'Enlisted' premiere: Mission accomplished
In my life, the only military show I’ve ever been a dedicated fan of was HBO’s miniseries Generation Kill, which I started watching simply for the Alexander Skarsgard of it all. In general, I’m not one for shows about men in the armed forces … until now.
After weeks of laughing at the promos for Enlisted, it’s safe to say that I’ve found the second military show I can enjoy. Enlisted follows Sgt. Pete Hill on his journey from super soldier to ex-super soldier after he punches a Colonel and is sent to Fort McGee, Florida to lead a platoon in the Rear Detachment Unit, a.k.a. the soldiers in charge of maintaining the base and watching out for the families of deployed troops (Read: Washing tanks and finding lost dogs). The catch, however, is that Pete’s new Rear D unit is also home to his two younger brothers: Derrick, his smart ass of a middle brother, and Randy, the emotional baby brother.
The pilot kicked off with a flashback that perfectly illustrated the role of each brother. The Hill boys were seeing their father off to war 20 years ago when their dad told Pete to take care of his brothers. The good soldier responded “Yes sir,” as middle brother Derrick went with a quick “Bye,” and little Randy chimed in, “Bring me back something.” And just like that, you had the Hill brothers.
From the get-go, this show had my attention. Now, typically, comedy pilots scare me as a viewer, because they’re so difficult. If a show can make me laugh once or twice in a pilot, I count that as a win. Enlisted, however, had me laughing fairly consistently. Aside from the great chemistry between the three brothers, Keith David and Angelique Cabral also brought added humor to the show. David plays Sergeant Major Donald Cody, the leader of the Rear D unit who is never afraid to use his amputated foot to help an argument, while Cabral plays Sgt. Jill Perez, Pete Hill’s direct competition. She’s feisty but understated and a welcome female addition to the show’s overall flow.
And I can’t forget Pete’s quirky platoon. From the elbow-throwing, Ryan Gosling-loving Cindy to a discussion revolving around the strength of Panda bears, I’m already falling for some of these people. If you were a fan of The Office‘s style of group humor, you’ll enjoy what this platoon has to offer. Whether they’re playing war games or just trying to do some jumping jacks, I can see how these characters are going to work together moving forward, and I’m excited for what will come next.
Enlisted‘s premiere was a solid start to what I’m expecting will become one of my regular shows. Sure, the show moved very quickly, immediately throwing you into this world, but that’s the struggle of pilots. Plus, I’m not going to complain about a comedy that made me laugh. As far as I’m concerned, Enlisted is officially invited into my life, and more importantly, my DVR.
