel he had in his leg.

The production value of the show is outstanding and as a photographer and art director the opening to the show is amazing.

 

[propologist]

Its not a scratch on band of brothers so far.
Seems a lot more back story.Well made but much slower pace.

yeah i think the same. I watched the mini thing on the HBO site and tom hanks wanted to talk more about the characters etc . Band of Brothers will always be a favorite of mine i could watch daily.

 

[CTF]

I came home to find the following in the mail:

At first, I just dismissed it as a piece of junk mail -- albeit, very clever junk mail -- from someone selling their wares; but then I saw the back of it:

Inside was a reproduction of a real letter from a soldier serving in the Pacific Theatre:

Dare I say it, but I actually teared up when I read it.

Great, great stuff. Especially for advertising.

 

[dbuck]

This series just doesn't seem to have grabbed me the way BoB did.

My wife and I have watched all the episodes so far, and that's our feeling as well. They've done a poor job of letting us know the characters, except for Leckie. Last night we were walking the dog and discussing the show, and we cannot come up with more than a couple of characters' names.

I was really looking forward to this, but alas, in an effort to not re-tread the BoB structure/storylines, they've done a good job at not making me understand or care about the characters.

I hope it gets better.

 

[judgedredd]

Had exactly the same discussion with my wife in Band of Brothers Captain Winters was the main character but you got to know many of the others.Damn shame really.

My wife and I have watched all the episodes so far, and that's our feeling as well. They've done a poor job of letting us know the characters, except for Leckie. Last night we were walking the dog and discussing the show, and we cannot come up with more than a couple of characters' names.

I was really looking forward to this, but alas, in an effort to not re-tread the BoB structure/storylines, they've done a good job at not making me understand or care about the characters.

I hope it gets better.

 

[WebChief]

Agreed. While I enjoy the show overall, the characters are pretty much interchangable. No one more important than the other.

 

[Trooperdad]

I've watched every episode each Sunday night and am a fan of BoB. However, this is not an ensemble piece, but rather focuses on individual characters and their experience through the war. It's hard to not compare it to BoB, but it's not the same. BoB followed closely on the heels of Saving Private Ryan which was BoB-esque and we got to know the characters very good during that 2 hour presentation.

The battle scenes in The Pacific are very gritty and make you fee like you are sitting right there in the foxhole with the characters. I like this, but do not compare it to BoB.

Don G.

 

[Tripper]

If I recall correctly one of the major criticisms that critics had with BoB was that The characters were too hard to follow and none really stood out aside from Winters. In fact i recall reading that this was done on purpose to emphasize the group as a whole over the individual.

 

[dbuck]

If I recall correctly one of the major criticisms that critics had with BoB was that The characters were too hard to follow and none really stood out aside from Winters. In fact i recall reading that this was done on purpose to emphasize the group as a whole over the individual.

Off the top of my head, I can name:

Winters (duh)
Nixon
Sobel
Gaurnere (Guarnere?)
Compton
Lipton
Malarkey
Randleman
Webster
Spears
and the cowardly fellow with the name that the filter won't let pass, rhymes with Bike


So far after 4 episodes of the Pacific, I can name Robert Leckie and Eugene Sledge (and probably only because I have both of those books somewhere in my library) and Chesty Puller. And that's it. There are a couple of faces I recognize, but I have no idea who they are or even what personality they have. Might be done on purpose, but it devalues them.

And I'm not impressed with the combat, either. So far it's pretty much suicidal charges by the Japanese. I get that jungle fighting was pretty much patrol and hunker down and fire, compared to the cover and move tactics of the ETO, but I'm still not 'into' it the way BoB managed. Think back to the shellings and so on in the Bastogne forest in BoB. Small geographical area of focus, but effective in conveying the tactics (or hunkering in the foxholes) and the people involved. When the shooting is over in the Pacific, I just wonder if any of the faces I might recognize have died, and if they did would I know it.

