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Tour of Duty: Under Siege (1988)
My favorite TOD episode.
Tour of Duty had a dynamite first season back in '87. Every episode is excellent but also very unique. This is a series that usually had something important to say but never pandered or hit the audience over the head with it. Under Siege has always been a standout episode for me. I had to rent copies on VHS in the 90s because I was too young to catch it first run. But that added to the fun for me. Each tape had two episodes so I'd have to wait out the week in suspense until Friday after school. We piled into Mom's mini van and off we went to rent the next episodes. Now in my early 30s I have revisited the series and it still stands up admirably. All the stuff I loved as a kid endures, but having served several years as a combat medic in between adds an extra dimension to the series. It's not really graphic in violence or language (it was on prime time television) so if you're looking for Platoon-like experience you won't find it. But considering the constraints of network television, TOD is still quite an achievement.
Under Siege in particular does a remarkable job of tapping into the primal fear of complete isolation. A terror accentuated for Bravo Company as they find themselves cut off in an alien environment and that is hostile to their presence. The suspense and fear of impending doom is stretched like a rubber band throughout the episode. Some are quicker than others to realize their under strength Platoon and the fire base they are manning isn't going to stop the coming tidal wave of NVA soldiers.
The carefully crafted suspense and legitimate worry we feel about the survival of our heroes is first rate. I also like the little character arc a guest staring Captain goes through. When he first arrives at the Fire Base he typifies a military leadership that believed body counts, kill ratios, and superior firepower were all that was needed to win wars. But Circumstances change by the end of the episode. Sometimes a facial expression can provide more character development than pages of dialogue. I also greatly admired the way Zeke takes the initiative and ends a fatalistic pity party that he almost joins himself. A motivation that restores lost confidence and personal control over a situation that had been abandoned. It's pretty inspiring to watch as the platoon moves to prepare their last stand. They accept the the task of being their own salvation. Their death may be a certainty but whether they go out with a roar or a whimper is still their choice.
The episode culminates with some surprisingly poignant imagery and dialogue. Like the Vietnam War itself we are left with complicated emotions and uncompromising truths that are inescapable. We see hubris, grief, valor, and emotional resignation. But above all of this mess an American flag still stands almost defiantly snapping in the wind. Beaten to hell and shot up, it remains beautiful despite the abuse it has endured.