Over There

This is one of the few shows in a while I've actually looked forward to watching every week. I know it's probably every bit as unrealistic as many military personnel have described here, but it's fiction. It's meant to tell a story, and just like any movie or (non-reality) TV show, it takes plenty of artistic license. I'm in the medical profession and I love "ER." Of course I laugh at how unbelievably inaccurate it usually is, but I enjoy it nonetheless. Additionally, I don't blame the doctors and nurses who act as advisors to the show; they don't produce it and have little more control over the script and special effects than imparting their own knowledge.

I'll definitely continue to watch "Over There."

To quote the critically acclaimed Vietnam vetern turned author Tim O'Brien, "A true story that never happened." Or at least that's what Over There looks to be attempting to be. Sure it won't be 100% factually or technically accurate (c'mon like a test season of a TV show can afford to get a UH Blackhawk rather than a UH-1 Huey etc etc) The pilot episode is enough to catch interest. While the dialogue treads familiar "war movie cliché" group, the visual presentation is excellent. The show does an excellent job in depicting the dirt, grundge, heat, and freezing nights of the desert. The most effective scenes are the ones with the barest dialogue and everything is shown.

Whatever your feelings on the war, the show is worth checking out if only for the fact has rengaged the public to think about the war again (which seems to have been relagated to the back of the collective consciousness). Hopefully it'll live up to the hype. Hopefully it will become the TV analog to the documentary Gunner Palace.

OK so for credibility let me give you my background. I was a Sergeant in the Marines from 1997-2001. While I was not grunt as I am sure most of you weren't either although you like to talk like you all are. I was a riflemen before my MOS though. OK, so you all complain that they make soldiers look stupid, get over it. In "Full Metal Jacket" they made Marines look like robots, but hey that's what your called to do which is follow orders. It's a TV show. Then some captain wanted to say that NCO's don't yell at their troops. Well I don't know how it's done in the Army, but if there is one thing I learned in the Marines it's that cussing and yelling causes people to get things done. I think the staff sergeant that they casted was an awesome fit. He reminds me a mini Vin Diesel. Now I am not saying that all the drama is not needed and that they portray all the soldiers as coming from broken homes. I agree that all of that crap is not needed, but look past it and enjoy the show for what it is. I mean you all want to show what life is really like over there. Sure let's show them standing at their post all night without an incident that would be entertaining. Then someone wanted to complain about a Huey being there and not a blackhawk are you serious. I mean the Marines have Hueys so is the Army the only force over in Iraq. I think you guys are taking this way to seriously. As for portraying you in a bad light. I say to hell with em all. Quit worrying about what everyone thinks and just win the war. Deal with the politics later. I love the show as you can probably tell. Some complain about the stereotypes in the show. Well the black guy ratted out the other black guy about not opening the trunk so let me guess that shows integrity and courage for starters. So I don't see how they are portraying them to be only bad people. I guess I just see it from a different view.

If anyone wants to see a 2nd Season of "Over There" you should petition the FX NETWORK at (user@fxnetworks.com) or check out the website at (www.fxnetwork.com) and bombard those execs with e-mails people to renew this show & get it back on air NOW!!! Let's be HEARD!!! This show was under exposed and needs to be HEARD for the serving men & woman serving proudly in Iraq and making the ultimate sacrifice. It is sad to see that a show the pays homage to all serving is canceled due to poor viewership. There are no shows like it on TV. Today there are too many "O.C." type shows about a bunch spoiled brats and their life problems on TV and not enough Real Life Modern Day War shows. Come on FX get with the program!!! BRING IT BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have no idea how technically accurate "Over There" is. As a soldier who rose in the ranks from "E nothing" to flag rank I can tell you I've never seen a truly technically accurate portrayal of war from Hollywood. I've been impressed with "Saving Pvt Ryan" and "Platoon" but even with their bevy of advisor's still got things wrong. To obsess over the type of helicopters used for medevac missions is kind of silly, old Hueys are easy to come by but unless your the military or a select few Blackhawks are hard to come by. What is accurate or at least close is the spirit that "Over There" portrays. The boredom, pointless orders for political reasons and the moments of abject terror are all pretty close to what goes on. Ssgt "Scream" is the quintessential NCO getting the job done and keeping his men alive. As far as the rest of the characters I've known them all, the philosopher, the malcontent, the super trooper you'll find them in any Infantry unit. I like the fact they portrays wounds very graphically. Too many people think being wounded is a minor event, get shot go to the aid station and back to the unit, that's not the way it is folks. "Over There is well acted and deserves a second season. With all the garbage on TV such as the repetitive and very boring "Nip Tuck" at least they can do is give OT a second chance.