"Is he gonna be alright?"

Following the dramatic turn of events last week, we find Molly Dawes returning home from war and immediately heading off to the hospital where Captain James and Smurf are being treated. Lacey Turner is unwavering in her emotionality, as she effectively communicates so much even when saying nothing at all. But it's Iwan Rheon who steals the scene with his intensity and magnetism. Smurf's story is perhaps the most heart-breaking of all, as he expresses his wish to go back and call Molly after their first hook-up, to see if they could have had something together. As if the story of love lost and regret wasn't enough to elicit tears and hollering at television screens, Smurf becomes the final casualty of war in this series of Our Girl. The funeral is beautifully shot, with interwoven shots of Molly's crying face, Smurf's devastated mother, and Captain James reading a poem in memoriam of his fallen brother-in-arms. The most poignant moment of all is when Smurf's mother is leaving the funeral and states, "I gave the army my boys and they gave me back a flag," as it effectively communicates the magnitude of her and her family's sacrifice and how nothing can ever truly make up for the loss she has been left to face.

"Some things you just can't fight."

Though Molly struggles with her return to civilian life, "Everything seemed possible on tour and coming home's like waking up," the positive effect of her finding purpose in life has spread to others in her life. Her parents have rekindled their relationship, and her father is shown to have turned a new leaf, as he is drinking less and really making the effort to be the best man he can be for his wife and family. From Molly to Smurf to Molly's father, series creator and writer Tony Grounds has delivered great character development throughout the run of Our Girl. Lacey Turner and Ben Aldridge play Molly and Captain James' first date with a bright energy and chemistry. It's a relationship that we can't help but root for, as Captain James has followed through with the divorce of his wife and is understanding of Molly's need to find her own way. He puts her first, as she makes the decision to go on another tour in Afghanistan. Best of all, Our Girl concludes with the ending we had hoped for: the reunion of Molly and Bashira. Molly's commitment to Bashira's future, as exemplified by her decision to have her entire deployment sum of £14,000 go towards Bashira's education and safety, is the stand-out moment of Molly's story. Her selflessness and strong commitment to helping others is what makes her such a compelling hero.

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On tonight's Our Girl, we find the level of drama cranked up both personally and professionally for our three leads. There are some secrets about to come out regarding Captain James, and Smurf's mentally unbalanced hot-headedness will make another return, at perhaps the worst time possible. As for Molly, she'll have the responsibility of helping a team of Americans who are on the hunt for Bashira's father, Badral. So let's take a look at yet another hour of Tony-Grounds-penned goodness!

"You really hurt me."

All of our three leads find themselves with hurt feelings as this love triangle hits a breaking point. It all starts off with sweetness as Molly and Captain James dance around one another with their newly admitted feelings. But it has to be kept secret, as romance is against army regulations. Then comes a figurative bomb to blow up the short-lived happiness: Captain James is married and a father. Also, Smurf still hasn't taken a hint and wants to propose to Molly, having been sent an engagement ring from his mother. But when Smurf peeks in on Captain James and Molly while they're all out on a mission, he spots them kissing and declaring their love for one another, sending him on one of his signature tantrums.

The revelation regarding Captain James' marriage and fatherhood had us throwing up our hands and shouting at the screens. We should have known he'd be too good to be true. When he tells Molly that he and his wife are separated, we're inclined to believe him but it doesn't change the fact that he lied. He of all people should know the importance of not violating the trust amongst the soldiers in the platoon. Perhaps we're not as mad at Captain James as we could be, given the continued questionable behaviour we see from Smurf. Though Molly has made it clear that she only sees Smurf as a friend, he refuses to back down. It's not romantic; it's male entitlement. It will be sorely disappointing if Molly abruptly has a change of heart and decides to settle for Smurf, who is in serious need of psychological treatment and maybe even medication. For better or worse, Molly will treat Smurf with kindness and respect. It's nice to see that Molly's not leading him on, as that would only exacerbate the problem, and we can't help but sympathise with her. If she's nice to him, he'll continue to delude himself into thinking she's interested deep down. If she's more blunt ("rude") to him, he'll just be set off and lash out, putting the lives of those around him at risk. This part of the writing speaks to the dichotomy women face in navigating a world dominated by men, and how nice men will be to women they want something from but how quickly and aggressively they can shift when their advances are spurned. When Smurf loses it out on the mission, we can't help but wonder how someone so clearly mentally unstable is permitted to work in a profession where he handles dangerous weapons on a regular basis. Following the death of his brother, shouldn't he have undergone some sort of psychological evaluation? But there's something we take away from Smurf's speech, in which he expresses the betrayal he feels from the two people he held in higher regard than anyone (Captain James and Molly). It can be very dangerous to put people up on pedestals, as they'll inevitably make mistakes and leave you disappointed from the unrealistically high standards placed upon them.

