BAND OF BROTHERS: THE LAST PATROL {EPISODE 8} (TV)

Summary

Part eight in this ten-part miniseries based on the experiences of Easy Company, the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, United States Army 101st Airborne Division, during World War II, and featuring commentary from Easy Company veterans preceding each episode. This episode begins on February 9, 1945 in Haguenau, France, as the 101st is now famous for its heroic efforts at The Battle of the Bulge. At this point, David Webster returns from the hospital to join Easy Company. The men don't take kindly to Webster, sending him over to the second unit. There, the men insult Webster for having seemingly relaxed in the hospital with a minor injury while the rest of his company was fighting in Bastogne. He's reminded that Wynn was also in the hospital but "broke out" to get back to the fighting. Webster notes how many of the players have changed since he first served with Easy. Then Lt. Henry Jones -- fresh out of West Point -- reports to Speirs. Winters and Nixon announce that Sink wants a patrol to go across the river to Germany and invade an observation post to take prisoners for interrogation, an assignment no one wants except Jones. He immediately asks to go on the patrol, though no one thinks such an inexperienced man should be part of the job. Jones and Webster are sent to the Second Platoon, now headed up by Malarkey.

Later, Malarkey selects his patrol and picks most of the men from Second, including Webster. When Webster observes that Malarkey remains broken up after the deaths of many friends, he encourages Jones to ask to go in his place. Jones searches out Winters, and eventually the captain agrees to let him replace Malarkey. However, Winters taps John Martin to lead the patrol before giving the men a quick briefing. Webster is less than pleased to be sent on the patrol as a translator, as the men continue to razz the Harvard-educated trooper. That night, the unit sets out to cross the river, during which one of the rafts is overturned. Once on German soil, many bullets are fired at Easy but the patrol is nonetheless successful in extracting three prisoners and bringing two of them back across the river. However, Eugene Jackson is hit by debris from an exploding building during the patrol and eventually dies from his injuries. The next day, Roy Cobb hears the third prisoner wailing in agony on the bank. That night, a drunk Cobb begins insulting Webster, and Jones and Martin chastise him.

Later, Nixon reports to Winters that the two prisoners have talked and that Sink is very pleased. Then, Sink arrives to commend everyone for the previous night's mission and to wish them luck on that night's similar effort. Winters officially briefs his men on the evening's assignment, then reveals that the unnecessary mission will not take place. He also tells the soldiers how they will explain why no new prisoners were retrieved. Meanwhile, Lipton is honorably discharged as an enlisted man, Jones gets promoted to first lieutenant, and Winters becomes a major. Finally, Webster addresses "the price" paid by soldiers to improve life back in America, as he finally gains some respect from his peers. Closing graphics detail the route of the European Campaign and how Easy Company would soon be entering Germany.

This selection from the Alan Gerry Cable Collection has been made available by the Gerry Foundation, Inc.

Details

• NETWORK: HBO
• DATE: October 21, 2001 Sunday 9:00 PM
• RUNNING TIME: 0:58:57
• COLOR/B&W: Color
• CATALOG ID: T:67746
• GENRE: Drama, historical
• SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, historical; World War II; United States Army
• SERIES RUN: HBO - TV series, 2001
• COMMERCIALS: N/A

CREDITS

• Tom Hanks … Executive Producer
• Steven Spielberg … Executive Producer
• Stephen E. Ambrose … Co-Executive Producer, Based on the book by
• Gary Goetzman … Co-Executive Producer
• Tony To … Co-Executive Producer, Director
• Erik Jendresen … Supervising Producer
• Erik Bork … Supervising Producer, Writer
• Mary Richards … Producer
• Gene Kelly … Co-Producer
• Billy Fox … Co-Producer
• Ivan Schwarz … Co-Producer
• Bruce Everett … Co-Producer
• Terri DePaolo … Associate Producer
• Claire McGrane … Digital Lab Producer
• James Brett … Music Co-Producer
• Michael Price … Music Co-Producer
• Tim Field … VFX Producer
• Cindy Jones … VFX Producer
• Bruce C. McKenna … Writer
• Michael Kamen … Music by
• Nicholas Aaron … Cast, Robert E. (Popeye) Wynn
• Martin Arno … Cast, Junior German
• Eion Bailey … Cast, David Kenyon Webster
• Jamie Bamber … Cast, Jack E. Foley
• Philip Barrantini … Cast, Wayne A. (Skinny) Sisk
• George Calil … Cast, James H. (Mo) Alley, Jr.
• Michael Cudlitz … Cast, Denver (Bull) Randleman
• Christoph Dostal … Cast, Senior German
• Dale Dye … Cast, Colonel Robert F. Sink
• Michael Fassbender … Cast, Burton P. (Pat) Christenson
• Dexter Fletcher … Cast, John W. Martin
• Rick Gomez … Cast, George Luz
• Scott Grimes … Cast, Donald G. Malarkey
• Colin Hanks … Cast, Lt. Henry Jones
• Craig Heaney … Cast, Roy W. Cobb
• Nolan Hemmings … Cast, Charles E. (Chuck) Grant
• Robin Laing … Cast, Edward J. (Babe) Heffron
• Damian Lewis … Cast, Richard D. Winters
• Ron Livingston … Cast, Lewis Nixon
• James Madio … Cast, Frank J. Perconte
• Rocky Marshall … Cast , Earl J. McClung
• Ross McCall … Cast, Joseph D. Liebgott
• Rene L. Moreno … Cast, Joseph Ramirez
• David Nicolle … Cast, Thomas A. Peacock
• Kieran O'Brien … Cast, Allen E. Vest
• Andrew Lee Potts … Cast, Eugene E. Jackson
• Colin Ridgewell … Cast, German Soldier Shot
• Matthew Settle … Cast, Ronald C. Speirs
• Douglas Spain … Cast, Antonio C. Garcia
• Shane Taylor … Cast, Eugene G. Roe
• Donnie Wahlberg … Cast, C. Carwood Lipton
• Rick Warden … Cast, Harry F. Welsh
• Youngblood Hills, Peter … Cast, Darrell C. (Shifty) Powers