"Far From The Brave" - Recap and Review

Combat!

Season 1 Episode 5: Far From The Brave

Player Characters: Hanley, Saunders, Kirby, Nelson, Littlejohn, Braddock and Caje.

The show opens with our team moving up a hill through cover. Bayonets fixed. (Except, of course, for Saunders who has his Thompson ready).

They’re moving in skirmish line toward the skeletal carcass of some destroyed edifice. Machine gun fire sounds. They hit the ground. It’s that big machine gun again, spewing lead by the stream (not near a stream, just like…you know what I mean).

Our man on the BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle) takes out the machine gunners, but not without garnishing a number of perforations of his own. We see his helmet go tumbling down the hill. When it comes to a stop, we can see that it has a hole in it. Hanley picks it up; it has two holes, through and through—that’s two on both sides.

Cut to the opening theme music, cool bayonets and explosions.

After the theme, the camera opens on a grave. I’m guessing Private Grady Long belonged to the helm of inconvenient courage. The episode was written and directed by Bert Kennedy. 

The shot pulls back to show the squad around the grave. It’s raining. Saunders seems particularly distressed, and not just by the rain.

 

Next they’re entering a building. In some of the interesting camera work that characterizes the series, the camera shoots through what looks like the ribs or naked frame of a small boat.

Hanley goes to a man on the radio. The radio man informs him that a captain has been trying to get a hold of him all morning. I feel a mission, a quest, a chance at fate and glory about to be revealed. Battalion is pulling back to Avranches, but our heroes are staying…as the rear guard. For those who care, Avranches is in Normandy near the sea, near the mouth of the See river. In the previous episode, they had been near Belleroy, which is between St. Lo and Bayeux (see the small red circle on the map), still near the beaches of Normandy. If battalion is pulling back to Avranches (see the large red circle on the map), it means our boys have been fighting their way south.

In other news, they are getting a replacement, but only one, a BAR man. Saunders isn’t happy; they’re under strength.

Cut to a Jeep crossing a bridge…the same bridge that featured in “Rear Echelon Commandos.” A lieutenant in the Jeep tells a soldier to get out and find 2^nd Platoon, K Company. The soldier stands alone for a moment before walking to the fishing boat place where Hanley and Saunders discuss the mission. Their assignment includes orders to observe the enemy armor and call in artillery. Saunders adds, “And get our heads blown off.”

The new guy is Private Delaney (played by Joe Mantell). I have the impression that this NPC won’t be running on his full quota of hit points by the time the closing credits roll. Saunders is reluctant to take him, but Hanley insists.

Saunders asks the new guy about being a BAR man. He replies that he was trained on that in basic, but he has been a cook’s helper for the last two years.

Cut to Kirby grabbing the BAR and pretending to fire it. He obviously likes the weapon. We get some friendly banter between Kirby, Littlejohn, and Caje around a small fire. Kirby wants to take over the BAR position. At one point, Littlejohn asks, “Don’t you ever think about anything else but shootin’ and killin’?” Kirby replies, “That’s what were here for, ain’t it?”

Billy comes out of the building behind them looking for his helmet. Littlejohn is using it to boil water. Braddock drives some chickens from the adjacent barn. It looks like there will be some wild rolls on the small game grappling tables…but I predict Saunders and the NPC will show up before the first dice hit the table. I’m wrong. Braddock quickly grabs a bird by the leg, success on the first roll. Billy doesn’t want to have to kill the chicken.

Before any poultry blood is spilled, Saunders and the replacement arrive. Saunders orders the men to put the fire out, and to form up. They’re moving out. He introduces the replacement to the men: Caje, Braddock, Littlejohn, Nelson, and Kirby. The latter is noticeably pleased when Saunders tells him to get the BAR…and less pleased when ordered to give it to the new guy. He tries to argue, but Saunders won’t hear it. Nelson (Billy) gets to carry Delaney’s ammo. Our boys march toward the north end of town.

Cut to a dark and rainy night. Kirby and Caje are on lookout in a clock tower. They stand near a gaping hole in the concrete wall. Kirby is still steamed about the new guy getting the BAR. He doesn’t know who this “stinking cook’s helper” is thinking that he can take Grady’s place. Saunders, who must have a high sneak rating, catches Kirby complaining and reminds him that he’s up here to use his eyes, not his mouth. Kirby argues. Saunders puts him in his place. He sends Caje and Kirby downstairs.

