"Over There": the talk of cable

You know what they say about being in the Army, that it's 95 percent boredom and 5 percent sheer terror. The neat trick about FX's "Over There" is that it makes even the 95 percent -- where people just sit around and talk -- riveting. Of course, talky scenes also allow Steven Bochco to meet his cable-sized budget, ensuring (along with promising ratings) that the best show on TV right now will be back for another season.

In this scene, for instance, a military contractor flashes his cash before Mrs. B, a soldier who has just volunteered to drive through mortar fire to help the boys locate an enemy spotter. The scene is so textured that while you're stunned by the income disparity between these two people serving in Iraq, it may escape you that they're, uh, consummating a business transaction. Here's the clip (MP3, 56 secs, some language)

Link: Kansas City Star | Barnhart | ‘Over There’ not at a loss for words.