Just finished watching this miniseries for the second time through. Hadn't watched it in probably 4-5 years and really forgot how good this show was. If it's been a while since you've watched it or if you've never watched it, I highly recommend you go do so!
Band of Brothers
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Last: 1 mo ago by aTmAg
I think I've watched it 4-5 times over the years, and it's great every time.
It may be the best thing ever put on television, and this is coming from a guy who really isn't big on ww1/ww2/Vietnam type movies.
It may be the best thing ever put on television, and this is coming from a guy who really isn't big on ww1/ww2/Vietnam type movies.
It's the greatest show/movie I've ever watched.
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It really is one of the best shows ever. I watched it for the first time about two years ago and am going to wait until I forget some of it before I watch it again.
That's how I wish they would have done All Quiet On the Western Front instead of cramming it into a movie
That's how I wish they would have done All Quiet On the Western Front instead of cramming it into a movie
There's an hour documentary on the same 101st airborne division on HBO Max. If you loved this movie you'll really like the documentary. It's called We Stand Alone Together.
Watch it every year around DDay. What a stellar cast. Damien Lewis, Ron Livingston, Neal McDonough, Donnie Wahlberg, Schwimmer, Colin Hanks, etc. Cameos by Fassbender, Hardy, Simon Pegg and McAvoy.
Super humbling when you realize Winters and those guys were 26 and under during most of the show. Probably in my top 5 shows of all time.
Super humbling when you realize Winters and those guys were 26 and under during most of the show. Probably in my top 5 shows of all time.
cupcakesprinkles said:
It really is one of the best shows ever. I watched it for the first time about two years ago and am going to wait until I forget some of it before I watch it again.
That's how I wish they would have done All Quiet On the Western Front instead of cramming it into a movie
How was AQONTWF? Been wanting to sit down and watch it.
Band of Brothers is definitely one of the greatest seasons of TV ever. I can't think of anything else I would put over it. Even Season 1 of True Detective would just be immediately below it for 2nd place.
Everything about this show was so exceptionally done, starting with the intro, incorporating the interviews from The Men of Easy Company, to how they focused on individual characters and their stories in each episode.
Bastogne and The Breaking Point are still the most intense depictions of war I've ever seen on screen. Yeah, the body count isn't as high as Saving Private Ryan, but the sheer fact we spend 2 full episodes on the Battle of the Bulge just made you feel it. Especially spending one episode focused on Eugene and the other focused on Lipton.
Gah, it's such a great freaking show. And this is still my favorite part of the entire series. Love how Winters just ignores Horton after being called back and yelling for Spiers and sending him in:
Everything about this show was so exceptionally done, starting with the intro, incorporating the interviews from The Men of Easy Company, to how they focused on individual characters and their stories in each episode.
Bastogne and The Breaking Point are still the most intense depictions of war I've ever seen on screen. Yeah, the body count isn't as high as Saving Private Ryan, but the sheer fact we spend 2 full episodes on the Battle of the Bulge just made you feel it. Especially spending one episode focused on Eugene and the other focused on Lipton.
Gah, it's such a great freaking show. And this is still my favorite part of the entire series. Love how Winters just ignores Horton after being called back and yelling for Spiers and sending him in:
Watch with my son every Memorial Day.
I'm a little bummed that I don't have history/hbo to prompt my binge watch of it, where they just air it on repeate for a couple days.
I do have the box set, along with hbomax but it just doenst feel the same
I do have the box set, along with hbomax but it just doenst feel the same
It's my favorite piece of WWII media, better than Saving Private Ryan. I try to watch is annually. One recommendation I'll make is to make sure you watch The Pacific as well. It didn't hit with me the first time I watched it but I did a rewatch in the last two years and it definitely resonated with me the second time. The European campaign is definitely the more romanticized of the two. The Pacific was just brutal on the soldiers in a very different way. The two of them collectively are just incredible. If you watch The Pacific immediately the juxtaposition of them really shows the differences.
Probably mentioned this before, but the HBO podcast on the series is really great too. One podcast episode for each BoB episode. Great guests from the cast talking about their experiences making the series and a lot of cool stories about meeting the real life versions of the characters they were playing on TV.
Looking forward to the 8th AF version too. I thought it was supposed to already be done.
Had a cousin (my Dad's age) that got blown to pieces in the Battle of the Bulge but still made it back. Had a garage in Bryan for years. Very tough man!
Had a cousin (my Dad's age) that got blown to pieces in the Battle of the Bulge but still made it back. Had a garage in Bryan for years. Very tough man!