Delaney comes upstairs. Saunders is watching, or brooding, or both. He offers Saunders coffee. Saunders reminds him that he ordered there be no fires…he’s not in the kitchen anymore. He softens the rebuke by telling him that it takes a squad a while to get used to a new man, but they’ll come around. Delaney tells a story about a new guy back at the mess who was given a real important job right off. Saunders sees the connection. Delaney explains that BAR might be too important of a position for the new guy. Something is still eating Saunders; he tells Delaney to do as he’s told. He’s not taking the BAR from him. What’s eating Saunders? I suspect that the BAR is a dangerous position—that’s why he doesn’t want to give it to Kirby.

Braddock still has the chicken, but Saunders won’t let them have a fire; it might alert the Germans. He sits on the stairs to have a chat with Delaney about the chicken. I haven’t seen any candles yet in this episode; I have no idea as to the source of the dim light. The discussion leads into Delaney’s backstory. He’s 40, and joined the army voluntarily. He asked to move to the line, because “being a cook in the army is like being a clerk in Hanau,” Wisconsin. Kirby interrupts the warm moment between Braddock and Delaney. Braddock tells him to “drop dead.”

Cut to Littlejohn and Billy. Billy has lost the pin from a grenade. Littlejohn finds the pin, but doesn’t tell Billy at first. When he does show the pin, he takes the grenade from Billy, and then gives it to Delaney to hold. Billy hears something. It’s Delaney, he’s having trouble with the BAR.

Kirby decides to give the new guy some instruction…with a dollop of derision. Only to be interrupted by the stealthy sergeant once again. Every time Kirby gets rolling with the complaints, Saunders appears on cue. No wonder he can’t get it out of his system; Saunders keeps corking his rant. But Kirby doesn’t cork this time. He turns his verbal wrath on Saunders…only Saunders pops his own cork…and it’s time to roll on the grappling tables.

Saunders has Kirby pinned against the wall. Fear and surprise are evident in Kirby’s expression…something serious is about to happen...Caje douses the flames with an important message from the top of the stairs. “Listen.”

They can hear tanks. Saunders rushes up the stairs. Then Braddock yells for him downstairs. “There’s something moving out there.” Everyone gets their soldier on. “They’re coming in!” 

It’s Hanley, in all his low-budget Gregory Peck-ishness. Hanley says there are at least 10 tanks, halftracks, armored cars, etc. parked at the other end of town. This isn’t just a German scouting party (so there will be no knot tying competition or campfire songs).  Saunders is ready to retreat. Hanley says they can’t move; the Germans are all around them. Apparently there wasn’t much watching being done by our squad from K Company. I’m guessing the DM rolled secretly; they failed. The Germans came right in under cover of the dark and stormy night—that’s a seriously negative modifier to the spotting die roll.

“At least we’re in position to judge their strength and direct artillery fire,” Saunders says, spitting Hanley’s earlier words back at him. More bad news, the corporal with Hanley can’t raise battalion on the radio. Hanley admits that Saunders was right earlier when he described this assignment as being between a rock and a hard place. Saunders’ reply, “Things are tough all over, Lieutenant.” In other words, “We’ll deal with it.”   

It’s morning, and the place is lousy with Germans.

Braddock’s chicken’s morning oratory attracts attention. He tosses the bird outside to keep the Germans from discovering them. The Germans chase the hen. She comes back inside. They are about to burst through the door after the chicken. The squad is all primed to roll for initiative. An officer yells at the two Germans just before they crash the party. (Maybe they wanted to tie knots and sing campfire songs after all). The officer calls them back. Braddock grabs the chicken.

Hanley says there must be at least 50 pieces of German armor around the town. The radio man has battalion on the line. The order is to sit still and wait for the Germans to pull out. Saunders still wants to call down artillery, and make a run for it. Hanley doesn’t like the thought of trying to dodge artillery fire. Saunders argues that the Germans are going to find them sooner or later. Before Hanley can respond, Braddock interrupts…the Germans are doing something…coming to investigate the building. Hanley orders everyone into the basement. Brockmeyer, the radio man (I guess), speaks German. He says that the Germans are going to set up a command post upstairs. 

Hanley decides to call down the fire from division. There’ll be over 50 pieces of artillery firing, shells coming in from all directions. Hanley will lead the men to a wood outside of town when the shelling starts.

Saunders gives the men the plan. They’ll leave their packs, and don’t bunch up. Delaney shows signs of stress. He must have that NPC premonition that his best-if-used-by date has arrived. He has realized that he is the lone redshirt in the landing party.

Multiple orders of 105 shells and other assorted armor-piercing rounds are on the way. Division delivers in 30 minutes or less, or your next order is free. Amid the shelling, the squad fights its way out of the building, winning the initiative roll-off, and snuffing out the unsuspecting Wehrmacht warriors along the way.

