The Pacific (series)

[EvilNed]

In one of the SNAFU cartoons (from that era) the presentator says "Situation Normal all Fouled Up". A professor I once had said this was the "clean" version of the term. But that cartoon is from the wartime period.

[shootemindehead]

There was a Pvt TARFU as well. Things Are Really Fucked Up. But he's definately post war. BTW, PVT SNAFU was voiced by Mel Blanc. Bugs Bunny to you and me.

[ProfessorChaos]

from what i've read, the term "motherfucker" came about as a derogatory term soldiers used on one another during WWII in europe. many men in the worn torn countries were either dead or off fighting, and the women were usually in pretty dire circumstances as far as finding ways to feed, clothe, and care for their children. some soldiers took advantage of these women's desperation, and guys who looked down on this coined them "motherfuckers". that's just what i've read somewhere, who knows if it's true...

[ProfessorChaos]

another awesome and action-packed episode last night. still loving the series, it's only getting better.

[clanglee]

Dammit!!!! I completely forgot to watch the damn thing last night. I got in at midnight and I was like "Oh Noooooooo!!!!!" I need a DVR

[ProfessorChaos]

i know that they re-air it at least once throughout the week, check your listings. but oh yeah, this one was a doozy, won't give any spoilers out, but lots of people get mangled/mutilated/killed, that's for sure....with the rest of the peleliu battle and the battles of iwo jima and okinawa left, there's a lot more coming up.

[soulsyfn]

Caught the series on ON DEMAND, and OMG this show is amazing!!!! Everything from the acting to the story to the cinematography... its all so well done. I highly recommend it!

[ProfessorChaos]

so then soulsyfn, if you've seen band of brothers, how would you compare the two? prefer one over the other for any particular reason?

[soulsyfn]

I need to see more of the Pacific before I can compare it to Band of Brothers because that was EPIC in my eyes. The sheer length of Band of Brothers was awe inspiring. So far I feel more drawn in by these early episodes of the Pacific than I did with Band of Brothers at this same point in the series.

[shootemindehead]

Personally, I think 'The Pacific' is doing a far better job than 'Band of Brothers'. This series is really giving the viewer the impression that, fighting in the war, survival was really a matter of fortune. BoB made it look like Easy Company won the war with little or no casualties. It was absurd at times, to be honest. The last couple of episodes of this series brought out the goods though. The impact of senseless frontal attacks in Ep6 was well demonstrated. The mass attack against the lightly fortified airfield is a highlight of the series so far. It really showed the damage that just a few well entrenched men can do to overwhelming odds.

[ProfessorChaos]

wow, this show just keeps getting better. last night's episode had some brutal and disturbing shit in it (throwing rocks into the skull of a dead japanese soldier with his head opened up, flamethrowers, shrapnel to the face for one marine, etc). next week looks like it's going to focus a lot on basilone, his short courtship and marriage, and his return to combat to iwo jima where he meets his fate. i'm bummed this series only has a few airings left. can't wait for the dvd, gonna get it on day one and have a marathon viewing of all ten episodes.

[Tricky]

BoB made it look like Easy Company won the war with little or no casualties. It was absurd at times, to be honest. I thought BoB did a good job really, you only had to look at all the veterans talking on the show to know that they did indeed survive the whole thing, and being pretty much all based on both veterans stories & after action reports, I dont think we can dispute thats how it was for that small group of men. I havent seen any of the Pacific yet though so i cant comment on that, but from what everyones saying its pretty damned good!

[EvilNed]

There was one scene in BoB that just left me flabbergasted. The one when Cpt. Winters runs across the hill, comes across a division of SS soldiers and then kills them all with his rifle.

[Tricky]

There was one scene in BoB that just left me flabbergasted. The one when Cpt. Winters runs across the hill, comes across a division of SS soldiers and then kills them all with his rifle. I thought he only shot the young SS lad in that scene before the rest of the company opened up on all the others that were retreating? unless you mean the scene where all the prisoners got shot in the second episode?

[EvilNed]

I might remember it wrong, but yes that's the scene I'm referring too. Capt. Winters doesn't take them on all by himself, but the SS soldiers really act like stormtroopers in that scene. The bad kind of stormtroopers, that is.