The laundry at the end of the episode was not being picked up by the men it belonged to... because they would never be coming back to collect it. Meehan died on D-Day when his plane went down. The look on Malarkey's face as the woman is reading the names off the packages... He knows.
Malarkey still paid the lady for all the laundry....he knew she needed the money for her work but did not tell her that any of those were coming back. That speaks to his character.
It was both the dead and the wounded that were unable to come pick it up, and they were headed back to France so even if they recovered they'd first be sent back to the line
One thing that is important to remember when watching this show, especially for a RUclips channel, is that it's based on Stephen Ambrose's book, which in turn is based on interviews with the members of Easy. While he made a valiant effort of getting facts as accurate as possible, you run into "unreliable narrator" issues, every now and then. Albert Blithe being dead is one of those things, as the members of Easy never knew what happened to him, and assumed he'd died of his wounds. Newer editions of Abrose's book actually correct this fact (it's a little weird to me that the series never did, tbh). Later on, you'll run into corrections from people regarding Norman Dike, a character we've yet to meet. I don't fault the series for any of this, tbh, and I still think it's the best TV series ever made; but it's something you should keep in mind going forward.
@@jackson857 Might be a contractual issue. Making changes like that typically require approvals from various people in production, and it's probably just not considered worth the effort.
A pretty sobering fact is that, very soon, all memory of WWII is going to be gone from all living memory. Of the millions of people that lived and experienced the war, there are only 20-odd people left that are still alive ranging from all paths and nations during that time. Its another aspect that makes this series truly special, having actual veterans to sit down and talk about their experiences, we simply cant do that any more.
Hey guys first time commenting, fan of the content. Dave you mentioned the medic walking in the street to aid the men under fire @6:49. It was actually a Catholic priest. He was looking for men to aid and administer the sacraments to. This was very common for Military Chaplains in WW2, and all wars. They would risk their lives without concern to aid the wounded and dying.
Very true. They were “protected” under the Geneva Conventions and I also believe that a lot of Germans were catholic as well or religious in general and avoided killing priests. Although many did die in combat. Idk by what circumstances. I would just like to believe that no one would knowingly shoot a man of god but apparently some did. I would like to acknowledge the fact that Germans also had Chaplins in combat as did the British and I’m sure the French as well. They were everywhere regardless of nationality. May they rest in peace.
@@rollastoney That's the romanticized version. In reality, these "protected" people were just meat for the grinder, like everyone else. We like to think about the sanctity of life and all that in theory but in practice, it doesn't get applied. The people who avoided shooting medics and priests were the exception to the rule. And like all exceptions, they were grossly in the minority.
@@rollastoney As with medics, in the thick of a fight it would have been hard to identify them and many were killed by indirect fire. It was different in the Pacific as Japanese soldiers didn't honor the Geneva Conventions and actually aimed to kill off enemy medics.
The exploits of Lt. Ronald Speirs are indeed legendary. This series only scratches the surface. He served later in Korea where he performed incredible feats of a true soldier. He was a true badass.
6:45 The military chaplain fearlessly administering last rites is one of those little details of this series that's stuck with me. It feels paradoxically so inconsequential compared to all the chaos around them yet so important.
I think the Germans if they recognized what he was doing would actually leave him alone, like how earlier at the guns when the guy was going for the luger they didn't fire at first.
Lt Mehan did die on D-Day, along with his entire plane. they were hit by an artillery shell and the plane plummeted from the sky. they show this briefly in episode 2, and it took me quite a few rewatches and having subtitles on to realize the plane they show going down was Lt. Mehans. he is also shown briefly in episode one where he explains to the men why they aren’t jumping that night.
Yes, he was in the plane where the engine catches on fire then spreads through the interior. The pilot says, "Tell Mehan to get them out of there." I didn't catch it the first couple of times watching it either.
It's also Episode 1 where Winters and Meehan are using their compass bearings from practice jumps to figure out that the target of the invasion is Normandy.
ohhhhh i didn’t realize “no jump tonight” was him, man these comments have been awesome i’ve rewatched this show 5 times and im still learning new things about it thanks to yall
I think it’s based on a lost quote from WW2. “At first I knew I would survive, because well, I was me. Then I thought I might die unless I trained hard and was very careful. Then later I realized, I was already dead.”
It's sort of an interesting contrast between the 3 officer's different methods for coping with fear: Welsh viewed it like it was a game, Spiers viewed it like he was already dead, and Winters seemingly just pushes forward with blind faith and optimism. He has no grand theory... he just shuts up and does it because it has to be done.
You know it's a brilliantly done show when you're watching the full reaction & every single member of Badd Medicine is completely enthralled watching, even Mason Quinn who's seen it was too, explosion scenes were visually stunning & actors did a terrific job of portraying the emotions felt by the soldiers in that situation, helping & comforting their wounded.
No one on Meehan's plane survived unfortunately. Their wreckage wasn't confirmed until the 1950s. I can only assume the clothes scene was the show's way of saying Meehan didn't make it.
The pilot on Mehan's plane actually said,"Tell Mehan to get them out of there." When the plane was struck, but most people don't pick that up. I didn't either the first few times I saw it.
Yes - an elegant way to say "these guys left laundry before D-Day and would never be able to come back for it." Whether it actually happened that way is debatable, but for cinematic purposes it's an amazing way to drive home the losses.
Talbert's raincoat was ruined. He had switched out his rain jacket for one he took off a dead german. That's why Smith mistook him in his daze and stabbed him.
it is mentioned in the spoken poem. "checked the lines dressed as Kruat" which is a nice little detail addition for those that don't see the poncho's differences in the dark.
Yes, Blithe survives. One of the few mistakes Band of Brothers makes. They had the wrong guy, like Saving Private Ryan. He then went on to serve, with distinction in the Korean War proving he was a true soldier further. "The only hope you have is to accept the fact that you're already dead. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you'll be able to function as a soldier is supposed to function: without mercy, without compassion, without remorse. All war depends upon it.” - Captain Ronald Speirs- Easier said than done. He will soon more than put his money where his mouth is...
