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Firstly: I'm feeling better. Thank you for your kind words and warmth - I am so lucky to have you all. ♥

Secondly: WINCON!!! I know it's like a million years away, but I just realized that I DON'T HAVE ROOMIES! :O Sooooo...anyone out there going to Wincon in Chicago who doesn't have roommates yet? Or has a room with a space available? I wanna sleep with you! :D

Thirdly: I'm almost finished with Generation Kill. One episode to go. I assume that episode will be a doozy, so it's possible the following opinions could change. It's certainly been interesting and eye-opening, horrifying and delightful by turns. I of course love Brad and Nate and Ray and Poke and Rolling Stone and DOC BRYAN (<333), and they make everything pretty worthwhile. But while I adore those characters and will probably start mainlining fic (Nate and Brad are just MADE for AUs), I can't say that the series has captured my heart? I don't see myself doing rewatches, anyway. It's too hard for me when I hate several of the major characters and am furious/shocked at pretty much every order they're given. I have very little tolerance for stupidity or blind, selfish ambition. It's just - how does the system let such fucked up, incompetent people through? How are they put in CHARGE of people? The whole thing makes me deeply frustrated and angry and I don't think I can take repeat doses of that. I don't care what screwed up past Captain America has - fact is, he's a terrible leader and a danger to his men, and should never been given a gun, much less put in a position of command. And that's just one example.

*deep breath* So - yeah. I find it kind of impossible to get around those issues. And the fact that this is all now? That this is what our troops are going through, what the Iraqi people have been subjected to for years? It makes me sick to my stomach. It's just too close to home. And I haven't even mentioned how the modern American/military notion of "masculinity" makes me really, really uncomfortable.

Don't get me wrong - I'm glad I've watched it. I'm glad I know Nate's serious little face, and Brad's enormous intelligent eyes, and Poke's hate-on for the white man's "burden", and Ray's delightful inappropriateness, and Bryan's complete intolerance of incompetence (PREACH IT BB). I love these boys and I'm glad they are in my life. ♥ Furthermore, the series gave me an insider perspective on something that's very current and relevant. It didn't change my opinions so much as inform them, which is just as important. So - glad for the experience, but not appropriating it as a fandom in the way I did Band of Brothers. (I don't think! I could eat my words, but I doubt it.)

Talk to me about your perspectives on it! (Reminder: don't spoil me for the last ep, though I'll be watching that tonight.) What am I missing?

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We pretty much have the same opinion of GK, I think. I think part of it is that we (or at least I) went in knowing that the system was so fucked up, and we don't have that happy resolution in sight -- we don't have that baseball game scene yet to go to, if the U.S. is going to get it all (which seems doubtful). It did make me think about what it means to invade and be invaded, and that was an angle I hadn't really spent much time examining before. But overall... yeah, give me Easy Company any day, delightful as the individual guys in GK are.

Re: Wincon, there is a slim chance (depending on my finances, and whether or not she's coming to Wincon) that I might stay with a friend in Chicago, but most likely that I'll be in the hotel. I haven't done anything with roommates yet, since I don't know who all is going, but I do have a hotel room, and space for at least one person, so you are welcome to share with me! :D I'll be there Thursday night through checkout Monday morning.

My thoughts on GK are exactly the same as yours. I wanted to punch the 'leaders' in the face more times than I cared to count, they just made me so ANGRY.

After my initial viewing of it, I didn't really think I would watch it again, as, like you, it didn't capture me in a way that Band of Brothers did (ha, I don't think anything else really has), but seeing as though I had bought GK on dvd, I decided to give it a re-watch and really, really enjoyed it a lot more the second time. Like BoB, they are so many names and faces that you don't really get to appreciate and connect with them all on a first viewing, so I do recommend a second viewing as I think it's one of those shows that requires it. Am interested to see what your views are on the finale when you get to watch it.

NGL, GK makes me really uncomfortable with the way the military is run, and the entire idea of maneuver warfare that Rumsfeld et al. embraced.

The thing you don't get from the TV series but you do from the books (Wright's and Fick's) is that the officers you despise were never ever meant to be leading recon marines in the field. Probably you know this, but usually the team leaders like Colbert would make all the immediate decisions once they were inserted covertly, and the company's commanding officer wouldn't actually be there in the flesh, just over the radio. Of the officers introduced for Bravo Company in GK, Fick was the only one with infantry experience - Captain America and Encino Man both were intelligence analysts.

