Band of Brothers

[Wade 464]

21 minutes ago, Biff Tannen said:

Agreed.  She definitely didn't know.  

So, she just asks this dude to pick up and pay for the laundry of ten of his company mates, believing they're all fine?  Keep in mind she's experienced the war for over four years at that point.  She knows what it means when men don't come back for their things.

[Biff Tannen 45665]

42 minutes ago, Wade said:

So, she just asks this dude to pick up and pay for the laundry of ten of his company mates, believing they're all fine?  Keep in mind she's experienced the war for over four years at that point.  She knows what it means when men don't come back for their things.

So she’s just an asshole?

[Wade 464]

25 minutes ago, Biff Tannen said:

So she’s just an asshole?

Read my original post. 

[FartingMonk 3606]

18 hours ago, Parliament said:

Not sure it was the Carentan episode, but the scene where Malarkey paid for the laundry for all those guys who died really got me.

9 hours ago, Wade said:

That's always been a powerful scene to me, as she knows what she's doing, and he knows what she's doing.  But you can't really come down too hard on her as she's trying to earn a living in wartime.  But damn, man, knowing or at least suspecting all those men were now dead, and off-loading their laundry on their comrade...

 

I was watching it the other night and this is probably the 10th time I've gone through the series.  That was the first time I saw the scene the way you saw it.  I've always viewed it from Mularkeys eyes and was just like damn that's fucking tough. 

For some reason this time I was transfixed on what the lady was doing and I thought the same that she knew what was going on and kinda conned him into it.  But my final conclusion was she really didn't know.  It was probably her 1st time actually having US troops stationed near her village.  The action happened towards the first week of D day.  Prior to that there probably was minimal laundry not picked up.  She had seen an opportunity to make money when Americans all of a sudden got stationed in her village.  

[Parliament 14247]

4 hours ago, Wade said:

So, she just asks this dude to pick up and pay for the laundry of ten of his company mates, believing they're all fine?  Keep in mind she's experienced the war for over four years at that point.  She knows what it means when men don't come back for their things.

I'm not going to argue the intentions of a semi-fictional character from 75 years ago.  Perhaps she knew.  Many not.  I like to presume the best in people and believe she had no idea all those men were dead.

 

ETA

I'm putting you on ignore.

Edited February 12, 2022 by Parliament

[Davis Lane 5580]

I started watching the series again.

Always starting with Ep 1 this has to be my 30th go round.

As for the laundry lady scene, I believe that was for the benefit of the viewer more than for her financial gain.

Spoiler

I mean come on, who takes a dead soldiers uniform to be laundered? The many questions of Meehan's whereabouts set the tone of Winter's ascent. Moreover, that scene, ultimately answered the question. I believe it was a graceful way to let it be known a soldier had fallen; no visible harm to the body and a clean uniform.

 

[Biff Tannen 45665]

13 minutes ago, Davis Lane said:

I started watching the series again.

Always starting with Ep 1 this has to be my 30th go round.

As for the laundry lady scene, I believe that was for the benefit of the viewer more than for her financial gain.

  Hide contents

I mean come on, who takes a dead soldiers uniform to be laundered? The many questions of Meehan's whereabouts set the tone of Winter's ascent. Moreover, that scene, ultimately answered the question. I believe it was a graceful way to let it be known a soldier had fallen; no visible harm to the body and a clean uniform.

 

This is most likely correct. Or she’s just an asshole. 

[WhatTheBuck 28775]

14 hours ago, C-Man said:

I told him, “No, you’re starting from the beginning, in boot camp … with Captain Sobel … just like Easy Company.”)

Currahee!

[bullzak 418]

RE: the laundry lady knowing better, the scene is set in 1944. 

From 1940 to June 1944 you had total Nazi occupation of that area and no real conflict with the German army other than isolated resistance fighter stuff. There wasn't anybody really at war with Germany in that area until summer 1944 so all of that had to be recent to them I would think. 

[Snake Diggity 4620]

Next to Its A Wonderful Life, BoB is the greatest art ever put on film.  
 

As I get older, with each viewing I am more struck by just how young those guys were.  Just kids, with the weight of all humanity on their shoulders.  Life has gotten dramatically easier for people and generally better for everybody over the last 80 years.  But watching BoB and the interviews with those guys, it’s hard not to feel shame at how much the culture of individualism has taken over, and how much it seems that people of today (myself included) would be incredibly unlikely to be able to rise to any kind of similar challenge.

