Part Five (The Pacific)

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"Part Five"
The Pacific episode
Episode no.Episode 5
Directed by Carl Franklin
Written by
Cinematography by Remi Adefarasin
Editing byEdward A. Warschilka
Original release dateApril 11, 2010 (2010-04-11)
Running time49 minutes
Episode chronology
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"Part Six"

"Part Five" is the fifth episode of the American war drama miniseries The Pacific . The episode was written by Laurence Andries and co-executive producer Bruce C. McKenna, and directed by Carl Franklin. It originally aired on HBO on April 11, 2010.

Contents

The series focuses on the United States Marine Corps's actions in the Pacific Theater of Operations within the wider Pacific War. It primarily centers on the experiences of three Marines (Robert Leckie, Eugene Sledge, and John Basilone) who were in different regiments (1st, 5th, and 7th, respectively) of the 1st Marine Division. The episode follows the Division as they prepare for their arrival at the Battle of Peleliu.

According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 2.71 million household viewers and gained a 1.0 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. The episode received critical acclaim, with critics praising Franklin's directing and production, with many drawing comparisons to Saving Private Ryan .

Plot

In June 1944, Basilone has continued in promoting war bonds with the assistance of actress Virginia Grey, with whom he has an affair. The 5th Marine Regiment arrives at Pavuvu, with Sledge accompanied by his friends Robert Oswalt and Bill Leyden. They meet their partners, Burgin, Merriell "Snafu" Shelton, and Jay De L'eau. There, Sledge reunites with Phillips, but Phillips informs him that he is already leaving to go back home. As he is pushed by Captain Andrew Haldane and 1st Lieutenant Edward "Hillbilly" Jones, Sledge bonds with Leckie, who gives him advice.

In September 1944, the Division moves to Peleliu, where they will fight to capture the airfield from Japan. Sledge and the 5th Regiment arrive through a Landing Vehicle Tracked at the beach, where they are struggling to make their way due to the Japanese defense. A scared Sledge barely hits land, as other soldiers of the regiment are gunned down. As they advance, Leckie and the rest of the Division arrive through a different beach. The Division struggles with the threat of a Type 95 Ha-Go light tank, forcing them to retreat. They eventually continue forward when a M4 Sherman destroys the Type 95.

In the aftermath, Sledge and Oswalt are horrified when Snafu removes gold teeth from a dead Japanese soldier. That night, Sledge and Oswalt keep guard in their area, scared over the prospect of having to continue fighting in the airfield the following day.

Production

Development

The episode was written by Laurence Andries and co-executive producer Bruce C. McKenna, and directed by Carl Franklin. This was Andries' first writing credit, McKenna's third writing credit, and Franklin's first directing credit. [1]

Reception

Viewers

In its original American broadcast, "Part Five" was seen by an estimated 2.71 million household viewers with a 1.0 in the 18–49 demographics. This means that 1 percent of all households with televisions watched the episode. [2] This was a 7% increase in viewership from the previous episode, which was watched by 2.52 million household viewers with a 0.9 in the 18-49 demographics. [3]

Critical reviews

"Part Five" received critical acclaim. Ramsey Isler of IGN gave the episode an "amazing" 9 out of 10 and wrote, "While this isn't nearly the best episode when it comes to story and characters, this installment earns very high grades for its battle scenes. You can really see how the rumored $200 million budget was put to good use. This episode also marks a number of new things for the series. Besides the aforementioned cinematic changes, it shows the first time our marines really get in a tough skirmish with a lot of lives lost on the American side. The entire Peleliu engagement had the highest casualty rate of all the battles in the Pacific, and here we get a sense of why." [4]

Emily St. James of The A.V. Club gave the episode an "A" grade and wrote, "After four weeks of buildup and four weeks of sporadic combat, we finally get the Saving Private Ryan moment of The Pacific. In some ways, this comparison is inevitable, since both works were shepherded to the screen by Steven Spielberg. In other ways, it feels slightly like the series is inviting the comparison as if it's daring us to compare it to one of the most famous big screen depictions of war ever filmed. The Pacific was, rather famously, one of the most expensive TV productions in history, and up until now, it's had a nice, handsome look to it, but it hasn't really put it all up there on the screen. This is The Pacific's show-me moment." [5]

