BAND OF BROTHERS: THE BREAKING POINT {EPISODE 7} (TV)

Summary

Part seven 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 January 2, 1945 in the Adrennes Forest in Belgium as Easy Company is asked to yet again push the Germans through "the Bulge." Lipton states that he was excited to get out of a foxhole and move toward an assault on the town of Foy. First, however, Easy is to clear the woods around Foy. Along the way, Hoobler downs a German officer on horseback and finally gets a Luger. Later, Compton asks Lipton for the whereabouts of Dike, who remains in command of Easy. Then, Hoobler accidentally shoots himself in the thigh and dies before he can be saved. Lipton reports to Nixon that the bullet cut a main artery in Hoobler's leg. Winters, too, wonders where Dike is and why he didn't deliver the report. Lipton claims that people were always searching for Dike, a man felt by many as unfit to lead the company. Lipton reviews Dike's background and notes that he was "a bad leader because he made no decisions." Later, Lipton interrupts freezing soldiers as they criticize Dike and tells them to simply do their jobs. That night, Nixon and Winters discuss Dike's problem, as well as the lack of candidates to replace him. Lipton and others agree that Compton would have been the best soldier to replace Dike, at least before he began acting strangely in the wake of his injuries. Then, Dike finally returns to speak with Lipton about Hoobler's death. He asks about Lipton's life previous to entering the service.

The next morning, Nixon receives a letter from division informing him that he has been "plucked" to serve a thirty-day furlough in America to promote the war bond drive. Nixon chooses to turn down the offer and instead tells Winters to send Peacock. Then, Winters and Nixon update Sink on the latest in their pending battle in Foy. Meanwhile, Toye returns from the aid station with a slight arm injury, requesting to return to the line. Guarnere and the others warmly welcome Toye back to Easy. On the afternoon of January 3, Easy Company moves again toward Foy. Lipton discusses platoon leader Spiers, already a legend amongst the men for tales that may or may not be true. By the late afternoon, the Americans return to their foxholes overlooking Foy. There, Lipton sees enemy troops but no artillery. Lipton thinks the Germans are simply waiting for them to reoccupy the positions. Then, the Germans start bombing the American line. During the bombardments, Lipton recalls being a boy during Fourth of July celebrations. Meanwhile, Toye gets nailed by fire and loses a leg. After bombing ceases briefly, Lipton sprints out of his foxhole to rescue some men. Toye drags himself through the woods and is eventually pulled toward safety by Guarnere. While in the opening with Toye, Guarnere takes a hit and he, too, loses a leg. Compton comes out of his foxhole, woozy at the sight of the two wounded men. Then, Luz reports to Lipton that Compton is "fine," despite how he looks. Nevertheless, Lipton speaks with Compton, who seems unable to go on after losing his friends. He is taken off the line, ostensibly for trench foot, but Lipton reports that he had an emotional breakdown.

That evening, Lipton tells Luz to quit mocking Dike. Then, some more fire comes in from the Germans and Luz watches his foxhole destroyed with Warren "Skip" Muck and Alex Penkala in it. During the bombardment, Lipton gets struck in the arm by a falling tree, after which a dud hits their foxhole. Lipton recalls that he and Luz were simply lucky. Afterward, Lipton begins to worry about Malarkey, who has now lost all his friends in the war. Lipton tries to cheer up Malarkey by giving him Hoobler's Luger and sending him back from the line to say goodbye to Compton. Lipton finds himself concerned about morale as they make their all-out assault on Foy. Lipton reports to Winters, finally telling him that Dike is "an empty uniform." Winters then tells Dike of the game plan for attacking Foy. However, during the crucial attack on Foy, Dike freezes up and holds his men down, against the orders of Winters. A clueless and scared Dike is unable to lead his men. During the assault, Frank Perconte gets hit while Lipton tells Dike that, due to his lack of decision-making, they are "sitting ducks." Thus, a furious Winters is forced to send Speirs into the onslaught to relieve Dike.

The fearless Speirs charges into German territory to hook up with I Company and is miraculously not shot. His efforts lead the Americans to a victory in Foy. The carnage is not completely over, however, when a sniper takes out some men before Darrel "Shifty" Powers acts quickly. Easy Company spends the night in a convent, one of their first nights spent indoors in a month, as they head for Haguenau in the Alsace. Lipton laments how many of his fellow soldiers were lost in the takeover of Foy. Later, Speirs talks with Lipton about the rumors that dog him. Speirs also tells Lipton that he is "the real leader" of Easy Company, with his actions about to earn him a promotion.

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

Details

• NETWORK: HBO
• DATE: October 14, 2001 Sunday 9:00 PM
• RUNNING TIME: 1:12:48
• COLOR/B&W: Color
• CATALOG ID: T:67914
• 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
• Gary Goetzman … Co-Executive Producer
• Tony To … Co-Executive Producer
• Stephen E. Ambrose … Co-Executive Producer, Based on the book by
• Erik Jendresen … Supervising Producer
• Erik Bork … Supervising Producer
• 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
• Catherine Duncan … VFX Producer
• David Frankel … Director
• Graham Yost … Writer
• Michael Kamen … Music by
• Nicholas Aaron … Cast, Robert E. (Popeye) Wynn
• Kirk Acevedo … Cast, Joseph D. Toye
• Doug Allen … Cast, Alton M. More
• Jamie Bamber … Cast, Jack E. Foley
• George Calil … Cast, James H. (Mo) Alley, Jr.
• David Crow … Cast, Corporal
• Michael Cudlitz … Cast, Denver (Bull) Randleman
• Dale Dye … Cast, Colonel Robert F. Sink
• Michael Fassbender … Cast, Burton P. (Pat) Christenson
• Dexter Fletcher … Cast, John W. Martin
• Jordan Frieda … Cast, Replacement
• Rick Gomez … Cast, George Luz
• Scott Grimes … Cast, Donald G. Malarkey
• Craig Heaney … Cast, Roy W. Cobb
• Nolan Hemmings … Cast, Charles E. (Chuck) Grant
• Mark Huberman … Cast, Lester Hashey
• Frank John Hughes … Cast, William J. Guarnere
• Robin Laing … Cast, Edward J. (Babe) Heffron
• Matthew Leitch … Cast, Floyd M. (Tab) Talbert
• Damian Lewis … Cast, Richard D. Winters
• Ron Livingston … Cast, Lewis Nixon
• James Madio … Cast, Frank J. Perconte
• Rocky Marshall … Cast , Earl J. McClung
• Tim Matthews … Cast, Alex M. Penkala, Jr.
• Joseph May … Cast, Edward J. Shamas
• Peter McCabe … Cast, Donald B. Hoobler
• Ross McCall … Cast, Joseph D. Liebgott
• Neal McDonough … Cast, Lynn D. (Buck) Compton
• Rene L. Moreno … Cast, Joseph Ramirez
• David Nicolle … Cast, Thomas A. Peacock
• Peter O'Meara … Cast, Norman S. Dike, Jr.
• Alex Sabga … Cast, Francis J. Mellet
• Simon Schatzberger … Cast, Joseph A. Lesniewski
• Matthew Settle … Cast, Ronald C. Speirs
• Richard Speight … Cast, Warren H. (Skip) Muck
• Shane Taylor … Cast, Eugene G. Roe
• Donnie Wahlberg … Cast, C. Carwood Lipton
• Youngblood Hills, Peter … Cast, Darrell C. (Shifty) Powers