You're missing RUDY REYES, Lilley, Stafford and Christeson, and Walt from your list of people, that's what! ♥ ♥

This might be a little rambly since I just woke up, but the realism is one of the things I really like about the show. The funny thing is, I usually think I like BoB a lot more than GenKill, but then I go and watch an episode of GenKill and sit there chinhandsing going "gosh, this is just so good". I do partially agree with what you're saying, because it is tough to watch and I probably couldn't watch GenKill over and over and over like I do with BoB - but I'm doing a rewatch right now and still loving it. Maybe I can stomach incompetence a bit easier, but reading through a lot of the related information (the After Action report, terminology, interviews, parts of the GenKill book) also helped me to understand more about the show, especially the mindset of some of the Marines. Oh, and watching it with the commentary on! The commentary for part 4 is A++ because it has PJ and Askars.

I got into GenKill before BoB, though, and the thing is that you really, really cannot compare the two of them. I mean, you can obviously like one and not like the other, that's cool, but I really dislike it when people are like "if you like one then you will definitely like the other!" because the atmosphere, timing, and nearly everything about the two shows are completely different. I'm glad you gave it a shot, though! I think it gives great insight into the Iraq war, if nothing else, and I'd definitely check out some of the related information (did you hear about that one time the real Nate Fick swore at the President? ♥), but at least now you know what all of us are talking about. :D

PS: I AM SO GLAD THAT I CALLED HIM "NATE FICK" AND NOT "STARK SANDS". Phew.

I got into GenKill before BoB, though, and the thing is that you really, really cannot compare the two of them. I mean, you can obviously like one and not like the other, that's cool, but I really dislike it when people are like "if you like one then you will definitely like the other!" because the atmosphere, timing, and nearly everything about the two shows are completely different.

Thisssss. If I had a dollar for every time I saw someone say this I would have a lot of dollars.

Also Stafford & Christeson are my BROTP, man.

Oooh, YAY! You're watching GK! :DDDD

Hmm, opinions...Well, I'm mostly in the same boat as you, but man, I'm kind of a masochist. I've rewatched the whole series like a billion times, and foisted it on everyone I know. Part of it is that it's just an exquisitely written/filmed piece of television, but the other is that I was so enthralled and horrified and shocked and moved by every single one of those Recon Marines.

There was something beautifully, and painfully tragic in just how much that whole situation was an epic fucking DISASTER. Seeing Fick, who's come into it wanting to be the best commanding officer for his men, but being completely unable to because of the ass-backwards beureaucracy and complete incompetence of those above him...that was painful as hell, but it made me respect him so much. And of course there's Brad, who's in much the same situation as Nate and who sees how much the whole situation is killing Nate. Brad just wants to do his fucking job, a job that he is damn good at, but he keeps getting cut off left right and centre. There's something so incredibly compelling about their story, and all the myriad stories of their men, that makes me want to keep watching over and over so I can unearth just one more detail, one more emotion or moment of insight.

The thing is, watching GK probably made me just as angry as you, but it also made me want to know more about what's been going on. Reading Wright's book, and then Nate's book, really fleshed things out even more (and also revealed that a lot of what actually happened in real life was so much worse then what ended up on screen, which...is depressing as hell, but like I already said...MASOCHIST RIGHT HERE). It really revealed the incredible character of all involved, especially Nate and Brad, who "kept the shit from rolling too much downhill". I don't know...I was just enthralled. I love everything about it *hands*

Part of it is that it's just an exquisitely written/filmed piece of television

And a number of the episodes are directed by Susanna White, which was an important factor for me, because women directing war shows/movies (ie. The Hurt Locker) I think is a really important thing. That's really hard to explain. How my brain works with regards to this. AHHH NOT MAKING SENSE. D:

There is a comment I want to make about it, but you (

exsequar, obvs) have to see the last episode first because it's kind of spoilery in a way because OMFG HEARTBREAKING. Jfc.

I do keep thinking about watching Generation Kill but I'm so bad at keeping up with watching a show. Unless it REALLY grabs me like Band of Brothers.