[Guest Lobo]

That’s one of the other remarkable aspects are of band of Brothers, one of many.  The casting was very genuine and that most of the cast was about the right age of the guys that would’ve been serving in that theater in 1944.  Hollywood way too often casts these grizzled looking 30 somethings for infantry privates in war movies.  Because they wanna make it look like they’re all battle hardened even though most of the time you’re following the characters as they enter the war not as they leave it.  But to your point the war and subsequently the planet was saved, For the most part, by children.  And The absolutely most  remarkable thing Is that afterwards, They just went home and restarted their lives and rebooted the country is if World War II was just this other thing they did during their gap years.  
every chapter of that miniseries tugs at your soul and your imagination.  Just one more remarkable one was the ending ‘where are they now’ narration.  They went on to every conceivable walk of life from attorneys to senior officers to cab drivers and farmers, and everything in between .  Just what you would expect from any other group of 200 exceptional American young men.   
 

Band of  Brothers final gift to us is to demonstrate that fine line between yes these were just ordinary young men rising to the call; That any other group in any other time would’ve done the same.  But with a wink and a slight nod, It hopes to understand that there was absolutely something uniquely special about this company of heroes; and 100s of other companies just like it

 

 

[AUS-97HORN 11757]

7 hours ago, Davis Lane said:

 

  Hide contents

I mean come on, who takes a dead soldiers uniform to be laundered? The many questions of Meehan's whereabouts set the tone of Winter's ascent. Moreover, that scene, ultimately answered the question. I believe it was a graceful way to let it be known a soldier had fallen; no visible harm to the body and a clean uniform.

 

 

1 hour ago, bullzak said:

RE: the laundry lady knowing better, the scene is set in 1944. 

From 1940 to June 1944 you had total Nazi occupation of that area and no real conflict with the German army other than isolated resistance fighter stuff. There wasn't anybody really at war with Germany in that area until summer 1944 so all of that had to be recent to them I would think. 

 

 

 its clear you both have a total memory block about what the fuck is going on in that scene.

TL:DR  it was in Auldbourne England, and there is a 2 month gap between when the men last left their laundry, and then the survivors and/or lightly wounded return to Aldbourne to get reinforcements and more training.... and pick up their laundry. 

 

Easy lived and trained in Aldbourne, from late '43 until about 2 weeks before D Day when their entire division (including all of the Aldbourne billets) suddenly, without advance warning, moved overnight to the classified, locked down staging area.  This was purposeful by the Allies, while the men knew the invasion was coming "soon" only the most senior SHEAF officers knew the exact go dates.    And everyone was kept in the secure no-go staging area once they were told their objectives.

Keeping in mind that in that 9 months in Aldbourne  leading up to D Day, many of the men had been in the Army for 2.5-3 years. they got leave,especially on weekends still and they had to wear dress uniforns when they got a night or weekend pass.  uniforms that needed to be cleaned after.

So the Easy men left Aldbourne without telling anyone a word, English lady sweethearts showed up for planned dates only to find out the men were "unavailable",

@Davis Lane...that also included guys who left their laundry to be cleaned by the local wash lady who didnt have enough time to pick up their laundry before being deployed- especially since there was a very good chance that laundry was their dress uniforms and wouldnt have been a priority when going into combat. 

It wasnt a case of washing dead soldiers clothes, it was a case of dead soldiers who werent able to pick up their laundry before deployment, having their laundry be left behind and not picked up ....

UNTIL 26 days after DDay, when Easy was pulled out of Normany and @bullzak posted back to Aldbourne to rest, and reinforce (and get their laundry again)  until they left permenatly in Sept for Operation Market Garden.    They pulled back to England, Bullzak.   none of that had anything to do with a French laundry lady.  She was English.... which if you needed confirmation, she asks for a specific amount to pay for the laundry in English slang  (Bob and 3 pence or something similar), and Malarky has no fucking idea what exactly that amount is, so he just shows her a bunch of coins and she grabs the appropriate amount.

 

[PRONG HORN 3141]

[FartingMonk 3606]

3 hours ago, AUS-97HORN said:

 

 

 

 its clear you both have a total memory block about what the fuck is going on in that scene.

TL:DR  it was in Auldbourne England, and there is a 2 month gap between when the men last left their laundry, and then the survivors and/or lightly wounded return to Aldbourne to get reinforcements and more training.... and pick up their laundry. 

 

Easy lived and trained in Aldbourne, from late '43 until about 2 weeks before D Day when their entire division (including all of the Aldbourne billets) suddenly, without advance warning, moved overnight to the classified, locked down staging area.  This was purposeful by the Allies, while the men knew the invasion was coming "soon" only the most senior SHEAF officers knew the exact go dates.    And everyone was kept in the secure no-go staging area once they were told their objectives.

