Drama
A Man in Full
Talent and intrigue ultimately can’t cloak the truth about this vulgar, crass and graphic drama on Netflix.
When the United States government put together Ava Winters’ elite special forces team , they were supposed to be the best in the business. But sometimes, even “the best” want time to kick back and celebrate the victories.
It’s why, following the capture of Russian arms dealer Ivan Koslov (and the nuclear briefcase he intended to blow up Las Vegas with), Chad, the squad’s brainless brawn convinces the team to spend the night celebrating in the only way a place called Sin City knows how.
“I am going to empty every cent that’s left in our operational war chest,” Chad gleefully declares to the rest of his squad.
With the mission done, the team’s members never expect to see each other again. So they decide to get … well … obliterated. Chad has sex with team leader Ava—which makes things awkward for “tech chick” Maya, who was planning to do the same with Chad. The no-nonsense straight-laced Paul is drugged when he has his food laced by another team member, and another squad mate turns out to be not-so-straight after all.
By the party’s peak, it’s not only the team chemistry that’s destroyed: Each member is blotto on a combination of drugs and alcohol—just as the CIA director calls to inform them that all that partying may have been a little premature.
Turns out, the recovered nuclear briefcase was a red herring, and Ivan’s men plan to use the real one to obliterate Las Vegas in a mere seven hours unless Ivan is released from custody. But with the team’s relationships and bodies looking pretty obliterated themselves, they must nevertheless find a way to clear their minds and work together to save the day once more.
If you thought this was your standard spec ops action series, think again.
The members of Ava’s team seem like they’ve trained far longer for a college frat party than a battlefield. Sure, they may be the “best in the business,” sending bullets through skulls like they have a quota to meet. But though they might bear the title of “professional,” they party in ways that are anything but. That includes frequent drug use, frequent sex (between members of the same and opposite sex), and frequent full-frontal nudity. As the first episode reaches itself halfway point, viewers will begin to realize that plot gives way to outrageous gratuity, where the only point of certain scenes is to feature nearly naked characters bobbing up and down to music—which remains a not insignificant chunk of the rest of the series’ viewing experience. All of this, of course, is topped with so much swearing that you’d think the vulgarities were about to be banned by how desperately they toss them out.
And desperate does seem to be the word to describe their actions. Because whether they’re in the field or partying in a nightclub, the squad always seems unsatisfied, always seeming as if they’re desperately searching for empty validation—whether that be through another dead terrorist or a one-night stand.
At least the show’s title fits, though. Obliterated neatly describes how it’ll leave your poor eyeballs.
Following a successful mission, Chad convinces the rest of the team to spend the night partying. But just as they reach the pinnacle of debauchery, they’re called back into the field to continue the fight.
Sexual content is rampant in this episode. We see a man completely naked. We also see the breasts and rears of many women as well as the rears of other men, too. Two characters engage in an extensive pornographic sex scene. Two men are discovered engaged in a sexual act. Two women passionately kiss. A man kisses another man. One woman is seen with nothing but whipped cream covering her body, and another is seen in lingerie. Plenty of men and women are seen in extremely revealing swimsuits. A woman shakes her rear, and the camera focuses on it. A woman is seen naked through frosted glass as she showers.
One woman on the team, Angela, is a lesbian, and she justifies trying to get a bride-to-be to cheat on her fiancé (an end to which she succeeds). Chad purchases a sex toy for Angela, and she smacks him with it. Chad comments that he’s watched a lot of pornography. A man and a woman both admit to being aroused. A bachelorette party uses straws that are shaped like male genitalia. We hear discussions about other explicit acts. We see a used condom on the ground, and a party contains a plate full of them for attendees to use.
About a dozen terrorists are shot and killed, each with a quick burst of blood. One man is shot in the hand. A counterterrorist is stabbed in the shoulder, but he pulls the knife out without a problem. Someone is thrown out of a skyscraper window to his death.
The team (as well as the many partiers with them) get intoxicated. They also do drugs, including ecstasy and ketamine. Women spray each other with alcohol. One man laces a party’s guacamole with drugs, getting many unsuspecting partiers high. And when one team member, Paul, says he doesn’t want to cheat on his wife and doesn’t drink, the rest of the team shames him for it. Someone gives beer to a camel to drink.
Chad has a cross tattoo, but it’s evident he does not practice the faith. Ana vomits.
The f-word is used nearly 80 times (including a few times that are preceded by “mother”), and the s-word is heard about 30 times. We also hear crude words that reference male and female genitalia. Likewise, “a–,” “b–ch,” “h—,” “d–n,” “p-ss” and “t-ts” are frequently used. Someone is called a “d–chebag.” God’s name is used in vain nearly 20 times, including nearly 10 times that are in the form of “g-dd–n.” Jesus’ name is used in vain twice. People display middle fingers.
Kennedy Unthank studied journalism at the University of Missouri. He knew he wanted to write for a living when he won a contest for “best fantasy story” while in the 4th grade. What he didn’t know at the time, however, was that he was the only person to submit a story. Regardless, the seed was planted. Kennedy collects and plays board games in his free time, and he loves to talk about biblical apologetics. He thinks the ending of Lost “wasn’t that bad.”
Talent and intrigue ultimately can’t cloak the truth about this vulgar, crass and graphic drama on Netflix.
Tales of the Empire is typical Star Wars fare. But in its exploration of what drives folk to the Dark Side, it can get a bit…darker.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz is a little like its titular character. It’s painful. It gets under your skin. And it just might leave a mark.
The Sonic spinoff blends explosive adventure and road-trip-buddy-comedy into a fun romp for both kids and diehard fans.
