The boys dock in Australia for the episode. This episode again centers on Leckie and Basilone, with Leckie being kinda lame and Basilone being a bit better, however both are tearing at the seams. The relationships in this episode are a bit odd, as Leckie's girl breaks up with him before he leaves, but I feel that as young as they are they would attempt to make it work. The boys all get drunk and rowdy a few times in this episode, and pay the consequences several times as well, with the military police coming in to crack down on them. I would have expected the girls to be less amiable with the marines at this time, but no marine seemed to be shut down in this episode.
10 Reviews
A Bad Romance
jsom-457954 February 2023
Loge stories in war films are fine, a-la Doc and the Nurse in Bastogne. But this does it all wrong. For starters the acting and dialogue are more like a high school theater. Second, the "climax" of some of these are are so much closer to soap opera than a story of turbulent love. If there had been more time on the islands and we could really feel the fatigue in the characters (soldiers) it might make more sense as a relief episode. But even still the romance is beyond boring.
The soldiers come off like drunk idiots, which they probably were. But the actors as old as they are don't look like a bunch of dumb 18 to 22 year olds and so it feels almost like a reenactment than a retelling.
Generally this episode either needed to come later and water down the bad romance, be a much shorter episode, or just not have happened.
The soldiers come off like drunk idiots, which they probably were. But the actors as old as they are don't look like a bunch of dumb 18 to 22 year olds and so it feels almost like a reenactment than a retelling.
Generally this episode either needed to come later and water down the bad romance, be a much shorter episode, or just not have happened.
Outstanding character development
jnash-041151 June 2021
War is hell stories been there done that. What sets this miniseries apart is it character development. We care because we know what lives they lived off the battle field. Blood and guts numb unless we understand the non-soldier.
Way too many side stories!
danpiedra10 May 2010
The concept of covering the time in which the soldiers stayed over in Melbourne seemed appropriate to me to provide a bit of a break to the viewer. However it goes beyond reason as to why the entire episode is devoted to side stories which could really have been covered off in quick fashion over a 15-20 minute segment. It was disappointing to see what appeared to be a "soap opera" style episode stuck in what was advertised as another war film.
I am not in a position to determine the veracity of such stories, but sufficeth to say, that this episode was painful to watch ... time dragged on and yet before I knew it, it was over with very little to show for it. BOB managed to include a few side stories including the usual drinking, bars, women, etc., but it was done amist episodes which carried more punch. In none of those was the main storyline about the side story of soldiers.
I believe the only shots fired in this episode where at the cows from the passing trains which carried the service men back to combat.
I am not in a position to determine the veracity of such stories, but sufficeth to say, that this episode was painful to watch ... time dragged on and yet before I knew it, it was over with very little to show for it. BOB managed to include a few side stories including the usual drinking, bars, women, etc., but it was done amist episodes which carried more punch. In none of those was the main storyline about the side story of soldiers.
I believe the only shots fired in this episode where at the cows from the passing trains which carried the service men back to combat.
Why should we care about how one or two soldiers fell in love with women in a bloody war!!!
dhainazi2 June 2010
My rating is for this episode and episode 8.
Okay, despite all the good bits that I will like to say about the miniseries "The Pacific", I just couldn't stand two episode in this show, which are E03 & E08. Why the heck did either the screenplay writer or the director as well as the producers find it interesting to put so many sex scenes in a movie that was suppose to present a bloody HELL in the war? And why should the personal "romance" of John Basilone take almost an entire episode?? Why did the producers think the audiences who are paying their respect to that part of history and to those who sacrificed tremendously should care about some marines' love story? Honestly, I don't get it! I think it is ridiculous that almost 90 out of 540 minutes in this series contributed to that kind of stuff. E01 and E10 are not very good as well. They could have dug much deeper rather than showing, yes again, some "romance"!
But there are very good stuff in this series, things that are subtle yet touching. After watching Band of Brothers, I was touched deeply by the fraternity in a war. I had my admiration for some of the main characters in BOB. After watching this series, all I want to say is that there is no glory in this war or any war, and the only difference between wars is which one is more ugly and more devastating.
Okay, despite all the good bits that I will like to say about the miniseries "The Pacific", I just couldn't stand two episode in this show, which are E03 & E08. Why the heck did either the screenplay writer or the director as well as the producers find it interesting to put so many sex scenes in a movie that was suppose to present a bloody HELL in the war? And why should the personal "romance" of John Basilone take almost an entire episode?? Why did the producers think the audiences who are paying their respect to that part of history and to those who sacrificed tremendously should care about some marines' love story? Honestly, I don't get it! I think it is ridiculous that almost 90 out of 540 minutes in this series contributed to that kind of stuff. E01 and E10 are not very good as well. They could have dug much deeper rather than showing, yes again, some "romance"!