Do you have an airdate for The Pacific in the US yet? Veeeerrrryy excited! It's due on here in "Spring". That's a whole season! Way to be completely non-specific, TV guide. :D

Um, I don't mean to butt in but it's supposed to air here in the US starting March 14, 2010. :)

Edited 2010-02-17 18:51 (UTC)

It is only 7 episodes, but it's certainly an undertaking. It's taken me a while to get this far, but my friend was really eager and made me sit down and watch 3 episodes. If you can, I'd recommend watching it with company. Then you can rage at each other and keep going instead of getting completely overwhelmed and putting it down for months.

We do, we do! March 14th! SO SOON! \o/ Hopefully someone will upload it shortly thereafter because I don't even have basic network TV, much less HBO. Yes - I am a professional pirate. I'm really excited though!

I sort of felt the same way you did after watching GK for the first time because it did reinforce my anger and frustration with the war in Iraq and decisions that the last administration made. (Although I don't know if I was as angry as you.)

BUT! I just recently re-watched the entire series with Mel and I'm almost finished with Evan Wright's book and just started Nate Fick's and, I gotta tell you, I enjoyed it just as much, if not more and this time, I actively sought out fic/fandom for GK, which I didn't do after my initial watch last spring. (I think I also went straight from GK into watching BoB so. That might have had something to do with it, too.)

Of course, YMMV but there are definitely some great GK fics out there.

(PS HI I MISS YOU.)

HI BEAUTIFUL HI HELLO! I miss you toooo! This is belated but THANK YOU for the adorable Valentine's Day card! And give Mel a big kiss for me! It was my only Valentine and you two are such sweethearts. <333

I think the books are the next stop for me. Books are easier than the show in that you can put them down and pick them up easier, and also there's no actual person there talking whose mere voice makes you want to cut some bitches. So. Yes. Books! We'll see what my tune's like after that.

I already read a Brad/Nate high school AU and sdlkfjsdf MY HEART. I can totally get behind reading about those darling boys falling in love, especially without the context of the fucking Iraq war. So I may be involved in fandom in that sense. :)

I love your icon! Oscar Mike is such a great saying.

Can I add my hash mark to the "I agree" pile? Can I? Huh, huh, huh?

Like I've mentioned previously, my family is REALLY DAMN BIG on WWII-era combat, so I know like nothing when it comes to the modern era military and thought GK would be a good place to start. After watching it a few times, I like it, but I don't LOVE it like I LOVEADOREWORSHIP BoB. It's a good reference to what is going on today, and I'm glad I watched it, but I haven't connected with it the way I have with BoB.

And if you've got a hankerin' for AUs,

hackthis is AWESOME for Nate/Brad AUs. *bows*

Megaupload HATES me and even though I said I was gonna catch up on Generation Kill when I got a laptop, I haven't been able to. I should get on that this weekend, huh?

WINCON! I have a room booked and as of right now I only have on person rooming with me (

ltlredhairdgirl) so if you're interested let me know.

i've heard so many things about generation kill. it seems so very interesting but with war-centric shows i get kind of...freaked out, i guess? not at the blood and guts and gore, mind you but just that...well, i've had so many family members in the military and i KNOW it's hollywood but...some part of me still might think that some of these things actually happened to them?

i know i need to displace it as it DOES seem interesting...thank you for your input on it <3

I completely agree with you! For me, Gen Kill sits on this strange precipice wavering between the fannish glee of the 'characters' on the one side and on the other, a hardhitting, gritty realism that isn't so amenable to squee (for me). The anger that this middle management style of incompetence in the military induced doesn't make me relish going back and rewatching the series the same way I was with BoB and the lack of real catharsis due to the ongoing sittuation in Iraq means that those feelings of frustration don't get soothed. Which is good! That the show makes me want to think on a war that is sort of being fought in the fringes of society's consciousness makes it a great tv show, IMO, but it doesn't really make me want to picspam and capslock with everyone.

Although having said that, I have been reblogging GenKill stuff on tumblr. And Nate's serious babyface does still make me want to clutch things to my chest. So, maybe my shallow side is strong enough to overcome the visceral punch of realism in the series and/or I have a scary tendency to compartmentalise away all ethical quandries?

SO MANY SHOWS I NEED TO CATCH UP ON! That said, I almost picked up BoB the other because saw it and thought of youuu. And I know my dad would love to watch a WWII show. Alas, I didn't have enough money with me, epic fail on my part.

I think I'd have a harder time with GK because of the ongoing conflict. I'm gonna have to give it a try, though.

&YOUUU;

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