Generation Kill (HBO)

[Bada0Bing]

http://www.hbo.com/generationkill/

New 7 part HBO miniseries from the writers/producers of The Wire. From what I've read, this should be pretty good.

Fire up your DVR, it starts this Sunday.

 

[O]

I'm looking forward to this show.
It's from the same people that did The Wire.

 

[Shane]

This was VERY so so! Wasnt impressed with first episode at all.

 

[Dr. Jones]

Well....

Good.... It seems they are setting us up for the next few episodes. Also, some of the leaders made me laugh. Sgt Major, the Colonel, and the LT's driver were pretty funny.

Bad..... I was unimpressed with the story. Like I said, hopefully we are being set up for more. I kept wanting to tell the writers that all of the wrestling and stupidity i n the tents was not realistic. Being in the military, like I was, I didn't feel like it was full of realism.

Ugly...... The racial comedy all throughout the show would never have been tolerated at any level. I don't know who these people talked to, but that is no where near real. I cant believe that the people that bring us the wire are writing this.

All in all...... C+ for the first episode. If I wasn't a former army guy, with a Vietnam veteran father...... I wouldn't keep watching.


I don't think this has any shot of being the classic that Band of Brothers is.

 

[Bada0Bing]

Well....

Good.... It seems they are setting us up for the next few episodes. Also, some of the leaders made me laugh. Sgt Major, the Colonel, and the LT's driver were pretty funny.

Bad..... I was unimpressed with the story. Like I said, hopefully we are being set up for more. I kept wanting to tell the writers that all of the wrestling and stupidity i n the tents was not realistic. Being in the military, like I was, I didn't feel like it was full of realism.

Ugly...... The racial comedy all throughout the show would never have been tolerated at any level. I don't know who these people talked to, but that is no where near real. I cant believe that the people that bring us the wire are writing this.

All in all...... C+ for the first episode. If I wasn't a former army guy, with a Vietnam veteran father...... I wouldn't keep watching.


I don't think this has any shot of being the classic that Band of Brothers is.

Well that's disappointing to hear. I was hoping to get a glimpse of the real crap that goes on.

I watched the first 30 minutes or so and found it really interesting.

What about the guy talking about why marines aren't equipped with decent supplies? Was he full of crap?

I thought the race scene when the journalist arrived seemed a bit over-the-top. Done for shock value or something.

 

[Skkorpion]

That one hour and 15 minutes was the genuine real stuff, like it or not. The very best, most accurate portrayal of Marine recon I have ever seen.

And Badaobing, the Marines are never, ever adequately supplied. Right now, today, my roommate, another retired Marine is arranging for more high-tech body armor to be sent to three of his buddies in Iraq.

They send him the money, he buys it, ships it to them. They use it. Standard issue is crap. Everybody does it.

Many buy weapons back here to use there. Or beg, bribe armorers, and find other weapons to use other than **** the military buys. Even bringing old M14s out of grease storage. Lots of good 7.62MM Nato ammo available.

Yes, the racial **** is real. In the open. Give and take. In jest and for real.

anytime, thanks for serving. Your father too.

It's a different world those crazy recon mofos live in. I used to keep their beer cold in my huge generator driven air conditioner units that pumped cool air into my radars so they tolerated us and wanted us to drink with them in down times.

Those crazy f----, fresh out of Vietnam, sat with us in butt---- frozen Turkey, on the Russian border, drinking beer, doing pullups at midnight hanging off the railings of a 60 foot high water tower, (in full gear) praying for an excuse to snoop around in Russia. That was over 30 years ago. (Freak accident of history, being on a Nato exercise in Turkey just as the Arab/Isreali war broke out again and the Isrealis invaded Lebanon in 1973)

Nothing has changed. Marines are not Army. It's another culture. Recon Marines are a separate animal. They are special and very different. I would not ever imagine wanting to be one.

As far as the Iraq stuff being real, I wasn't there. The Marine blogs I read every day sure make it sound like the HBO show is dead on.

Haven't read a Recon blog yet. Not sure those crazies can write. No writing in Hustler anyway, is there?

To many of you who saw that first episode, feel free to be disgusted, unentertained and choose to not watch it again.

I was stunned. Mesmerized. Never dreamed that anyone would have the balls to show the world the real Marine Recon and the real Marine quandries. With all its warts and all of its real life stuff.

I cried after the first episode was over.

 

[Shane]

Hard to compare the two since one is portraying from pre-invasion Marine Recon Unit and the other is portraying Army Unit post invasion. But after just watching the first episode this show has a long way to go to be as good as this one:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0446241/

Incredible song to IMO for the show:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=zRn_x-GIpec

 

[Shane]

Now were talking. That 2nd episode was REALLY GOOD!

 

[Dr. Jones]

Much Better Indeed.

 

[D-Dogg]

I haven't seen episode two yet, but I loved the first episode.

Skkorp: Yes, the racial **** is real. In the open. Give and take. In jest and for real.

I'm sure of that; I saw it in the freaking Army reserve ffs...I always thought it was wild how diverse we were and how much simmering hatred was lying around...and how well it was received when people dropped racial stuff.


Skkorp, great post.