@@LancerX916i’m seeing that the other Blithe’s first name was also Albert in the 101st that’s just an insane coincidence. shame they couldn’t both make it
Great show! And I agree with what you guys touched on in the after comments. As a veteran (27 years) of Iraq, Afghanistan…and even Kosovo and early 90’s drug wars in South America. I don’t watch any current or recently current war movies. Only WW2 and maybe Korea and Vietnam. Everything else is too close to home.
The Flower Blythe took as a souvenir was an Edelweiß that grows in our Alps :) Speirs`s quote resonated very deeply with me. I learned its meaning very early in life. It doesn`t go just for soldiers in wartime.
The Pacific is a good show, but it is a completely different show that explores different themes than band of brothers. No one should watch the show thinking it's a Pacific theater Band of Brothers. They'd be very disappointed.
@@Philbert-s2cThat isn’t part of the “trilogy”. That series was not made by Spielberg or Hanks. Plus, it has nothing to do with WWII (which is what these series are set on).
@@kristinab3838 no not at all. Its a whole different theatre of war against a whole different enemy but happened at the exact same time period. What i meant is that the production quality is on the same level as band of brothers.
i had never really noticed before how the scene around 16:00 really sets up the fear that they were at a real risk of getting completely wiped out, a situation where someone like me would hear “there goes our left flank” and thinks “wtf do you mean” and panics… cut to winters holding the line and motivating his soldiers to keep going, i’m the same age he was in this fight and it’s just so unbelievably surreal to think about people so young being so courageous despite the endless fear they must have felt. beyond inspiring. also shoutout Blithe surviving irl 😭❤️
hi i wanted to say i'm new to the channel (i found you guys through the harry potter reaction series) and i absolutely love the content! it makes me feel like i'm showing my favorite movies to some friends! thank you ♡ ❣️
I love this episode as it all revolves around fear and how each soldier handles that fear. Each of the officers had their own take on how they handle it when they interact with Blithe.
6:26 you might be happy to learn that Edward Tipper, the guy who got hit in the face with the mortar here, was taken back to England where his right eye needed to be removed, but he survived with his legs intact and lived until 2017, to the age of 95. I always assumed he died of his injuries from this scene.
Not only for easy company, but for all the airborne regiments and the infantry regiments and the armored divisions that fought the battle of Normandy until the end of July 1944
I'm with you guys. It's hard to "react" to stuff like this because it makes me think of my grandpa (he was in the Pacific) and I was incredibly close to him until he passed when I was in my 30s. I feel like tearing up everytime I see these guys scared, thinking about if my grandpa was this scared. I'm sure he was, he was only 17 when he enlisted. Reminds of when I saw Saving Private Ryan in theater. I was 17. I arrived late to a full theater and had to find a random seat away from my family. The only seat was next to an older gentleman my grandfather's age. During the opening Omaha Beach scene, I heard this gentleman sobbing. Not crying, sobbing. He had even managed to pull his knees up towards the seat and was hugging them. I sat there listening to him while I tried to hold back tears. When the scene was over he stopped sobbing, but quietly cried the entirety of the movie, he never stopped. So many times I thought about reaching over to him to offer him my hand, and to this day, 26 years later, I still regret that I never did. It may have only been the hand of a 17 year old girl, and maybe he wouldn't have taken it, but maybe he would have. I tear up thinking of it. So when I see shows like this, or Saving Private Ryan, I think of my grandpa and I think of that man.
My grandpa and my great-uncle on the other side were also both in WWII. My grandpa was in Europe and talked about the war at the end when he got Alzheimer’s. My great-uncle died in the Pacific, so I never met him, but my great-aunt wrote a memoir about their childhood so I know what he was like.
Very much appreciate the respect you guys have shown towards these men of the Greatest Generation & of the 506th. Those men of that time are heroes to me & I hold them in high regards, flaws & all
I think yalls response is spot on its completely different watching something when you know it actually happened and seeing how people react to things in that moment is different. I got to see some stuff first hand and seeing how people react will definitely set the tone for what comes next so keep it up love your channel.
According some reports, pills that were supposed to help with sickness in the air made soldiers sleepy in higher doses. Blithe mentioned this at the begining of episode.
BOB Eps. 1 and 2--- Episode 3 aired on 9/16. I'm from New York, knew people who were killed, and I can tell you that was a hard episode to see just a few days after.
Blithe actually did survive his injury and went on to become a Master Sergeant serving in Korea earning a Silver Star 3 Bronze Stars and 3 Purple hearts dying in 1967 from a Perforated Ulcer while stationed in Germany
9:28 Later Speirs said that he only shot 5 prisoners cuz they had to. He shot the guy in his platoon cuz he refused an order and attempted to attack Speirs; he shot him in self defense. He was cleared of any wrong doing.
Episode 3 is where you start to realize that this is peak TV. The cinematography, the acting and the chemistry between all the actors, everything is just peak. And i agree with Mason that this is the BEST acted series about WW2, and not just the best in TV but in films as well, IMO. Looking forward to see you guys' reaction of the episodes to come.
Another fantastic episode that shows the randomness and brutality of war, along with the paralyzing fear that many soldiers endured. I read once that back in those days only about 20% of soldiers were effective. Of course, it'd be higher in a paratrooper outfit because of their tougher training, but I'm betting it was still pretty low.
Gracias por ser tan genuinos y respetuosos con la historia contada en la serie. Su incomodidad al reaccionar a los capítulos muestran la consideración y respeto por las personas detras de esa historia. Band of brothers es una experiencia unica y digna de ser vista, haciendonos ver a nosotros el público, lo que significo para estos hombres sobrevivir en tan extrema situación en sus distintos matices y según cada punto de vista de los soldados involucrados. Gracias por compartir esto con nosotros.
The first movie where I saw someone get run over by a tank, was Attack! made in 1956. A very gritty film directed by Robert Aldrich who also made The Dirty Dozen. It stars Jack Palance, Lee Marvin, Eddie Albert, and a bunch of well-known character actors.
After Blithe recovered from the neck wound, he was sent to a different unit. That's how they lost track of him. I served at the end of the Vietnam war in an intelligence unit, not in country. I'm a female and it was different back then. Women didn't have to even qualify on a weapon. They were interested in making sure we were 'ladylike' in basic. It was a joke. Then I was sent to intelligence school and my first experiences with the Vietnam Vets. There were many a night I stayed up all night with one of them while they emptied their minds out. I knew from that first night on, I was going to be the best enemy intelligence gatherer I could be. Anything to keep those guys safe and informed. That stayed with me for years.
