The Pacific | Part Four | Full Reaction
Added 2025-03-06 15:00:11 +0000 UTCThe miserable conditions of Pavuvu, it's endless mud and rain, reinforced the idea that war isn't just about the combat. It's also about enduring those in-between moments where the Marines are just waiting, wilting, and slowly breaking down mentally and physically. I felt every ounce of Leckie's frustration. Not just because of his physical suffering, but because of how disconnected he seemed. And the interactions with the PTSD-stricken Marine were haunting. A grim reminder that the war would leave wounds far deeper than those they could even treat in a hospital.
It was really unsettling to see how the military system treated its own. Moving soldiers around like pieces on a board with little concern for their actual well-being. Like the head Psych Doctor told Lekie- No treatment just assessment and move onto the next. The hospital felt suffocating, a place where healing should happen but rarely did. By the end of this episode, I felt the weight of Leckie's frustration and the creeping realization that even when they aren't fighting on the front lines, war never really let these men go.
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LINK: https://youtu.be/VsYYhQajGkY
I watched this on HBO Max
Comments
I know I'm a couple months late but I wanted to answer your question about if it happend. In his book 'Helmet for My Pillow' Leckie does talk about spending time in hospital but it was for Malaria, as far as I remember in a regular hospital, he doesn't give much detail though. He does have several books though so he may have talked about in more detail in one of the ones i haven't read. also, because i haven't seen the mentioned 'Helmet for My Pillow' by Robert Leckie and 'With the Old Breed' by Eugene Sledge are must reads and the audio books for them are read by the respective actors that play them in the show which really gives them a surreal feeling.
Jeffy G. Blum
2025-05-19 02:43:52 +0000 UTCYeah, this episode really does stick with you. The isolation, exhaustion, and enemy's insanely relentless attacks shows a completely different kind of brutality compared to the European theatre. Thank you for the breakdown on the Marines and the Navy! That makes a lot of sense now, especially the tension between them. Seeing all those Navy personnel at the hospital and base while the Marines are out there just barely holding on really highlighted that contrast in this one. It's wild to see how different their experiences were even though they were all technically on the same side. I was wondering about the veteran's names at the end and if it would be like BoB where they finally reveal them. This one is definitely a hard watch, but I'm glad to be experiencing it and seeing what it was really like over on this side of it all.
Kali Wali
2025-03-07 01:23:06 +0000 UTCBtw, they put out a 3rd series a couple of years ago called Masters of the Air, it's on Apple +. It is also produced by Spielberg and Tom Hanks and it's about the Bomber groups (B-17s) and the missions they flew over Germany. Not sure if you are interested in that one, but it's out there if you choose to do it. It shows how dangerous and deadly it was to be in one of those planes with a crew of 10.
John A
2025-03-07 01:18:42 +0000 UTCIsolation is a perfect word for it, yes. In BoB, there was always someone to pull you back, but here, it feels like every man is just drowning in his own suffering and no one can throw out any lifelines because they're all in the same boat. And you're so right, how do you hold onto somebody when you're barely holding on yourself? Leckie's time in the hospital definitely showed how much these men really just needed rest and a break from the chaos of it all
Kali Wali
2025-03-07 01:18:04 +0000 UTCLeckie wasn't demoted. He was transferred from his platoon in the line company he was in to the Battalion intelligence shop. It effectively separated him from his buddies. That is a terrible punishment. Obviously he ended up back with them, but it would have been miserable for him until then.
PP82
2025-03-07 01:16:43 +0000 UTCSo, this is one of the episodes that really stuck with me after watching it. The conditions were different, the enemy was different in their fighting tactics compared to the European theatre. Imagining being in that side of the war and not going crazy is very hard. This series hits the mental health side of the war a lot and there are at least a couple more episodes that stick out to me coming that really hammer home how hard the Pacific side of the war was. To answer one of your questions about the Marines, they are their own Military branch but are serviced by the Navy as far as transportation by ship, all medical services and other things. They are mostly dedicated to being a fighting force. First to Fight is one of their sayings. The Navy and the Marines although on the same side are at odds with each other quite a bit. Childish animosity really but lots of times they don't get along. So all those people you saw playing volleyball and the nurses, doctors and the base that Leckie went to were mostly Navy personnel. As far as the stories you are watching, I believe the veteran interviews you have been watching will be like the BoB and they will reveal names at the end of the series. I can't say I know that much about how they structured this series with the accounts of the veterans but I know the stories were pulled from them just like the BoB. Again, not an expert, so others can add to this or correct me if they choose. You may have noticed this already, but Tom Hanks is the narrator for the openings you have been watching.
John A
2025-03-07 01:11:23 +0000 UTCIsolation really feels like the word to describe this side of the war. They feel so alone and shut out from the rest of the world on these islands, with little support. And they're so isolated from each other too. In BoB, there were so many cases where we saw a soldier losing it, only to be brought back from the brink by a Winters or Lipton. But here, a lot of that comradery is missing. And I think you nailed all the big reasons: horrible conditions, no rest, and constantly on edge because you have no idea when or where the enemy is coming from. How can you take care of each other when you're barely hanging on to yourself? The death of hope, the death of sleep. It crazy how brutal an episode like this one with very little engagement with the enemy can be to watch. The way Leckie was able to find himself so quickly in the hospital just shows how even a tiny break from it all can do so much
M1 Maz
2025-03-07 01:10:20 +0000 UTCNow I'm really interested to see how those tactics change! It's been on my mind since the second episode. And thank you for the pistol info! Very interesting that guns like those were treated as high prize currency during these times.
Kali Wali
2025-03-07 00:59:11 +0000 UTCYep it's coming tomorrow! I'm glad you'll have time this week to hang out for it and it falls on a day that works well! :)
Kali Wali
2025-03-07 00:57:11 +0000 UTCHi Kali! The pistol Leckie got was called a Nambu, it was an Imperial Japanese sidearm. The Luger was just a German gun, like you said, so it would only be found by Allied soldiers who were fighting Germans. You’ll also notice Lt. Larkin (Leckie’s superior officer in this episode that pointed out he peed himself) did something Winter’s would NEVER have done: steal something from one of his men. Leckie was understandably upset by this, as Larkin showed terrible leadership qualities. Lastly, it’s good you keep in mind the futility of Banzai charges and how the Japanese tactics currently are at this point in the show. It’d be great to see your thoughts on how those tactics evolve over the course of the war in the Pacific, as the show will soon show you.
JakeM794
2025-03-07 00:50:48 +0000 UTCOh wow, I just went back and checked and in your Happy March post you did specifically say Friday for Endgame. Not to be selfish, but that has me super stoked because Friday happens to be the one day I'll have time for a sync-up watch! Can hardly believe it. You're the best Kali!
Richard
2025-03-06 18:54:19 +0000 UTCWho wouldn’t go crazy like leckie did. Hate all that rain
C. J. Ramirez
2025-03-06 18:35:43 +0000 UTCWow you have been busy this week! How is the unboxing progressing?
Richard
2025-03-06 16:08:01 +0000 UTC