It's called Masters of the Air, based on the wonderful book by Donald Miller. Latest I'm seeing suggests a spring 2023 release, but who knows if that will happen.13B said:
Looking forward to the 8th AF version too. I thought it was supposed to already be done.
Podcast was a great listen. Although when I re-watched the Bastogne episodes, all I could remember is that during the podcast the actors talked about how hot it really was since they filmed on a set. And the way they had to put the trees back together between takes during the shelling scenes. Fascinating stuff..
I could never get into The Pacific because I love character driven stories. I think I got 2 or 3 episodes in, and I had no attachment to any of the characters, so just stopped watching.
theeyetest said:cupcakesprinkles said:
It really is one of the best shows ever. I watched it for the first time about two years ago and am going to wait until I forget some of it before I watch it again.
That's how I wish they would have done All Quiet On the Western Front instead of cramming it into a movie
How was AQONTWF? Been wanting to sit down and watch it.
It was a decent movie that showed the dread and misery of trench warfare while the elites "negotiated" and ate cake.
But there was so much missed because of all of the information they tried to cram into the movie. If they had more time for character development it would have had the potential to be amazing.
I encourage you to give it another shot
Agreed. The Pacific got so much darker than Band of Brothers.
I finished reading Masters of the Air a couple months ago. That series will be brutal as well.
I finished reading Masters of the Air a couple months ago. That series will be brutal as well.
The Pacific was far less enjoyable of a watch for me, but it was still an important one.
That was my initial reaction the first time. That miniseries is based on 2 books, one is With The Old Breed which is the perspective of Eugene Sledge (played by Joseph Mazzello), and Helmet For My Pillow which is the book by Robert Leckie (played by James Badge Dale.)
I read With The Old Breed, which gave me more insight into The Pacific. After I read that the rewatch hit a lot harder. The constant threat when the sun went down of being attacked in the foxhole was very realistic. Having to dig a foxhole into the ground was incredibly difficult. If you had to crawl then you got cut up from all the coral. The stench of rotting flesh and coconuts permeated the air. The persistent heat and humidity, lack of clean water. If you were relieved your reward wasn't going on leave to Paris for the weekend, it was going back to the ship where you were sleeping on deck not that far from the fighting. The Pacific was absolute hell for those soldiers.
I read With The Old Breed, which gave me more insight into The Pacific. After I read that the rewatch hit a lot harder. The constant threat when the sun went down of being attacked in the foxhole was very realistic. Having to dig a foxhole into the ground was incredibly difficult. If you had to crawl then you got cut up from all the coral. The stench of rotting flesh and coconuts permeated the air. The persistent heat and humidity, lack of clean water. If you were relieved your reward wasn't going on leave to Paris for the weekend, it was going back to the ship where you were sleeping on deck not that far from the fighting. The Pacific was absolute hell for those soldiers.
If you stick with it a little longer, they do actually follow the same 4-5 characters primarily. The story is definitely not the same as Band of Brothers, but that's just how it went.DallasTeleAg said:
I could never get into The Pacific because I love character driven stories. I think I got 2 or 3 episodes in, and I had no attachment to any of the characters, so just stopped watching.
I woudl recommend finishing it, there is some pretty impactful stuff in the later episodes.
Well said.Max Power said:
It's my favorite piece of WWII media, better than Saving Private Ryan. I try to watch is annually. One recommendation I'll make is to make sure you watch The Pacific as well. It didn't hit with me the first time I watched it but I did a rewatch in the last two years and it definitely resonated with me the second time. The European campaign is definitely the more romanticized of the two. The Pacific was just brutal on the soldiers in a very different way. The two of them collectively are just incredible. If you watch The Pacific immediately the juxtaposition of them really shows the differences.
I love both of these shows, but actually like The Pacific more. Part of that is an understanding of the essential differences between the PTO and ETO. BoB tells a linear story from beginning to end, whereas The Pacific does seem to hop all over the place. Of course, that is pretty much the story of the USN in the South Pacific with the island hopping strategy.
The primary characters of The Pacific (and don't forget Sgt. John Basilone) were just as real to me as any in BoB. The Pacific depicted the horrors of the PTO very well. And what drove all of that home for me was the last episode, with Sledge back home dealing with nightmares, and then just breaking down when he's out hunting with his father.
None of this is meant to disparage BoB in any way. It is one of the greatest shows ever.
Lewis and Livingston are so good it's easy to forget they are actors and you aren't watching a documentary.BoydCrowder13 said:
Watch it every year around DDay. What a stellar cast. Damien Lewis, Ron Livingston, Neal McDonough, Donnie Wahlberg, Schwimmer, Colin Hanks, etc. Cameos by Fassbender, Hardy, Simon Pegg and McAvoy.