"You're the only person who's eyeballed Badral. You'll be needed to positively ID him."

American soldiers have gotten involved in the mission to hunt down Bashira's father Badral. Having put a dossier together on him, it's discovered that he's a higher-ranking member of the Taliban than they had originally thought. As Molly is the only one on their side to have seen him, she'll need to come along on any and all missions to find him so that she can provide a positive ID. The episode's dramatic conclusion puts Molly right in the centre of it all. Her personal drama bleeds into the mission, as Smurf fires at an unarmed farmer. Captain James tries to talk him down and then Molly realises that one of the "women" in the back of the truck the troop is meant to be searching is actually Badral. Then it's time for a shoot-out with Badral on the one end, and all the soldiers on the other.

There's something slightly over-the-top about this showdown, almost giving it the feel of a cheesy old Western film. How is it that Badral manages to stay alive as long as he does when he's so clearly outnumbered? Then Molly's two suitors end up shot, just wounded enough to take them out of the fight, though not enough to kill them, but of course Molly's still alive and fine. In the end, she's the one that grabs a gun, turns around, and fires the kill shot. It all seems ridiculous, right? But think of all the storm troopers in Star Wars firing their weapons and hitting nothing and no one. Think of all the big-blockbuster action stars that always manage to be just in the right place and the right time to save the day, while their girlfriends (or booty calls) end up taken out of the action with a gnarly-looking flesh wound, if not just dead altogether to further the hero's "man-pain." So here's what's so brilliant about this happening on Our Girl: it's the girl who saves the day. The girl is the hero. This show has always placed a large focus on Molly's struggle as a woman working in a male-dominated line of work. Following this kill shot (which technically, we don't know is a kill shot since we didn't see if Badral was killed or just injured), Molly turns right back around to tend to the wounded Captain James and Smurf. Molly's not now, nor has she ever been just a pretty piece of flesh.

"I just hope that she's alright."

So now that Molly's suitors are all in the know about one another, as she is about them, the selection of one over the other may very well be part of next week's conclusion. Love triangles are a largely overused source of plot conflict. This episode arguably put too much of that type of drama into the episode. This show thrives best when it's closer to 2/3 military action and deeper philosophical ponderings and 1/3 Molly's romantic entanglements. Molly continued to show concern for Bashira's well-being, and expressed an interest in returning to Afghanistan after her tour is over to check in on her. Molly may have brought the best out in Captain James and Smurf, but it's Bashira who brings the best out in Molly, as seen when she risked her life to reassure Bashira that things would be all right as Bashira was strapped up in a bomb. If next week is the last we'll get of this show, as it's yet to be determined whether there will be a second series, the ending we're most hoping for is not Molly wrapped up in the arms of either of her suitors, but reunited with Bashira.

Our Girl airs on Sundays at 9PM on BBC One.

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The war is taking its toll on young medic Molly Dawes. But upon being sent home for a session of R&R, Molly finds that the home she once knew is not as it was, and neither is she. Needing to get away, she pays a visit to Smurf in Newport and the duo bond over their difficulties adjusting to being back. Throw in the building tension of having two suitors, Captain James and Smurf, and new family drama, it's a wonder Molly doesn't crack under the weight of it all.

