List of Band of Brothers episodes
Band of Brothers, a ten-part television World War II miniseries based on the book of the same title written by historian and biographer Stephen Ambrose, was executive produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks after their collaboration on the World War II film Saving Private Ryan (1998).[1] The episodes first aired in 2001 on HBO and are still run frequently on various TV networks around the world.[2][3]
The narrative centers on the experiences of E Company ("Easy Company") of the 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment assigned to the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army. The series covers Easy's basic training at Toccoa, Georgia, the American airborne landings in Normandy, Operation Market Garden, the Battle of Bastogne and on to the end of the war.[1]
The events portrayed are based on Ambrose's research and recorded interviews with Easy Company veterans. A large amount of literary license was taken with the episodes, and other reference books will highlight the differences between recorded history and the film version.[4] All of the characters portrayed are based on actual members of Easy Company; some of them can be seen in prerecorded interviews as a prelude to each episode (their identities, however, are not revealed until the close of the finale). Spielberg and Hanks produced a sequel miniseries called The Pacific that premiered in March 2010.[5]
Episode list
| # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Main character | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Currahee" | Phil Alden Robinson | Erik Jendresen & Tom Hanks | Richard Winters & Herbert Sobel | September 9, 2001 | |
|
Easy Company is introduced to Captain Sobel, who has the group undergo hard drills and exercises. As a result, Sobel comes into conflict with his men, including Richard Winters, his executive officer (X.O). The company is shipped to England to prepare for D-Day. Sobel is eventually reassigned to jump school for medics among others. | ||||||
| 2 | "Day of Days" | Richard Loncraine | John Orloff | Richard Winters | September 9, 2001 | |
|
Easy Company lands in Normandy, but is scattered all across the region and away from their designated drop zone. 1st Lt. Meehan, commander of Easy, is killed when his plane suffers a direct hit and 1st Lt. Winters must take command. With a small group of men, Winters takes out a set of German gun emplacements at Brécourt and thereby wins the respect of his fellow soldiers as a leader. 1st Lt. Speirs is introduced. | ||||||
| 3 | "Carentan" | Mikael Salomon | E. Max Frye | Albert Blithe | September 16, 2001 | |
|
Easy Company are sent to liberate the French village of Carentan, where they lose several men in heavy fighting. Rumors start to circulate that Lt. Speirs killed a group of German prisoners of war. The episode focuses on Private Albert Blithe, who struggles with shell-shock following the battle. After he is finally spurred on and into action by Winters during a German counterattack, Blithe overcomes his fears but days later gets shot in the neck by a German sniper after volunteering to be lead scout in a patrol. | ||||||
| 4 | "Replacements" | David Nutter | Graham Yost & Bruce C. McKenna | Denver "Bull" Randleman | September 23, 2001 | |
|
New characters are introduced when replacements join Easy Company, who struggle to be accepted by the veterans who fought at Normandy. The Company is sent to parachute into and fight in the Netherlands as part of Operation Market Garden, where they liberate Eindhoven. During combat in Nuenen, the replacements integrate themselves with the Company, but the Company is forced to retreat. The episode follows Sergeant Denver "Bull" Randleman, the replacements' immediate superior, as he evades German soldiers in Nuenen after being cut off and forced to stay there and must wait until the enemy leaves in the morning. | ||||||
| 5 | "Crossroads" | Tom Hanks | Erik Jendresen | Richard Winters | September 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; this flashback occurs several times in later episodes. Operation Pegasus is depicted. Easy Company is called to Bastogne to repel the sudden German counterattack. At the end of the episode, Captain Winters now effectively commands the whole battalion. | ||||||
| 6 | "Bastogne" | David Leland | Bruce C. McKenna | Eugene "Doc" Roe | October 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. He also befriends a Belgian nurse in Bastogne, who is later killed during a German bombing raid. | ||||||
| 7 | "The Breaking Point" | David Frankel | Graham Yost | Carwood Lipton | October 14, 2001 | |
|
Easy Company battles near Foy, Belgium, losing numerous men. The episode examines and questions the actions of 1st Lt. Norman Dike, the Company's commander. He is eventually relieved by 1st Lt. Ronald Speirs, who becomes the Company's new leader. Serving as narrator is First Sergeant Carwood Lipton, who attempts to keep the morale of the men up as they endure their trials in the forest near Foy, earning him a battlefield promotion to 2nd Lt. for his leadership ability. | ||||||
| 8 | "The Last Patrol" | Tony To | Erik Bork & Bruce C. McKenna | David Webster | October 21, 2001 | |
|
Easy Company carries out a dangerous mission in Haguenau as David Webster (who narrates this episode) returns from a hospital. Together with new replacement 2nd Lt. Jones, he eventually (re)integrates with the other soldiers, whose experiences at Bastogne have made them weary and closed off from Webster due to the fact he didn't try to leave hospital early unlike other soldiers in the company. At the end of the episode, Captain Winters is promoted to Major, and Lipton is officially promoted to 1st Lt. | ||||||
| 9 | "Why We Fight" | David Frankel | John Orloff | Lewis Nixon | October 28, 2001 | |
|
As Nixon battles alcoholism, Easy Company enters Germany. A concentration camp near Landsberg is discovered by a patrol. This sight leaves many soldiers both shocked and disgusted at what they're witnessing at the hands of the Nazis. The episode was based on the liberation of Kaufering IV in the area of Hurlach. | ||||||
| 10 | "Points" | Mikael Salomon | Erik Jendresen & Erik Bork | Richard Winters | November 4, 2001 | |
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The company captures Eagle's Nest in Berchtesgaden, and also discover Herman Goering's house. The battalion heads out to Austria where the end of the war in Europe is announced. While those with enough points go home, the remainder of Easy Company stays behind until the end of the Pacific War is declared. | ||||||
References
- ^ a b "BBC – Drama – Band of Brothers". BBC. Retrieved June 9, 2008.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ Snead, Elizabeth (June 22, 2001). "Tom Hanks Jumps on Bandwagon". TVGuide.com. Retrieved June 9, 2008.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=and|date=(help) - ^ "Band of Brothers Minisite". History.com. Retrieved June 9, 2008.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help)[dead link] - ^ In particular, the books Biggest Brother: The Life of Dick Winters and Parachute Infantry, an autobiography by David Kenyon Webster. Also, the website Trigger Time by 101st historian Mark Bando has a detailed discussion of the miniseries' historical accuracy.
- ^ "Exclusive: Tom Hanks On Toy Story 3". EmpireOnline.com. April 23, 2009. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
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