Has anybody been watching "Carrier" on PBS? What do you think so far?

April 30, 2008 | Me

[Non-Sequitur]

They sure focused on some negatives, one episode focused on a sailor accused of raping another, another episode focusing on a alcoholic, racist sailor who got cashiered.

It happens, though in the case I believe you're referring to it was consensual sex between two crew members who had both had too much to drink and not rape. Still, it was an infraction and both were dealt with.

All in all, it highlights the positive more than the negative and I think it's been an accurate portrayal so far.

[Non-Sequitur]

The list of credited songs by episode.

Link

[mware]

Could be non...I only saw two episodes and they were the focus of those two episodes.

[am452]

this program pretty much nails it, the good and the bad

Your point really hits home why I really like this series. It shows not all the sailors are gung ho about Iraq, the Navy, etc. If the show only portrayed one side it would just be another Top Gun informercial. I think overall the show will help recruiting as most of the people on board enjoy the life on the carrier.

[am452]

Some of the chick sailors are annoying the heck out of me with their clueless whining

Not near as bad as the clueless whining chicks I work with out in the private sector.

[am452]

I think back to what we went thru in WWII and doubt these whiny 19 YO girls have the stuff it would take to pull off a full blown battle

Oh here we go again. The only greatest generation is the one that served during WWII bullsh*t.

[af_vet_rr]

It seems the slant is that most of the sailors are ignorant hicks who don’t know why they are there and are “just doing their job”...I come from a Navy family and this young crop of swabbies portrayed in this series are different from the Navy I knew.

Do you ever find yourself sitting on your front porch waving your cane and yelling "GET OFF MY LAWN YOU DAMN KIDS!!!"

Jokes aside about our ages - I've seen plenty of young people in the military in recent years that are just like these kids. There has been a shift in our society - a combination of many factors. Take bad or missing parents - a lot of these kids - the military is the way out of a crappy life for them - it's their shot at doing something other than flipping burgers or working at the movie theater - it maybe their only shot at going to college.

You also have a generation of 18-22 year olds that did not necessary grow up with parents who served in the military. The 18-22 year olds these days - in many cases their parents were too young to have served in Vietnam.

That said - I've been impressed by most of the NCOs and the officers.

[af_vet_rr]

I had to stop watching it - after the third enlisted man in a row talked about how much he HATED life on the carrier and the USN.

Soldiers, sailors, Marines, if they aren't bitching then something is wrong. You don't need to worry too much about the folks publicly bitching.

It's the ones that are keeping it in and not bitching that you need to watch.

[ozark hilljilly]

Do you ever find yourself sitting on your front porch waving your cane and yelling "GET OFF MY LAWN YOU DAMN KIDS!!!"

Actually, I do. But not with a cane...a .22/20 over and under.

: P

I see your point about "those darn kids these days", and it's a sad result of society losing it's way. (Thank you, Me Generation, thank you, hippies.) I just hope these kids find some sort of discipline and guidance from serving that was lacking in their lives. Maybe, maybe not. It just bugs me how lost they seem. But then again, it's PBS. Let's focus on the bad side of the evil military complex.

[paterfamilias]

“That said - I’ve been impressed by most of the NCOs and the officers.”

Well, my favorites continue to be the CMC and the Marine SSgt who was promoted to GySgt on last night’s episode. They really shine, and bring great credit to the Navy and Marine Corps. BZ to them!

[af_vet_rr]

It just bugs me how lost they seem.

That's because they are lost - a lot of them came from crappy homes and little moral guidance in their background - That's why you see so many baptisms, etc., in the military.

I asked a friend who knows quite a bit about this series (which by the way was done by Mel Gibson's company, if anybody was curious). Over 1500 hours of film was shot. The DoD had their say in cutting out a lot of stuff, as did the individuals. Some of those shown on camera screwing around were shown because they separated from the Navy before the series was shown (it filmed back in 2004/2005) and they signed off on what was shown (i.e. they didn't care).

That said, many of the officers and NCOs and lower ranks were promoted through normal promotion cycles (including the Captain of the Nimitz who is now a Rear Admiral). Some of the younger enlisted folks who seemed a bit more driven are now in college (the young lady who came from a bad home and who kept talking about her Christianity and her promise to her grandmother is now in college).

