AWFUL

To be fair most of the guys sent in Europe were around 20yo, but you would suppose secret services would send experts in various fields with an extensive cultural background about the countries they are going to, and you simply cannot be an expert at anything at that age.
At least they did not chose teenagers like let's say CW would have.

The actors aren't doing a bad job, I'd say they are pretty good but the writing... god the writing.
When you feel the need to turn hard choices into feel good/heroic moments every god damn time, you should know you're a worthless writer and all you can do is aspire to produce, at best, an average show.
Let's not even mention all the mistakes that should have been avoided with a few minutes of google search... historical accuracy is hard, but they are not even trying.

I missed the first four episodes

I didn't. And I found them in general as I've described. With exceptions - like Ep. 106, In Enemy Hands - the series has seemed too much like a TV show. I can't consistently lose the sense of that. In general, it feels familiar and a bit facile. I don't find it convincing, in the main. A major problem I think is the episodic format. The show is essentially a case-of-the-week semi-procedural.

I don't think the episodic format is a natural match for the situation. In general, I've never found that war stories work that well told as case-of-the week. They did as a kid, reading comic books, but not now. With that structure, the action can’t flow organically but must cohere unnaturally fast using a lot of shorthand in order to reach a “resolution” within an hour to the week’s case. That's why it seems facile to me. And why, no matter how exciting the action - and they do smash away at those drums! - and how hard the writers and actors try, the whole thing feels to me forced and artificial. Like a more sophisticated form of those old comic books of my youth.

They try to get around this stop-start format by having a flashforward of Alfred captured (and we know that’s bad because of his perfect memory), which injects a bit of the serialized feel. That’s a good idea, but it's still only a feel, and doesn’t compensate for the sense of artificiality.

The effects of the episodic format's need for shorthand is exaggerated because this show is an ensemble. So each character gets very obviously contrived “moments,” little monologues about their deep feelings and backstories. Which to me feel forced, and false. Very mainstream, not fresh at all.

Adding to the sense of artificiality is the sense that the world of the show is underpopulated. That is, it always looks like a set to me, which increases the feeling that I’m watching a TV show. This is a budget issue, and probably a directing one. Speaking of which, I find the directing uninspired.

And then there’s the acting. Which is getting a little better, but I find it just OK at the best of times… except for the Brit who plays Alfred. For me there is too much emphasis on Evelyne Brochu, who I find humdrum, a very modest talent. She is wooden in Orphan Black, but in her defense that role is badly conceived and written.

The CBC marketed the heck out of the show. The ads were all over the place. Even placed on AMC during the premiere of Better Call Saul. Big dollar spend.

I can imagine what it would be like in the conditions you mentioned. I have read about other people's direct experiences in those conditions. The episode you mentioned was competent. The drums were sure beating. But it's not memorable for me.

I'm not interested only in excitement. You put people in Nazi occupied France you'd have to work pretty hard to screw that up. But I've watched shows where the characters were not anywhere like that, where they didn't face the constant threat of death, yet I was captivated, moved, genuinely frightened, cared about them like friends. Except for Alfred at times, this hasn't happened for me with this show - not even close. At the moment, I wouldn't care if they were all rounded up and shot.

But last week's episode was the first I saw, and I found it tense, suspenseful, and RIVETING. Can you imagine what it would be like being there in nazi-occupied territory, knowing that you could be captured at any minute, and be subjected to certain torture and death?

same here, it wasn't until eppy 4 that I saw....and what I saw was great........I had read the books, but it's nothing like this...and quite frankly I am glad......

this has to be one of the best scripted.......stories that I've seen in a very long time...

who cares if things aren't that accurate......I for one do not....

so I say go for it...and here's to hoping that after Wednesday we get a year two, and beyond...

susan