"Go and buy me some Rosabaya coffee capsules and I will adore you for always."

The love triangle everyone saw coming from the start is starting to turn up the heat… but in nowhere near as cheesy a manner as that expression. Molly and Captain James are one longing look or bright-eyed giggle away from finally outright admitting their feelings from one another. But when Molly returns from R&R, Captain James turns a bit childish by jumping to conclusions about her and Smurf spending time together while away. Apparently basic communication skills weren't part of the Captain's training. But in glorious "I Am Woman" fashion, Molly follows James as he approaches an obstacle in the road that may or may not be an explosive device that will blow them away, declaring her feelings and boldly asking him if he reciprocates.

The writing on Molly's love life keeps away from many of the over-used cliches. When Smurf repeatedly makes comments about he and Molly being more than friends, her dismissal of them is light enough to make viewers wonder if she is aware of the depths of his feelings. But when the tension explodes, Molly tells him off, asking why they can't just be friends. She will not accept the excuses he has been telling himself to try to justify why it may be that they haven't yet gotten together (none of which include her mere lack of interest in him). This smacks men who would complain about the ludicrous "friend zone" concept right across the face. This paired with Molly's refusal to let the drama drag out with Captain James, and confront him directly (even if it was as they were about to potentially die) present a much more progressive means of engaging in romantic relationships that disregard outdated gender roles and promote more maturity.

"It's not always that straightforward. We're not wholly bad or good."

Even Molly, who is a largely likeable character, is not free from her flawed moment. When reunited with her family, she clashes with her mother's new friend Shazza. She places blame on Shazza for filling her mother's head with ideas that threaten to change Molly's home life as she always knew it. Now Molly's mother wants to go out into the world and become a teacher's assistant. It seems contradictory that Molly would be fighting so hard to get Afghani girls the opportunity to go to school and then react so negatively to her mother wanting to expand her own horizons.

A character wouldn't be interesting if they never made mistakes. Without character flaws or moments of weakness, they would be one-dimensional. Molly eventually encourages her mother to pursue the job as a teaching assistant but her initial animosity towards it acts as a throw-back to the more hot-headed Molly seen in the special. Molly has had nice character development over the course of her journey but having this weak moment keeps her grounded and relatable.

Overall, this episode was on parr with the also strong Episode 2 seen last week. Where last week, there was drama and strength of story rooted in larger philosophical issues related to the morality of war, this week shined in regards to the characters themselves and their personal journeys and relationships. The director of photography did well, from the opening upside down shot introducing the jovial horseplay of human wheelbarrows, the intertwined hands of Molly and Captain James bathed in warm light, and Molly seeing her reflection dressed in her soldier's uniform at home. It was a questionable choice to kill off Sohail, as too often POC characters in Western media are only able to find redemption and liveability by sacrificing themselves to protect the white lead. With the exception of that plot point, the emotional potency of the scene, from the music, to the writing, to the acting from all the actors present was strong. Also, the "might gonna" reference when Molly and Captain James were saying goodbye was a nice touch from series creator/writer Tony Grounds. With only two episodes left, it's a little unclear as to what the show's endgame is. But perhaps this is a mirror of the uncertainty of the characters within their own lives.

Our Girl airs on Sundays on BBC One at 9PM.

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Now that Molly Dawes has established herself within the troop of soldiers, the source of conflict can move on to bigger, badder things. She's not only found a friend in young Bashira, but her heart and bravery has begun to attract the attention of Captain James and newly returned Smurf. If that weren't enough, there's still a war going on and all these soldiers must risk their lives when they get advanced warning about a threat in the mountains…

"I'm not soft, sir."

