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"Over There" : A grunt's-eye view of war
The euphoniously nicknamed Sgt. Scream is just doing what comes naturally in a deadly combat zone. He shouts a lot. He's the high-decibel desert warfare leader on "Over There," producer Steven Bochco's ("NYPD Blue") intense, unflinching fictional depiction of the Iraq war, which explodes in prime time at 10 tonight on FX."If a mortar lands on you, we won't find enough to fill a condom. Now shut up!" Sgt. Chris Silas (Erik Palladino, "ER") loudly instructs the inexperienced young soldiers under his command, giving them the hard truth at top volume after a scary nighttime firefight erupts outside a mosque. Staying alive, that's what matters. And "Over There," which explores the perilous stories of an Army unit on its first tour of duty in Iraq, is the first scripted TV series set during an ongoing war involving the United States. It's clearly unlike anything else on television right now. Bochco and writer Chris Gerolmo ("Mississippi Burning") set out to capture vivid emotional snapshots of the violence, humanity and raw fear at the heart of combat life. Like "Saving Private Ryan" and "Platoon," which captured World War II and the Vietnam War in microcosm by tracing the lives of a small group of warriors, FX's latest imaginative adventure in hard-edged television for adults delivers a grunt's eye view. The basic cable network has already carved out a distinctive niche for gripping, no-holds-barred drama with such series as "The Shield," "Rescue Me" and "Nip/Tuck." Now, by luring Bochco to cable for the first time, FX boasts an Emmy Award-winning producer who has spent more than two decades breaking new ground with such series as "Hill Street Blues," "L.A. Law," "NYPD Blue" and "Murder One." Even the man's flops -- the singing, dancing "Cop Rock" -- possess unique storytelling flair. But it's Gerolmo -- who created "Over There" with Bochco and directed the riveting pilot -- who heads the writing team which bring these young male and female soldiers to life. The roll call includes rawboned Texan Bo Rider (Josh Henderson), an undersized private who's been overcoming long odds most of his life; Frank Dumphy (Luke MacFarlane, "Kinsey"), the Ivy League college grad they call Dim because he must be incredibly stupid to have wound up in the Army; Avery King (Keith Robinson), nicknamed Angel because he sings like one; Esmeralda Del Rio (Lizette Carrion), a.k.a. Doublewide, a new mother who's fighting in Iraq while her husband plays Mr. Mom back home; Brenda (Mrs. B) Mitchell, an obstinate new recruit with an unpredictable mean streak, played by Nikki Aycox; and Smoke, played by Kirk Jones (a.k.a. Sticky Fingaz, who spends much of his Army life stoned. "Over There" also portrays revealing moments from the home front, tracing the effects of the war on family and loved ones. But most of the story is set in the lethal combat zone, where the soldiers live in an atmosphere of almost suffocating stress and anxiety, thanks to insurgents, land mines and suicide bombers. It's a world of scary uncertainty, where intense camaraderie mingles with daily helpings of dread. One of the soldiers hasn't yet learned that his wife back home is sleeping around. Another will lose a limb, then passionately insist from his hospital bed that he will eventually get back to his combat unit in Iraq. And it may be wrong to doubt him. As it attempts to walk the apolitical line, "Over There" intelligently keeps most of its compelling focus on the human-scale tales of this band of brothers and sisters. No simplistic flag waving or anti-war attitudes. No politicians, no generals. No liberal, no conservative. Instead, "Over There" supports the troops the best way it can. By telling their stories honestly.
Posted by: Steve 2005-07-28 |
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