US films and TV series have long been inspired by real life confrontations, e.g., the Cold War and Vietnam, but Over There breaks new ground. It is the first show based on a war still in progress – the war in Iraq. Unlike some of its predecessors, this series doesn’t romanticize; rather it portrays the day to day violence without a trace of sentimentality. Over There follows an infantry platoon led by a savvy, battle-hardened sergeant. Indeed, he’s a good man to have around when one has to deal with insurgents and the military bureaucracy. This series is not a commercial for the military, or the US government. None of the parties involved are completely ‘good’ or ‘evil’ and no one has a solid claim on the truth. Yes, this is television, and though based on real events, the series is not a documentary. But it does feel realistic. War, as everyone knows, is terrible stuff and this series convincingly portrays the moral, physical and mental state of soldiers on both sides of the war. Patriotism is not an issue here; even hope is in short supply. The end credit sequence features a song with the lyric: “Someone has to die”. In fact, the show died in its second season. In Bush’s America, pessimism is not tolerated.
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Chief editor: Steven Crane
March 2006 issue