Exonian Review: Generation Kill: Contemporary War Drama Done Right
By SHAY KASHIF
Any binge-watcher worth their salt knows that when it comes to TV shows, HBO has a legendary status. From “The Sopranos” to “Game of Thrones,” HBO consistently produces some of the best when it comes to serial entertainment. Along with these longer, multi-season epics, HBO also does an excellent job with its miniseries, which often have a narrower lens and place viewers into the shoes of a small group of individuals. These miniseries are often gritty, grounded, and immersively raw—“Chernobyl,” for example—which makes their war dramas some of the best. Famously, “Band of Brothers” and “The Pacific,” which focus on American troops in the Second World War, have garnered critical acclaim for their portrayal of those who fought some of the most important battles in history.
There is one more HBO war drama, however, that isn’t nearly as well-known. You would probably recognize many of the shows I’ve mentioned so far, but one that seems to have disappeared from memory is “Generation Kill.” Set during the first three weeks of the 2003 Invasion of Iraq, “Generation Kill.” follows a unit of US Marines as they make their way to the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, and is based on the narrative of a Rolling Stone photographer, Evan Wright, embedded with the unit.
Where “Generation Kill.” excels is in its ability to redefine the typical progression of a war-drama to fit the modern era. The producers understand that, as one of the most controversial wars in history, the Iraq War cannot be portrayed as a heroic struggle of good against evil like the Second World War. With this in mind, they make no effort to glorify the actions of millennium era Marines, depicting them for what they are—a bunch of kids hardly out of high school. As such, the dialogue is raw, realistic, and often pretty vulgar. The cast are loveable not in an endearing way, but in an amusing one. The Rolling Stone journalist, fittingly referred to as “Rolling Stone” by the Marines, rides in a Humvee through Iraq with three marines. There’s the driver, Corporal Josh Ray Person, who’s full of energy and essentially the comedic relief of the regiment. Along with him ride Sergeant Brad “Iceman” Colbert, a sarcastic, probably depressed non-commissioned officer, and Lance Corporal James Trombley, a peculiar, slightly insane Marine.
There’s also a variety of other characters in the regiment, all of whom bring their own unique personality. The entire series basically plays out like a roadtrip musical set in a warzone, and you’d be tempted to think it was satire, except it’s all based on reality. Unlike “Band of Brothers” and “The Pacific,” where key characters can be unceremoniously killed at any moment, our Marines in “Generation Kill.” are in no actual mortal danger from the enemy. Instead, the closest they usually come to death is through the often suicidal actions of their officers. Whether it be calling in artillery strikes right on top of their men, abandoning supply trucks, or capturing an airbase dozens of miles behind enemy lines just to stick it to the British, the officers of First Recon are routinely portrayed as incompetent glory-seekers. Miraculously, as in real-life, not a single Marine is killed in the invasion, but the show portrays the tensions and disconnect between enlisted personnel and their commanders very well. It covers dynamics of how an officer gains respect, such as Lieutenant Nathaniel Fick, seemingly the only officer who actually cares about his men in the entire battalion, and how power dynamics can lead to lack of coordination, corruption, and even lives being put at stake.
Let me be clear—this show is not for the faint of heart. Then again, neither is war, and if you want to do such a politically divisive war justice, you have to be willing to show what really happens on the frontline. The show is ripe with dark humor, vulgarity, racism, and Islamophobia, but all of these play an important role in understanding those who actually took part in the invasion. If you’re willing to accept all of those as necessary for an accurate period-piece, then Generation Kill is a war drama that can be both funny and have serious undertones with its usage of dark humor. Its realism has been corroborated by many real-life Marines, and the fact that it’s based on actual people only adds to the realism of the dialogue. The show is also a great nostalgia hike into 2000s culture—if you ever wanted to see a bunch of US Marines singing “Teenage Dirtbag” in a Humvee, then this is the show for you.
“Generation Kill.” is such an amazing period piece that I cannot do it justice with any amount of words—you’d have to see for yourself. I would definitely recommend it even if you’re not into war movies, as there’s very little actual fighting in the show and it often plays out more like a sitcom or reality TV show with a military backdrop. I’ll leave you with a quote from Ray: “As the great warrior-poet Ice Cube once said, ‘If the day does not require an AK, it is good.’”