Alan Sepinwall of The Star-Ledger wrote, "Eugene Sledge is on Peleliu now, looking down into the nightmare the 1st Marine Division didn't realize it was walking into. He may not understand everything that Sid and Leckie and the rest have experienced over the past two years, but he's already starting to get a pretty clear, bleak picture." [6] Tim Basham of Paste wrote, "Though most every episode includes battle scenes, the filmmakers continuously change our viewpoint. When the 1st Division invades Peleliu to take an airfield from the Japanese we can feel the anticipation as the troops are moved into the transports that will deliver them to the beaches." [7]

Paul MacInnes of The Guardian wrote, "John Basilone, the hero of Guadalcanal, is stuck in the States, repeating the mantra "Back the attack" and enjoying vigorous sex with the movie star Virginia Grey. But in the encounter with his brother, it's clear he's still guilty at walking out on his fellow soldiers. It won't be long until he returns." [8] Den of Geek wrote, "So, that episode left me pretty much applauding. Or at least the second half did. The Pacific enters the halfway stage, and after setting up the many plot strands and thematic elements, finally lets them loose as the war in the Pacific theatre becomes increasingly brutal. This is not Europe, and the traditional rules of war do not apply." [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Peleliu</span> World War II battle in the Pacific theater

The Battle of Peleliu, codenamed Operation Stalemate II by the US military, was fought between the United States and Japan during the Mariana and Palau Islands campaign of World War II, from 15 September to 27 November 1944, on the island of Peleliu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Leckie (author)</span> United States Marine and writer

Robert Hugh Leckie was a United States Marine and an author of books about the military history of the United States, Catholic history and culture, sports books, fiction books, autobiographies, and children's books. As a young man, he served with the 1st Marine Division during World War II; his service as a machine gunner and a scout during the war greatly influenced his work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1st Marine Regiment (United States)</span> Military unit

The 1st Marine Regiment is an infantry regiment of the United States Marine Corps based at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. The regiment is under the command of the 1st Marine Division and the I Marine Expeditionary Force. The 1st Marine Regiment is also sometimes referred to as "Regimental Combat Team 1" or "Inchon".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Basilone</span> US Marine Corps sergeant and Medal of Honor recipient (1916–1945)

John Basilone was a United States Marine Corps gunnery sergeant who received the Medal of Honor for actions during the Battle for Henderson Field in the Guadalcanal campaign, and the Navy Cross posthumously for extraordinary heroism during the Battle of Iwo Jima. He was the only enlisted Marine to receive both of these decorations in World War II.

<i>With the Old Breed</i> Book by Eugene Sledge

With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa is a World War II memoir by United States Marine Eugene Sledge, first published in 1981. The memoir is based on notes Sledge kept tucked away in a pocket-sized Bible he carried with him during battles he fought at Peleliu and Okinawa. The book formed part of the basis of the material covered by Ken Burns' PBS documentary The War (2007), as well as the HBO miniseries The Pacific (2010), in which Sledge was portrayed by Joseph Mazzello.

<i>The Pacific</i> (miniseries) 2010 American war drama television series

The Pacific is a 2010 American war drama miniseries produced by HBO, Playtone, and DreamWorks that premiered in the United States on March 14, 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eugene Sledge</span> United States Marine

Eugene Bondurant Sledge was a United States Marine, university professor, and author. His 1981 memoir With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa chronicled his combat experiences during World War II and was used as source material for the Ken Burns PBS documentary The War (2007), as well as the HBO miniseries The Pacific (2010), in which he is portrayed by Joseph Mazzello.

