China Beach became an instant sensation when it hit TV. The six episodes that aired late in 1988 elevated Dana Delany into a star worthy of name-checking on Animaniacs. The show quickly found a loyal audience with its female-centric view of the Vietnam War. Sure there had been nurses before in war shows, but rarely were they the central characters. Most of them were targets for quickie romances by the troops and doctors. The return of China Beach brought a little bit of fear in the viewers. Could it really continue at the same level? Would it devolve into a soap opera in green? China Beach: Season 2 rewards fans with a sophomore season that keeps up the quality.
Things get changed up quick with the two part premiere of “”Lost and Found.” McMurphy (Delany) fears for Natch when his plane goes missing. She was his wartime boyfriend. Even more shocking is K.C. (CSI‘s Marg Helgenberger) gets booted off the base by Major Lilia Garreau. Seems that the military doesn’t wants any hustlers working the Officer’s club. But she’s not going to let a military order get in the way of making a few bucks. “Limbo” gives K.C. a chance to score points when she searches for black market penicillin. “X-Mas Chn. Bch. VN, ’67” is the Christmas special that promises to bring snow to Vietnam. “All About E.E.V.” parachutes the late Dennis Farina onto the base. He’s there for R&R, but gets everyone upset at his antics. “Tet ’68” brings the surprise attack to China Beach. K.C. gets hooked on the local smack and McMurphy must make her kick it. “Psywars” pits McMurphy against a visiting shrink studying non-combatants. “Where the Boys Are” lets McMurphy throw back with a 19 year old. “Vets” lets real Vietnam vets speak of their experiences during the war.
“Twilight” has an unexpected hero receiving an honor from his father. Except the two hate each others’ guts. It’s a family battle in the middle of a warzone. “Afterburner” resolves a mystery from “Lost and Found.” No need to spoil the episode. “Promised Land” brings the turbulence of Martin Luther King Jr.’s murder across the Pacific. Black soldiers and white soldiers get tense. “The World” ends the season on a massive cliffhanger. McMurphy returns home to Kansas for her father’s funeral. She’s not sure if she wants to return to Vietnam. She ends up meeting a nurse pal (Misery‘s Kathy Bates) to talk it out.
The sophomore outing of China Beach doesn’t disappoint. The series maintains a female perspective of the Vietnam War. McMurphy doesn’t get shuffled into the background. She holds the center of a busy hospital scene. The show does a fine job showing the surprise and shock of the Tet Offensive. China Beach was a unique achievement in television. The show could have turned into an extended Lifetime movie, but refused to soften things up.
The video is 1.33:1 full frame. The transfers look fine. The details of the military base come out on the screen. The audio is Dolby Digital mono. The sound is fine with the mix of battle sounds and Motown hits.
Voices of War: The Real China Beach (28:33) is a mixture of cast and women who served in Vietnam discussing the show. They did their best to make things feel authentic on the screen.
Michael Boatman (11:17) is a new interview with the actor whose character dealt with the fallen soldiers. He learned a lot from the role. He’s currently on FX’s Anger Management.
Marg Helgenberger (22:24) discusses her role as K.C., who only hooked for the officers. She liked the epic yet intimate nature of the show.
Robert Picardo (11:17) played Dr. Dick Richards. He admits his character was twice the dick of the average doctor character.
China Beach: Season 2 keeps up the quality that the short first season promised. McMurphy becomes one of the great TV characters as she deals with the people and war around her.
StarVista, Time Life and Warner Brothers present China Beach: Season 2. Starring: Dana Delany, Nan Woods, Michael Boatman, Marg Helgenberger and Robert Picardo. Boxset Contents: 17 episodes on 5 DVDs. Released: January 7, 2014.
