almont-57736

When you watch a doc with this kind of production value you'd think there would be more attention to detail. During the discussion of Pearl Harbor we are shown repeated shots of Betty bombers, but no twin engine planes flew from Japanese carriers. At Midway we get impression fighters cleared the way for the American attack, but the American bombers arrived without escort. There were several shots of Hellcats but those didn't enter the war until 1943. Also, were left with the impression the Aleutians were seized, and then Midway planning began. But the capture of the Aleutians was part of the Midway campaign. That's just from this segment, but point made.

Maybe it's a small thing, but it's grating to watch a program with so many experts (Craig Symonds!) delivering a riveting narrative, and yet so little attention to detail. A segment about directing a combat air patrols from carriers shows a P-47, a land-based Army fighter. They show B-26s dropping bombs while discussing hitting the Marianas, again an Army plane that took no part in the battle. In another segment they discuss Japanese strike aircraft running into American fighters, accompanied by footage of US dive bombers. I get it, you have this cool footage you want to use, but there's plenty of images that are correct for your story.

This episode is perfect. It's a Top 3 in one of my Top Three comedies. The plot, the twist, the performances (especially Chase's), with a redemptive message about bullying and forgiveness. And it's all been lost because the studio panicked over a "blackface" scene that would really only be offensive to Elves, who (Spoilers Ahead) last I checked don't really exist. If you haven't seen it find a way.