You hadn't heard the Flies joke before? I heard it at Primary School. I mean I was like seven years old and didn't understand it, but still I heard it. Maybe Luz heard it from a British Soldier? :-) kerk
Please be sure to react to the accompanying documentary “We Stand Alone Together” after you finish the miniseries. It’s a perfect capstone / “episode 11” with interviews from all the vet’s shown at start of episodes and more (including Tipper who is so badly injured at Carentan). Archival footage, how they adjusted coming home, etc. That wasn’t the medic walking around in Carentan kneeling by the soldiers. He was a Catholic Chaplin performing last rites - it’s why they make the comment about the crazy Irish and why he had a Bible/purple stole in his hand and the subtitles show him praying. Meehan was in Episode 1 and 2 He says “no jump tonight!” He also leads some of the briefings about D Day. Also Sink telling Sobel Lt Meehan will take over Easy. Then Winters and Buck use a compass with Meehan to figure the destination. Then we see Meehan’s plane get hit by flack and explode with them all inside. Later the men wonder where he is (obviously they don’t know he perished in a plane). With Meehan MIA (ultimately KIA) Winters is the new CO of Easy …on D Day. All the men whose laundry was still there had been killed or badly wounded - that’s why Malarkey’s face fell at the mention of Meehan but he didn’t have the heart to tell the laundress.
Oak I get u my friend.... so I have a total of 25 family members that are currently serving or have served. I feel like I just come from one of those families that since my grandpa served in WW2 then naturally all his sons did then their sons plus 1 daughter. I myself did not serve. I went into the medical field. But I have been there to witness my own brother return from the Gulf as a completely different person. Still to this day, he's not said one word directly to me about it. But I recall all those late night attacks and thought to myself why would I ever ask him to share something that has him screaming so loud in terror. My father was in Vietnam and my whole life has only ever said 1 mumbled sentence to me that mom had to explain to me when I was older. He said "if only we had waited, I wouldn't have lost my best friend". Mom explained someone directly in front of them triggered a mine and that dad's friend passed away cause he was in line in front of dad. I think about that alot. So many many ppl lost their lives in such horrific ways so our family could come home so if they don't wanna talk to us bout the details, we don't push them to talk. This series is amazingly done, but wow is it a hard one to sit and watch! Sending yall some love after this one!!❤💞❤️
"Band of Brothers incorrectly states that Albert Blithe died of his war wounds in 1948, but in reality, he died of kidney failure and complications during surgery in 1967. The mistake originated from Stephen A. Ambrose's nonfiction book, which the series is based on, and was never corrected"
If you’re wondering why they got blithe’s death wrong, remember pre-production was in the late 90s. There was no Google or easy way to research military service back then. Add to that they were on a time crunch as they were doing these interviews the surviving men were passing away as time went on. The producers and writers were going off of the surviving Easy men’s memory. They genuinely didn’t know about Blithe’s real fate. One of the men they were going to interview passed away literally when the producers were driving to his home for the interview. It was then they realized they needed to speed things up. So Blithe’s story was unfortunately one of the ones that was not completely accurate.
Living Europe, especially after a few trips and sightseeing last year, there is a specific route that should be manditory for schools to do when covering this period of history. From Normandy to Poland, with specific stops along the way. And a list of things to watch: Band of Brothers, Saving Private Ryan, Schindlers list, Battle of Britain, A Bridge to Far , The pacific, Bridge over the River Kwai, for starters. To educate and show people growing up about how hard the times were for people, what horrible things people are capable off. And what people sacrified for freedom, also that live is not fair nor equal. That sometimes stuff happens in life that you have to overcome by determination and hard work.
The Fat Electrician has some great videos on WWII heroes and operations, great for those that want a deeper look. Some stories make everything in Band of Brothers seem tame.
Really appreciate your reaction and thoughtful commentary. Keep up the good work! (Selfishly, hoping you can crank these out a little faster, as I'm loving your response to this amazing series.)
Meehan's plane went down before any of the guys in the plane could jump. He had only just been made head of Easy; as he was never found, that's how Winters got command.
Me and my brother watched this series every year around VE day until he died 2 years ago, my wife has watched it with me for the last two years, when we eventually have kids and they are old enough i will introduce this to them
IMHO, the role of Spears in the story as the perfect and implacable soldier (no spoilers) is to give dramtic highlight to the other men's fears, anxieties and self-perception of their limitations.
Yes Blithe didn't die the real winters said in an interview he was disappointed how the series showed him he lived and fought bravely in the Korean war getting many medals for his bravery .
My Grandpa's Division was in this episode! 2nd Armored Division "Hell on Wheels"; he was a seargent & tank gunner. Im not sure if my Grandpa was in this battle or not though.
After his injury, Blythe was taken to hospitals for long recovery& didn't return to the platoon. Thus, in the memory of the platoon they assumned from the injury & absence that he passed. Gladly, not so.
The flower in the German soldier indicated he a paratrooper also. It only the German Airborne troops that would seek out that flower to show they were elite soldiers.
Edelweiss was a symbol to represent German Gebirgsjager troops which are mountain troops, not paratroopers. I thought it was paratroopers too for the longest time.
Albert Blithe didn't actually die in 1948, he ended up serving in Korean. The book the series was based co-wrote by Winters and he thought Blithe was died. It wasn't until after was released that Blithe showed up at an Easy Company reunion party, suprising everyone.
There’s a channel on RUclips called the operation room that does great overview breakdowns of battle or smaller engagements. He has done a couple of ones on the guys of Easy Company. And their defense of against the German counter attack is amazing once you see all that was really happening. Easy company single handedly held the line against and panzer division and and Falschemjäger attachment. I don’t remember the actual sizes iif they were regiments, companies, or divisions. You might check those out. I know they really aren’t y’all’s forte with being a film or tv series.
Wayne Season 1. 100% RT score for very good reasons (story, characters, writing, dialogue, you know the things that matter and make something stick with you). And just like Firefly, it was an incredible gem that was cancelled after only one season, except in this case due to certain 2020 events.