 

[Sluis Van Shipyards]

I also thought they did a good job of letting you know the BoB soldiers. So far the people in the Pacific are just faceless people. You don't really know any of them yet. I think BoB did a better job by having you get to know the people while they went through training. In this show it just started right into battle.

 

[dbuck]

I think BoB did a better job by having you get to know the people while they went through training. In this show it just started right into battle.

True. I knew this going in, and thought I wouldn't have a problem with it. I figured we'd get a fair amount of foxhole time getting to know people. And of course, by using two different sources as the plot, we have Sledge in the States training as a mortarman, (and if you missed the first episode good luck knowing who that guy was for the fifteen seconds they showed him in episode 4) and once Sledge goes overseas they'll both be in the 1st Marine Division.
So, therefore the supposed two main characters of this drama have their lives intersect in one battle. And that's it. We'll probably follow Leckie early, and then we'll follow Sledge late.

 

[Uber Fett]

Just a technical point...Marines do not fight from a foxhole. Marines fight from...well a fighting hole!

Another technical point...and I'm wondering if this was purposeful or not. In the Army, because it's so large, you are indeed a number. Especially when you are a grunt...11B, I believe. However, during BoB, as was mentioned before, you did know these guys. I could relate those men to fellow servicemen I'd had the honour to serve with. I felt a greater sadness past the norm when I'd hear of these men passing in recent years.

Contrarian now to the Marine Corps, because of the small size of the service, you really aren't just a number. However, in The Pacific...the feeling of just being a number is there. Knowing WWII Marines, that's not how the Corps has ever been either. As someone said earlier, aside from the two main characters, Chesty and Basilone are the only people that I can keep straight. I know people...my mother was one of them...who believe that Marines are just cannon fodder, that's not true at all. But again...it's the perception I'm getting from this series.

The thing that's been rather disappointing is that preforming a beach assault in WWII was a true excersise in OJT. The Marines had to make it up as they went, and perfected it the best they could at the time. This has not been shown at all...yet. I know this upcoming episode is dealing with the beach assault at Peleliu and maybe we will be seeing how the tactics from both the Navy and Marine Corps had developed from the early days. Maybe not.

Shawn

 

[0neiros]

Wow what a meat grinder tonight was. I swear that one spooky guy, the one who dug the gold out of the "Japs" teeth, I wouldn't want him at my back.

 

[Uber Fett]

Speaking of meat grinding...at least they didn't have any nudity last night. I have been watching this with my mom...and frankly, there is nothing more unnerving and creepy when some broad drops her clothes and lets the ladies hang out when Mom's in the room. Then of course they start bumpin' uglies.

What the hell did they feel the need to put that in there for? Like BoB, this could have had the potential to "bring to life" the war for the younger generation. Would have been good to show in HS classes. But you can't do that with this.

I loved the look on Leckie's face when he was told he needed to go back for a Corpsman and a radio. "You want me to do WHAT?"

Shawn

 

[cboath]

Why was he in a wheelchair at the end? Looked like that bomb simply blew him into a tree (he as like 2' from it when it went off). Did he break a leg or something?

 

[propologist]

Speaking of meat grinding...at least they didn't have any nudity last night. I have been watching this with my mom...and frankly, there is nothing more unnerving and creepy when some broad drops her clothes and lets the ladies hang out when Mom's in the room. Then of course they start bumpin' uglies.

What the hell did they feel the need to put that in there for? Like BoB, this could have had the potential to "bring to life" the war for the younger generation. Would have been good to show in HS classes. But you can't do that with this.

I loved the look on Leckie's face when he was told he needed to go back for a Corpsman and a radio. "You want me to do WHAT?"

Shawn

you do know that how you got here right ? did you start that uncomfortable nudity conversation that everyone starts in that situation ?

Yeah leckie's face was classic...Me ? go back where...I wanted some of the set dressing like pieces of the rocks or planes

 

[IEDBOUNTYHUNTER]

Im just a little disappointed with this series. B,o,b had a great feel to it, that this lacks. i cant connect with any single character. Ill keep watching, but i dont think this will be the same as B,o,b. i can watch those over and over.