“You know, Top, working undercover taught me that the best way to manipulate people is to nudge them to act according to their own nature. With this plan, you’re counting on the Spetsnaz to be good at their job. You’re counting on people to react professionally, to do what they’re trained to do. And that’s why I think it’s going to work.”
Is everyone still breathing after Monday night’s episode? All I can say is “bravo” to the sensational Dean Georgaris, the writers and the cast. The eighth episode of this extraordinary show was so raw and emotional. Bouncing from high intense stand offs to the team ripping on each other, “Stealth” continues to prove why The Brave is the best military TV drama that has ever existed.
“Stealth” wasn’t just the title of this week’s episode; it was everything that it encompassed, down to what the entire mission was about. From the drone they were trying to find to Dalton’s team going past enemy lines without any form of communication and Patricia leading the Russians on, stealth and discipline were at the forefront of this stellar episode.
Heading into an already hazardous situation, Dalton’s team was at the height of their game. Once again, we saw a well-oiled machine and almost choreographed movements between these five extraordinary soldiers. But even in the face of peril, the team continued to show their resiliency and did not let the heaviness of what they were heading into control their emotions or psych them out. Joking with each other and lightening the mood, they were all able to keep a level head but were also ready at a moment’s notice as the situation warranted. That can be one of the hardest things to handle.
One thing that is constant when a member deploys is nerves. Whether it is your first time down range or you are a seasoned war veteran, that sense of the unknown always weighs on your mind. Dalton and his team show their perseverance and discipline each week by leaving their “work at work”, so to speak. They are able to unwind and relax and let go and even when all seems lost, their spirits are high. They have a “one team, one fight” motto and it’s spectacular to watch.
Jumping into danger is a nomenclature that this team is familiar with. Each and every single one is willing to sacrifice themselves for the other. They are literally willing to lay down their own life if it means saving their brother or sister at arms. And as their leader, Dalton is typically the first to volunteer to make that sacrifice as we saw again this week. But it’s not just the self-sacrifice that makes him amazing; it’s that he ALWAYS asks his team for their input. I cannot foot stomp this enough!
If you want to be a true leader, talk to your people. Showing them that their input is valuable to you and actually listening is what truly inspires greatness. Dalton did just that. He checked with each and every one of his people and as any stellar team, they fully supported their leader. Not because of his position which can often happen, but because they truly believed in what he was doing. They trusted that he was making the best decision.
My final thoughts on this stealthy episode (pun most definitely intended) is the silence that surrounded the team as they made their trek across the Chinese border. I thought the musical score for this episode was very realistic and almost eerie in a grand way. It attested to the silence that the team was going through. Cut off without any form of communication in a dense land of trees and field, the silence would be deafening and I like that the audience got a glimpse into what that would be like. It added to the authenticity of their situation and once again, transported the viewer.
Patricia – Her quick thinking this week saved her team. Tricking the Russian’s into thinking she was reaching out to the Chinese government bought her team time and forced the Russians to reveal their hand. Patricia is always quick on her feet and is the face of calm and poise. She doesn’t falter and she is always willing to go out on a limb for her people, no matter the consequences for herself. Both her and Dalton are true leaders who fight for their people.
Dalton – If there was ever any doubt in anyone’s mind about the type of ultimate badass Adam Dalton is, this episode completely squashed it! Dalton slayed as always! As I said above, he put himself in harm’s way by choice without a second thought. He fought with everything he had to complete his mission and get back to his team and he didn’t once waiver. A legend portrayed by an even bigger legend, Mr. Mike Vogel.
Hannah: “Suggest extreme caution.”
Dalton: “Oh good. Here I was just gonna use mild awareness.”
Preach: “It’s the obvious that’s difficulty to see much of the time.”
Dalton: “I almost got my ass whupped. Guy was a corn fed son of a bitch.”
McGuire: “You know, I always wanted to ride off into the sunset after a mission like this.”
Noah: “I wasn’t top of my class at the farm for nothing. I got skills. Mad skills. You know, in fact, they invented that term because of me, mad skills.”
Each week, Dalton and his team complete their mission in a way that would make so many proud. But that’s just it, no one ever knows what they do, save for operations back in Washington. They are the unsung heroes, the men and women literally behind the lines making the big moves and saving the day. They do this without the glory and the recognition because that’s not what matters to them. Doing the right thing for the greater good is their reward.
Take last week’s episode for example, they stopped two bombers in a marketplace filled with families. Did they stick around for a pat on the back or recognition? No, they immediately left. They come in, complete their mission and leave. If you want to talk about something that every man and women in today’s armed forces that can relate to, it’s this. No matter if you’re a medic working in a trauma center, an HVAC specialist repairing a unit in a building, a communications technician installing a new program or a sharpshooter behind enemy lines, every day, an Airman, Soldier, Marine or Sailor are making a difference. Bettering this country and its people and they don’t ask for recognition. They do their jobs because that’s what they signed up to do and they’re willing to make the ultimate sacrifice, if necessary, to ensure the job gets done.
With Veteran’s Day having just passed this last weekend, I leave you all with this sentiment:
“A Veteran is someone who, at one point, wrote a blank check made payable to the United States of America for an amount of up to and including their life. That is honor and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.”
Be sure to tune in next week for the fall finale!