Molly has grown closer to her "soul sister" Bashira, the young Afghani girl whom she met shortly after arriving. They play games, share sweets, and Bashira's English is rapidly improving. But this new-found friendship faces animosity from both sides. Captain James tells Molly that she's not to get attached or involved, and Bashira is promised off to marry a man before getting a beating from her father. Bashira's mother brings her to see Molly, who despite Captain James' objections, insists on patching up the cut on Bashira's brow. In privacy, Bashira gives Molly a warning to not go to the mountains. Molly delivers this piece of intel to her superiors, who are able to prepare and arm themselves so that when they are attacked, they're able to take out the insurgents without facing any casualties of their own. Molly even saves the lives of one of the insurgents, who had suffered a nasty leg wound. When returning from the mountains, Molly reluctantly follows Captain James' orders to not even look at young Bashira, who is now out and about playing freely.

Molly's rebellious streak seen in the show's pilot merges well with her new-found discipline. She knows that virtually everyone around her disapproves of her befriending young Bashira. But her insisting on seeing everyone as human beings, no matter what side they're fighting on, is what makes her not only a compassionate medic, but a compelling protagonist. When told to not get involved, her response is, "What are we if we're not involved?" This speaks not only to the hypocrisy of being self-righteous invaders, but to a deeper examination of human nature. She is pushing back against being detached from her emotions, and Lacey Turner is given more room to shine in this episode, reminding us of why this series was commissioned in the first place.

"Don't worry about me, sir, I'll prove my worth."

Smurf is back, having recuperated from his leg injury. He's also grovelling to Molly, just as he should be. He's making every attempt to redeem himself in her eyes, telling her he's there for her, and he even tries to show his affections physically. Much to our amusement, Molly shoots down his attempts to hold hands or hug, though she's still being pleasant to him. Given his abominable behaviour in last week's episode, it's nice to see Smurf taken down a peg. In tonight's episode, we see some solid character development as he goes from speaking rudely about Bashira to Molly, to telling Molly that he was wrong after the climactic events involving Bashira's near-death. It's still unclear as to whether or not Smurf has fully redeemed himself, or if he's on to the fact that he is not the only one with an interest in Molly…

Captain James may have shown he's more than just a gruff military man last week, but that doesn't mean he'll be inclined to show much sentiment. He may not have the emotional baggage of Smurf, but it doesn't mean he's free from complicated moments. Though he's shown to be authoritative and striving for success and efficiency where their mission is concerned, Molly has unintentionally endeared herself to him. Above all else, Molly cares for the lives of those around her. But when Captain James has opportunity to put his serious behaviour aside, Ben Aldridge shines with his other abilities, namely comedy. Whether he's being sassy by correcting Molly's less-than-posh English, lounging in an inflatable pool, or singing Elton John karaoke and roping Molly into it, Ben Aldridge is great fun to watch.

"Your normal isn't our normal."

One of the strongest parts of this episode was its exploration of the morality of not just war as a general concept, but the very real, ongoing war that this show is depicting. The soldier Sohail gave some criticisms about how Molly and the other soldiers will be able to return back home and carry on with the lives they were used to. His speech was short, but managed to cover a lot of ground, including the hypocrisy in how they claim to be encouraging children to go to school, but now no one can because of their presence and the disruption it causes. When the British soldiers leave, he and all the other Afghanis will still be there. Then there's the other, not so intimidating, Afghani soldier Qaseem. He presents a more hopeful perspective. He speaks of how he has chosen to give up a stable job to fight in the war because of the death of his family, and how he believes that someday Afghanistan will have peace and be the most beautiful place on earth.

Presenting a more well-rounded perspective and giving more quality material for the Afghani characters is essential to this show having more substance. Instead of just glamourising the white soldiers fighting the threat of the Other, in the land that they invaded no less, this has elevated the show to another level. The fact that the show has advertised more of Molly's love triangle is understandable, as it's good marketing. However, in tonight's episode the most important relationship was not Molly with one of her dreamy soldiers, but with young Bashira. The dramatic scene where Bashira was shown to have been forced into a bomb vest was highly intense. It wasn't so clear as to whether or not she would make it. As Molly disobeyed her orders and approached Bashira to assure her that she would be okay, reminding her of their being sisters, our heartstrings were pulled and our guts were wrenched. This was the standout scene of the episode, if not the whole mini-series thus far. Lacey Turner and young Becky Eggersgluz delivered great performances and made us certain that we are hooked on this series.