One thing that surprised me, although I guess it shouldn't, since it was Mel Gibson's company, is how much of the religious side of the military they showed.

One thing that made me laugh my butt off was the atheists saying the Christians were running the ship and the Christians saying the atheists were running the ship.

[Abigail Adams]

Another good show last night. Wow, watching those jets trying to land on the pitching deck, in the dark no less, was very nerve-wracking! I guess it made for good practice for the pilots, though. I was kinda surprised they dedicated a whole episode to faith, but it was interesting. I wonder what happened to the sailor who was done with the navy and just disappeared, instead of celebrating with his buddies?

[enraged]

Not at all, but the slant they are putting on these girls makes me wonder how they would hold up under fire, that’s all. Stupid show, at least in the manner they are showing it.

[raygun]

I KNEW somebody had to ask this qwexion. I've beem wondering when somebody would raise the issue. I heard tell that the "libs" are all in a tizzy because some Dems showed up on Fox. What a bunch of nonsense.

That would or could never happen in the conservative "world" just because of conservative principles. EVERYBODY on this board KNOWS that I'm a jackass. Anywasys, just WHAT is your point

I've watched the first three 2-hr episodes when instead I should've been studying for my "quals".

I've found a new respect, lets polish the patina off the copper or silver, and lets let it shine!

Quite frankly I believe the show was done with respect to the service that service members provided. I believe that the progrmm offered sufficient difference of opionion given the flux that our political system is in. The program attempted to establish the "righteousness" of U.S. military action and was inconclusive. One thing certain is that command authority had't allowed Navy bombs to be dropped. That wss an issue of major contention presented. I'm not certain about the details and it IS PBS so I don't konw enough to make an educated stupid concerning that.

The repeated shots of the "boat" by the air-camera whree nice. That especially so when the sea began to heave. Whoever put this thing together knew EXACTLY what they were doing.

I KNOW for a fact that I'd puke. I'm astonished at the modern warship larder.

As far as being initiated into the "Court of King Neptune", I'm ambivialnt concerning the regulations imposeed upon the ceremonies. I have a certificate of something of that nature from when I was a "baby"/toddler (I have no recollection of that event); it was back in the mid 1960's though.

Frankly, I thought the program so far to be awesome (considering it to be a PBS production).

I especially enjoyed how the program editors juxtapostioned contrasting viewpoints against each other. The bottem line is that these individuals are kicking ass. The portraylal of sense of comaraderie is exquisite. What the program showed is what I remember.

[You in the Air Force?] (sic?) You'd have to marry another man.

Its not possible; you know your parents." I've been slack jawed watching the program so far. I have to see the program tonight to see if its all been a waste of time; they're home now.

Two episodes that I truly enjoyed was the "Captains Mast" and the CO getting briefed on rescue operations.

It comes back to it again and again: wiley ol' grizled vetrans.

I was stunned to see the Capt. Mast from both sides; firstly because I initiated Capt. Mast during "inter-collegiate" tech-school.

What the program drove home to me wss a presentation on a "microcosm" scale, "we" are all dependent upon each other. That is true from top to bottem, bottem to top and vice versa.

That aircraft carrier IS the United States of America; sometimes the CO is going to have to get off the boat and deal with the natives.

The question remains if the "CO" is that of the U.S.A. (or the "boat") and is it explicit or conveniant.

[raygun]

I heard tell that the libs are all in some sort of tizzy

no way is any of you going to tizzy by watching either PBS OR some crap like Nightline. Ain't gonna happen.

[chasio649]

this young crop of swabbies portrayed in this series are different from the Navy I knew.

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ditto

[chasio649]

the whole show looks like High School at Sea

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My thoughts as well....

[raygun]

You have a fascinating concept about how the world works, or how the people within it operate.

Whatever, dickhead, you do NOT have a clue. The PBS program was clear about the "political" aspects of their deploymnt. Next time you take a crap, be looking for me...

[raygun]

So it does look like "high school at sea"

If you're not part of the solution, then what?

I'd speculum that you're whining IS part of the problem.

[chasio649]

Next time you take a crap, be looking for me...

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I’ll wave at ya as you go down the bowl....isn’t it mighty early to have your nuts tied up so tight?