But there are very good stuff in this series, things that are subtle yet touching. After watching Band of Brothers, I was touched deeply by the fraternity in a war. I had my admiration for some of the main characters in BOB. After watching this series, all I want to say is that there is no glory in this war or any war, and the only difference between wars is which one is more ugly and more devastating.
unrealistic portrayal of Greek Australian women in 1941
jpdhadfield26 November 2017
Warning: Spoilers
i love the series, very good, but this episode got on my nerves, as it was so unrealistic of women in 1941 in Australia. SPOILER ALERT!!!They didn't sleep around at all,and lackeys girl is Greek also,their is no way she would sneak into his room in her own house, no way, she would have no idea what to do, certainly wouldn't have stripped in front of him, I've never had that happen to me now, let alone then, they may have had a relationship and may have slept together eventually, but not in that way.reputation was everything in those days.and there was no birth control so she would get pregnant for sure, her family would disown her, it wouldn't be accepted now in a Greek family let alone then .
Couldn't finish
rayman789812 February 2024
So much happened in this episode that I just didn't believe or care about. Drunken idiot American soldiers convince native girls to relate to them. How easy were Australian girls in the 40s? I quit watching this episode halfway through while fast forwarding through most of the first half and I don't feel I'm going to miss anything important about the characters or story. What a useless waste time this episode was. I usually would never rate anything a 1 out of 10 but this episode I feel was just not needed in any way. I would have been highly disappointed if I waited a week to watch the next episode and it be this garbage.
Misinterpretation of History
kayserdar9117 April 2024
At the diner scene with Greek family, Leckie states that he read a lot and knows about "the sacking of Smryna by the Turks". Later on, Greek lady confirms and continues "Turks invaded there in 1922 an burnt it down".
First of all, Izmir (it was no longer called as Smryna after conquered by Turks) was a Turkish soil for over 600 years before it was "invaded" by the Greek army in 1919. Since Turks take back what was theirs, it can't be considered an "invasion". For this reason, there is no logical reason for Turks to sack and set their own city on fire. On the contrary Greeks had many reasons to burn the city of Izmir: Stalling the rapid march of Turkish army to the coast, buying time for evacuation and taking a last revenge against the triumphant Turks before leaving.
Even the given the facts appoint the Greek army, the issue whether the responsibility of burning of Izmir belongs to Greeks or Turks is still disputed. One sided narrative of a such disputed matter in the series as a historical fact is very inaccurate.
Secondly, an average Greek family doesn't allow a complete stranger man into their home, especially where a young and single daughter lives within.
First of all, Izmir (it was no longer called as Smryna after conquered by Turks) was a Turkish soil for over 600 years before it was "invaded" by the Greek army in 1919. Since Turks take back what was theirs, it can't be considered an "invasion". For this reason, there is no logical reason for Turks to sack and set their own city on fire. On the contrary Greeks had many reasons to burn the city of Izmir: Stalling the rapid march of Turkish army to the coast, buying time for evacuation and taking a last revenge against the triumphant Turks before leaving.
Even the given the facts appoint the Greek army, the issue whether the responsibility of burning of Izmir belongs to Greeks or Turks is still disputed. One sided narrative of a such disputed matter in the series as a historical fact is very inaccurate.
Secondly, an average Greek family doesn't allow a complete stranger man into their home, especially where a young and single daughter lives within.
The series is legitimately better if you just skip this episode
HJKFCMCD23 April 2024
Warning: Spoilers
Rewatching the pacific after masters of the air came out, I got to episode three and was like 'Urgh the pointless one' so rather than scroll on my phone through it again, I skipped it and you know what? The series seemed better for it. So I went back and watched it and boy I was not wrong.
Melbourne should have been 10-15 minutes of another episode really. It's just shore leave... nothing else really happens, they just do marine on leave things... there's a reason that every other war m'avoir doesn't devote an age to it. But yeah 10 mins or so would have been fine... just don't take up a whole episode when they were struggling to fit so much in. It's pretty irrelevant and slows the pace of everything down which adversely affects part four imho. Just skip it. I honestly don't know what they were thinking with this one.
Melbourne should have been 10-15 minutes of another episode really. It's just shore leave... nothing else really happens, they just do marine on leave things... there's a reason that every other war m'avoir doesn't devote an age to it. But yeah 10 mins or so would have been fine... just don't take up a whole episode when they were struggling to fit so much in. It's pretty irrelevant and slows the pace of everything down which adversely affects part four imho. Just skip it. I honestly don't know what they were thinking with this one.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
