One of my biggest problems with Band of Brothers was the difficulty to follow all the characters amid the din of battle and war. After the first part, I didn't really know who was who, but at least I knew the miniseries was about Easy Company. The Pacific is similarly confusing on the first watch, but instead of following a group of men, the miniseries focuses on three distinct soldiers, tied together by common experiences and not camaraderie.
Unlike BoB, the homefront is an important aspect, and we see the three soldiers depart from their families. Near the end of the episode, Sid reads a letter from his friend, Eugene Sledge, who can't join the military because of a heart murmur. Eugene feels like he's letting everyone down.The scenes pulled me in, and I'm looking forward to see how the people at home adapt.
The episode was still about the war and the invasion of Guadalcanal. The fighting seemed imminent with the transports heading towards the beach. But when they got there, everyone was sitting around. The Japanese had retreated into the jungle. Leckie sees the horror of the war, and he's one of the few characters who doesn't descend into racism or sadism. His fellow soldiers purposely injure one of the remaining Japanese soldiers after the massacre at night. Disturbed, Leckie pulls out a gun and kills the soldier outright, ending his suffering.
The soldiers are also disconnected from the conflict they are fully entangled with. They don't really know the people they are fighting other than that they are yellow-skinned and slant-eyed. They don't really know why they are fighting, but their commanders tell them it's important. The young men who are prepared to die have no clue what they've stepped into.
Score: 8.8/10
