How to describe Generation Kill? It documents the first days of the Iraq invasion, but it is not a documentary.  It is about a war, but there isn't a whole lot of fighting;  so far (2 episodes have aired, but I've only seen the first one) there hasn't been any fighting at all. 

Did you see Jarhead? Do you remember Jarhead happened? Did anyone see Jarhead but me? Shit, this analogy is off to a rocky start.  Anyway: this show is what Jarhead wanted to be. It is Jarhead crossed with The Wire - which makes sense, because it is brought to us by David Simon and Ed Burns, the masterminds behind that show.

It's a war show that depicts the horrors of war, but not just the horrors we're used to.  It is the horror of following orders that don't make any sense; of going to war in a Humvee you had to pay to fix yourself because the Army didn't have the funds to do it (or give you maps and body armor for that matter); of trying to do the right thing, but not being allowed to do it.

I'm going to describe three scenes from the first episode.  If you don't want to be spoiled, then leave and take this away: this is a great show, but it isn't for everyone.  They bury you in military jargon and don't explain any of it.  There is not any typical war action.  This show demands the viewer to pay attention, and to invest themselves in the show.  If that doesn't sound like something you are interested in, then go watch Law and Order reruns.  No, seriously, do that.  I love Law and Order reruns.

(I'm not kidding: I really love them.)

Okay, three scenes from the opener:

The Marines are still in camp, when a string of white vehicles is seen driving up to the gates.  They turn the corner, and we see a Pizza Hut logo on the side.  They are getting a pizza party! The men are excited, but a couple of Marines are suspicious.  They realize they aren't just getting pizza for the hell of it.  It means combat operations are about to begin.  They are being primed for battle with the same prize you used to get for doing well in middle-school magazine drives.

On the road to Iraq, the Marines chatter, get on each others nerves, have a sing-along, and basically act like they are on a family road trip. 

As the marines are camped near some railroad tracks, a group of Iraqi refugees come to surrender to the platoon.  This includes former members of the Republican Guard, who will be shot on sight for desertion if they are found by anyone still loyal to Saddam.  The men are told by their superiors to turn the refugees away.  When they protest that, according to the Geneva convention they are required to accept and protect anyone who surrenders to them, they are told to "un-surrender" the men and send them on their way.  So we are left to watch, in the final shot, as the Iraqis turn back to walk back down the train tracks, out into the desert and, most likely, to their death.