Best description of this show is, Heart. With a dash of punk rock. But if you guys ever do watch this show, you will understand how amazingly this show puts a refreshing and impactful spin on the sometimes overused cliche of “this has heart”. It will remind you of why that phrase was coined in the first place. Have fun and enjoy.
I have heard the Spier thing was common, even Brit paras had a decision to make. They could not take prisoners so far into enemy territory, they had nowhere to hold them and not enough manpower. They couldn't let them go, it would be their death when the German prisoners relayed their location and strength to their units.
One important fact concerning the assault on Carentan was that they had only a few ways into the town because the Germans had flooded the entire area around the town and only a few raised roads were usable. BTW here is an interview of Winters concerning Spiers. ruclips.net/video/6X4xevucCGU/видео.html
Also Welsh did send his reserve chute back to Kitty, and once he made it back home, they were married, her dress made of his silk chute:) Thats love & loyalty as it should be!
The stories being told about Ronald Spiers are actually true. The story of him shooting a drunken soldier is only partially true but the story of Spiers killing the prisoners is completely true. Richard Winters confirmed the story but didn't do anything about it because they all did terrible things during the war. Personally, it doesn't change my opinion of Spiers. I've read several books about Easy Company and all of the men during the war were proud to fight beside him. I think he was one of the most badass soldiers from WW2.
Mandatory Blithe didn't die in Normandy comment. Blithe didn't die in WW2, he stayed in the military and even fought in Korea. Also the legends about Spears, he did shoot a private who was drunk and aggressive, and when confronted pointed his gun at Spears who shot him. He was not convicted of any wrongdoing on that event from the military tribunal.
I recommend you to go and watch it the series of Indian movies, it starts with "Ek tha tiger " then "war "and then "Pathan "and you gonna love this series ending with "tiger zinda hai". or you can directly ek tha tiger and then pathan too. Just go watch it is highly recommended
There was a theory floating around about how Winters wasn't actually there with Blithe. Blithe was so scared, and one of the only soldiers to show compassion was Winters. When Blithe was screaming in the foxhole and Winters taps his shoulder and tells him to fire, that wasnt really Winters. His conscience imagined Winters being by his side helping him get over his fear. I believe this because of the way Winters stood out in the open, totally exposed he would've gotten hit, especially since the enemy had the high ground.
The laundry at the end of the episode was not being picked up by the men it belonged to... because they would never be coming back to collect it. Meehan died on D-Day when his plane went down. The look on Malarkey's face as the woman is reading the names off the packages... He knows.
yeah, Oak must have missed or forgot that.
Malarkey still paid the lady for all the laundry....he knew she needed the money for her work but did not tell her that any of those were coming back. That speaks to his character.
It was both the dead and the wounded that were unable to come pick it up, and they were headed back to France so even if they recovered they'd first be sent back to the line
@@jillfromatlanta427 Yes because she probably never would have taken the money she likely desperately needed had she known they died.
@@jillfromatlanta427i’d never properly appreciated that til now dang, thanks for highlighting it
One thing that is important to remember when watching this show, especially for a RUclips channel, is that it's based on Stephen Ambrose's book, which in turn is based on interviews with the members of Easy. While he made a valiant effort of getting facts as accurate as possible, you run into "unreliable narrator" issues, every now and then.
Albert Blithe being dead is one of those things, as the members of Easy never knew what happened to him, and assumed he'd died of his wounds. Newer editions of Abrose's book actually correct this fact (it's a little weird to me that the series never did, tbh). Later on, you'll run into corrections from people regarding Norman Dike, a character we've yet to meet.
I don't fault the series for any of this, tbh, and I still think it's the best TV series ever made; but it's something you should keep in mind going forward.
Agreed. Especially with the advent of streaming you'd think it would be super easy to add a correction to the text line at the end.
@@jackson857 Might be a contractual issue. Making changes like that typically require approvals from various people in production, and it's probably just not considered worth the effort.
Ambrose's book was also based, in large part, on the journals of Dick Winters.
A pretty sobering fact is that, very soon, all memory of WWII is going to be gone from all living memory. Of the millions of people that lived and experienced the war, there are only 20-odd people left that are still alive ranging from all paths and nations during that time. Its another aspect that makes this series truly special, having actual veterans to sit down and talk about their experiences, we simply cant do that any more.
ALL 2 memory will be gone???? Dude, hundreds of thousands of hours of films from the 40s Let alonree after that. wtf..
@toastysock I said "living memory", as in the last of the people themselves will be gone. Not "recorded history".
Ya just year ago there was 120,000ish now there’s 66,000
@@jonathanwalkeer97 the last of the Easy Co men died in 2023 i believe.
@@LogicalCitizen-n9x yes think either December of 2022 or 23
Hey guys first time commenting, fan of the content. Dave you mentioned the medic walking in the street to aid the men under fire @6:49. It was actually a Catholic priest. He was looking for men to aid and administer the sacraments to. This was very common for Military Chaplains in WW2, and all wars. They would risk their lives without concern to aid the wounded and dying.
Very true. They were “protected” under the Geneva Conventions and I also believe that a lot of Germans were catholic as well or religious in general and avoided killing priests. Although many did die in combat. Idk by what circumstances. I would just like to believe that no one would knowingly shoot a man of god but apparently some did. I would like to acknowledge the fact that Germans also had Chaplins in combat as did the British and I’m sure the French as well. They were everywhere regardless of nationality. May they rest in peace.
@@rollastoney That's the romanticized version. In reality, these "protected" people were just meat for the grinder, like everyone else. We like to think about the sanctity of life and all that in theory but in practice, it doesn't get applied. The people who avoided shooting medics and priests were the exception to the rule. And like all exceptions, they were grossly in the minority.
@@rollastoney As with medics, in the thick of a fight it would have been hard to identify them and many were killed by indirect fire. It was different in the Pacific as Japanese soldiers didn't honor the Geneva Conventions and actually aimed to kill off enemy medics.
@@earth2saka Not accurate in Western Europe. Both sides generally adhered to the Conventions.
