‘The Long Road Home’ premiere on National Geographic Tuesday night was everything I hoped it would be.
I’ll keep spoilers to a minimum here because I don’t want to ruin anything for those who haven’t tuned in yet.
The highly anticipated mini-series focuses on, “a heroic fight for survival during the Iraq War, when the 1st Cavalry Division from Fort Hood was ferociously ambushed on April 4, 2004, in Sadr City, Baghdad — a day that came to be known as “Black Sunday.” The series cuts between the action on the ground in Iraq and that of the homefront back in Texas, where wives and families await news for 48 hellish hours, expecting the worst.”
I tuned in for the first hour Tuesday night, and it was an intriguing show right from the start. The characters are believable as their real life counterparts, the action scenes are intense, the violence is realistic and the storyline is driven more by the plot than by simply needing an excuse for a gunfight. The show also doesn’t portray all Iraqis as terrorists, but sympathizes with many of them.
The action scenes were so intense that it reminded me of the hit film “Black Hawk Down,” which is a very good sign the show is headed in the right direction. The episode also ends with a daunting feeling of hopelessness. It’s an indication of a show’s strength if the audience overwhelmingly feels that way while watching.
Hour one was all I was able to see last night, and it was good enough to make sure I keep tuning in. You should certainly check it out too.