What I’m Watching: The Pacific

The Pacific: Season 1, Episode 8 “Iwo Jima” (B+)

After several installments completely full of battle scenes, this was the first time we really got a chance to take some time off from the war and see just how much one marine wants to get back into action. Since he was sent home prematurely to sell war bonds due to his heroic actions, John Basilone has grown as a celebrity since last we saw him. His reputation precedes him, and women fawn over him the moment that they see him. Since there are so few women ever present on this show, it’s especially interesting to see how Basilone operates and interacts with them. I like how he set his eyes on one woman and refused to give up pursuing her. He didn’t do anything terribly uncouth in his efforts to seduce her, but she still wasn’t immediately swayed by his charm. I really enjoyed how the episode portrayed their discussion about “what’s next” and then went immediately to the scene of their wedding. For a show about so much pain, it was a pleasure to see two people very much in love and happy. Their tranquility was short-lived however, as the show executed a flash from the bliss of their honeymoon to right in the middle of D-Day. Those last ten or fifteen minutes were non-stop in their intensity, but framing the episode along with Basilone’s joy was truly very interesting because it helps to remind that there is life going on back home while these marines are losing their lives fighting for the United States across the world.