Nearly every scene inBand of Brothersis memorable, but these are the most powerful, the ones that sum up the World War II miniseries the best and remind you what the show is about.Based on the non-fiction book of the same nameby Stephen E. Ambrose,Band of Brotherstells the story of the men of Easy Company, a company in the 101st Airborne who parachuted into Europe on D-Day and were crucial actors in the events that led to the Allied Victory in Europe. It’s inspiring, heartbreaking, thrilling, and moving in equal measure.
Created by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, who were just coming off their othergroundbreaking WWII project,Saving Private Ryan,Band of Brotherstakes some lessons from that film and is sure to present the terrible cost of war alongside the heroics that make for great television. Between the tragedies and victories,there are a handful of incredibly powerful moments inBand of Brothersthat can take your breath away, make you smile in the face of chaos, or force you to face a painful reality about warfare.
10Winters Gives Nixon A Gift
Episode 10, “Points”
Not every powerful scene inBand of Brothersis steeped in blood or heroism; sometimes it’s just a moment between two longtime friends that shows how much they love one another. In episode 10, “Points”, the straight-laced Dick Winters (Damian Lewis) finds Hermann Goering’s private wine and liquor collection.
Winters isn’t a drinker himself, but he calls his best friend, Lewis Nixon (Ron Lilvingston), to get first dibs on the alcohol there.It’s a wonderfully moving scene that shows just how well Winters knows his friend, and the look on Nixon’s face is one of pure joy. After so much death and destruction, it’s this moment of camaraderie that reminds you how important the “Brothers” piece of the title is.
9Liebgott Kills A German Commandant
The concentration camp scene in episode 9, “Why We Fight”, isn’t the only moment that contends with the plight of the Jewish people in Nazi-occupied Europe. In episode 10, “Points”, the Jewish soldier Liebgott (Ross McCall) goes to a remote German farm to summarily execute a German soldier he believes was a commandant at a concentration camp.
His fellow soldiers, Webster (Eion Bailey) and Sisk (Philip Barantini), are a little more unsure about all this, and when Liebgott threatens the man, Webster even walks out of the house. Liebgott kills the officer after almost letting him escape, much to Webster’s disappointment. It’s a violent scene, and while it’s likely that the soldier was a commandant,the extrajudicial killing of someone without a fair trial raises some questions about the mindset of the soldiers in Europe at the time.
8The Dutch Women Are Publicly Humiliated
Episode 4, “Replacements”
During Operation Market Garden, the men of the 101st get the welcome they always dreamed of after they liberate the Dutch town of Eindhoven. The citizens there throw a parade for the soldiers, giving them beer, coffee, food, and more. As the celebration continues,the soldiers watch with unease as a group of women is stripped of their garments and have their heads shaved, a punishment for sleeping with German soldiers.
It’s a powerful and gut-wrenching moment that shows the war is not as simple as defeating Germany, and the effects of occupation will lead to unrest, injustice, and cruelty; and the men of Easy are powerless to stop it. Whether these women deserved their fates or not isn’t in question inBand of Brothers. Instead, we’re just asked to sit with the more unpleasant side of “heroism”.
7Captain Speirs To The Rescue
Episode 7, “The Breaking Point”
Captain Ronald Speirs (Matthew Settle) is as bad as they get in the 101st. A member of Dog Company originally,Speirs scares his fellow soldiers as much as he does the Germans. For most of the series, Speirs is spoken about in hushed tones, though we never see any of his exploits. That is until “The Breaking Point”.
Speirs is called in to replace Lieutenant Dike (Peter O’Meara) during the offensive against the heavily defended town of Foy and immediately proves why he has the reputation he does. In a moment, he figures out the situation, makes the right calls, and then, if that isn’t enough, runs back and forth through the German lines to connect the US soldiers to everyone’s disbelief. The smile that Carwood Lipton (Donnie Wahlberg) flashes as Speirs runs is one that everyone watching the episode shared.
6Winters Writes An After-Action Report
Episode 5, “Crossroads”
Major Dick Winters (Damian Lewis) is the ostensible protagonist ofBand of Brothers, though every character gets time to shine. Winters is rarely shaken by anything that happens in the war, and when something difficult does happen, he’s usually able to get past it. In Episode 5, “Crossroads”, Winters does something that sticks with him.
Asked to write an after-action report of a recent battle, Winters recalls the event. He and his scouting party stumbled across a large German force who were completely out of position and vulnerable. Winters comes face to face with an unarmed, teenage soldier, andafter a moment’s hesitation, kills the young boy to initiate the ambush. It’s a wildly successful mission, but the look on Winters' face lets you know the moment has stayed with him.
