Steven Bochco's "Over There" = Garbage

Saw the previews for this show a few weeks back, but I missed the first episode last week. Being the war movie/show junkie that I am, I was, at first, disapointed to have forgotten to watch. But, after reading this review from the most excellent American Soldier, I most certainly will not be tuning in.

American Soldier says,

I commented earlier this week that I liked the show Over There to a certain degree. However I want to clarify and say that I think alot of it is a bunch of hoopla. It is Hollywood and I wish the producers would have consulted some people who might have been there. And if they did and decided to cut it like they did then shame on them. The show will not succeed if they display bullshit scenarios.

The Sergeant yelling at all the privates on the berm while getting shot at. If I was one of those Privates I would told that guy to go fuck himself. He wasn’t doing shit to keep them alive. He was just laying on the berm just like them yakking at the mouth. I have a feeling that character will die the day before he goes home. Now that’s Hollywood!

The digging trenches in the dark, I’m sorry but you can mistake the sound of an E-Tool whacking against the desert ground. The sentry’s would have heard that noise from a mile away.

Let’s see…..I didn’t like how they depicted the females. Like they were incapable of being a Soldier. However they did write them to be one too tough for her britches (Mrs. B) and one clueless (Doublewide).

The end of the show kind of bothered me a bit. When the truck drove over a FLAG IED. I’m sorry but IED’s are inside animal carcasses, buried in the ground, etc. They don’t get marked so nicely. Also for anyone that has ever been there. Trucks stop in the middle of the road, no matter what. We own the roads there. So pulling off the road is a testament that they didn’t consult anyone that new the routines and standard procedures over there.

Now I know this show is suppose to give the American public a glimpse into what Soldiers do over there. However if it’s just a producer trying to get rich off the sacrifices of my fellow Soldiers sacrifices, I am going to black list it. I as well as many other Milblogs can make one hell of an affect on the ratings of that show. I know at least 195,000 people would support me.

I will say this, the part of the show I think was dead on was the scenes from back home. The cheating wife. The husband and his baby. This is where the crux of hardship exists, Over here!

So the producers of Over There…..consult people who have lived, breathed and shit this war!

Sincerely,

American Soldier