I'm writing this mostly in response to a couple of badly thought out reviews here - one just slags Canadian content and doesn't really give any substantive reasoning for his opinion. It seems he was a bit confused by the plotting.
There are several plot threads being started here and as is usual for an exposition episode, there is a lot of information coming fast and thick, but here it's handled very well without the usual terrible exposition in bad writing like this: "Jack, you're my only brother and I've been very sad ever since mom died and dad remarried five years ago, so I'm upset to see you join the Peace Corp."
There's none of that nonsense here (good writing) and perhaps that's what made the one reviewer confused; he wasn't spoon fed anything.
In any case, several plot threads are set in motion and I'm very interested to see how they resolve.
Another reviewer said NOTHING about the merits of the drama, but simply complained about the most inane "inaccuracies" like what type of vehicle someone drove. Please. Get a life and understand something about television.
On the zostv.com web site, there's some great behind-the-scenes stuff including an interview with the UN peace-keeper who served as the on set adviser who actually served in Bosnia - I think his name was Major John Russell - who is shown directing one of the actors in a scene, walking them through a soldier's thought process.
So it seems that the really important stuff - the reality of the soldiers' situation - is dead on. So if you want to watch a show to see exactly how a beret is worn, go get a documentary. After watching the clips on the web site, I find the "review" that slags the authenticity an insult to the Major who worked on the show and served in Bosnia.
It does seem like a bizarre situation there in the Balkans, but apparently, a lot of stuff in the show is based on reality, like the crazy Speedo Boy character, who actually existed, wandering around the hillside wearing a speedo.
Also - to answer someone else's question, the Colm Meaney character is not supposed to have a Bosnian accent - he grew up in the UK, then came back "home" as an adult. There's a line about it in the first episode and more stuff in later episodes, according to the web site clips.
All in all, I think this will be a fascinating show - something we've never seen from Canada before.
