Generation Kill: Season 1

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 27 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 122 Ratings

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8.7

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8.7	Your Score
8.7	User Score Universal acclaim based on 122 Ratings

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Season Details & Credits

HBO | Season Premiere Date: July 13, 2008

Starring: Jon Huertas, Lee Tergesen, Robert John Burke

Summary: The Wire's David Simon produces this seven-part miniseries about the 2003 war on Iraq through the eyes of one Marine unit.

Creator: David Sewell (I) and Stuart Partridge

Genre(s): Drama, Action & Adventure

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Season 1 Episodes

tbd
S1:E7. Bomb in the Garden
Air Date: August 24, 2008
tbd
S1:E7. Part 7: Bomb in the Garden
Air Date: August 24, 2008
tbd
S1:E6. Stay Frosty
Air Date: August 17, 2008

See all Seasons and Episodes

Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

100

Hal Boedeker

Generation Kill stands in the tradition of classic war movies. Vivid storytelling, superb acting and a frank approach make this a TV landmark. Read full review

100

Tom Shales

Wright says. "After the Vietnam War ended, the onus of shame largely fell on the veterans. This time around, if shame is to be had when the Iraq conflict ends--and all indications are there will be plenty of it--the veterans are the last people in America to deserve it." Generation Kill makes that point so powerfully as to stand among the truest and most trenchant war movies of all time. Read full review

Maureen Ryan

It’s as addictive and absorbing, in its own way, as “The Wire.” Read full review

Rob Owen

An engrossing, detailed military character drama, Generation Kill is a modern-day "Band of Brothers," a warts-and-all account that hits closer to home because it depicts such recent events. Read full review

Robert Abele

There’s a formal integrity to the Simon-and-Burns storytelling style--predicated on the theory that details matter, complexity rules and you can’t force momentum--that meshes well with the close-up vividness of Wright’s dispatches from an often chaotic front. Read full review

Dorothy Rabinowitz

It's best to get quickly past the confused and shapeless first episode and on to the rest, where the characters become individualized. Read full review

Adam Buckman

The end result of all that effort, however, is a miniseries that's as dull and throbbing as a severe headache. Read full review

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User Score

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8.7

User Reviews

Stevens

Nov 28, 2008

This show accurately depicts being in the military from convoy operations to singing stupid songs out of boredom. Even the incompetence of superiors is captured perfectly. When I watch this show, I feel like I'm there. Like I'm at work with them. What they do on the show is This show accurately depicts being in the military from convoy operations to singing stupid songs out of boredom. Even the incompetence of superiors is captured perfectly. When I watch this show, I feel like I'm there. Like I'm at work with them. What they do on the show is exactly what we do. All the glory and coolness, all the questionable things war makes us do, the acts of atrocities and heroism is in hard to turn away from once you start watching. It superbly tells the story without fancy camera effects and a dramatic musical score. If the story is not fast enough or exciting enough for you, that's because it's pretty close to real life. Unlike the latest Hollywood action movie, real life moves at it's own pace. Excellent TV Show.… Expand

4 of 5 users found this helpful

Unknownsock

Dec 5, 2010

Brilliant in all angles, story, acting, humorous, great characters, simply put the best 7 hours of TV i have watched in a long long time.

Obviously the only people who dislike this movie as some of the comments below are blind idiotic patriots.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

czar

Aug 17, 2008

This is a great series. I love the way it portrays the long stretches of boredom that troops endure, without getting boring itself. I love the fact that petty motivations and screwups can have profound effects in the field. It also does a great job of showing how people growing up with This is a great series. I love the way it portrays the long stretches of boredom that troops endure, without getting boring itself. I love the fact that petty motivations and screwups can have profound effects in the field. It also does a great job of showing how people growing up with ipods, laptops, video cameras and internet react when put in combat situations. One moment it feels like they are all on a high school trip next moment training kicks in and they are professional soldiers. Great dynamics. Shame that there are only 7 episodes and I have seen 5 already.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful

kelsikelsi

Sep 5, 2011

Did you just finish The Wire or the latest True Blood episode and now have withdrawal symptoms so bad that even a seasoned meth-head would feel the need to get you a cool washrag to dab your forehead? Well, I have the methadone to your addiction in Generation Kill.

Created by The Wire'sDid you just finish The Wire or the latest True Blood episode and now have withdrawal symptoms so bad that even a seasoned meth-head would feel the need to get you a cool washrag to dab your forehead? Well, I have the methadone to your addiction in Generation Kill.

