It’s made clear throughout this series that the men who trained together at Toccoa and took part in the Normandy landings shared a particularly special bond. The replacements who were drafted in to replace fallen soldiers therefore had to work hard to earn the respect of their fellow men. The liberation of Eindhoven is a joyous occasion for the men as they are hailed as conquering heroes by the Dutch people. In amidst the celebrations though, we do witness the ill-feeling felt by the Dutch towards their countrymen who fraternised with the Nazis during occupation. Chilling scenes of the women accused of sleeping with German soldiers having their heads shaved drive home the festering anger caused by occupation. The celebrations in Eindhoven are soon forgotten however, when the Company enter Nuenen and the Germans situated there are far more prepared than the military intelligence had Easy believe. Easy comes under heavy attack and takes a number of losses. One of those who gets killed was a young replacement called Miller, played by none other than Professor X himself, James McAvoy. Across the series, as well as McAvoy, there are minor roles for Tom Hardy and Michael Fassbender, and small bit parts for Simon Pegg, Jimmy Fallon and even Moriarty himself, Andrew Scott. Cleary the casting department had a good eye for talent! Bull hides in a nearby barn and even with a wounded shoulder, he somehow manages to evade capture thanks to the help of a couple of locals and through sheer guts as he engages in hand-to-hand combat with a German soldier. It’s testament to the regard in which Bull was held that a squad of his men, including several raw recruits, set out as a search party to find him. This, along with Popeye busting out of hospital to be with the men, and Malarkey’s refusal to leave an injured Buck Compton behind, all serve to emphasise the bond these men shared. A discussion between Winters and Nixon emphasises the frustrating reprecussions of Operation Market Garden: Nixon: First time for everything. Winters: How’d the other divisions fare up north? Nixon: …….I think we’re gonna have to find another way into Germany. Come back tomorrow for Rob’s look at episode four, Crossroads. Follow our Twitter feed for faster news and bad jokes right here. And be our Facebook chum here.
