What I’m Watching: The Pacific

The Pacific: Season 1, Episode 2 “Basilone” (B+)

Episode two of this miniseries maintains the quality of the first installment while delving further into the conflict and the intensity of the situation in which the soldiers find themselves. All of the positives of the first episode are still there, and it appropriately has the same feel, which is helpful because this is a limited series and therefore should be cohesive, even though it spans a good amount of time and takes on a considerable breadth of events. Centering on a few specific characters is a great way of making the series relatable instead of simply gazing from afar at a huge army. Robert Leckie (James Badge Dale) seems to be the one with the most personality, and therefore he’s a good anchor for the show. Writing his letters to the girl back home is one way of staying connected to civilization and remaining sane, but his poetry is another helpful and intriguing thing that makes Leckie even more of a three-dimensional character. The battle scenes continue to be powerful and unrelentingly lengthy, and it’s not as if they’re becoming any less interesting or engaging as the show goes on. I’m certainly interested in continuing with this show even though I don’t have much to necessarily say about it since it seems to be keeping up the standard of quality that has been established by and has come to be expected from HBO. Eight more installments of this miniseries will definitely prove interesting., and I’m very much looking forward to them. Are you watching?