Iwo Jima (2 May 2010)

Frustrated with his bond selling tour, Basilone goes back to training troupes and after marrying a pretty marine sergeant, leads his men at Iwo Jima.

Directors:

David Nutter, Jeremy Podeswa

Writers:

Robert Schenkkan, Michelle Ashford,

Stars:

James Badge Dale, Joseph Mazzello, Jon Seda

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
James Badge Dale	...	PFC Robert Leckie
Joseph Mazzello	...	PFC Eugene Sledge
Jon Seda	...	Sgt. John Basilone
Dwight Braswell	...	PFC 'Steve' Evanson
Rami Malek	...	Cpl. Merriell 'Snafu' Shelton
Martin McCann	...	Cpl. R.V. Burgin
Annie Parisse	...	Sgt. Lena Basilone
Dylan Young	...	PFC Jay De L'eau
Ian Bliss	...	Capt. Le Francois
Ben Esler	...	PFC Charles Tatum
Lelia Goldoni	...	Dora Basilone
Les Hill	...	1st Lt. Ben Sohn
Stephen Leeder	...	Lt Gen. Alexander Vandegrift
Luigi Lucente	...	Carlo Basilone
Liam McIntyre	...	Lew

Storyline

The men have been relieved on Peleliu and return to Pavuvu where they are resting and awaiting their next assignment. Sledge sees something being thrown out in the trash and decides to keep it. Back in the USA, John Basilone requests re-assignment from his bond promotion duties and is transferred to Camp Pendleton as an instructor. There he meets Sgt. Lena Riggi, who is in charge of the mess hall. She's no pushover and it takes several attempts before she will even go out with him. Basilone's enlistment is up in a few months and he must decide if he is going to return to civilian life or sign up for another tour and accompany his men to Iwo Jima, their next assignment. He and Lena decide they are going to make the most of the time they have together.

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Plot Keywords:

iwo jima | marine sergeant | train | combat | war bonds | 

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | History | War

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Release Date:

2 May 2010 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

DreamWorks SKG, HBO Films, Playtone

Did You Know?

Goofs

After the wedding, Lena is in front of the church and is wearing open-toed sandals. In reality, women didn't wear those kind of shoes with formal wear back then (and actual photos show she wore closed toe footwear).

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Quotes

Merriell Shelton: Are my eyes yellow?

User Reviews

The Entire Series is a Misfire

I was so glad to read the reviews of fellow posters here who feel as disappointed as I do with the whole series.

What went wrong? I think the writers emphasised too much on the personal lives of one or two characters at the expense of showing camaraderie and teamwork, a spirit of brotherhood that made Band of Brothers such a success.

Funnily enough I still don't feel any empathy toward any of the characters that writers decided to concentrate on, and this is what has inspired me to write.

John Basilone was a war hero and deserved a much better tribute than this soppy love story - I think his memory would have been better served showing his heroic duties on Iwo Jima rather than his sexual exploits in the kitchen with his new wife - and why are we subjected to yet another love story?

The tedious waste of an episode where Leckie copped off with that Greek chick was bad enough! Where Band of Brothers took us on a journey with the men of Easy Company when we go to know them, see them bond as a unit and actually CARE for them, The Pacific falls way short. It has nothing that made BoB such a success.

As previously mentioned, we know nothing about the characters apart from a bare sketch and what is even worse, we feel no empathy for them

• well I don't and I've yet to meet anyone who does.

A major disappointment all round, how NOT to spend $200million unless you want a soap set during WWII with the highest sfx budget ever.