If The Pacific didn't satisfy everyone's need for sustained, brutal WWII combat in the first four episodes, I'm sure it was satisfied many times over in "Part 5." After a fine build-up, introducing new characters (most of whom I can't name) and bringing Sledge into the fold, there is an amazing 15 minutes of sustained bombardment and shooting. To top it off, Sledge's new buddy, Snafu, nonchalantly rips out a gold tooth of a Japanese soldier.
The major weakness of the miniseries, inescapable from the beginning, is nature of island hopping. Simply going from one random island to another may have strategic importance, but for viewers it seems more episodic rather than one flowing narrative. I almost feel like the episodes could be flipped around, and other than the changes in the timeline, the core of the miniseries would stay intact. The reset button is hit at the end of every episode, signaling the move to another island, another small conflict, and the continuation of the same never-ending monotony that will consume the Marines.
On the homefront, Basilone has hooked up with movie star Virginia Grey (played by Anna Torv before she was on Fringe). His single scene right at the beginning showed him at ease with his situation, but added virtually nothing to his character, the episode, or indication of anything that will happen in the future.
Score: 9.2/10
