[BoB REWATCH] Part Five: Crossroads & Part Six: Bastogne

[thrillingdetectivetales]

Welcome to the Band of Brothers rewatch discussion post for
PART FIVE: CROSSROADS & PART SIX: BASTOGNE
You are welcome to discuss any and all aspects of the episodes in the comments on this post. Please recognize that others may hold different opinions than you and continue to abide by our #1 rule: don't be a dick. Additionally, I ask that y'all take care to keep spoiler content off of spoiler-free threads. Otherwise, have fun!

Part Five: Crossroads
Spoiler-free thread.
Spoiler friendly thread.

Part Six: Bastogne
Spoiler-free thread.
Spoiler friendly thread.

If you'd like to chat about the episode in real time, join us over on Discord:

The spoiler-free Discord chat.
The spoiler friendly Discord chat.

To participate in discussions about previous episodes, you can visit the posts below:

Part One: Currahee & Part Two: Day of DaysPart Three: Carentan & Part Four: Replacements

Comments

Re: Part Six: Bastogne [SPOILER-FREE]

[yourlibrarian]

On the same note as before, of finding equipment and supplies, I was surprised that the medic, who is clearly freezing, did not take the coats from the dead men. Similarly, I don't know why anybody would be without their helmet since it's better protection than nothing, plus bullets! All the helmets constantly flying off, it made me wonder if it was for cinematic purposes, so we could better see their faces or if they really never used those helmet straps.

I am amused that I was just talking about medics regarding the last episode and now here's one focused on them. 

I could definitely empathize with the cold when I watch this, given the weather and the fact that I was bundled up in a coat while seeing it. No wonder they needed so much silk in the war, given not just the paratroopers but the drops.

Little wonder that soldiers are surviving more these days, given the conditions this episode showed. I can't imagine what the sanitary conditions were like in treatment on the battlefield as well as in the field hospitals.  I was watching them eat with those bloody hands and shuddering.

Good little background bit, when he drives to the hospital and we see that the pile of bodies outside it has gotten higher.

Boy, the insanity of that final drive into town, with the hospital bombed, that jeep on fire, and all that effort for nothing with the wounded men. And his visit there was supposed to be a respite from the battlefield!

Re: Part Six: Bastogne [SPOILER-FREE]

[skyearth85]

Well, my neighbor that was in ww2 (Balkan wars) and in the Resistance (in the mountains of Friuli) told me that in war there are two kind of persons: the ones who take everything from the dead, and the one who prefer to die than touch a corpse.
But great observations :)

Re: Part Six: Bastogne [SPOILER-FREE]

[yourlibrarian]

No doubt true! Although one reason it caught my attention is that when Winters was leading his team after their initial landing, he ordered them to strip corpses they came across for supplies. (Not that Doc was with them then).