The Brave, Episodes 1-6 (2017): First Impressions of NBC’s Military Drama

Though the NBC network seems to pick up more duds than winners, of their 2017 line-up, one drama caught my attention. That happens to be their military drama, The Brave. A story that introduces us to an elite group of soldiers, all of whom I suspect have quite the backstories.

The Brave, Episodes 1-6 (2017): First Impressions of NBC’s Military Drama

The day starts normally. In Damascus, Dr. Wells, an American doctor, sees to patients’ needs, and sees that they receive the proper care as part of her Doctors without Borders work. On the way back to her accommodations, soldiers abduct her. This is when the US government becomes involved.

Patricia Campbell (Anne Heche) leads the team in the States. A team that includes linguistics specialists, tech experts and even a newcomer, Hannah Archer (Sofia Pernas). A former field agent, Hannah questions her boss being at work following personal tragedy. At home, this team can only do so much, which is why they need ground support.

Tasked with this job is an elite, “undercover” military team. A Special Ops team that’s led by CO Adam Dalton (Mike Vogel); CPO, “Preach” Carter (Demetrius Grosse), who has experience as a former SEAL; McG (Noah Mills) keeps pace with the team as their medic; the tough as nails, Jaz (Natacha Karam) is the team sniper; and then there is the newcomer Amir (Hadi Tabbal), the guy who replaced their friend who died.

When Adam gets the call to action for his team, a rescue mission of an American is set in motion. All is going as it should until they receive Intel that could change the entire mission objective.

I’m 100% an advocate of and for the Military. Without them, I wouldn’t have the freedoms I enjoy nor would I be able to live in a free country that doesn’t persecute me because of personal beliefs. My gratitude isn’t put into action, probably because none of my immediate family who serves, but I AM grateful… in awe… and in no way able to understand the sacrifices.

“They get it done or they die trying. They trust us with their lives…” – The Brave

I want to preface my thoughts with this statement, just as a this-is-where-I-stand point of reference. That said, I will say, I am thoroughly enjoying The Brave… so far. I think most writers do a disservice to the military, and in this present culture, some of our heroes are not seen in a flattering way. Given the title of this series, and based solely on these five episodes, I’ll say I approve.

The series naturally has political angles, some of which I might not agree with, and caves to the pressure of society (in obvious ways). But I’m a fan. The characters are easy to root for, and I admire that they find ways to save people, even if only one person, and complete a “greater good” mission. The introduction to these characters gets help by a paused screen effect that titles them (their name and role in the team), but if there is a flaw in the pilot, I think it’s the hectic rush of characters. As all serials do, I’ve a feeling there is a story for each of these characters. All layers that will reveal their stories in time, if the writers have a chance to explore these layers.

Like most shows do, for those of you who haven’t seen the pilot, let me warn you: it ends on a cliffhanger. An end result I didn’t expect. However, with the second episode available, you won’t have a wait time like I did. The first episodic story is executed really well. It keeps us anxious and waiting for the anticipation of “what’s next.” Will this team succeed? Why is something trying to [spoiler!] this team? And that’s where that dreaded cliffhanger comes into play. A cliffhanger the writer’s uncover in the early moments of episode two.

Smart, fast-paced with a thread of brevity (to help lighten the mood of what is, a real “feeling” of ominous doom that these heroes might not walk away from their next mission), The Brave is by far the best military drama of this season. Where one seems focused on being “sexy,” and another still needs to work out a few “balancing act” flaws, The Brave keeps me glued every time. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that I also love this cast, and the easy-going camaraderie.

Entertaining and exhilarating, The Brave earns an enthusiastic “best new show” slogan from this amateur TV fangirl.

Content: Though rated TV14, this is a relatively clean network show. There’s violence, beatings, threats and interrogations (never overly graphic); there may be some minor profanity.