Well, that was disappointing. Not that Bochco's new show about the Iraq War offended me as an American - I didn't get the impression that a leftist, anti-war agenda was being pushed. No,
offended me as a writer.
And the show's writers started sucking right off the bat. From the Viet Vet cliché trooper lighting up a joint while on duty through the long, long tirade the held-past-his-tour-and-pissed-as-Hell sergeant inflicts on his squad, to the unimaginative use of cable-permitted expletives, Bochco's writing staff was underwhelming.
Do senior officers undermine their lieutenants' authority (and the chain of command) by agreeing with a sergeant who has just insulted the lieutenant's leadership abilities - in front of the men? I hope not.
Do sergeants address senior officers with contempt while using "goddamn" as a frequent modifier? Maybe once.
As the sergeant leads a frontal assault against insurgents, holed up in a mosque and accompanied by an al-Jazeera reporter and cameraman, he shouts, "We didn't come here to take your oil! We came here to kick your ass!" Didn't John Wayne say something similar in The Fighting Seabees or The Green Berets? Personally, I'd think that someone leading a frontal assault on enemies with automatic weapons would save his breath for running and shooting, but that's just me.
The one bright spot was the portrayal of the al-Jazeera reporter as an enemy and as an assclown. That had the ring of truth.
1
Bluto: you may want to link some of
this.
Posted by: Leopold Stotch at July 30, 2005 10:50 PM (vq2tn)
2
i missed it lastnite as i was busy at the time, but from the description given here it sounds like the writers ripped it off from Platoon and Full Metal Jacket....figures...they just had to add in some pot smoking as most liberals back home feel that the soldiers do just that, smoke pot and listen to rap music or heavy metal before they go out and kill some "insurgents" or some Iraqi civilians....how lovely
Posted by: THANOS35 at July 30, 2005 10:58 PM (9gFP6)
3
"Over There" is a product of Hollywood-Pentagon collusion. Note how many Iraqis were mowed down and no Americans were killed, as would be expected in a real war. Troops are dying in Iraq at the rate of 2/day, meaning 14/week. If Over There accurately reflected the realities of the Iraq war, each weekly episode would have 14 American soldiers dying.
Posted by: Downing Street Memo at July 31, 2005 06:07 AM (ScqM8)
4
Also, in the last few days, DSM has had a few comments thrown down the Memory Hole or edited a la Orwell to say some nasty things far outside character. To those who were offended, it was not my fingers that typed it.
Posted by: Downing Street Memo at July 31, 2005 06:10 AM (ScqM8)
5
Dim Sum Menu: the Iraqi Terrorist Insurgency is not known for possessing military skills. They are much more comfortable attacking helpless children. That part of the show, at least, was realistic.
Posted by: The Dread Pundit Bluto at July 31, 2005 09:55 AM (RHG+K)
6
Hello, neighbor. Rae here from
A Likely Story.
Somehow, our blogs are crossed.
Your calendar is linked from
my calendar.
Posted by: Rae at July 31, 2005 10:07 AM (4YdLE)
7
Well hi there, Rae. I'm just a guest poster here, but I'll send a note the blog owner, Dr. Rusty Shackelford to let him know about the problem and see if he can get some tech support.
Who would have suspected that a reprobate like Rusty had such charming neighbors?
Posted by: The Dread Pundit Bluto at July 31, 2005 11:59 AM (RHG+K)
8
DSM wrote: " If Over There accurately reflected the realities of the Iraq war, each weekly episode would have 14 American soldiers dying."
I suppose so, if the show in question was about the ENTIRE CENTRAL COMMAND, but, as it stands, the show is apparently about one platoon, which consists of about forty men. Nice try.
BTW, most of the fights I and my comrades were involved in "over there" (get it?) resulted in no friendly casaulties. Most of the time we just mowed the bastards down and called it a day.
Posted by: Filecloser at July 31, 2005 12:23 PM (X989z)
9
Filecloser,
Pay no attention to DSM. He just comes here to practice his English.
Posted by: The Dread Pundit Bluto at July 31, 2005 12:57 PM (RHG+K)
10
Bluto,
Will do, natch.
Posted by: Filecloser at July 31, 2005 07:00 PM (X989z)
11
It's really a pity no one can produce a good series about this all-defining war. I saw a presentation on CNN by a guy who had just been to Iraq, and he said that what's evolving there is a spiritual warrior code with the idea of manifesting ethical behavior under battle stress conditions, and that there's a very broad-based non-sectarian religious movement. I'll bet they don't show that on
Over There, huh?
Still, it'll probably be a popular serier. I'd rather watch
Rescue Me though.
Posted by: Demosophist at August 01, 2005 07:01 PM (IbWE6)
12
55 Americans soldiers have been killed since the premiere of "Over There", a show that is written, produced and directed by a team that has neither been in Iraq or in combat. And yet what we see something curious happening. This show is being somehow viewed as "definitive" by an audience and critics who largely have no personal stake in the war in Iraq. As long as it "entertains", they will continue to watch.
As an alternative to the vicarious thrills and heart-tugging of "Over There", I would suggest watching "Gunner Palace", a recent documentary that shows the uncomfortable reality soldiers face in Iraq.
Posted by: Stuart Wilf at August 11, 2005 06:05 AM (f+jqD)
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