Generation Kill, Episode 5, "A Burning Dog"

The night vision combat scenes in episode five of Generation Kill, "A Burning Dog", are really impressive. Blackhawk Down has got to be one of the best war films ever made, but Ridley Scott really could have shot more footage in that night vision mode. Before this episode, I would have thought that too much night vision footage would be unwatchable, but after this episode, I'm a believer. Night vision? Bring it on!

Conflict is good. Things seem a little tense in the humvee between Sergeant Colbert and Ray, and it's not just the difference in rank. I suspect some of it is the difference in their socio-economic backgrounds, but until tonights episode, the upper-middle class and blue collar divide in the Humvee had never been acknowledged. It's the sort of thing that should have been put front and center in episode one, or at least mentioned in passing by episode two.

Why do I think class is an issue here? Captain America says in passing, "These people are worse than the goddamn VC." I'm not saying Captain America would vote for Barrack Obama, but he does indicate a passing knowledge of the importance of "winning hearts and minds". That is the kind of "conventional wisdom" that people can't escape, regardless of their political orientation if they have been to college at some point in their lives.

Leadership issues are one of the main areas of conflict in this series. While a little overly ambitious at times, "Godfather" seems to have his head screwed on right. The non-commissioned and junior officers show good judgment, for the most part, but where things break down, in terms of leadership, is the layer in between "Godfather" and Sergeant Colbert.

The two captains, nicknamed "Captain America" and "Encino Man", consistently show that lack of common sense and confidence in doctrine and dogma that you can only get with a BA from any one of North America's higher institutions of learning. As much as I enjoy watching the misadventures of Brad, Ray, Tromblay, and "the reporter" in the Humvee, a few more throwaway lines about the characters backgrounds would put the conflicts on the show in perspective.