[Former Military Chick]

My main point of the above observations came from the fact that several of my friends, good hard working conservatives who support Bush and the war read negative reviews of the show prior to it's airing last night. They sent out emails stating not to watch it.

I found that odd, it is most difficult to discuss, complain about something if you have not watched it.

I certainly am not advocating watching the show but should you decide to do so, you might be surprised.

Another friend sent me the following:

OK, here is my take,

1) Started a bit antiwar mode, moved to smooth that out.

2) Pushed a racial divide a bit. But, having been in similar situations, I can buy that part.

3) The chat, though rough in content, was I remembered in war but using today's lingo.

4) Pushed the hardliner Sgt. too much and the do whatever it takes officer image just a bit over the edge. But, I served with both types in Nam.

5) War footage was graphic, cheating wifes back home common, the pain of leaving family at home realistic, the pain of watching your brothers get blown up or away realistic enough.

My Bottom Line on the whole is:

WAR IS HELL and by God we should be everything we can do for troops over there.

So with that in mind I look forward to my fellow Freeper's observations on this show.

[Paradox]

Thanks for the contrarian view, I have not watched the show yet, but I have it programmed to record in my TiVo, and will find time to watch it, especially now having read your review.

[PAR35]

shows that portray the military, from way back

Someone is showing their youth.

Rat Patrol, Combat will take you back a few more years.

I'm sure that folks with more experience that I can go back a decade or so before that.

[teenyelliott]

I missed the show, but want to watch it. I have seen many negative opinions (prior to airing), but have also seen reviews that said it was apolitical and accurate.

If it is anything like Band of Brothers, I will love it.

Thanks for your input.

[marine86297]

I am a Marine Desert Storm and Somalia vet.

I did not like the dope smoking scene in the beginning, it seemed to me like they were portraying the 60's stereotypes of the military. Societies rejects, (College and high school dropouts, dope smokers, hotheads etc.)

Hollywood has no idea about what it is really like "Over*There"

I am watching with an open mind and to know what the average sheeple might "learn" from this show. I will re-evaluate each week.

Semper Fi

[Peach]

We have family visiting and I doubt we'll get to watch tonight, but the review I read on FR by some soldiers was NOT good.

[b4its2late]

I only saw parts of it from 11:15 on and I thought the "cheating wifes back home" was kind of tasteless. It's one of those things that may happen, but why bother..

I'll watch future episodes and put my 2 cents in down the road.

[KC_for_Freedom]

I thought the show to be balanced, the men were new to the theater and this explains a lot of their errors. The women should not have been there, and clearly the men would have moved them out if it were at all possible.

The beer run which ran into a IED is probably true as far as it goes. But one could hope that essentials (like beer) were handled by logistics and did not need a special "run".

Clearly showed the duplicity on the part of the enemy, made some political statements like "generals calling the shots based on how it will look", and questions over orders like "hold you fire" when the men were fired upon. Close up aspect of kill or be killed was probably correct for new recruits.

[oh8eleven]

War footage was graphic, cheating wifes back home common
Common? Certainly it occurs, but common?

[<1/1,000,000th%]

That we have the same core beliefs but that we do not follow other's blindly, but more often I notice that not to happen.

I agree with you completely. ;)

[afnamvet]

I watched the show and it depicted what happens in war. War, especially when you are a participant in it, is terrible.

I read the posts prior to airing and thought to myself there sure are many alpha dogs out today giving advice. LOL!

Let everyone think for themselves if "Over There" deserves an audience. I think it does.

[stylin19a]

I always thought JAG was a half way decent show...even with all the technical mistakes. I believe it was on the right side.

That said, on another thread, I said I would like to see a critique of the show by Iraq war veterans. I had one response, but I couldn't tell if it was from a combat vet.

[Owl558]

"So with that in mind I look forward to my fellow Freeper's observations on this show"

I admire your fair-mindedness. This kind of show is not my cup of tea and I won't watch it because I don't watch TV in general. However, I also noted with interest that thre was a lot of hostility to the show even though it hadn't aired. I think a lot of that was not so much because of the show content, which was an unknown, but because of the show's producer, which IS known.

[balch3]

The only consideration should be whether it's positive or negative toward President Bush's effort in Iraq. If it's positive, it should be applauded. If not, it should be condemned.

[DTogo]

I watched only 10 minutes and then turned it off:

dope-smoking trooper (dumb),

Sgt. constantly berating his squad for no reason (dumb),

single infantry squad left alone with no armor/APC support against a building full of Islamos (dumb),

officer ordering troopers to advance 25m for no apparent reason (other than it being an order) even if it exposes them (dumb),

weak female trooper too tired to dig her own fox hole despite being exposed near the "mosque" where Islamos were shooting at them earlier (dumb),

female and male trooper start loudly arguing about digging a foxhole thereby exposing their position to the nearby Islamos (dumb).

DUMB

[OldSgt.]

Hello there,
I'll probably not watch it as I've no interest, but I feel no show will ever depict the fact of what it's like, in a real War. And I must say, gladly so.

If a person was able through film, TV or even a book, to have another person really feel what experiencing a war is like, without really being in one. Why would anyone wish that upon another person.

The saying, " War is Hell". came about for a reason.
Those who "know", know what is depicted is not representative of the facts. Those who don't, enjoy the show if you do and be glad you don't know the deference.

[McGavin999]

I watched it, I didn't have a problem with what was shown, only that what was shown was totally empty. There was no part of that show that indicated that anyone knew what we were doing there or why. The violence as a bit graphic (the AIF who had the top of his body blown off but the legs kept going) but I can handle that part.

What I didn't like was the guy who called himself and his fellow soldiers monsters, to me that was a little over the top, but it would have been acceptable if he would have figured out before the end of the show that the only monsters around are the terrorists.

[WestVirginiaRebel]

As far as JAG goes, it was also one of my favorite shows during the Clinton Error. It was produced by Donald P. Bellasario (Magnum P.I., Quantum Leap) so it was definitely not the kind of PC, left-wing series that we saw so much of during the Clintoon Error.

I managed to catch the ending of Wednesday's episode. It looked like the "Vietnam in the Desert" mentality to me.

[mystery-ak]

I watched it....I don't know if I'll continue to watch...I had a few problems with it, but it might just be my nit picking.... all of the nicknames drove me crazy, very unreal... ROE was wrong, the gratuitous don't call me sir, I work for a living..the Abu Garib reference. etc...small things really but they got on my nerves...they no doubt wouldn't bother anyone who is not in the military...Hubby is now a Ft Campbell training, before he left I asked him if I should tape it for him and he said, no, why would I watch, I lived it....

[PzLdr]

The Sarge had the greatest line I've heard lately [and didn't expect on TV]. "We're not here to take your oil. We're here to kick your ass!". On the other hand, I could have done without the black dope smoker [too "Platoon"].

[mystery-ak]

I might add that the Rangers at Ft Lewis wh got to preview this were very upset...