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Generation Kill
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Generation Kill follows the highly trained Marines of First Recon Battalion through the first 40 days of the Iraq war. The seven-part miniseries portrays the true story of the young Marines' experience at the tip of the spear of the American invasion, as they contend with equipment shortages, incompetent commanding officers, ever evolving Rules of Engagement and an unclear strategy. 'Generation Kill' is based on the award-winning book by Evan Wright, who was embedded with First Recon and originally reported the story in a series of articles for Rolling Stone. The series also benefited greatly from the presence of two of the real-life Marines it depicts - Sgt. Eric Kocher and Cpl. Jeffrey Carisalez - who served as consultants. A third First Recon Marine, Sgt. Rudy Reyes, appears in the miniseries, portraying himself.
Highest-rated episodes all ranked
- 01
Combat JackHaving raced to capture the airfield, First Recon is now miles ahead of the rest of the American force and has some time to rest and regroup. The abandoned supply truck has been looted and destroyed, and the company is now down to one meal a day. After expressing their dismay to their commander, Alpha is tasked with a different mission - to recover the body of a captured Marine who was murdered in Ash Shatrah, which takes a twist when a CIA-trained army of Iraqi Freedom Fighters arrives and then just as quickly departs. Meanwhile, Bravo pushes north, clearing hamlets and facing heavy fire. Along the way, Trombley is able to redeem himself at least a bit in the eyes of his fellow Marines. As Alpha heads into Ash Shatra, Bravo sets up a roadblock outside of Al Hayy. The men debate the proper protocol to stop cars, but it is a fine line between being cautious and putting oneself at risk. Bravo steps off as Alpha returns to the fold, having raised more questions with their mission in Ash Shatra than they answered. - 02
Get SomeIn the northern desert of Kuwait, the elite, specially trained U.S. First Recon Marines prepare to invade Iraq as the "tip of the spear" for Operation Iraqi Freedom. At the Camp Mathilda staging ground, Marines in First Recon's Bravo Company combat boredom, cramped tents, shortages of necessary supplies and armor, mustache protocol, officer ineptitude, a wind storm, an espresso machine fire and rumors of J-Lo's death while awaiting orders from Col. Stephen "Godfather" Ferrando, the raspy-throated Commander of First Recon. They also welcome a writer ("Scribe") from Rolling Stone magazine, who'll be embedded with Bravo's five-vehicle Platoon 2 unit, riding in a Humvee with Team Leader Brad "Iceman" Colbert, driver Ray Person and LCpl. James Trombley. After an unexpected and portentous mass delivery of pizza, the soldiers finally break camp, pack up their Humvees and cross the northern border into Iraq -- and into an uncertain future. - 03
A Burning DogAs they scope a tiny hamlet, the men of Bravo are frustrated by the capricious nature of the war, and Colbert struggles to defend the actions of the higher-ups. First Recon finally gets a chance to use its skills and exploit some intelligence from Iraqi locals about an ambush at a bridge ahead. For once, First Recon isn't tasked with heading straight into the ambush, but instead they rest and watch as better-armed LAVs assault the bridge. With the ambush believed to be quelled, Colbert's team is ordered to lead Bravo across the bridge. They quickly discover that the enemy combatants still have some fight in them, but led by Colbert, they manage to escape almost unscathed. After regrouping, Bravo is ordered to cross the bridge again - this time with Bravo 3 in the lead - and again hits a snag. The following morning, First Recon examines the bodies of the men they fought the night before and discover their enemy is not who they imagined. Bravo continues north to Al Muwaffaqiyah, where they are tasked with another mission: Set up another roadblock and destroy the Republican Guard outpost, which happens to be the town's only school. Despite Colbert's exhortations to the men to hold their fire unless it's absolutely necessary, Bravo has an incident at the roadblock. As they again head north, the inexactitude of the war weighs heavily on the men.
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Episodes by season
Season01
- S01E01Get SomeJuly 13, 2008In the northern desert of Kuwait, the elite, specially trained U.S. First Recon Marines prepare to invade Iraq as the "tip of the spear" for
- S01E02
The Cradle of CivilizationJuly 20, 2008Along with the rest of the First Marine Division, Bravo busts north towards Nasiriyah, where their sister company Alpha gets its first taste - S01E03
ScrewbyJuly 27, 2008Having survived its first trial by fire, Bravo presses forward, awaiting orders for a new recon mission. Scoping out a roadside hamlet, the - S01E04Season's bestCombat JackAugust 3, 2008Having raced to capture the airfield, First Recon is now miles ahead of the rest of the American force and has some time to rest and regroup
- S01E05A Burning DogAugust 10, 2008As they scope a tiny hamlet, the men of Bravo are frustrated by the capricious nature of the war, and Colbert struggles to defend the action
- S01E06
Stay FrostyAugust 17, 2008Outside of Al Kut, Captain America is over-eager in his attempts to subdue a prisoner, and his men's growing disillusionment with his comman - S01E07
Bomb in the GardenAugust 24, 2008Bravo reaches Baghdad and is shocked by the sheer size and scope of the city. They set up shop in an abandoned cigarette factory with a chan
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