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Band of Brothers 1x06 Full Length Reaction

Bastogne. Need I say more?

Band of Brothers 1x06 Full Length Reaction

Comments

Wow! I'm sorry that happened to him, but he must have been proud to be a part of that final drive. We appreciate his service.

Movie Night

My Grandfather was in Pattons Army and was a part of the drive to "rescue" the 101st airborne. He was wounded by a tree burst and his face and chest were torn up by shrapnel and wood splinters. He was in the hospital for 2 months but then rejoined his unit for the final drive into Germany.

Stephen Knueppel

It would certainly make sense 😢

Movie Night

Agreed about Doc Roe. Medics and the Navy corpsmen who are their counterparts with the Marines are tight with the guys they serve with - a medic or corpsman is one of the guys. I think Roe was struggling not to be overwhelmed because of that attachment and that was why he was in his own bubble a lot of the time.

Jim Finley

Great reaction. I did have a different perspective on the trope you mentioned. I don't think Renee's death is really a catalyst for Eugene growing as a person. We already saw him connecting with the men before her death, for instance after they lose the soldier on the patrol, Babe was having a very hard time dealing with it and Eugene seeks him out in his hole, offers him the chocolate that Renee gave him, and spends the entire night by his side. Doc's character doesn't change much throughout the entire series. We see him consistently connecting with and caring for the soldiers in his care, for example when Blithe is blinded in Carentan, when Moose is shot at the end of Crossroads, etc.. Eugene has been in almost every episode caring for the men when they get hit. What I think this episode portrays, rather, is the massive exhaustion that occurs from dealing with so many of his brothers being wounded and killed over and over without reprieve. We see the toll it is taking on him in this episode as he has become so numb that his memory is foggy on many things. Finally, as he nears his breaking point, we see him react slowly and in one case need to be dragged out of his hole to do his job. Renee's death is not a catalyst for his character growth, rather it is the final moment of crisis where we find out if he will snap or find a way to persevere. He perseveres and using Renee's scarf as a bandage is an honor to her, knowing that she would want it to be used to help heal rather than a keepsake. And as others have written, Renee was a real nurse that was killed in Bastogne. I think rather than a cheap trope, Eugene using her scarf was a nod of respect by the showrunners to Renee's lasting legacy as an angel of Bastogne. I have a personal connection to this battle as my grandmother was an Army nurse that was stationed in Bastogne and worked there to save many wounded. The air quality was so poor from the ash and debris that she developed a bad lung condition and wound up being medically evacuated herself, very shortly before Bastogne was completely cut off as depicted in the show. It's a very powerful episode and I appreciate the showmakers showing the nurses, medics, and doctors and the great toll the war had on them, not just the warriors.

Cycle

That's a great way to look at it! Agreed--a wonderful episode, and great addition to the series.

Movie Night

maybe its just me but i feel gene using renee's headscarf is gene making himself a part of easy company in a way. most of the soldiers have lost friends through violence and persevered through it. gene up until this episode kept himself separate from easy to protect him from watching his friends die in the same way as the rest of the company. but after having a connection with rennee and seeing her lost to the war he is able to connect better with the soldiers, i.e. calling heffron "babe" instead of edward. tearing renee's headscarf represents gene not giving up on his mission of healing even if he cant save everyone. just such a beautiful episode

the vengaboy

I feel the same with all you said about the perspective of how hard it must have been for the medics. A perspective I also felt with Doc Roe is that, whereas the other soldiers could take cover, fight and perhaps stop the enemies from shooting at them, as the medic I wouldn't have that ability and feel more vulnerable for it. I have to run to where someone was already hit, be exposed while I give first aid, and am not able to evade as I drag a soldier back. I feel Winters' leadership and character showed again. The men know he's suffering with them in the front, and I think his making a point to shave with freezing cold water is to show them that this is business-as-usual and perhaps spark just a little bit of hope or confidence. When he searches the captured soldier for weapons and supplies, he makes it a point to give back the prisoner's photograph, which is implied the Germans wouldn't do when Julian was hit and had to be left behind.

Inhonor Oftrip

You are right about that. To expand a little, the two nurses, Renée Lemaire and Augusta Chiwy were helping at the aid station were Doc Roe may have met them at some point during the battle though there are no known accounts of that as far as I can remember. The book Band of Brothers is based on only mentions them in passing, so their interactions have been fabricated for the series. Renée was, however, actually killed in the bombing raids, along with many of the wounded at the aid station, while Augusta survived.

Pascal Vorwerk

I've read in other comments and thought you would find this interesting. The two nurses in the episode were actual nurses from the war. Learning their stories made this even more of an amazing episode. I understand the encounters with them may have been created for the episode.

Soloydiver


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