In-Depth review Ep 5&6

In 2001, when a ten part  miniseries came to our notice, the world immediately sat up and listened. It wasn’t just a story written for the big screen. It wasn’t something fabricated and given the Hollywood treatment. Band of Brothers was fact.  It was historical. It was Easy Company.

Episode 5

Crossroads continues the story of Easy Company. Captain Winters is promoted to Executive Officer (XO) of 2nd Battalion and no longer has command of the Company. He is transferred to Battalion HQ and tasked with administrative duties which include typing field reports. He finds it incredibly hard to relinquish control, knowing that he can run the unit well and knowing what they are going to face. But he knows that he must and ensures that in Heyliger they have the best man to take them forward.

It’s October 1944 in Holland. Captain Winters heads to HQ with Nixon after he gave him a not so subtle awakening of throwing yellow liquid over him. The yellow liquid being Nixons own urine. Winters and Nixon laugh at the absurdity of the awakening. The simplicity of this scene shows the camaraderie between these two gentlemen. Two men, who if not forced together through the spoils of war, would most likely not be friends. Winters found Nixons drinking abhorrent. 

Winters is asked by Colonel Sink to give a fully written battle report of how he took a ‘crossroads’ with his company. As he does so, we see him begin to recall events. Captain Winters flashes back to Liebgott coming in with the remainder of the patrol. Liebgott has a neck wound, procured during the fighting. After sharing where they located the Germans, Lipton is asked to get first squad to come with them to the crossroads.

The area is scouted, and the attack arranged. Machine gunners back up with covering fire while the company go up front with Winters. The viewers are shown a true leader in Richard Winters. He himself once said “if you’re a leader, you lead the way. Not just on the easy ones, you take the tough ones too.” This is demonstrated consistently though this episode and by extension, the series.

The following day, Winters leads the charge. A smoke grenade, slow to deploy, leaves the rest of Easy some way behind him. But, as his stature and morals dictate, that did not stop him. The surprise attack on German soldiers is a win.

Private David Webster assists in the clearing out of enemy soldiers. They claim they are Polish, but the SS insignia leads the soldiers of Easy to believe otherwise.  Webster heads back to the aid station after a stray bullet gets him on his foot.

Liebgott is instructed to take the prisoners back to Battalion CP. Sensing Joes anger and realising that this might be a time that he cannot trust him to do the right thing, Winters leaves him with one bullet only, taking temptation away. The episode ends with Nixon and Winters heading back to CP. This not only takes the temptation to shoot them from Liebgott, but it also takes away the possibility of Winters being disappointed in him. By removing the bullets, he is telling Joe in a nonverbal way, ‘I get it, but don’t do it.’

The episode emphasises the strategic importance of Bastogne. The town was a crucial crossroads, and its capture by the Germans could have had dire consequences for the Allied advance. Easy Company’s mission to defend Bastogne becomes a symbol of the larger Allied effort in the Battle of the Bulge

The Battle of Bastogne was a gruelling engagement, and “Crossroads” portrays the soldiers’ immense sacrifices and acts of bravery. The scenes of soldiers enduring freezing temperatures and relentless enemy attacks highlight the physical and emotional toll of war.

We see many factors and qualities throughout this episode. Leadership and decision-making being top of the tier. While many would perceive that the leadership comes from the top, which it does, there is also the indirect leadership that is evident. Lipton, throughout the entire series demonstrates a cool and calm exterior that serves to put his men at ease. There is a respect with Lipton that is given to those who’ve earned it. In an interview, it was reported that when Damian Lewis and Donnie Wahlberg were in Boot Camp, Donnie told Damian, “I may not know you, but I know who you’re playing so you already have my respect.” That came through in the performance of Donnie Wahlberg.

Major Richard Winters continues to evolve as a central character. His decision-making under pressure and his commitment to his men earn him further respect and admiration. The episode also delves into the personal struggles and growth of other soldiers, such as Private David Webster, who grapples with the brutality of war.