5Buck Is Sent Home
AsBand of Brothersgoes on, more and more members of Easy Company leave the line. Most often, it’s because they are killed or so injured, they can no longer fight. Some are sent home for other reasons, like Buck Compton (Neal McDonough). The jock of the company, who is as brave and talented a soldier as anyone, reaches his breaking point in episode 7, “The Breaking Point”, when two of his good friends have their legs blown off in Bastogne.
Buck can handle everything the war has thrown at him, but he can’t handle seeing his buddies in so much pain, and he loses his nerve. He’s sent off the line, andthough he’s filled with shame, every member of Easy thinks no less of him. It’s a painful and powerful moment that shows how the war can touch even those who seem impervious to it.
4Sergeant Lipton Is Made Second Lieutenant
Carwood Lipton (Donnie Wahlberg) slowly becomes one of the best characters inBand of Brothersover the course of the show. Down-to-earth, dutiful, and a good shot, Lipton is a fantastic soldier and the exact type of guy you would want on the line with you. His heroism and leadership abilities are finally rewarded in episode 7, “Breaking Point”. After the brutal assault on Foy, the men of Easy have their first rest in weeks in a church, being serenaded by a children’s choir.
Speirs and Lipton talk separately, with Speirs pointing out that there was one man in the company responsible for getting everyone out of there alive and with their spirits intact. The ever-humble Lipton can’t figure out who Speirs is talking about, eliciting a rare laugh from the Dog Captain, who says it was Lipton whom everyone turned to. It’s a touching moment between characters who rarely show any emotion.
3Interviews With The Surviving Easy Company Members
Band of Brothersepisodes open with real World War II veterans discussing their experiences of the war, usually recounting the events that will later be shown in the episode. At first, we are not clear who these men are exactly. Though it’s obvious they are veterans, the series does not offer up names or ranks, simply using the power of their stories to help guide the episode.
It’s a powerful moment that serves as a final reminder that this isn’t just a story, it’s history.
At the end of the finale, all the men who did interviews throughoutBand of Brothersare brought back to the screen, and their names are revealed. Thus,we meet the real-life remaining members of Easy Company.We see Major Winters and the rest of the soldiers, now much older, but still impressive and inspiring. It’s a powerful moment that serves as a final reminder that this isn’t just a story, it’s history.
2Nixon Watches The Dachau Camp Cleanup
Episode 9, “Why We Fight”
In “Why We Fight”, the war nears its end, and Captain Nixon (Ron Livingston) is desperate for alcohol, which he’s used to hide his pain and anger, keeping up his facade of cheeriness and wise-cracking attitude. This is stripped away after the 101st discovers a subdivision of the Dachau Concentration Camp. It’s an incredibly affecting scene with skeletal prisoners begging for help.
The name of the camp that the 101st liberates is Kaufering, which is a complex of subcamps under the more infamous Dachau.
What’s more powerful than the Army taking away the captives' food so they don’t inadvertently kill themselves is Nixon coming into contact with an elderly German woman sent to clean up the camp as punishment. This aristocratic woman gave Nixon the evil eye after he broke into her home looking for alcohol, shaming him deeply. They meet again in the camp, with bodies strewn around. Nixon holds his eyes on her this time until she breaks down, crying in shame and regret.
1Doc Roe Finds Renée’s Headdress
Episode 6, “Bastogne”
Eugene “Doc” Roe (Shane Taylor) is a great character from his first appearance when he dresses down officers who far outrank him, but the Easy medic does not get an episode to himselfuntil episode 6, “Bastogne”. While the men of Easy are being blasted and suffering from frostbite, Doc is doing everything he can to get medical supplies for his brothers in arms.
His trips to the surrounded and desperate town of Bastogne introduce him to the Belgian nurse, Renée (Lucie Jeanne). Doc and Renée begin an easy relationship that gives Doc a small amount of hope. That hope is dashed when the Bastogne church/hospital is leveled by bombs, and he pulls out her distinctive headdress from beneath the rubble, marking one of the saddest and most powerful moments inBand of Brothers.
Band of Brothers
Cast
Band of Brothers is a 2001 HBO miniseries chronicling Easy Company’s experiences from paratrooper training to World War II’s end. It portrays their participation in pivotal battles such as D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge, based on Stephen E. Ambrose’s book and first-hand accounts from surviving members.