It’s at the bridge that they run into a bit of trouble—besides the rain of deadly steel and explosives from above. A German halftrack not only blocks the way, it spits fun-sized gobs of lead poisoning at our heroes. I’m sensing a job for the BAR man. Will he answer with a withering hail storm, courtesy of Mr. Browning?

Everyone is pinned down. The halftrack blocks the bridge; a tank moves in behind them. Delaney makes a courage roll…fail; he cowers in a corner. Nelson tries to rally the new guy. Delaney waves him on, telling him that he’ll follow. He starts to rise. The halftrack gunner pushes him back down.

Hanley calls for the BAR man. Saunders goes back to look for him. The rest of the squad, pinned behind a defunct German tank, explains that Delaney is down, but not wounded. When Kirby goes into the “I told you so” tirade, Saunders shuts him up. He looks like he wants to use more than words on Kirby.

Saunders goes back to Delaney and gives him two-scoops of get-your-BAR-into-action. The first scoop is responsibility. The second scoop is guilt. He shoves the BAR into Delaney’s hands, and tells him, “Cover me.” He leaves. Delaney rolls a courage test and gets a passing score. He takes the BAR and moves after Saunders.

They both dodge artillery. Saunders doesn't dodge well, he goes down; he’s not moving. The halftrack gun continues its monotonous message in dots and gashes. Delaney screws his courage to the sticking place (I’ve probably already used that quote from MacBeth in a prior recap, but it fits perfectly here.), moving to the edge of the bridge in the face of machine gun fire from the halftrack. He breaks cover and marches toward the enemy at short range. He takes at least one dot and maybe a gash as well. He’s down, but the halftrack gun seems to be jammed. Instead of retrieving the BAR, he reaches into his jacket. My guess is that he’s going for the grenade that Littlejohn gave him earlier. He throws it, and expires; the half-track gun crew takes it badly, draping themselves over the edges of the vehicle to empty their hit points in unison. 

Saunders recovers from his apparent concussion and moves up to Delaney. 

Hanley gets the rest of the men moving forward, bidding Saunders to follow as he passes. The Sgt. leaves the lifeless Delaney, grabbing the BAR, and follows. That bridge and its vicinity have been especially tough on cooks; a cook has died at or near the same bridge in two separate episodes.

We next see American soldiers entering the town via the bridge. A Jeep drives past Saunders who stands next to a covered body. 

Hanley tells him that it’s time to move out. Saunders admits that he was wrong. He had put Delaney on the BAR because he didn’t want to lose one of the others; he thought that it would be easier to lose someone that he didn’t know. He never knew Delaney’s first name, until he read it on the dog tag. He says that it’s not easier.

There’s a new replacement. Saunders asks him his name. Alfred Baker. “Glad to know you, Alfred Baker,” Saunders says.

Like “Rear Echelon Commandos,” this episode looks at the replacement. The difference is that this episode focuses on the view from the squad leadership position, dealing with the loss, not wanting to get to know those who are about to die, with the hope of softening the loss when it does happen. The message here is that that doesn’t work for Saunders; he should at least know the names of those he will send to face death.

I did find the episode enjoyable, though predictable. Saunders did some brooding and scolding. Hanley got to be commanding. I called Rick Jason a low-budget Gregory Peck; that’s not meant to be demeaning; it’s a good thing. He reminds me of Gregory Peck, but he never achieved the same level of fame and recognition. He doesn’t seem to have the same “presence” as Peck, but I find him similar…and he may even be better looking.

There were none of the things featured so noticeably in earlier episodes: no candles, churches, clergy, or kittens in this episode—only a chicken. Braddock’s comic relief was limited to catching the chicken and calling for the Lieutenant; I never noticed what finally happened to the hen; I suppose that she got away. Kirby got to be all mad and bratty like a teenage girl, but without the eye rolls and hair shaking. Littlejohn kept a cool head. Billy Nelson seems to be the squad idiot. Caje was seen, but not heard much in this episode. There was no French spoken, only German and English. The camera work was good, but not quite of the quality of the previous episodes in my opinion. While it is a solid episode in the development of Saunders’ character, it won’t rank among my favorites.

As for the chicken, was it symbolic somehow of Delaney’s struggle? They had a chicken in their midst. The chicken nearly gave them away to the Germans. Delaney nearly didn’t do his job as the BAR man, risking all their lives, finally acting in spite of his fear to take out the German gunners. I don’t know if such a connection was intended, but I like to think that it was.