Crossroads is gripping and emotionally charged. Intensive combat combined with character development aids the viewer in exploring dilemmas and challenges of war. Through the experiences of Winters, Malarkey and Company E, the episode displays a powerful and poignant portrayal of the human cost of war. It is a testament to the men of Easy, and the commitment to duty under the harshest of circumstances.

Episode 6

 

In the days surrounding Christmas, 1944, Easy Company is stationed near the small town of Bastogne, Belgium, to prevent a German advance during the Battle of the Bulge. A surprise German attack several days prior has split the Allied Forces’ line of advance, resulting in many Allied casualties.

Easy Company were called up to aid in the defence of Bastogne, which was a key position at the intersection of seven major roads. Allied forces set up a perimeter around Bastogne and observed to be barely holding their line, despite constant artillery fire from the German lines.

The story largely follows combat medic Eugene “Doc” Roe (Shane Taylor) as he scrounges for much needed medical supplies amongst the men and in a local village. In the opening scene, Roe loses his way and finds a group of dead German soldiers. He quickly returns to Captain Winters’ (Damian Lewis) position, where Winters is engaged in taking a young German soldier prisoner. Among the German’s possessions, Winters finds a bandage, which he gives to the under-supplied Roe.

Colonel Sink (Dale Dye) arrives for a quick debriefing; with him is General Anthony McAuliffe, the Commanding Officer of the defence effort in the area. Winters reports that the defence lines are full of gaps and that the Germans often advance beyond them to make use of Allied trenches. The men are also short on food, ammunition and lack winter clothing. His leadership and command are personified through his care and concern for his men. They are his first thought.

McAuliffe orders Winters to hold the line, whatever the cost. Throughout the episode, the bonds between the soldiers of Easy Company are tested. The harsh winter conditions, constant shelling, and lack of supplies strain their morale. However, their unwavering support for each other and their shared determination to hold the line at Bastogne exemplify the deep camaraderie that developed among these men.

 

The German shelling continues, resulting in many deaths and injuries. The perseverance and resilience of the company is demonstrated time and again. Roe happens to be one of only two medics assigned and is busy much of the time attending to his fellow troops. He often returns to the town of Bastogne, where a poorly arranged hospital has been established. He befriends a local woman, Renee (Lucie Jeanne), who works as a nurse. During a run back to the hospital with a wounded man, the driver informs Roe that the Germans have captured the 362nd medical unit, leaving the Army even more shorthanded.

In the trenches and foxholes, the men are hungry, freezing, & unable to light fires for fear of giving away their positions. Roe discovers the men have other problems besides enemy fire; Joe Toye (Kirk Acevedo) has lost his boots; men are suffering from frostbite and jungle rot (fungal infections on their feet) and Bill Guarnere (Frank John Hughes) has a urinary tract infection that Roe is unable to treat without penicillin.

A patrol is sent out to probe German positions and a Private, Julian, is hit in the neck. The rest of the squad is unable to reach him and watch helplessly as he bleeds to death. Private Julian’s death has a heavy effect on Babe Heffron (Robin Laing) with their being such good friends

Lieutenant Harry Welsh (Rick Warden) is also severely wounded in the attack and Roe, who’d been asleep, has difficulty reacting quickly to the situation. Winters orders him to Bastogne to get a hot meal and more supplies.

Roe rushes back into Bastogne with a wounded transport and sees the hospital, set up in the village church, hit by German aerial bombardment. He is unable to find Renee in the wreckage, but does find her bandanna, which he keeps. This episode highlights the importance of the medical care needed throughout the theatre of war and how highly valued the medics are. War is brutal and the medic of a company is always there front and centre in the firing line dealing with the wounded. The medics are putting themselves in danger, potentially sacrificing themselves for others.

Back at the front line, Roe finds Babe Heffron, whose hand he’d stepped on and cut earlier. He uses the nurse’s bandanna to bandage Babe’s hand, while telling Babe to keep his eyes on the German front line. Devotion to duty displayed in a compassionate and respectful way as two brothers in arms contemplate the war.