This episode had a little bit too much of the "support the troops" vibe - I mean, it was already a bit annoying last episode where Kirkman refused to bomb the compound until the CIA man had made contact, because killing a couple dozen enemy combatants (and a few stray civilians for good measure) is fine, but not if it involves killing one of your own, well, combatants. But then all of this whining about the poor men being sent into battle and telling them they should rather kill the target instead of risking their lives to take him alive? Of course, it's the job of every soldier to risk and perhaps give their life to protect others and serve their country (whatever that might mean), but who does he think these soldiers are? They're not 18-year-olds fresh out of basic training, they're Navy SEALs! They are more aware than anyone of the risks they're taking and the sacrifices they might have to make, and it seems over the top to ask someone who voluntarily went through grueling training to be able to do things like this to potentially compromise the safety of the entire country (they wanted the guy alive for information, after all) just so they might live. And that speech at the end with the draped coffin? Guess they needed to pull in the Republicans again after all that "liberal propaganda" in the last episodes. Also, I just don't get why the FBI agents are so concerned about keeping this massive revelation a secret - it makes them much bigger targets than if they told as many people as possible. Even if they think this is too sensitive to release to the press (which I disagree with, I think the public always has a right to know) they could at least let the President and the other Senator know.
Review by CluisannaBlockedParentSpoilers2019-03-18T04:20:01Z
This episode had a little bit too much of the "support the troops" vibe - I mean, it was already a bit annoying last episode where Kirkman refused to bomb the compound until the CIA man had made contact, because killing a couple dozen enemy combatants (and a few stray civilians for good measure) is fine, but not if it involves killing one of your own, well, combatants. But then all of this whining about the poor men being sent into battle and telling them they should rather kill the target instead of risking their lives to take him alive? Of course, it's the job of every soldier to risk and perhaps give their life to protect others and serve their country (whatever that might mean), but who does he think these soldiers are? They're not 18-year-olds fresh out of basic training, they're Navy SEALs! They are more aware than anyone of the risks they're taking and the sacrifices they might have to make, and it seems over the top to ask someone who voluntarily went through grueling training to be able to do things like this to potentially compromise the safety of the entire country (they wanted the guy alive for information, after all) just so they might live. And that speech at the end with the draped coffin? Guess they needed to pull in the Republicans again after all that "liberal propaganda" in the last episodes.
Also, I just don't get why the FBI agents are so concerned about keeping this massive revelation a secret - it makes them much bigger targets than if they told as many people as possible. Even if they think this is too sensitive to release to the press (which I disagree with, I think the public always has a right to know) they could at least let the President and the other Senator know.