‘The Pacific’ Recap: ‘Part Two’

1/18/2024

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Joshua Bitton and Jon Seda as Sergeant J.P. Morgan and Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone in ‘Part Two’ of ‘The Pacific’. (Photo Courtesy of HBO.)

If there is one particular message that comes up often in war stories in any format out there, it would have to be… that war is hell… and it makes sense as to why that message continually pops up. Because it is. Because young men, are asked to travel across the globe and use weapons to kill people. An enemy that exists because of a clash of ideologies the solider in question may or may not believe in, and well, what they see out there in the field… is awful. They see people die before their eyes and they’re asked to ignore that and stand their ground. They make friends only to lose them and they are in a constant state of fear over the fact that their number might be called by the Lord Almighty the next time the bullets begin to rain down.

Yet what’s fascinating, is that only a handful of stories, have properly encapsulated that difficult reality, especially in the visual medium. In part because, it’s not easy to really recreate the guts and gore of war and the sudden nature of it, and sometimes… the story the director intends to tell, makes it tough to bring that message to the forefront. But there are some war stories out there that properly reflect what soldiers go through and how hard their lives can be when they’re in the thick of it, and one particular series that managed to capture that just right, was The Pacific on HBO. For so many of its stories featured detailed and graphic conflict, and they explored the gravity of those moments upon the men in the thick of the fight, as evidenced by the show’s next episode.

That is, after ‘Part Two’ surprised us. For when we returned to Guadalcanal in 1942, we were treated to a little downtime with the Marines there. For they had established an airfield and a stronghold in general, and the Japanese Army had yet to bring forth its counterattack. Which meant, everyone could relax a bit. Or… as well as one can relax in the middle of a jungle with minimal supplies. Which allowed for us to really see what living conditions were like for these soldiers, and well… they were awful. Because they were not eating properly and suffering greatly for that, and they were dirty, and sweaty and overall miserable thanks to the many bugs surrounding them as well. Giving rise to the reality that sometimes, the hell soldiers experience in war, comes from something as simple as having maggots in their food.

Jon Seda as Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone in ‘Part Two’ of ‘The Pacific’. (Photo Courtesy of HBO.)

But of course, it was only a matter of time before the Japanese Army returned to the island and when they did… did we truly come to understand how hellish the fight was and how hellish war could be. Because Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone and his unit were tasked with protecting the flank of the Army forces that finally arrived to keep the American Flag planted as the Japanese Army advanced and well, they were low on ammo, low on men and facing a ridiculous number of enemy soldiers. But they fought, they fought hard in fact, in a manner so swift and so intense that they had minimal time to process the endless waves of soldiers they were gunning down and that… made for an intense experience. One that hammered home the point because that’s a lot for an audience to process as well, and it is uncomfortable to sit through. But… that’s the point. We need to know, and what’s wild, is that the story wasn’t done showcasing the hellish nature of war.

Because Basilone had to in essence, make the most of what he had when the attack started. Which meant leading men about when they hadn’t a clue what was going on, and even sacrificing his own health by moving his red-hot machine gun without protection. Because it was either create some semblance of sanity and make sure each line of defense had the guns it needed… or die, and that’s pretty damn hellish. Not to mention, we were privy to the darkness that comes with these men losing a friend in the heat of combat. Because Manny Rodriguez died on the night of the airfield’s defense, and as we learned in the premiere, he and John were close, and even shared time at the table with family, and well… while John may not have wept deeply here, he was clearly unsettled by the fact that this war claimed someone that meant the world to him.

Yet what is truly incredible about this story, is that it still found a way to be positive. Courtesy of how John handled his business. Because his quick thinking, did indeed bring order to chaos and held the line and he himself… was an inspiration to the men. Because he fought with valor, and an intensity that is the stuff we see in fictional storytelling about the war. But it did come at a great cost. Because good men died in this tale, and they suffered and that does truly remind us that war is hell. But it also teaches us, that when the cause is just and true, good men will stand up and accomplish wonders and well, now that we’ve reached the end of this epic and unsettling tale, it will be interesting to see what other hellish moments await as the war in the Pacific rages on. Until next time.

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