Ep 1. Get Some

The HBO original series Generation Kill is a seven-part miniseries that documents the experiences of Bravo Company, First Reconnaissance Battalion, during the early stages of the Iraq War in 2003. Based on the nonfiction book of the same name by Evan Wright, a journalist who embedded with the Marines, the show offers a largely unfiltered view of the military campaign and its impact on the men who fought it.

The first episode, "Get Some," sets the stage for the rest of the series by introducing the viewer to the key members of Bravo Company and their mission. We are first introduced to Sgt. Brad 'Iceman' Colbert (Alexander Skarsgard), who serves as the leader of 1st Recon's Team 6. Colbert is a highly competent and dedicated Marine who takes pride in his job but is also aware of the absurdity and danger of the war he is fighting.

We then meet the other members of Team 6, including Cpl. Josh Ray Person (James Ransone), who serves as the team's radio operator and resident joker. Person is irreverent and often vulgar, but he also helps to keep morale high as the team is sent on increasingly dangerous and frustrating missions.

The team's first mission of the show involves traveling to a small Iraqi town to make contact with a local sheik and gather intelligence on potential insurgent activity. The Marines are met with suspicion and hostility from the locals, who do not trust the American presence in their village. The scene is tense and uncomfortable as the Marines try to navigate cultural differences and language barriers while also trying to gather information that could save their lives.

As the episode progresses, we see the Marines grapple with the significant challenges of their deployment. They are constantly on the move, never knowing what dangers they may encounter in the next town or village. They are also frustrated by the lack of direction and leadership from their higher-ups, who seem more concerned with bureaucratic paperwork than with the reality of their men's situations on the ground.

The opening episode of Generation Kill does an excellent job of setting the tone for the rest of the series. It is raw and unrelenting, showing the viewer the harsh realities of war without any gloss or glamour. The show's characters are multifaceted and complex, and we see them struggle with moral dilemmas and the psychological toll of constant danger and uncertainty.

Overall, "Get Some" is a powerful introduction to a series that stands out as one of the most brutally honest depictions of war ever put on screen. It is a must-watch for anyone interested in the human side of conflict and the experiences of the men and women who fight for their country.