don't be dull, be fannish

The Short Timer... where Taylor has only a few days left of his tour and he realizes that he has nothing to go home to, that all of his friends, his family, is in Vietnam. Taylor has always been an interesting character but this episode made me fall a little bit in love with him. Because I felt his struggle and I understood his decision to stay, to become a lifer. And honestly, when you know what happens to all the characters who actually make it home at the end of the show instead of enlisting again, you realize that his decision was wise

Paradise Lost... where Myron's unit discovers a Montagnard village and inadvertently causes a tragedy. I loved the moment where Zeke decided to go back and help the people and Myron stopped him and Zeke got all angry because he thought that Myron planned on letting the people rot, when all Myron wanted was to tell him that they would ALL go, even though it went against all their orders.

Angel of Mercy... where Myron's unit captures a VC general, Myron is shot and Baker finds a frog in his pants - no, that's not a euphemism. I really, really, really loved how protective Zeke was of Myron in this episode. The way he was all, "This is my LT and you will take care of him, now!" was truly wonderful. Also, Myron and Nikki's relationship got first major cracks in this ep.

The Hill... where Myron's unit keeps storming the same hill, over and over again, and both he and his men stop understanding why, the point of this futile action. I think this episode illustrated most profoundly the frustration of the men fighting in Nam: winning ground and giving it up again, having their wives and GFs at home abandon them, having the world see them as baby killers and nothing more. Like any of that was actually their fault. Terrible. And also, Nikki breaks up with Myron. Honestly? Good riddance. I mean, they were both lieutenants. What did she expect would happen when she started dating him? That he would sit on his butt behind a desk when there were good men dying in the field? Eh. Never understood her.

And this concludes season 1 of Tour of Duty. Now what?

USO Down... where a singer and his entourage's chopper is shot down and Myron's unit has to get the civilians to safety. I really like that the female dancers are more calm and collected than the guys in this one. Thanks to that, the girls survive. I love that Zeke apparently knows about Myron's family and he already doesn't like his old man one bit.

Under Siege... where Firebase Ladybird gets a new commander who lands them all in deep shit and it's only thanks to Myron's tactical genius that most of them survive. The scene where the captain gives up and decides the base is lost and Zeke corners Myron, telling him that they can't just roll over and die, and Myron assures him that they are not, is one of the best ever. You can almost see the wheels turning in Myron's head. And the way Zeke literally hangs on his every word! And then Myron comes up with a plan that saves their collective butt and the base, too. And does he get any recognition at all? Of course not, it's the captain who gets a commendation! Jesus on a cracker. If Zeke's look could kill, the captain would keel over right there.

Burn, Baby, Burn... where Myron's unit is torn apart by racial hatred. I love that Zeke lets Myron handle the issues this time, he has his back, always, but for the first time, he takes a step back and lets Myron deal with it. I mean, Myron is white, but he's also a Jew, just some twenty short years after WWII, after all. He might not face racial discrimination but he sure as hell knows a lot about religious persecution. And honestly, the scene where Myron dresses down his whole unit - black, white, Hispanic, Asian - when he yells at them to shut it or else, it's quite glorious. It's a thing of beauty to watch him grow into his position as a team leader.

Brothers, Fathers and Sons... where Zeke and his two men crash land in a chopper, acquire a baby and a goat and then lose everything. This one is really hard to watch, especially the ending. There are some really funny scenes - like them stealing a goat! - but the ending... Yeah, don't expect a happy end here.

The Good, the Bad and the Dead... where Myron trusts Zeke and allows a washed-out soldier in his unit on his recommendation, only to have that trust broken. This episode has the first real fight, the first huge break between Myron and Zeke since they started trusting each other. And this time, it's Zeke in the wrong. I love the scene where they fight and this happens...

Zeke: Loyalty, you know what that is?
Myron: Yeah, I know what that is. It’s something like trust, isn’t it? Like when I trusted you…

Again, it's awesome to watch Myron be the leader this unit deserves.

Dislocations... Or the episode where Myron refuses to follow a direct order. For the very first time. And his men actually start liking him, sight unseen! I just love how he's gaining their trust, slowly, by degrees. Like Zeke told him, trust is something you have to earn. I love that the men were set to hate him on principle, he's white, rich and an officer, after all! But it's harder and harder to do so when he's sticking his neck out for them every day!

I particularly loved this exchange:

Myron: Major Rigby is still steamed as hell.
Zeke: What's the matter? The body count's not high enough to make him happy?
Myron: Oh, come on, man. You know officers don't like getting their orders countermanded.
Sarge: Well, some officers make you forget that.

I'm loving how Zeke is starting to really like his LT, not just as a commanding officer who actually listens, but as a person, someone with whom he can joke about stuff, someone he knows will do the right thing when push comes to shove.