I was born during the middle Vietnam War years, so obviously I don't remember it. However, as I was growing up, I heard plenty about the just-concluded war, and saw plenty on TV and in the movies. I've always empathized with the kids who were drafted. If you sign up for the military, that's one thing -- you know the risks. If you're just a regular kid drafted into war, that's a different story. In general, I don't believe the draft should be utilized unless the war is one which urgently must be fought.

I briefly had to face the prospect of a draft. In January 1991, I was almost 19, and the Gulf War began. There was talk about a possible draft, and in fact a draft order was set. As the war was over quickly, no draft ever occurred. I was in college at the time, but there was no college deferment anymore at that point. However, I was likely going to be ineligible to serve because I was slightly under the minimum required weight for my height. (Interestingly, even if I were young enough to be drafted today, I would be OVER the required maximum weight for my height!)

Anyway, back to the episode.

This one was one of the few Five-O episodes to have no villain. The closest thing we had to one was the guy arranging draft dodgers to escape Hawaii, in exchange for money. However, it seemed he was operating just slightly above cost, at one point noting, "We'd do it for free, but we gotta eat, man."

General Rigney seemed to soften throughout the episode, showing tremendous concern for both dead son Jack, and living-but-wanted son Michael. However, after hearing the tape exposing Jack's death as a suicide -- and Michael's laudable efforts to both stop him and convince him to get help -- the general doesn't seem touched. Instead, he wants Michael to still accept the draft, even after what happened to Jack (and all the related trauma to Michael).

I would have preferred an ending where the general hugs Michael, and then gets him out of the draft due to the emotional trauma -- a realistic possibility given the circumstances. Instead, he coldly tells him, "Then I have two dead sons", and walks out. Brutal!

It was strange seeing "Doc" and "Manicote" in other roles in this one, though I know Five-O did this sort of thing all the time.

I agree with Mike that Danny -- who was 32 at the time of filming, and looked it -- was too old to play an AWOL solider who was semi-recently drafted. In fact, that entire scene was weird and unnecessary.

Mike did well in the love department, as his girlfriend Gail is pretty, sweet, and incredibly loyal. It's unclear what will happen with them, as it seems Mike is likely going to jail "for 3 years" for draft dodging. Joy Bang, who played Gail, inexplicably quit acting in 1973, despite only being 28 years old, and having moderate success. Here's a fairly long webpage about her career, including a bunch of semi-nude pictures from back in the day: http://www.spectacularoptical.ca/201...ress-joy-bang/