Over There

Interesting that various people have seen this as either right or left wing propaganda, and that some see it as portraying the troops as idiots or wimps while others see it as honoring them. That indicates that some people are seeing their own biases more than what's actually on the screen. The more pre-set their views, the less they appear to like this program.

I'm a retired Marine - served 20 years, enlisted and officer, a lot of it in the infantry and related fields - and I think this is more realistic in its portrayal of the atmosphere and interactions than 90% of films about the military. I dealt with some Sgt. Screams and Lt. Mad Cows in my time, and those characters are believable. The troops strike about the right balance of smarts and immaturity, newbie awkwardness and trained-in automatic competence, for kids new to combat.

This program deserves a wider audience and more seasons.

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.

Fifty years from now, when television historians look back on this era, they will shake their heads in disbelief that a program as masterfully crafted as OVER THERE could not survive more than 13 episodes.

A product of the FX network, OVER THERE followed the lives of a diverse group of American soldiers on their first tour in Iraq. Chronological storytelling was used to perfection as viewers are with them from the moment they board the plane en route to their frightening new reality. We share their horror and shock when innocent civilians are mistakenly struck, when roadside bombs obliterate limbs, and when the best of intentions produce the most dreadful of results. On a more personal level, we see them contend not only with bullets and bombs overseas, but with adultery and family tragedy back home. We see Iraq not through a political lens, but through the eyes of those fighting for survival every single day.

None of the effectiveness of OVER THERE could have been achieved without the right cast. Producers deserve a lot of credit for this ensemble, led by Luke MacFarlane (Pte. Frank "Dim" Dumphy), Erik Palladino (Sgt. Chris "Sgt. Scream" Silas), Keith Robinson (Pte. Avery "Angel" King) and a surprisingly good Kirk "Sticky" Jones (Maurice "Smoke" Williams). Adding a female perspective are Lizette Carrion (Pfc. Esmerelda "Double Wide" Del Rio) and Nicki Aycox (Brenda "Mrs. B" Mitchell). These soldiers are all too complex and human. Dim is a college man shell-shocked by the carnage before him. Angel is a man of strong faith who signed up out of anger. Sgt. Scream drops hints he wants out of the army but has nothing to go back to. The interaction between such distinct personalities is one of the series' strongest assets.

For a show that was with us for so short of a period, OVER THERE certainly did not lack memorable moments. There are ethical dilemmas, such as when the soldiers find a stash of money that one of their own could desperately use back home. There are inspirational times, like when a soldier who lost his leg in an explosion valiantly continues with his life. Cultural barriers, media manipulation, and challenges in training Iraqi soldiers were among the many other topics covered.

One of the biggest criticisms of OVER THERE was that it never took a stance on such a contentious conflict. Few seemed to understand that this was part of its genius. Rather than get locked into a political debate, the show sought merely to present the war as it is. Whether the numbing violence we see is worth it or not is up to us. Indeed both sides of the war could study this program and use it to back up their point of view. You will be entertained regardless of your position.

In the end, OVER THERE was canceled because not enough people appreciated it. It's been said that the public may not have been ready for such a faithful adaptation of an ongoing conflict, with men and women still dying each and every day. That is understandable, but it doesn't necessarily make the loss of such a brilliant piece of work any easier to take.

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.