Carentan (Band of Brothers)
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| Band of Brothers episode | |
|---|---|
| “Carentan” | |
 |
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| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 3 |
| Guest star(s) | Diana Kent as Mrs. Lamb |
| Writer(s) | E. Max Frye |
| Director | Mikael Salomon |
| Production no. | – |
| Original airdate | September 16, 2001 |
| Episode chronology | |
| ← Previous | Next → |
| "Day of Days" | "Replacements" |
Carentan is the 3rd episode of Band of Brothers. The episode was directed by Mikael Salomon and written by E. Max Frye. It first aired on September 16, 2001 on HBO.
[edit] Plot
The third episode revolves around the battles in and around Carentan and Hill 30, and foreshadows later developments in the miniseries. These foreshadowings include the role Captain Ronald Speirs will eventually play in the company, as well as the prominent role a German Luger will later have. The assault on Carentan is shown in some detail, as are the casualties suffered in war, both physical (a particularly gruesome scene shows an Easy Company soldier severely wounded by mortar fire) and mental. The latter is explored through the experiences of Private Albert Blithe, whose struggle with fear results in a case of hysterical blindness. Leadership is also examined, in particular Winters' role in leading the company during German counter-attacks after Carentan has been taken. Lt. Ronald Speirs delivers a speech very similar to Gregory Peck's speech in 12 O'Clock High, in which he attempts to calm Blithe's fear of death by saying that the only way a soldier can function in war is to accept that he's already dead. Later, the 101st falls under counter-attack from Fallschirmjäger and Panzer units, and Easy Company is engaged in a ferocious firefight. No match for the overwhelming enemy tanks, the division is about to succumb when the 2nd Armored Division comes to the rescue. Later on, Blithe volunteers to lead a reconnaissance on a farmhouse, having overcome his fear, when he is shot in the neck by a sniper. The episode explains that Blithe would never recover from his wounds, and would die in 1948. The company returns to England after its service in Normandy is over, and the episode ends with a poignant vignette as Sergeant Donald Malarkey picks up clothing from an English washerwoman who unwittingly inquires about the bundles of unclaimed laundry left behind by Easy's fatal casualties.
[edit] Blithe subplot
This episode is somewhat criticized amongst fans of the show, with regard to the portrayal of Albert Blithe. The reference to Blithe was, primarily, smaller in Stephen Ambrose's book (upon which the series was based) and less dramatic. Furthermore, it is also derided for perpetuating the error that Pvt. Albert Blithe did not recover from his neck wounds - which in reality, he did. He went on to serve tours in Korea, becoming a highly decorated noncommissioned officer.
The error stemmed from the fact that his comrades had read a report with Blithe's army personnel ID which ended with the numbers "...1948" - which they assumed was the date of his death. Blithe in fact died of kidney failure in 1967, while stationed in West Germany.
| Band of Brothers | |
|---|---|
| Currahee •Day of Days •Carentan •Replacements •Crossroads Bastogne •The Breaking Point •The Last Patrol •Why We Fight •Points |
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