Band of BrothersThere was a time when the world asked ordinary men to do extraordinary things.
Drawn from interviews with survivors of Easy Company, as well as their journals and letters, Band of Brothers chronicles the experiences of these men from paratrooper training in Georgia through the end of the war. As an elite rifle company parachuting into Normandy early on D-Day morning, participants in the Battle of the Bulge, and witness to the horrors of war, the men of Easy knew extraordinary bravery and extraordinary fear - and became the stuff of legend. Based on Stephen E. Ambrose's acclaimed book of the same name.
WriterStephen E. Ambrose
Currahee
Sep 9, 2001
Easy Company is introduced to Captain Sobel, who has the group undergo hard and unfair training. As a result, Sobel comes into conflict with his men, including Richard Winters, his executive officer. The company is shipped to England to prepare for D-Day.
Day of Days
Sep 9, 2001
Easy Company lands in Normandy, scattered all across and away from their drop zone. 1st Lt. Meehan, commander of Easy, is killed when his plane suffers a direct hit and 1st Lt. Winters must take command and 1st Lt. Speirs is introduced.
Carentan
Sep 16, 2001
Easy Company are sent to liberate the French village of Carentan, where they lose several men in heavy fighting. The episode focuses on Private Albert Blithe, who struggles with crippling anxiety following the battle.
Replacements
Sep 23, 2001
With the addition of many new men, Easy Company heads to Holland to participate in Operation Market Garden and prepare an Allied route into Germany, but they meet stiff German resistance.
Crossroads
Sep 30, 2001
Winters writes a report on the challenge of an unexpected resistance to a German attack, and is haunted by his conscience after shooting a teenage German soldier. Operation Pegasus is depicted. Easy Company is called to Bastogne to repel the sudden German counterattack.
Bastogne
Oct 7, 2001
Easy Company experiences the Battle of the Bulge and have to hold ground near Bastogne while running low on ammunition and other supplies. The episode focuses on medic Eugene "Doc" Roe as he helps out his fellow soldiers where he can, while also scrounging for medical supplies, of which the Company is dangerously low.
The Breaking Point
Oct 14, 2001
Easy Company battles near Foy, Belgium, losing numerous men. In the episode, the actions of 1st Lt. Norman Dike, the Company's commander, are examined and questioned. Serving as narrator is 1st Sgt. Carwood Lipton, who attempts to keep the morale of the men up as they endure their trials in the forest near Foy.
The Last Patrol
Oct 21, 2001
Easy Company is in Hagenau in Feburary, 1945, where they prepare for a night patrol mission to capture German prisoners. The patrol includes one veteran who is despised for missing Bastogne and a new lieutenant fresh out of West Point.
Why We Fight
Oct 28, 2001
As the Allies move into Germany and the war comes closer to an end, disillusionment and anger set in for Easy Company--until they stumble onto a concentration camp abandoned by the German military.
Points
Nov 4, 2001
As the Germans surrender, it appears that that the hard days for Easy Company are over as they are stationed in Austria. But they soon learn that those solders without enough service points will be sent to fight in Japan.
avivg
@avivg
One of the best TV-shows of all time. This war series is one of the most realistic, accurate, detailed and comprehensive I've ever encountered. The show is overwhelming, intriguing and some episodes can squeeze a couple of tears from you. One of the few series that stuck in your head even a week after you've finish them. Highly recommended.
SierraKiloBravo
@SierraKiloBravo
Click here for a video version of this review: https://youtu.be/fO2DgMc97Q8 It's almost hard to believe, but it has been nearly 20 years since _Band of Brothers_ was released on HBO. _Band of Brothers_ is one of those rare examples of near perfection in a television series. In fact it to me this is not really a TV series, it's more like an incredible ten hour movie. Based on a book of the same name written by Stephen Ambrose, this follows the real life exploits of the men of E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne. We go from their formation and training to their jump into Normandy on D-Day and stay with them right through to Germany's surrender. Over the course of ten episodes we get to know several members of the Company, and experience the horrors and brotherhood of war all the way through. Apart from the movie level budget, cinematography, visual and make up effects, what makes it so good is that it’s not just a birds eye view of each step of their journey. In each episode we get that wider view but we also get to spend some time with a member of the Company. Whether it’s Bull getting stranded in an occupied village, Doc Roe scrounging for medical supplies in Bastogne, or Lipton narrating an entire episode, each episode brings some sort of variety from the one previous. Likewise not every episode is full of combat, across all of it there is a good balance of personal moments, tension, and all out combat action. Each of those three aspects are skilfully executed too, so the show never gets boring, there aren't any lulls. I recently watched the movie _Midway_ and in my review of it I said that part of its downfall was trying to do too much by jamming seven months of war into two hours. _Band of Brothers_ is the perfect example of what can be done when there is more time to tell the story. It never feels rushed, it's paced perfectly and its pretty easy to keep track of who's who all the way through. Speaking of "who's who" this has so many “OMG it’s that guy” moments. Given that this was made 20 years ago there are a whole bunch of now-established actors making early forays into their careers, or whom you recognise now for completely different work. Of course there's Damien Lewis and Ron Livingstone front and center, but there's also Michael Fassbender, Tom Hardy, James McAvoy, David Schwimmer, Simon Pegg, Jimmy Fallon, Colin Hanks, Donnie Wahlberg, and Michael Cudlitz. There are of course many more, and each episode I found myself looking up online to see if that person I spotted was the person I thought it was. I could go on and on and on about this show. I absolutely love it, it's a masterpiece and may well be my favourite mini-series of all time. Even now, 20 years later this remains a stunning achievement in television history and it is, in my opinion, must see TV.
