The World Wars
Episode 3: "Never Surrender"
HISTORY
The Good: The battle scenes and the camera work is wonderful and the best thing that's been consistent throughout the entire series. The use of Patton in leading the phantom army that would invade at Calais. The Holocaust is dealt with responsible, yet powerful way. The debate on the use of the Atomic Bomb was good (it would have been a tad better if the estimated Japanese civilian deaths of an invasion would have been stated).
The Bad: The chronology is all over the place as they merge events that happened a year apart to happen at the same time (the initial drive to Moscow in '41 and Stalingrad). They show FDR being the decision maker when it came to Midway. When Italy surrendered the show indicated that the allies occupied the entire country instead of having to fight the Germans up the 'tough old gut'.
The Ugly: The North African campaign is ignored. The Pacific War is the fall of the Philippines, Midway, and then the retaking of the Philippines by island hopping. The Soviet Union's contribution to the war was horribly neglected. Patton apparently didn't return to command until the Battle of the Bulge, completely forgetting his leadership of the Third Army over the French countryside.
No Opinion: No mention of Harry Truman's service during WWI, which I thought would have been an important item to include. Promo that an extended version of the series will be see on H2 in June with "never before seen footage."
Grade: C
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