Created by The Wire's David Simon and starring Eric, er, Alexander Skarsgard, Generation Kill follows a marine battalion as they attempt to make it through their tour in the Iraq War despite the United States government failing to get them the supplies and assistance they actually need, **** that sounds familiar to me... you too? Weird. The performances and writing are exactly what you would expect from the creator of the best show that ever graced television. The writers provide an unflinching look at the war and never once wave the flag or let the eagles cry.

Generation Kill is a tribute to the working class type of soldier that only wants to support his family in the way they his father tried to do before him. The actors and situations in the miniseries capture the brotherhood and the total culture that is classically characteristic of the armed services. The writers do an amazing job of bringing the audience in to feel part of the culture. With the nuanced attitudes and jargon that is so unapologetic at times, the series actually comes with a glossary. Whiskey Tango, anyone? The way in which this show gives the audience such complete story and character development out of such a complex multi-leveled topic in only seven episodes is astounding.

Generation Kill is so well written and smart that I actually made it through the entire series without even once feeling like I was watching a bunch of frat boys make up for their small penises by shooting massive explosives at innocent people. This is the Apocalypse Now! of the the Iraq War generation. Take it up now because people will use this to reference the newest era of injustice from the U.S. in twenty years, just as Apocalypse Now! is the go-to reference for the Vietnam era. To read more of my reviews go to: televisionhypnotism.blogspot.com… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

JustinE.

Jul 13, 2008

very good show. i don't know why the new york post review is included in here, it's written like crap and the reviewer's opinion obviously is a direct result of his political beliefs (us military is infallible and full of clean cut young men).

0 of 1 users found this helpful

Juliohannibal

Oct 8, 2012

This is one of the best TV shows I have seen

the characters were not cliche war characters but real guys. Rudy is portrayed by the actual Rudy Reyes too. The dialogue was awesome, and the directing was great. HBO has made 3 of the bes war series ever. This, in my opinion, is better thanThis is one of the best TV shows I have seen

the characters were not cliche war characters but real guys. Rudy is portrayed by the actual Rudy Reyes too. The dialogue was awesome, and the directing was great. HBO has made 3 of the bes war series ever. This, in my opinion, is better than The Pacific and Band of Bros

It does not go all liberal or conservative. It shows the waste of recon marines and some of the pointlessness of the war but it does not go all yucky and liberal about it. If you are liberal, you might get a bit offended by this show but the show really isn't about politics or anything. It's about the guys who fought in Operation Iraqi Freedom

Check this 7 part series out.

4 stars outa 5. 91/100… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

MargaretD

Jul 26, 2009

I can't believe these idiot reviewers. GK was the most vacuous TV I've ever seen. A total crock. Cliched characters and cliched lines. So boooooooooooring.

0 of 9 users found this helpful

SEE ALL 42 REVIEWS

Seasons & Episodes

80

Series Overview
Season 1

80
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: July 13, 2008
- tbd
  S1:E7. Bomb in the Garden
  Air Date: August 24, 2008
- tbd
  S1:E7. Part 7: Bomb in the Garden
  Air Date: August 24, 2008
- tbd
  S1:E6. Stay Frosty
  Air Date: August 17, 2008
- tbd
  S1:E6. Part 6
  Air Date: August 16, 2008
- tbd
  S1:E6. Part 6: Stay Frosty
  Air Date: August 17, 2008
- tbd
  S1:E5. A Burning Dog
  Air Date: August 10, 2008
- tbd
  S1:E5. Part 5: A Burning Dog
  Air Date: August 8, 2008
- tbd
  S1:E4. Combat Jack
  Air Date: August 3, 2008
- tbd
  S1:E4. Part 4
  Air Date: August 2, 2008
- tbd
  S1:E4. Part 4: Combat Jack
  Air Date: August 3, 2008
- tbd
  S1:E3. Screwby
  Air Date: July 27, 2008
- tbd
  S1:E3. Part 3
  Air Date: July 26, 2008
- tbd
  S1:E3. Part 3: Screwby
  Air Date: July 27, 2008
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  S1:E2. The Cradle of Civilization
  Air Date: July 20, 2008
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  S1:E2. Part 2
  Air Date: July 19, 2008
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  S1:E2. Part 2: The Cradle of Civilization
  Air Date: July 20, 2008
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  S1:E1. Get Some
  Air Date: July 13, 2008
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  S1:E1. Part 1: Get Some
  Air Date: July 13, 2008
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  S1:E0. Making: Generation Kill
  Air Date: June 20, 2008