Keeping in mind that in that 9 months in Aldbourne  leading up to D Day, many of the men had been in the Army for 2.5-3 years. they got leave,especially on weekends still and they had to wear dress uniforns when they got a night or weekend pass.  uniforms that needed to be cleaned after.

So the Easy men left Aldbourne without telling anyone a word, English lady sweethearts showed up for planned dates only to find out the men were "unavailable",

@Davis Lane...that also included guys who left their laundry to be cleaned by the local wash lady who didnt have enough time to pick up their laundry before being deployed- especially since there was a very good chance that laundry was their dress uniforms and wouldnt have been a priority when going into combat. 

It wasnt a case of washing dead soldiers clothes, it was a case of dead soldiers who werent able to pick up their laundry before deployment, having their laundry be left behind and not picked up ....

UNTIL 26 days after DDay, when Easy was pulled out of Normany and @bullzak posted back to Aldbourne to rest, and reinforce (and get their laundry again)  until they left permenatly in Sept for Operation Market Garden.    They pulled back to England, Bullzak.   none of that had anything to do with a French laundry lady.  She was English.... which if you needed confirmation, she asks for a specific amount to pay for the laundry in English slang  (Bob and 3 pence or something similar), and Malarky has no fucking idea what exactly that amount is, so he just shows her a bunch of coins and she grabs the appropriate amount.

 

Exactly.

[bschoolprof 6252]

18 hours ago, Lobo said:

  Just one more remarkable one was the ending ‘where are they now’ narration.  They went on to every conceivable walk of life from attorneys to senior officers to cab drivers and farmers, and everything in between .  Just what you would expect from any other group of 200 exceptional American young men.   
 

 

 

 

Every time I watch the baseball ending scene with Winters' narration and then the final real life interviews with the "were you a hero during the war?" line, I'm a goddamned blubbering mess.  I'm pretty sure no other film/TV series has ever affected me like BoB.  

Edited February 13, 2022 by bschoolprof

[Guest]

On 2/12/2022 at 3:15 PM, Snake Diggity said:

Next to Its A Wonderful Life, BoB is the greatest art ever put on film.  
 

As I get older, with each viewing I am more struck by just how young those guys were.  Just kids, with the weight of all humanity on their shoulders.  Life has gotten dramatically easier for people and generally better for everybody over the last 80 years.  But watching BoB and the interviews with those guys, it’s hard not to feel shame at how much the culture of individualism has taken over, and how much it seems that people of today (myself included) would be incredibly unlikely to be able to rise to any kind of similar challenge.

There is no shortage of heroes.

The pussies have a bigger voice these days.

The heroes still exist.

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

5 hours ago, bschoolprof said:

Every time I watch the baseball ending scene with Winters' narration and then the final real life interviews with the "were you a hero during the war?" line, I'm a goddamned blubbering mess.  I'm pretty sure no other film/TV series has ever affected me like BoB.  

David Mc Culloughs 1776 . The story of the war for independence as followed thru Washington’s army, and men. 

He writes about the last dinner, a celebration between Washington, and his key officers after winning the war, and before heading off to their own lives post war. In many cases these men never saw one another again.

I had the same lump in my throat feeling about that final chapter, and the band of brothers baseball scene.

Men who shared a desperate life, and death struggle together over several years, and come out the other end victorious, and alive.

[Chad Fuck 17660]

David Mc Culloughs 1776 . The story of the war for independence as followed thru Washington’s army, and men. 
He writes about the last dinner, a celebration between Washington, and his key officers after winning the war, and before heading off to their own lives post war. In many cases these men never saw one another again.
I had the same lump in my throat feeling about that final chapter, and the band of brothers baseball scene.
Men who shared a desperate life, and death struggle together over several years, and come out the other end victorious, and alive.

Fraunce’s Tavern. I’ve been there. Pretty cool to be in the room where it happened.

[FartingMonk 3606]

I ran across a video today with Wild Bill's grand daughter.  She was describing how the family got together every Sunday to watch and Bill would give commentary.  Said he wouldn't shut up.  Then episode 6 where he talks about pissing razors.  He all of a sudden got really quiet.  The asked if he got gonnerhea but he wouldn't answer.  I would have loved to be there for his commentary

[dcbc 14465]

Just starting again.  I quickly realize that this is one of those shows that I don't opt for the "skip intro" shortcut.

[Don Johnson 4752]

 

[Guest Lobo]

I love that Winters gave him first pick in the cellar.  