Right there with you.Cinco Ranch Aggie said:Well said.Max Power said:
It's my favorite piece of WWII media, better than Saving Private Ryan. I try to watch is annually. One recommendation I'll make is to make sure you watch The Pacific as well. It didn't hit with me the first time I watched it but I did a rewatch in the last two years and it definitely resonated with me the second time. The European campaign is definitely the more romanticized of the two. The Pacific was just brutal on the soldiers in a very different way. The two of them collectively are just incredible. If you watch The Pacific immediately the juxtaposition of them really shows the differences.
I love both of these shows, but actually like The Pacific more. Part of that is an understanding of the essential differences between the PTO and ETO. BoB tells a linear story from beginning to end, whereas The Pacific does seem to hop all over the place. Of course, that is pretty much the story of the USN in the South Pacific with the island hopping strategy.
The primary characters of The Pacific (and don't forget Sgt. John Basilone) were just as real to me as any in BoB. The Pacific depicted the horrors of the PTO very well. And what drove all of that home for me was the last episode, with Sledge back home dealing with nightmares, and then just breaking down when he's out hunting with his father.
None of this is meant to disparage BoB in any way. It is one of the greatest shows ever.
I think The Pacific is actually more empathetic as a story than Band of Brothers is. You just feel bad for those guys, I think they also do a good job of showing PTSD as well, both during and after combat. Where as BoB is a heroic tale, The Pacific is more of a tragedy. There's more of a sense of "what the hell are we doing here?" for the characters being portrayed. In BoB they worked their way across Europe, in The Pacific they just island hopped, there's no sense of progress. It's triumph vs futility. BoB makes you want to go fight with those guys to an extent, except Bastogne thanks to the cold. Nothing about the Pacific makes the viewer want to join in that fight, which is by design.
BoB also portrayed the men as a group coming together that had each others backs, The Pacific portrayed a much more solitary existence in battle. While both are tales of war they are very different.
This scene kills me now. I can hardly watch it. I grew up hunting and shooting all my life, but had an incident back in 2018 while running with my wife in a park that really messed with me. Woman threatened us with a shotgun and I told my wife to run and just put myself between her and the gun and kinda accepted my fate. Lady ended up attempting suicide instead. Started having anxiety after that and ended up handing my guns back to my dad a year later. They just really freak me out now. I tell myself I'd like to get back into hunting, but I just can't do it anymore.Cinco Ranch Aggie said:Well said.Max Power said:
It's my favorite piece of WWII media, better than Saving Private Ryan. I try to watch is annually. One recommendation I'll make is to make sure you watch The Pacific as well. It didn't hit with me the first time I watched it but I did a rewatch in the last two years and it definitely resonated with me the second time. The European campaign is definitely the more romanticized of the two. The Pacific was just brutal on the soldiers in a very different way. The two of them collectively are just incredible. If you watch The Pacific immediately the juxtaposition of them really shows the differences.
I love both of these shows, but actually like The Pacific more. Part of that is an understanding of the essential differences between the PTO and ETO. BoB tells a linear story from beginning to end, whereas The Pacific does seem to hop all over the place. Of course, that is pretty much the story of the USN in the South Pacific with the island hopping strategy.
The primary characters of The Pacific (and don't forget Sgt. John Basilone) were just as real to me as any in BoB. The Pacific depicted the horrors of the PTO very well. And what drove all of that home for me was the last episode, with Sledge back home dealing with nightmares, and then just breaking down when he's out hunting with his father.
None of this is meant to disparage BoB in any way. It is one of the greatest shows ever.
Have watched BoB several times and have to stop and watch when it is being re-aired. Was discussing it just this past week with a friend.
It should be required viewing for every high school senior in America.
It should be required viewing for every high school senior in America.
I rarely get moved to tears by movies or tv but Band of Brothers had that effect on me several times throughout.
What those guys endured, and their individual stories, were just beyond words.
"The Greatest Generation" is so appropriate, and so well earned. These guys grew up during the Great Depression, then got shipped off to Europe to face pure evil, and went through hell over there, and they performed heroically.
Both my grandfathers fought, one in Europe and the other in the Pacific. So obviously I'm thinking of them as I watch, but it's a lot more than that.
What those guys endured, and their individual stories, were just beyond words.
"The Greatest Generation" is so appropriate, and so well earned. These guys grew up during the Great Depression, then got shipped off to Europe to face pure evil, and went through hell over there, and they performed heroically.
Both my grandfathers fought, one in Europe and the other in the Pacific. So obviously I'm thinking of them as I watch, but it's a lot more than that.
One thing that reminds me of my mom's dad, is the old guy who said that every time he and his wife go to bed on a cold night, he says, "Thank God I'm not in Bastogne."
