Dunno about you but my respect for the spetnaz went up after that episode.teebeeohh said:the green beret vs spetsnaz episode was hilarious since the green beret guys kept insulting the others and kept saying (i rephrase slightly) "omg we have bigger balls" and the spetsnaz kept cool and when they won the green berets were all like mimimimimimimmi.
It's extremely debateable about wether or not the IRA were fighting for freedom, but I'd just like the show to recognize that the terrorists are just that, terrorists. They can call them freedom fighters as well, but I'd like it if the show recognized that they killed civilians and propogated terror to get what they. It'd also be nice if they realized that Britain didn't have a war against the IRA, which was how they portrayed it. Not saying it wasn't serious, but it wasn't two sides fighting it out, it was one side being a real pain for the other, with the other side not really being able to do much about it.starkiller212 said:I thought those flaws were obvious? Maybe there are people out there who don't realize the warriors wouldn't apply those tactics in every battle, and maybe there are people out there who don't realize how the "experts" on each side hilariously exaggerate everything and even represent stereotypical versions of their warrior. But I always recognize that and qualify whatever conclusions they draw from the show, and it's pretty darn entertaining to watch.
I will admit that they glorified the IRA too much IMO, but it was still done with entertainment and some humor in mind.
EDIT: Just a small point: why do some of you think "freedom fighter" and "terrorist" are mutually exclusive? I mean, if a group like the IRA is supposedly fighting for freedom/independence, they can still use terror tactics to further their goals, and qualify as both. Those terms aren't synonymous with "good guys" and "bad guys", although I don't believe terrorism can ever be a good thing (closest I can think of would be the nuking of Japan to end the war sooner). I am *not* sympathizing with terrorists btw, in case anyone completely misread that.
I agree to a certain extent but "Wow, hardcore" while watching IRA bombings is in supremely poor taste.Grouchy Imp said:You're reading far, far, far too much into it. The show is light entertainment, not factual documentary. Don't take it seriously.
Errrr....not be this dude, but u got some stuff wrong. It was Viking vs Samurai and it was Green Berets vs Spetznaz. thats all I wanted to say. >_<Grouchy Imp said:I'd be worried if many people believe their 'science' though. When comparing two data sets (as the show does) the first rule is that the two data sets must have been produced under identical conditions. Just thinking back to a few episodes I've seen I can remember the Viking vs Ninja weapon tests where the Ninja weapons were swung by Gymfreak McSteroid and the Viking weapons by a long-haired hippy type who had the muscle tone of a limp elastic band. Other examples include the SEALS vs Spetznaz episode where the SEALS grenades were tested for 'lethality' against unshielded targets in an enclosed space (to amplify the blast) and the Spetznaz grenades were tested out in the open against lightly shielded targets. The data collected by their 'analyst' is so badly skewed in favour of one party over the other that they may as well just state at the start of the show "We'd like these guys to win!" and be done with it.orangeban said:But it pretends to be serious and factual, it acts like it is hard science. Maybe I am reading to much into it, but maybe it should make it clearer that it is light entertainment.Grouchy Imp said:You're reading far, far, far too much into it. The show is light entertainment, not factual documentary. Don't take it seriously.
Maybe I'm not viewing the show as your average viewer would (having been a data analyst myself for the last fifteen years) but to me the entire show screams "total piss-take!". It's just a televised version of those 'X vs Y' arguements people get into, and as a result the situations are totally hypothetical and any conclusions drawn are ultimately meaningless.
It is cool to see what ancient weapons to do ballistic gel dummies though.
Oh god, I love that episode. The stupidity is just off the charts. When they do the fight segment of the show, it begins with the Vietcong in the middle of a brutal interrogation while the SS ambush them. Complete and utter role reversal. They can't even get the fight scene historically accurate, not that they ever were to begin with.orangeban said:For example, in the Vietcong vs Waffen SS episode, does it talk about how the Vietcong were guerilla fighters, who would spring up from holes in the ground, kill you and then disappear? Nope, they just treat it as a one on one (fine, fair enough, five on five) fight to the death