[Gatorubet 30187]

How shitty would it be to volunteer to fight for your country just to have the seminal popular work on it portray you as the bad guy 

Guy had demons. I mean, he had kids and a wife at some point, but they became so estranged he died alone of malnutrition after his botched suicide. There is something we don’t know.

[Biff Tannen 45665]

On 2/25/2022 at 11:40 AM, Don Johnson said:

 

Crazy how much he looks like Livingston.  Or vice versa I guess.

[WhatTheBuck 28775]

Colorization sucks. 

[RamjetFDO 10575]

PSA: Memorial Day series rebroadcast on both HBO2/2W (staggered).

"Why We Fight" at 328pm on HBO2 and 628pm on HBO2W.

[Frieda’s Boss 181]

Caught pieces on History Channel marathon yesterday. Can pick it up at any point and get sucked in. Stayed up to watch the end of Points - as noted above, the recap during their baseball game of how they lived their lives and then the subsequent interviews where they finally ID the vets gets me every time. So well done. 

[Sbbruin 21830]

Watched Breaking Point and the Last Patrol on History yesterday.  Watching Bastogne now.  Can always jump into this.

[RPM 26318]

HBO2 ran a marathon today. I made it through Bastogne before I had to go to bed and recorded the rest. It's so much better without the 1000 commercial breaks.

[gyroprotagonist 2592]

wife and i watched it all the way through.  so fucking good.  made it through 8 on Sunday and finished on Monday.  

easiest to watch on the hbo ap.

[The Ace of Aces 5175]

Rewatched again over the long weekend. As always I skip the final 2/3 of Why We Fight, can't watch it. Skipped most of The Last Patrol too as it's the worst episode and just kinda a waste IMO if you've seen once. 

The fact all these men are gone is always when dust hits the room. 

[Biff Tannen 45665]

1 hour ago, The Ace of Aces said:

Skipped most of The Last Patrol too as it's the worst episode and just kinda a waste IMO if you've seen once. 

I disagree here.  It captures the feeling near the end of the war where they are all war-weary and with the end in sight, not wanting to further risk their brother's lives if not truly necessary.  Comparing how men like Malarkey changed in this episode compared to the beginning is a stark contrast.  Also, Colin Hanks did a good job in that role.

[The Ace of Aces 5175]

7 minutes ago, Biff Tannen said:

I disagree here.  It captures the feeling near the end of the war where they are all war-weary and with the end in sight, not wanting to further risk their brother's lives if not truly necessary.  Comparing how men like Malarkey changed in this episode compared to the beginning is a stark contrast.  Also, Colin Hanks did a good job in that role.

Oh I agree wholeheartedly- but after a first watch to me it’s more of a drag than any other episode. 

[oSuJeff97 3435]

16 minutes ago, Biff Tannen said:

I disagree here.  It captures the feeling near the end of the war where they are all war-weary and with the end in sight, not wanting to further risk their brother's lives if not truly necessary.  Comparing how men like Malarkey changed in this episode compared to the beginning is a stark contrast.  Also, Colin Hanks did a good job in that role.

Co-sign.

I think The Last Patrol is absolutely one of the best episodes for the reasons you pointed out.

The way they play the contrast between Colin Hanks, young and fresh out of West Point, and Weber, fresh from the hospital after being injured in Market-Garden, with the rest of the battle-weary company that had just been through Bastogne and the Battle of the Bulge was striking and brilliant.

And also showing how the decision-making process works during war when things are winding down and both sides see the end in sight was very telling.

[Biff Tannen 45665]

1 hour ago, oSuJeff97 said:

Co-sign.

I think The Last Patrol is absolutely one of the best episodes for the reasons you pointed out.

The way they play the contrast between Colin Hanks, young and fresh out of West Point, and Weber, fresh from the hospital after being injured in Market-Garden, with the rest of the battle-weary company that had just been through Bastogne and the Battle of the Bulge was striking and brilliant.

And also showing how the decision-making process works during war when things are winding down and both sides see the end in sight was very telling.

Also supplies this gif

[Hate 20107]

I thought that episode also illustrated the brilliant leadership of Winters when he tells them not to run that second mission. He could have been court marshaled had it been found out that he disobeyed an order.

[oSuJeff97 3435]

Just now, Hate said:

I thought that episode also illustrated the brilliant leadership of Winters when he tells them not to run that second mission. He could have been court marshaled had it been found out that he disobeyed an order.

IIRC from the book, they actually do the second mission, but it's uneventful/no casualties.

I've often wondered if that was made up for the show, or maybe if Winters actually told them that, despite what he said in the book, that they didn't actually do the second mission.