<i>Helmet for My Pillow</i> 1957 book by Robert Leckie

Helmet for My Pillow is the personal narrative written by World War II United States Marine Corps veteran, author, and military historian Robert Leckie. First published in 1957, the story begins with Leckie's enlisting in the United States Marines shortly after the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sidney Phillips</span> American physician

Sidney Clarke Phillips, Jr. was a United States Marine, family practice physician, and author from Mobile, Alabama. He provided source material and interviews for the making of Ken Burns' PBS documentary film The War and the HBO miniseries The Pacific. His recollections revolve around his time as a young man fighting in the Pacific War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Romus Burgin</span> United States Marine and author (1922–2019)

Romus Valton "R.V." Burgin was a United States Marine and American author. As a young man, he served in the Pacific Theater during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merriell Shelton</span> United States Marine

Merriell Allesandro Shelton was a United States Marine who served in the Pacific theater during World War II. He is depicted in the 1981 memoir With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa by Eugene Sledge which chronicled their combat experiences. He was also depicted in the HBO miniseries The Pacific (2010), in which he is portrayed by Rami Malek.

"Part One" is the series premiere of the American war drama miniseries The Pacific. The episode was written by series developer Bruce C. McKenna, and directed by supervising producer Tim Van Patten. It originally aired on HBO on March 14, 2010.

"Part Two" is the second episode of the American war drama miniseries The Pacific. The episode was written by series developer Bruce C. McKenna, and directed by David Nutter. It originally aired on HBO on March 21, 2010.

"Part Three" is the third episode of the American war drama miniseries The Pacific. The episode was written by co-producer George Pelecanos and Michelle Ashford, and directed by Jeremy Podeswa. It originally aired on HBO on March 28, 2010.

"Part Four" is the fourth episode of the American war drama miniseries The Pacific. The episode was written by co-producer Robert Schenkkan and co-executive producer Graham Yost, and directed by Yost. It originally aired on HBO on April 4, 2010.

"Part Six" is the sixth episode of the American war drama miniseries The Pacific. The episode was written by co-executive producer Bruce C. McKenna, Laurence Andries, and co-producer Robert Schenkkan, and directed by Tony To. It originally aired on HBO on April 18, 2010.

"Part Seven" is the seventh episode of the American war drama miniseries The Pacific. The episode was written by co-executive producer Bruce C. McKenna, and directed by supervising producer Tim Van Patten. It originally aired on HBO on April 25, 2010.

"Part Eight" is the eighth episode of the American war drama miniseries The Pacific. The episode was written by co-producers Robert Schenkkan and Michelle Ashford, and directed by David Nutter and Jeremy Podeswa. It originally aired on HBO on May 2, 2010.

"Part Nine" is the ninth episode of the American war drama miniseries The Pacific. The episode was written by co-executive producer Bruce C. McKenna, and directed by supervising producer Tim Van Patten. It originally aired on HBO on May 9, 2010.

"Part Ten" is the tenth and final episode of the American war drama miniseries The Pacific. The episode was written by co-executive producer Bruce C. McKenna and co-producer Robert Schenkkan, and directed by Jeremy Podeswa. It originally aired on HBO on May 16, 2010.

References

  1. ↑ "The Pacific - WGA Directory". Writers Guild of America West . Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  2. ↑ Berman, Marc (April 14, 2010). "The Pacific Ratings". Mediaweek . Archived from the original on April 18, 2010. Retrieved July 2, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. ↑ Seidman, Robert (April 6, 2010). "Ratings for HBO's "The Pacific" Down on Easter Sunday". TV by the Numbers . Archived from the original on October 20, 2012. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  4. ↑ Isler, Ramsey (April 11, 2010). "The Pacific: "Part Five" Review". IGN . Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  5. ↑ St. James, Emily (April 12, 2010). "The Pacific: "Part Five"". The A.V. Club . Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  6. ↑ Sepinwall, Alan (April 12, 2010). "The Pacific, 'Part Five': Sledge goes to Peleliu". The Star-Ledger . Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  7. ↑ Basham, Tim (April 15, 2010). "The Pacific: "Part 5" (1.05)". Paste . Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  8. ↑ MacInnes, Paul (April 26, 2010). "The Pacific: episode five". The Guardian . Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  9. ↑ "The Pacific episode 5 review". Den of Geek . April 27, 2010. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
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