What I’m Watching: The Pacific

The Pacific: Season 1, Episode 4 “Gloucester/Pavuvu/Banika” (B+)

As this miniseries progresses, its scope is becoming even broader as it looks as the psychological implications of war on its participants as well as the people back at home. Robert Leckie is a strong lead character because he refuses to let anything bring him down, and he has an impressive ability to perceive how people see the world. His breakdown, therefore, is all the more meaningful and tragic. The most consistently staggering thing on this program is how people discuss what they believe happened “over there.” After seeing the battle scenes and the devastating violence that occurs, it’s clear that it’s not the work of one man who ends up with a medal, as one marine sarcastically remarks to the others. The time Leckie spends at the naval hospital is particularly telling of the effects of war, and it’s fascinating to see Leckie fully aware of what is going on with everyone else. Dr. Grant’s conversation with him about how most marines would jump at the opportunity to get some time off at a facility that serves pumpkin pie whereas Leckie is itching to get back to the front lines was very powerful. The notion that this war is never-ending continues to be emphasized as the marines are transplanted from one treacherous jungle to another without any sense of where it will lead and when an end might come is increasingly clear now as faces become blended and the dead count only gets higher. This trip to the Pacific is quite a heartening experience.