2 Episdoes in...The Pacific Miniseries

Here at Things That Entertain Alex we have decided to debut a new segment about television - "2 Episodes in..." will review new TV series after the second episode. Really you need about two seasons before you know if the writers have any idea what their longterm plan is but after two episodes you have an idea where the first season is headed.
The Pacific miniseries on HBO, produced by the team behind the original Band of Brothers Series, is a world war two war-drama abou the theatre in the Pacific Ocean. The first episode followed the marines at home and at briefings describing where they were headed then took us straight to the landing crafts. After an anticlimactic landing at Guadalcanal we see them get their first action. The second episode follows the soldiers through a few more tense battles, some pysocological struggles, and finally getting off the island. The last scene of the second episode was probably the best of the series when the dissheveled and shell shocked marines chat briefly with a Navy cook about what they saw and he responds that Americans now see these men as heroes.

The shows production value is very high and it succeeds with large set piece battles as well as with the psycological aspects. A scene in the second episode when the Marines loot an Army resupply is particular entertaining. The acting is overall quite good and the cast is made up of men you recognize but have to IMDB to see where you recognize them from (the kid from Jurassic Park is about to enter the fray).

The single biggest problem with this show is that it is not as good as the original Band of Brothers miniseries. The original, released in 2001, followed airborne troops through France, Belgium, and Germany. The characters were more memorable, better acted, and easier to identify. Characters in The Pacific seem to blend together and look enough alike that you cannot tell who is who. And since all of the battles occur at night and are lit by muzzle flashes, flares and explosions you really can't tell what men are involved in which firefights and it has never been made clear which company/battalion each group are with.

Because of the high production value and potential for character development this is a much watch; but if you need a World War II fix watch the original BOB series.