The exploits of Lt. Ronald Speirs are indeed legendary. This series only scratches the surface. He served later in Korea where he performed incredible feats of a true soldier. He was a true badass.
Blithe didn't die. He actually passed away in 1967
Yeah, the others in the company thought he died, which is how Ambrose got it wrong.
The mandatory “Blithe didn’t die” on Band of Brothers reactions 😅
@@JDCheng Because he never came back to the company, and there was another Albert Blithe in the 101 who did die at that time.
@@jobanh7ify well, it was a fairly big mistake. So...
🤓 ok buddy
6:45 The military chaplain fearlessly administering last rites is one of those little details of this series that's stuck with me. It feels paradoxically so inconsequential compared to all the chaos around them yet so important.
The actor playing the chaplain is Doug Cockle, the voice actor of Gerald of Rivia in The Witcher game series.🤓
I think the Germans if they recognized what he was doing would actually leave him alone, like how earlier at the guns when the guy was going for the luger they didn't fire at first.
@@karpopappa1491That’s incredible, this show is incredible and I’m gonna watch The Pacific too. I love Witcher 3 and his performance is legendary 😢
Lt Mehan did die on D-Day, along with his entire plane. they were hit by an artillery shell and the plane plummeted from the sky. they show this briefly in episode 2, and it took me quite a few rewatches and having subtitles on to realize the plane they show going down was Lt. Mehans. he is also shown briefly in episode one where he explains to the men why they aren’t jumping that night.
Yes, he was in the plane where the engine catches on fire then spreads through the interior. The pilot says, "Tell Mehan to get them out of there." I didn't catch it the first couple of times watching it either.
It's also Episode 1 where Winters and Meehan are using their compass bearings from practice jumps to figure out that the target of the invasion is Normandy.
ohhhhh i didn’t realize “no jump tonight” was him, man these comments have been awesome i’ve rewatched this show 5 times and im still learning new things about it thanks to yall
I’ll throw Spiers speech to Blythe on the top 10 best monologues in tv history. So brief, simple, brutal.
We're already dead, Blithe. The sooner you realize that, the sooner you can do your job.
I think it’s based on a lost quote from WW2. “At first I knew I would survive, because well, I was me. Then I thought I might die unless I trained hard and was very careful. Then later I realized, I was already dead.”
The Jem'hadar did it better... Victory is life!
It's sort of an interesting contrast between the 3 officer's different methods for coping with fear: Welsh viewed it like it was a game, Spiers viewed it like he was already dead, and Winters seemingly just pushes forward with blind faith and optimism. He has no grand theory... he just shuts up and does it because it has to be done.
@@stevemartegani Except one was real🙄
You know it's a brilliantly done show when you're watching the full reaction & every single member of Badd Medicine is completely enthralled watching, even Mason Quinn who's seen it was too, explosion scenes were visually stunning & actors did a terrific job of portraying the emotions felt by the soldiers in that situation, helping & comforting their wounded.
Years later, Winters asked spears if the stories were true. Spears said "yes, they're true, do you want me to put it in writing?"
just let them know everyone that makes it lol
Dont spoil it for them lol
didn't he actually write a book? idk if it was about his time or just more of strategy but I thought I heard he did
No one on Meehan's plane survived unfortunately. Their wreckage wasn't confirmed until the 1950s. I can only assume the clothes scene was the show's way of saying Meehan didn't make it.
The pilot on Mehan's plane actually said,"Tell Mehan to get them out of there." When the plane was struck, but most people don't pick that up. I didn't either the first few times I saw it.
Yes - an elegant way to say "these guys left laundry before D-Day and would never be able to come back for it." Whether it actually happened that way is debatable, but for cinematic purposes it's an amazing way to drive home the losses.
Talbert's raincoat was ruined. He had switched out his rain jacket for one he took off a dead german. That's why Smith mistook him in his daze and stabbed him.
it is mentioned in the spoken poem. "checked the lines dressed as Kruat" which is a nice little detail addition for those that don't see the poncho's differences in the dark.
Yes, Blithe survives. One of the few mistakes Band of Brothers makes. They had the wrong guy, like Saving Private Ryan. He then went on to serve, with distinction in the Korean War proving he was a true soldier further. "The only hope you have is to accept the fact that you're already dead. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you'll be able to function as a soldier is supposed to function: without mercy, without compassion, without remorse. All war depends upon it.”
- Captain Ronald Speirs- Easier said than done. He will soon more than put his money where his mouth is...
Easy mistake since there was two Blithe in the war. One died and one did not. The one with Easy company was the one that survived.
@@LancerX916i’m seeing that the other Blithe’s first name was also Albert in the 101st that’s just an insane coincidence. shame they couldn’t both make it
Great show! And I agree with what you guys touched on in the after comments.
As a veteran (27 years) of Iraq, Afghanistan…and even Kosovo and early 90’s drug wars in South America. I don’t watch any current or recently current war movies. Only WW2 and maybe Korea and Vietnam. Everything else is too close to home.
Just seeing your all's faces shows how emotional and powerful this is!! It just sucks you in and makes you feel like you are there.
The Flower Blythe took as a souvenir was an Edelweiß that grows in our Alps :)
Speirs`s quote resonated very deeply with me. I learned its meaning very early in life. It doesn`t go just for soldiers in wartime.
"the pacific" is another ww2 tv show thats on the same level as band of brothers. I hope yall get the time to check that series out too. :)
The Pacific is a good show, but it is a completely different show that explores different themes than band of brothers. No one should watch the show thinking it's a Pacific theater Band of Brothers. They'd be very disappointed.
@@kristinab3838 Then there's the 3rd limited series in the "trilogy" that most people seem to have forgotten about..."Generation Kill."
@@Philbert-s2c Not related to BOB or The Pacific.
@@Philbert-s2cThat isn’t part of the “trilogy”.
That series was not made by Spielberg or Hanks. Plus, it has nothing to do with WWII (which is what these series are set on).
@@kristinab3838 no not at all. Its a whole different theatre of war against a whole different enemy but happened at the exact same time period. What i meant is that the production quality is on the same level as band of brothers.
