"The Old Men" features a trio of replacements for Chip Saunders' squad. Instead of a bunch of kids who've seen no action, here we get the likes of Pvt Clawson (Simon Oakland "I Want To Live!" "Kolchak") who has seen plenty of action and is willing to see plenty more. Oakland played this kind of role so well, bad tempered, doesn't suffer fools easily. From the off, the viewer gets the feeling that these 40 somethings (Kirby couldn't have been much younger!) will surprise Sergeant Saunders and gain the respect of our squad regulars, even though they LOOK like members of The Home Guard/Volkssturm and naturally, Kirby has no faith in their ability when they turn up, suggesting that they came from an old people's home!!
Clawson soon puts Kirby in his place (calling him Caje) as Kirby doesn't stop sniping about the "old guys" turning a 4 or 5 hour patrol (to grab a prisoner for S2) into a patrol taking 4 or 5 weeks. Clawson volunteers to take point, proving his knee and his guts are up to the job. It's very similar to the episode with Demosthenes and having more experience with a rolling pin than he does with an M1 rifle....but when Sgt Saunders needs you, you chip in as best as you can. So Clawson repeatedly volunteers himself into danger and Chip Saunders is confident enough to take him along. Sooner or later Kirby, you are going to show respect towards that "old man"!!
Private Todd is a would-be politician who felt that his political career would benefit from volunteering for service then returning home as a "hero" and he used all his influence to get sent to the front rather than be some rear echelon pen pusher. Selfish perhaps, but not as bad as being a psychopath!! (Robert Walker Jnr in the episode "Ollie Joe") This mission is his first frontline action.
Private Barnhill is the most frightened of the three replacements and wants the squad to return to their lines before the mission is anywhere near complete and even accuses Saunders that his decision to proceed will get them all killed. William Phipps excelled at playing these gutless, whining blancmanges.
All this episode lacks is Doc because he's just the kind of guy who'd get the likes of Barnhill through his personal terror, with his gentle wisdom and getting the new man to believe in Sergeant Chip Saunders and "You do just as he tells you and he'll get you back home safe." As it is, Chip gets his prisoner for S2, Barnhill rehabilitates himself as a soldier, Todd has seen combat and Clawson finally admits that he's not as young as he wishes he was.
10/10.
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