My gut tells me that it was just made up for the show because Winters seems like the type who would not disobey an order like that.

[Wade 464]

2 hours ago, oSuJeff97 said:

Co-sign.

I think The Last Patrol is absolutely one of the best episodes for the reasons you pointed out.

The way they play the contrast between Colin Hanks, young and fresh out of West Point, and Weber, fresh from the hospital after being injured in Market-Garden, with the rest of the battle-weary company that had just been through Bastogne and the Battle of the Bulge was striking and brilliant.

And also showing how the decision-making process works during war when things are winding down and both sides see the end in sight was very telling.

Amazing episode.  Sink (who I liked immensely up to that point) callously disregarding the lives of his men in order to score bragging points with another successful patrol, and Winters, absolutely disgusted by the whole thing.  Weber being treated like a piece of shit because he missed Bastogne, and as mentioned earlier, the change in Malarkey.

[baboso 6054]

Webster, not Weber.

[Deej 76755]

1 hour ago, baboso said:

Webster, not Weber.

[baboso 6054]

Man deserves to get his name right.  He was a Toccoa man.

[Guest]

"skipped worst episode of Band of Brothers"

to watch what else? Twilight?

[WhatTheBuck 28775]

21 hours ago, The Ace of Aces said:

Rewatched again over the long weekend. As always I skip the final 2/3 of Why We Fight, can't watch it. Skipped most of The Last Patrol too as it's the worst episode and just kinda a waste IMO if you've seen once. 

The fact all these men are gone is always when dust hits the room. 

I never skip any of it even though some parts are tough to watch. That’s sort of the point.

As for Why We Fight, the name came from a series of propaganda films directed by Frank Capra, (you know, the guy who directed films like Mr. Smith Goes To Washington and It’s A Wonderful Life,) and were shown to US soldiers to sell them on why we had to get involved in a foreign war. The whole series is worth a watch. Capra was a master of evoking an emotional response and he had a huge impact on American cinema.

 

[oSuJeff97 3435]

Honestly the only episode of BoB I ever consider skipping is the Carentan/Blythe episode. There's something about that episode that just never clicked with me... maybe because of the random focus on Blythe, who we don't ever see before that episode? I don't know.  But even with that being my least favorite episode, there is still a lot of great stuff, from the Spiers stuff to Winters literally kicking the company in the rear to get them out of the ditch and going into Carentan.

I'd never skip any of the others though.

[HouTex 1866]

1 hour ago, oSuJeff97 said:

Honestly the only episode of BoB I ever consider skipping is the Carentan/Blythe episode. There's something about that episode that just never clicked with me... maybe because of the random focus on Blythe, who we don't ever see before that episode? I don't know.  But even with that being my least favorite episode, there is still a lot of great stuff, from the Spiers stuff to Winters literally kicking the company in the rear to get them out of the ditch and going into Carentan.

I'd never skip any of the others though.

I agree with the Blythe episode.  They also got it wrong with Blythe.  He fully recovered and died much later in life.  

[Biff Tannen 45665]

I celebrate the entire catalog.

[WhatTheBuck 28775]

11 minutes ago, HouTex said:

I agree with the Blythe episode.  They also got it wrong with Blythe.  He fully recovered and died much later in life.  

So they made a mistake. They acknowledged their error. And that scene when the Shermans show up is pretty powerful. “Oh, you beautiful babies, you!” And Blythe gets a kill.

I never skip anything. Not even the opening theme song.

[HouTex 1866]

4 minutes ago, WhatTheBuck said:

So they made a mistake. They acknowledged their error. And that scene when the Shermans show up is pretty powerful. “Oh, you beautiful babies, you!” And Blythe gets a kill.

I never skip anything. Not even the opening theme song.

I intended it as a slight criticism.  BoB is one of the greatest series ever made and I watch all episodes every Memorial Day weekend.  It should be required viewing in public high schools.  So should the first two episodes of John Adams to instruct our youth on the founding principles and the inherent nature of our rights.  

[MNLonghornFUKM 8817]

So they made a mistake. They acknowledged their error. And that scene when the Shermans show up is pretty powerful. “Oh, you beautiful babies, you!” And Blythe gets a kill.
I never skip anything. Not even the opening theme song.

Always warms my heart watching the Nazi get ran over by a tank

[Parliament 14247]

The Ardennes Forest episode focusing mostly on Doc Roe was my fave.  How does anyone goes through that and not crack.

ETA

And this was the best scene of the series.  Not even Jimmy Fallon could ruin it.  "We're paratroopers...we're supposed to be surrounded."

 

 

Edited June 2, 2022 by Parliament