Fun fact: The actor playing the chaplin in the street is Doug Cockle, the voice actor for Geralt in The Witcher.
i had never really noticed before how the scene around 16:00 really sets up the fear that they were at a real risk of getting completely wiped out, a situation where someone like me would hear “there goes our left flank” and thinks “wtf do you mean” and panics… cut to winters holding the line and motivating his soldiers to keep going, i’m the same age he was in this fight and it’s just so unbelievably surreal to think about people so young being so courageous despite the endless fear they must have felt. beyond inspiring.
also shoutout Blithe surviving irl 😭❤️
3:10 Edelweiss - yes it's an alpine flower, and German Alpine troops wore it (but not the Fallschirmjaegers/paratroopers)
Yes, but some military men love learning more, being the best, switching units, with or without orders to do so.
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Shout out to Harry Welsh for being an absolute monster… @4:05 with the grenade and then @17:17 with the bazooka!
hi i wanted to say i'm new to the channel (i found you guys through the harry potter reaction series) and i absolutely love the content! it makes me feel like i'm showing my favorite movies to some friends! thank you ♡ ❣️
A week between Band of Brothers videos is brutal
They know how to cook us 😩
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I love this episode as it all revolves around fear and how each soldier handles that fear. Each of the officers had their own take on how they handle it when they interact with Blithe.
6:26 you might be happy to learn that Edward Tipper, the guy who got hit in the face with the mortar here, was taken back to England where his right eye needed to be removed, but he survived with his legs intact and lived until 2017, to the age of 95. I always assumed he died of his injuries from this scene.
I think he's the guy who said "I thought I'd either be killed right away or get through it without a scratch."
Lt. Meehan didn't make it. Everyone in his plane died. The laundry scene was a poignant way of showing the cost of Easy's Normandy campaign.
Not only for easy company, but for all the airborne regiments and the infantry regiments and the armored divisions that fought the battle of Normandy until the end of July 1944
I’ve loved your channel for quite a while now but watching along with you guys for two of my favourite series is just awesome.
I'm with you guys. It's hard to "react" to stuff like this because it makes me think of my grandpa (he was in the Pacific) and I was incredibly close to him until he passed when I was in my 30s. I feel like tearing up everytime I see these guys scared, thinking about if my grandpa was this scared. I'm sure he was, he was only 17 when he enlisted.
Reminds of when I saw Saving Private Ryan in theater. I was 17. I arrived late to a full theater and had to find a random seat away from my family. The only seat was next to an older gentleman my grandfather's age. During the opening Omaha Beach scene, I heard this gentleman sobbing. Not crying, sobbing. He had even managed to pull his knees up towards the seat and was hugging them. I sat there listening to him while I tried to hold back tears. When the scene was over he stopped sobbing, but quietly cried the entirety of the movie, he never stopped. So many times I thought about reaching over to him to offer him my hand, and to this day, 26 years later, I still regret that I never did. It may have only been the hand of a 17 year old girl, and maybe he wouldn't have taken it, but maybe he would have. I tear up thinking of it. So when I see shows like this, or Saving Private Ryan, I think of my grandpa and I think of that man.
Thank you so much for sharing that.
My grandpa and my great-uncle on the other side were also both in WWII. My grandpa was in Europe and talked about the war at the end when he got Alzheimer’s. My great-uncle died in the Pacific, so I never met him, but my great-aunt wrote a memoir about their childhood so I know what he was like.
My father and uncles all served in WWII, and even my mom and her sisters contributed to help the effort. It was a lot closer to me.
After watching this show over 20 times now, this episode always gets to me. It gets more impactful after every watch
Very much appreciate the respect you guys have shown towards these men of the Greatest Generation & of the 506th. Those men of that time are heroes to me & I hold them in high regards, flaws & all
I think yalls response is spot on its completely different watching something when you know it actually happened and seeing how people react to things in that moment is different. I got to see some stuff first hand and seeing how people react will definitely set the tone for what comes next so keep it up love your channel.
The book is amazing and definitely worth reading.
According some reports, pills that were supposed to help with sickness in the air made soldiers sleepy in higher doses. Blithe mentioned this at the begining of episode.
I just realized we are almost to the 23 anniversary of when BoB first premiered back on Sept 9, 2001. Just two days before 9/11 happened.
BOB Eps. 1 and 2--- Episode 3 aired on 9/16. I'm from New York, knew people who were killed, and I can tell you that was a hard episode to see just a few days after.
14:35 Spiers was a beast. One of my faves in this series.
Blithe actually did survive his injury and went on to become a Master Sergeant serving in Korea earning a Silver Star 3 Bronze Stars and 3 Purple hearts dying in 1967 from a Perforated Ulcer while stationed in Germany
If they ever release a new box set of BOB on Blue Ray and DVD it should include that corrrection.
9:28 Later Speirs said that he only shot 5 prisoners cuz they had to. He shot the guy in his platoon cuz he refused an order and attempted to attack Speirs; he shot him in self defense. He was cleared of any wrong doing.
Cue the people telling you to wait for all the people telling you that blithe didn't die.
Blithe didn't die
@@johndrews206 yawn
@@Chris-ImperialAerosolKid thanks bro
Episode 3 is where you start to realize that this is peak TV. The cinematography, the acting and the chemistry between all the actors, everything is just peak. And i agree with Mason that this is the BEST acted series about WW2, and not just the best in TV but in films as well, IMO.
Looking forward to see you guys' reaction of the episodes to come.
I’m new to this channel and I’m in absolute awe of the intro and its music, amazing reaction also guys loving it
Another fantastic episode that shows the randomness and brutality of war, along with the paralyzing fear that many soldiers endured. I read once that back in those days only about 20% of soldiers were effective. Of course, it'd be higher in a paratrooper outfit because of their tougher training, but I'm betting it was still pretty low.
Gracias por ser tan genuinos y respetuosos con la historia contada en la serie. Su incomodidad al reaccionar a los capítulos muestran la consideración y respeto por las personas detras de esa historia.
Band of brothers es una experiencia unica y digna de ser vista, haciendonos ver a nosotros el público, lo que significo para estos hombres sobrevivir en tan extrema situación en sus distintos matices y según cada punto de vista de los soldados involucrados. Gracias por compartir esto con nosotros.
