PIREP on "Combat Hospital"

[nddons]

I had very high hopes on this series, but for me, the jury is out.

In the opening scene, a female Canadian Major doctor is taking a pregnancy test in the head of a C-17 as it is about to do a combat descent into Kandahar. Seriously?

In the same scene, the C-17 finally lands in "Kandahar", with F-16s in the foreground. The problem is: the F-16s are white, with the paint scheme on the nose being identical to the USAF Thunderbirds, except in black vs. red and blue. Does anyone know if the Thunderbirds were doing double duty in Afghanistan? I 'll bet that they did this scene flying into Nellis AFB, and they liked those pretty red, white and blue airplanes on the ground, so they kept them in the scene, but photoshopped them into a stealth black and white cammo scheme. UFB.

In another scene the chief surgeon, a Canadian colonel, in the middle of surgery, grabs his sidearm, and shoots a snake on the floor of the operating room. Apparently, lead and gunpowder residue is sterile, as is the grip on his sidearm - which also is not a Beretta, by the way. Fail.

Leave it to ABC.

As I'm writing this I'm wondering why I would even bother watching another episode. Maybe I'll give it one more shot.

 

[Matthew]

In another scene the chief surgeon, a Canadian colonel, in the middle of surgery, grabs his sidearm, and shoots a snake on the floor of the operating room. Apparently, lead and gunpowder residue is sterile, as is the grip on his sidearm - which also is not a Beretta, by the way. Fail.

Oh, come on now. The surgeon had a cigarette hanging out of the side of his mouth, no gloves, a bloody apron, and a single action revolver. The snake was about to bite a nurse - she was trapped in a corner, screaming, with one arm across her face, her other hand grabbing a curtain as she slid to the floor in a panic just before fainting. The good doc blew the snake away in mid-strike. How cool is that?

Wait - uhh, are we talking about the same show?

 

[Ghery]

My wife thought I was being picky when I noted the paint scheme on that F-16, as well. Glad I'm not the only one who thought it was wrong.

I was out when he shot the snake, but remember the previews. Question, was he wearing a surgical glove when he pulled it? If not, one more continuity mistake by Hollywood. So many you can't count.

I agree, the jury is still out on this one. At least the Canadian major is easy to look at.

 

[gkainz]

He was wearing surgical gloves when he drew and blew away the snake. He then said "I need new gloves."

 

[Armageddon Aviator]

My wife thought I was being picky when I noted the paint scheme on that F-16, as well. Glad I'm not the only one who thought it was wrong.

I was out when he shot the snake, but remember the previews. Question, was he wearing a surgical glove when he pulled it? If not, one more continuity mistake by Hollywood. So many you can't count.

I agree, the jury is still out on this one. At least the Canadian major is easy to look at.

I served in the Airborne Surgical Hospital Unit for several years...I don't think we had pregnancy tests in our kits...and I don't recall wearing my pistol during surgery....
But maybe the Canadians do it differently

 

[tonycondon]

entertainment, not education

 

[Ghery]

entertainment, not education

I think that sums it up quite nicely.

 

[Gary F]

I served in the Airborne Surgical Hospital Unit for several years...I don't think we had pregnancy tests in our kits...and I don't recall wearing my pistol during surgery....
But maybe the Canadians do it differently

I ran the Division level medical facility for the 101st ABN in the first Gulf war. We had pregnancy tests and many were positive. I believe we produced more people than we lost in combat and accidents. The commanding general gave an order for no sex at Camp Eagle but it was apparently ignored. Women who got pregnant were promptly sent home and were not punished unless they were caught in the act. One of our dentists got caught banging some chick in the latrine and both got sent back and were presumably subjected to UCMJ. On a moonlight night you could see people sneaking into tents all over the place. There was even talk about building a wall to separate the infantry units from the support units where all of the women were quartered.
I was issued a M16 and it was kept in the rack in our clinic when on duty. the MSC officers kept the limited number of pistols for themselves. I never shot anything let alone a snake.

 

[gkainz]

totally unbelievable. There's no way those were Canadians. I did not hear one, not ONE "eh" or "shove off, hoser" during the whole show. ... disappointed.

 

[Unbeliever]

I'm not saying Hollywood would have done it better, but this is a Canadian production house, not a US one.

Funny about the 2 leads. The Captain is a Canadian playing an US citizen, and the Major is a US Citizen playing a Canadian.

--Carlos V.

 

[Unbeliever]

his sidearm - which also is not a Beretta, by the way. Fail.

The GI sidearm for Canadian forces is a Sig P226, not the M9.

Edit: My complaint on that scene was deliberately discharging a firearm next to someone's unprotected ear. That phone isn't going to stop ringing for a while for that poor woman.

--Carlos V.

 

[German guy]

entertainment, not education

Are you serious? These are not average soldiers, simply performing their duties?

 

[silver-eagle]

Overall, I thought it was a good story. Not *MASH* but a damned sight better than another "reality" or "Talent" show. And yeah, so it's a Canadian production. Some of them are good quality and good stories. (I'll forgive them for "The Guard".)
It is, after all, TV. Continuity goes out the window, along with real world, for the sake of the story. If it were real life, it would be on DISCOVERY.

 

[Mason]

In another scene the chief surgeon, a Canadian colonel, in the middle of surgery, grabs his sidearm, and shoots a snake on the floor of the operating room. Apparently, lead and gunpowder residue is sterile, as is the grip on his sidearm - which also is not a Beretta, by the way. Fail.

Well, he did ask for new gloves after dispatching the snake.....

 

[Armageddon Aviator]

I ran the Division level medical facility for the 101st ABN in the first Gulf war. We had pregnancy tests and many were positive. I believe we produced more people than we lost in combat and accidents. The commanding general gave an order for no sex at Camp Eagle but it was apparently ignored. Women who got pregnant were promptly sent home and were not punished unless they were caught in the act. One of our dentists got caught banging some chick in the latrine and both got sent back and were presumably subjected to UCMJ. On a moonlight night you could see people sneaking into tents all over the place. There was even talk about building a wall to separate the infantry units from the support units where all of the women were quartered.
I was issued a M16 and it was kept in the rack in our clinic when on duty. the MSC officers kept the limited number of pistols for themselves. I never shot anything let alone a snake.

During my time in the military, there were no female soldiers in the field units...

Thing are different now...

Maybe I should ask them to take me back...