Whenever I was complaining or struggling with just about anything, my grandfather would say, "Nobody's shooting at you. You're gonna be okay,"
Whenever I was complaining or struggling with just about anything, my grandfather would say, "Nobody's shooting at you. You're gonna be okay,"
Great thoughts in both those posts, AgE2theBONE.
The series is moving to an extent that is hard to explain. When I watch, I think of my uncle who, at around 18-20 years old, went to basic training and then ended up as a nose-gunner on a B-24. He flew 90+ missions in the European theater (mostly out of Sicily and England) and was part of the campaign in the final days of the war to destroy Hitler's bunkers and other infrastructure.
The series is moving to an extent that is hard to explain. When I watch, I think of my uncle who, at around 18-20 years old, went to basic training and then ended up as a nose-gunner on a B-24. He flew 90+ missions in the European theater (mostly out of Sicily and England) and was part of the campaign in the final days of the war to destroy Hitler's bunkers and other infrastructure.
best show ever put on television. Period. I have watched it more times than I can count.
side note. I used to teach US history (11th graders) and the year I was going through my chemo (and still working) my admins let me show BoB since I was in no mood to teach a full day. It took something like a month to complete the entire series. The students loved it. 95% of the kids would've never took the time at home to watch it, but damn near everyone of them got sucked into it and loved. Many tears were shed during the episode where the discover the concentration camp.
side note. I used to teach US history (11th graders) and the year I was going through my chemo (and still working) my admins let me show BoB since I was in no mood to teach a full day. It took something like a month to complete the entire series. The students loved it. 95% of the kids would've never took the time at home to watch it, but damn near everyone of them got sucked into it and loved. Many tears were shed during the episode where the discover the concentration camp.
Only twice?theeyetest said:
Just finished watching this miniseries for the second time through. Hadn't watched it in probably 4-5 years and really forgot how good this show was. If it's been a while since you've watched it or if you've never watched it, I highly recommend you go do so!
I think I watch it yearly and I was finally able to have my daughter watch it with me. She loved it and I'm hoping I can convince her to watch it with me again this summer.
If you say you hate the state of politics in this nation and you don't get involved in it, you obviously don't hate the state of politics in this nation.
there are these "reaction" youtube sites with cute women who watch movies and then react to themtheeyetest said:
Just finished watching this miniseries for the second time through. Hadn't watched it in probably 4-5 years and really forgot how good this show was. If it's been a while since you've watched it or if you've never watched it, I highly recommend you go do so!
it's crazy to watch these for Band of Brothers-
sometimes they are actually smarter than a lot of Americans about what was going on.
I have seen BOB at least 4 times every episode.
Band of Brothers is amazingly well done, I've rewatched numerous times and never get tired of it. The Pacific is good too but didn't immediately draw me in like BoB did and I've only watched it all the way through a couple of times. It stalls a bit early on for me with the episode where they are in Australia but picks up in the second half. It's probably about time I watch them both again.
wangus12 said:This scene kills me now. I can hardly watch it. I grew up hunting and shooting all my life, but had an incident back in 2018 while running with my wife in a park that really messed with me. Woman threatened us with a shotgun and I told my wife to run and just put myself between her and the gun and kinda accepted my fate. Lady ended up attempting suicide instead. Started having anxiety after that and ended up handing my guns back to my dad a year later. They just really freak me out now. I tell myself I'd like to get back into hunting, but I just can't do it anymore.Cinco Ranch Aggie said:Well said.Max Power said:
It's my favorite piece of WWII media, better than Saving Private Ryan. I try to watch is annually. One recommendation I'll make is to make sure you watch The Pacific as well. It didn't hit with me the first time I watched it but I did a rewatch in the last two years and it definitely resonated with me the second time. The European campaign is definitely the more romanticized of the two. The Pacific was just brutal on the soldiers in a very different way. The two of them collectively are just incredible. If you watch The Pacific immediately the juxtaposition of them really shows the differences.
I love both of these shows, but actually like The Pacific more. Part of that is an understanding of the essential differences between the PTO and ETO. BoB tells a linear story from beginning to end, whereas The Pacific does seem to hop all over the place. Of course, that is pretty much the story of the USN in the South Pacific with the island hopping strategy.
The primary characters of The Pacific (and don't forget Sgt. John Basilone) were just as real to me as any in BoB. The Pacific depicted the horrors of the PTO very well. And what drove all of that home for me was the last episode, with Sledge back home dealing with nightmares, and then just breaking down when he's out hunting with his father.
None of this is meant to disparage BoB in any way. It is one of the greatest shows ever.
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