 

[Shane]

I haven't seen episode two yet, but I loved the first episode.



I'm sure of that; I saw it in the freaking Army reserve ffs...I always thought it was wild how diverse we were and how much simmering hatred was lying around...and how well it was received when people dropped racial stuff.


Skkorp, great post.

1st episode was kinda crappy. 2nd episode gives me real hope. It was GOOD!

 

[D-Dogg]

1st episode was kinda crappy. 2nd episode gives me real hope. It was GOOD!

Then it's probably going to blow my mind, given I loved the first ep.

 

[Skkorpion]

Just saw the second episode today after recording it Sunday night. Amazing.

I talked my 81 year old mother into watching the series; war-related stories are not usually of much interest to her. She watched it only because my dad was a Marine Lieutenant in the forerunner to what evolved into Recon (Alamo scouts, I think) in WW2.

She loved both episodes and called me today to ask "I never heard your father talk like that. Maybe back then they didn't cuss as much. What do you think?"

After almost choking and laughing histerically, I told her that the biggest difference was that back then, there were no blacks in any of the units dad was in. The cussing, wasn't much different, maybe less creative, as my dad often told me. (He died in 2006. I wish he could have seen this series)

 

[Skkorpion]

Crap. It's a seven episode miniseries, then it's over. Maybe that's good.

 

[D-Dogg]

I don't know how you all didn't like the first ep and loved the second. Both were outstanding.

I LOVE this show.

 

[Shane]

Crap. It's a seven episode miniseries, then it's over. Maybe that's good.

Youknow HBO if it gets great ratings they will continue it IMO.

 

[D-Dogg]

Youknow HBO if it gets great ratings they will continue it IMO.

No way man...John Adams got 27 emmy noms, most of any show, ever. It ain't coming back. This is based on a book, like JA. Won't come back either.

It will just be a short run, effing awesome series. Like HBO is also prone to do.

They have NO problem killing great stuff..and ratings don't matter to them. Cost of production matters, which is why they snuffed the great Carnivale and Rome, both critically acclaimed but period pieces that cost a fortune to air. Just like Deadwood too, which they never wrapped up.

 

[SunDevilDon]

My buddy at work told me about this show, I haven't had HBO for about a year now.

Anyways, I ordered just for the show and watched all three episodes on Tuesday back to back to back.

First episode was eh...

Progressively episodes 2 and 3 got better and makes you wanting more (IMO).

I friggin' love it. Whether it's "realistic" or not, it's entertainment not a documentary so I really don't care.

Anyways, I DVR'd them and have them on my mac already, will be enjoying them on my iphone, apple TV, and DVD shortly.

Looks like I have the next 4 Sundays planned out, although I think watching them all in a row is better

 

[Skkorpion]

Incidentally, I know nobobody cares but I wanted to correct an early reference I made in this thread that was wrong.

The Alamo scouts were the WWII forerunner to the Army Special Forces (that Pat Tillman was in.) The Marine WWII forerunner to Force Recon were the Marine Raiders and the Marine Reconnaisance battalion.

I looked at my dad's DD214 then researched the rest.

sundevildon, glad you are enjoying the series. I wish this had a wider audience.

 

[LVG]

I friggin' love it. Whether it's "realistic" or not, it's entertainment not a documentary so I really don't care.

I read the book when it first came out - great read. So far, the HBO show is pretty close to the book.

Love the show, BTW. Have no qualms about it ending - it was about a specific unit over a specific period of time, like BoB - when the story's over, that's it.

Wouldn't be in favor at all of making it into some sort of M*A*S*H spinoff.

 

[Bada0Bing]

I finished off the first episode last night. Awesome stuff.

 

[D-Dogg]

I haven't watched the latest episode yet, but this series is fantastic so far. Loving every minute of it.

 

[Zeno]

Youknow HBO if it gets great ratings they will continue it IMO.

Its based on a real story I doubt it would continue. Part of the appeal for the show is that its based on fact, they even used some of the Marines from the book as "technical advisors" to try to keep it as real as possible.

They could have other Iraq War stories produced and directed by the same team but it wouldn't be Generation Kill. I'd really like to see them adapt Bing West's No True Glory or Patrick O'Donnell's We Were One both excellent books about groups of Marines (both in Fallujah).

 

[redheat]

final episode:--spoilers...

I loved the final. The whole time you are on edge waiting and wanting to see who dies and it never comes. Its more about how crazy everyone is from the fights, the showing of the video and finally even the head in charge saying he loves getting shot at. Made me realize that I indeed wanted someone to die. I wanted death, to see some one killed and that I am just as crazy as everyone else there.......

 

[Heucrazy]

Two things...

1: I was supposed to be a Corpman when I joined the Navy and would have been assigned to the Marines. If I hadn't of broken my hand and had to report to boot 3 months late I would have been one. They made me switch rates due to time allowed in DEP and schools that started after boot. After watching this and seeing the frustration and angst the corpman was always extruding I'm glad I went Gunner and got to blow stuff up.

2: Great series and I fully enjoyed it. And as for the way they talk, sailors talk to each other like that as well. You're not supposed to and if somebody wanted to be a rat fink you could get in a lot of trouble but for the most part everybody was an cornholio.