Our Girl airs on Sundays on BBC One at 9PM.

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Last year, BBC One aired "Our Girl," a drama in which 18-year-old Molly Dawes (Lacey Turner) seeks to make something of herself by joining the British army. Coming from a low-SES family, she outright says that she has never had a chance before. But in joining the British Army, she aims to find structure, order, and a purpose never before presented to her. Following the success and positive reception to "Our Girl," a 5-episode series was commissioned.

"Please don't tell me we've got the only medic that can't stand the sight of blood."

After extensive training, Molly is finally sent on her first deployment to Afghanistan. Molly's role in the platoon is that of the medic, which seems fitting, as her caring nature was often shown to be one of her strongest traits. Upon meeting her new platoon, she clashes with Captain James (Ben Aldridge), the platoon's leader, and finds one of the other soldiers, Smurf (Iwan Rheon), is an old fling. As if this weren't enough, upon encountering the first injured soldier she and the other medics are to tend to, she gets squeamish at the sight of his leg that has been blown off.

Molly is off to a highly rocky start, with all of these circumstances being piled on top of all the discrimination she has to face as a woman in a predominantly male field. Molly is shown to be more sensitive to discrimination than her fellow soldiers. Despite having a nationalist (that means racist) father, Molly tells Smurf off for his racist attitudes towards a fellow soldier of Middle-Eastern origins, and for his harsh words against Bashira, a young Afghani girl who often visits the troops. Smurf's prejudices originate from his losing his brother in the war (though that's not a reasonable excuse for racism). He is also shown to hold Captain James in high regard for his pulling his brother out of the battlefield when he was about to die.

"We're all trying to prove ourselves."

By the end of the episode, Molly has redeemed herself in the eyes of her platoon. She had already improved Captain James' opinion of her, by expressing concerns over Smurf's mental stability. Smurf retaliated by slut-shaming her both to her face and to the other soldiers. But Molly saves Smurf when he is shot and nearly bleeds out in the field and she nearly gets blown up in the process. She accompanies him when he is air-lifted out, while their fellow soldiers cheer her on, and at the medical facility, Smurf makes a promise that he will make things right and come back to her…

Though Molly Dawes' compassion and bravery make her a likeable protagonist, and easy to route for, "Our Girl" is not without its weaknesses. It's a bit difficult to watch the show without feeling weighed down by the blatant pro-war propaganda. Then again, it would likely be impossible to make a story about soldiers fighting in Afghanistan without having that present. Smurf is a largely damaged character, which is understandable given the trauma he has faced from fighting in a war and losing his brother. But for him to be so vindictive in exacting revenge against Molly with his use of slut-shaming, when she was only looking out for his well-being and that of everyone in the troop, it's rather difficult to accept the attempt to so quickly redeem a character with such problematic behaviour. With him giving Molly the puppy-dog eyes, and his apparently heart-felt apology, it would seem that a love-connection is brewing. But it's difficult to support their relationship going in that direction right now unless he is shown to understand that slut-shaming is not something to whip out every time you get upset at a woman. The last issue worth mentioning was the treatment of the token POC characters. Though the platoon has more than once race represented, it was unacceptable that all of the characters given meaty dialogue were white.

The performances were solid, but Lacey Turner's raw, emotional performance in the show's pilot was stronger than what was seen in this series premiere. Iwan Rheon brought great darkness and weight to Smurf, though no one would expect anything less after seeing him castrate Theon Greyjoy. Perhaps most worth mentioning is Ben Aldridge. Captain James begins as a rather unlikeable character, as his treatment of Molly feels harsh, making the audience believe he is as sexist as the rest of the group. But as the story continues, we see that he is simply pushing his troops to be the best because not being so can mean the difference between life and death. Aldridge maintains his strong level of performance throughout every part of this character development. After a slow start, "Our Girl" delivered strong action sequences and movement for the lead characters' personal journeys, making this viewer eager to tune in next week.

Our Girl airs on Sundays on BBC One at 9PM.

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