The first movie where I saw someone get run over by a tank, was Attack! made in 1956. A very gritty film directed by Robert Aldrich who also made The Dirty Dozen. It stars Jack Palance, Lee Marvin, Eddie Albert, and a bunch of well-known character actors.
"The Legend of Spiers" I can't wait for you guys to get further into this
That was not a medic. He was an Army Chaplain, giving Last Rites to the dying.
After Blithe recovered from the neck wound, he was sent to a different unit. That's how they lost track of him. I served at the end of the Vietnam war in an intelligence unit, not in country. I'm a female and it was different back then. Women didn't have to even qualify on a weapon. They were interested in making sure we were 'ladylike' in basic. It was a joke. Then I was sent to intelligence school and my first experiences with the Vietnam Vets. There were many a night I stayed up all night with one of them while they emptied their minds out. I knew from that first night on, I was going to be the best enemy intelligence gatherer I could be. Anything to keep those guys safe and informed. That stayed with me for years.
Thank you for your service.
@@brooke_reiverrose2949 Thanks, and you're welcome!
You hadn't heard the Flies joke before? I heard it at Primary School. I mean I was like seven years old and didn't understand it, but still I heard it. Maybe Luz heard it from a British Soldier? :-) kerk
Please be sure to react to the accompanying documentary “We Stand Alone Together” after you finish the miniseries. It’s a perfect capstone / “episode 11” with interviews from all the vet’s shown at start of episodes and more (including Tipper who is so badly injured at Carentan). Archival footage, how they adjusted coming home, etc.
That wasn’t the medic walking around in Carentan kneeling by the soldiers. He was a Catholic Chaplin performing last rites - it’s why they make the comment about the crazy Irish and why he had a Bible/purple stole in his hand and the subtitles show him praying.
Meehan was in Episode 1 and 2 He says “no jump tonight!” He also leads some of the briefings about D Day. Also Sink telling Sobel Lt Meehan will take over Easy. Then Winters and Buck use a compass with Meehan to figure the destination. Then we see Meehan’s plane get hit by flack and explode with them all inside. Later the men wonder where he is (obviously they don’t know he perished in a plane). With Meehan MIA (ultimately KIA) Winters is the new CO of Easy …on D Day. All the men whose laundry was still there had been killed or badly wounded - that’s why Malarkey’s face fell at the mention of Meehan but he didn’t have the heart to tell the laundress.
Great reaction guys! And hello all the BoB fans who are chiming in to say Blithe's actual date of death, glad to see y'all again. See ya next time!
Oak I get u my friend.... so I have a total of 25 family members that are currently serving or have served. I feel like I just come from one of those families that since my grandpa served in WW2 then naturally all his sons did then their sons plus 1 daughter. I myself did not serve. I went into the medical field. But I have been there to witness my own brother return from the Gulf as a completely different person. Still to this day, he's not said one word directly to me about it. But I recall all those late night attacks and thought to myself why would I ever ask him to share something that has him screaming so loud in terror. My father was in Vietnam and my whole life has only ever said 1 mumbled sentence to me that mom had to explain to me when I was older. He said "if only we had waited, I wouldn't have lost my best friend". Mom explained someone directly in front of them triggered a mine and that dad's friend passed away cause he was in line in front of dad. I think about that alot. So many many ppl lost their lives in such horrific ways so our family could come home so if they don't wanna talk to us bout the details, we don't push them to talk. This series is amazingly done, but wow is it a hard one to sit and watch! Sending yall some love after this one!!❤💞❤️
"Band of Brothers incorrectly states that Albert Blithe died of his war wounds in 1948, but in reality, he died of kidney failure and complications during surgery in 1967. The mistake originated from Stephen A. Ambrose's nonfiction book, which the series is based on, and was never corrected"
If you’re wondering why they got blithe’s death wrong, remember pre-production was in the late 90s. There was no Google or easy way to research military service back then. Add to that they were on a time crunch as they were doing these interviews the surviving men were passing away as time went on. The producers and writers were going off of the surviving Easy men’s memory. They genuinely didn’t know about Blithe’s real fate. One of the men they were going to interview passed away literally when the producers were driving to his home for the interview. It was then they realized they needed to speed things up. So Blithe’s story was unfortunately one of the ones that was not completely accurate.
Google was late 90s, but google wasn't the first search engine either. Many of them were around before this point.
Living Europe, especially after a few trips and sightseeing last year, there is a specific route that should be manditory for schools to do when covering this period of history. From Normandy to Poland, with specific stops along the way.
And a list of things to watch: Band of Brothers, Saving Private Ryan, Schindlers list, Battle of Britain, A Bridge to Far , The pacific, Bridge over the River Kwai, for starters.
To educate and show people growing up about how hard the times were for people, what horrible things people are capable off.
And what people sacrified for freedom, also that live is not fair nor equal. That sometimes stuff happens in life that you have to overcome by determination and hard work.
The Fat Electrician has some great videos on WWII heroes and operations, great for those that want a deeper look. Some stories make everything in Band of Brothers seem tame.
Really appreciate your reaction and thoughtful commentary. Keep up the good work! (Selfishly, hoping you can crank these out a little faster, as I'm loving your response to this amazing series.)
Meehan's plane went down before any of the guys in the plane could jump. He had only just been made head of Easy; as he was never found, that's how Winters got command.
Me and my brother watched this series every year around VE day until he died 2 years ago, my wife has watched it with me for the last two years, when we eventually have kids and they are old enough i will introduce this to them
IMHO, the role of Spears in the story as the perfect and implacable soldier (no spoilers) is to give dramtic highlight to the other men's fears, anxieties and self-perception of their limitations.
Yes Blithe didn't die the real winters said in an interview he was disappointed how the series showed him he lived and fought bravely in the Korean war getting many medals for his bravery .
also he retired as master sergeant rank in the army
as a genz i like to learn some history
general taylor of 101 airborne told his men before d day not to take prisoners, no way to handle them with no defined lines.
Blythe survived and went on to fight in Korea and Meehan did die on D-day
My Grandpa's Division was in this episode! 2nd Armored Division "Hell on Wheels"; he was a seargent & tank gunner. Im not sure if my Grandpa was in this battle or not though.
The book is great, definitely worth a read!
