An Investment

     I picked these bad boys up the other day on a deal that I equate to highway robbery (about $90 total when each is normally $75 individually).  While I wasn't really that pleased with myself for spending that kind of money on something like this, I reasoned with myself that it would be worth it in the long run.  I looked at buying these as an "investment" into my future man cave, which will feature a very nice television and impressive sound system to allow the viewing of these fine miniseries as they were meant too be seen.  I knew that I would pick these up for just such a purpose, so buying them now would let me take advantage of a deal that I may not have received then.  And people think I don't plan for my future.

     I've seen Band of Brothers plenty of times, and it is possibly one of the greatest stories that have ever been told about the war.  It follows the perils of  a single company of men, specifically Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, from D-Day to VE Day.  The fact that it is a miniseries instead of a singular movie allows the viewer to connect with the characters (all real people) on a deeper level.  If anyone reading this has never seen this series, drop what you are doing and begin RIGHT NOW.  I can't stress enough how worth it it really is.  Despite the number of times I've viewed Band of Brothers, I knew it would not be possible for me to live out my life without owning it somewhere down the line, so I made that time now.

I legitimately get chills every time I see and/or hear this.

     The Pacific, on the other hand I have never had the chance to see, and thus I knew it was absolutely necessary for me to pick up.  Instead of following a whole company, it instead focuses on a few individuals as they fight their way through the Pacific Theater.  I've watched the first three episodes (out of ten total) thus far, and I will say that when the action gets going, it is on par with Band of Brothers.  However, Part III really brought the plot to a halt.  After fighting on Guadalcanal, the USMC land in Australia to prepare for their next deployment.  What follows is an entire hour of marines parading around Melbourne more or less being miscreants.  While I believe stories about the war do need slower parts in order to give the complete experience, I felt this episode went too far with much of the content being unnecessary.  The same message could have been sent with half the running time, leaving more time for action later in the series.  Band of Brothers had a lot of slower parts, particularly in the first few episodes, but they never made the show seem to drag and they all advanced the story or character development in some way.  I just didn;t feel that at all with this particular episode of The Pacific.
     However, I won't let this one episode impact my overall feelings of the series.  The first two episodes were of the highest quality, having action, tense moments, flashbacks to back home, moments between battle, all of which blended together to make for some great viewing.  I have no doubt that future episodes will continue this trend after the speed bump that was Part 3.

     I'm sure I will continue to write about my impressions as I continue to watch the series.  Until then, enjoy some Pink Floyd.

Moo.