After his injury, Blythe was taken to hospitals for long recovery& didn't return to the platoon. Thus, in the memory of the platoon they assumned from the injury & absence that he passed. Gladly, not so.
The flower in the German soldier indicated he a paratrooper also. It only the German Airborne troops that would seek out that flower to show they were elite soldiers.
Edelweiss was a symbol to represent German Gebirgsjager troops which are mountain troops, not paratroopers. I thought it was paratroopers too for the longest time.
Nope it was the sign of the Alpine troops, not the Paratroopers.
"Pour it on 'em, Blythe! GIVE IT TO 'EM, BLYTHE"
Albert Blithe didn't actually die in 1948, he ended up serving in Korean. The book the series was based co-wrote by Winters and he thought Blithe was died. It wasn't until after was released that Blithe showed up at an Easy Company reunion party, suprising everyone.
Laundry dropped off before the jump.
Can’t wait to watch the rest of them with you! I hope you watch the pacific next!!
From is absolute gem of a tv show that not many people have reacted to and season 3 comes out soon, I'd love for you guys to give it a try
There’s a channel on RUclips called the operation room that does great overview breakdowns of battle or smaller engagements. He has done a couple of ones on the guys of Easy Company. And their defense of against the German counter attack is amazing once you see all that was really happening. Easy company single handedly held the line against and panzer division and and Falschemjäger attachment. I don’t remember the actual sizes iif they were regiments, companies, or divisions. You might check those out. I know they really aren’t y’all’s forte with being a film or tv series.
Spears really did all that..... and more.... 😆
Captions pronounced bligh,as blithe,it's actually pronounced like bly,a British name,funnily enough played by a brit called Marc Warren
That laundry scene at the end really hurts.
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Yes, the book was really good. You should read it!
Wayne Season 1. 100% RT score for very good reasons (story, characters, writing, dialogue, you know the things that matter and make something stick with you). And just like Firefly, it was an incredible gem that was cancelled after only one season, except in this case due to certain 2020 events.
Best description of this show is, Heart. With a dash of punk rock. But if you guys ever do watch this show, you will understand how amazingly this show puts a refreshing and impactful spin on the sometimes overused cliche of “this has heart”. It will remind you of why that phrase was coined in the first place. Have fun and enjoy.
I have heard the Spier thing was common, even Brit paras had a decision to make. They could not take prisoners so far into enemy territory, they had nowhere to hold them and not enough manpower. They couldn't let them go, it would be their death when the German prisoners relayed their location and strength to their units.
Hi guys. I love your genuine reactions. Would you all please consider reacting to 'the four feathers' and / or 'legends of the fall'.
One important fact concerning the assault on Carentan was that they had only a few ways into the town because the Germans had flooded the entire area around the town and only a few raised roads were usable. BTW here is an interview of Winters concerning Spiers. ruclips.net/video/6X4xevucCGU/видео.html
Ah yes.. the legend of Speirs. Can't wait for their reaction to that specific Episode. 😏
Speirs for the winner of this episode, best speech/monologue/dialogue, whatever you want to call it, of the series.
You guys make Wednesdays worth it. Tjsa anticipation I have for these upcoming epwoeed can't be measured.
I can't imagine the kind of person who sits on the back of a tank, mostly exposed and gunning people down. Jeez.
I have been waiting for the next BoB Reaction Ep to drop! You gents are fantastic!
Also Welsh did send his reserve chute back to Kitty, and once he made it back home, they were married, her dress made of his silk chute:) Thats love & loyalty as it should be!
The fact that Welsh survived is a kind of spoiler.
@johannesvalterdivizzini1523 The series is 20+ years old and I didn't share anything more than other comments on here.
The sergeant that Spiers shot pulled a gun on Spiers when told he had to go on patrol.
Little Easy company over lunch with Badd Medicine company, today gonna be a good day.
Since this is on a serious/semi serious military movie topic, I suggest Fury, T-34, and All Quiet on the Western Front (the newer made version)
The stories being told about Ronald Spiers are actually true. The story of him shooting a drunken soldier is only partially true but the story of Spiers killing the prisoners is completely true. Richard Winters confirmed the story but didn't do anything about it because they all did terrible things during the war. Personally, it doesn't change my opinion of Spiers. I've read several books about Easy Company and all of the men during the war were proud to fight beside him. I think he was one of the most badass soldiers from WW2.
End mission of first Brothers in arms game is run to bring tank support, while rest of company hold the line. Battle at hill 30.
blithe actually became a career soldier and served with the paras in korea
Mandatory Blithe didn't die in Normandy comment. Blithe didn't die in WW2, he stayed in the military and even fought in Korea. Also the legends about Spears, he did shoot a private who was drunk and aggressive, and when confronted pointed his gun at Spears who shot him. He was not convicted of any wrongdoing on that event from the military tribunal.
I recommend you to go and watch it the series of Indian movies, it starts with "Ek tha tiger " then "war "and then "Pathan "and you gonna love this series ending with "tiger zinda hai". or you can directly ek tha tiger and then pathan too. Just go watch it is highly recommended
The near wreck of the motorcycle toward the end of the episode is Alton Moore driving. Not saying it'll be relevant later. But it could be.
Talbert was wearing a captured German camo poncho. Sure, he looked like an enemy in the darkness, that's why he was bayonetted.
This episode was brutal!
4:25 Many did.
There was a theory floating around about how Winters wasn't actually there with Blithe. Blithe was so scared, and one of the only soldiers to show compassion was Winters. When Blithe was screaming in the foxhole and Winters taps his shoulder and tells him to fire, that wasnt really Winters. His conscience imagined Winters being by his side helping him get over his fear. I believe this because of the way Winters stood out in the open, totally exposed he would've gotten hit, especially since the enemy had the high ground.
I had never heard of this theory. It's quite interesting and I've always wondered why Winters would've been outside the foxhole so exposed
@@TexArizocan next time we see Winters he's crouched and moving throughout the lines. So he couldn't possibly have been there
@@eragon400 Appreciate this because like I said I had never heard of this theory nor even thought about that, however, it makes sense.
I love this theory cos the war is basically psychological horror and the soldiers have to deal with it in their own ways
@@freeride_99 every war is like that