We few, we happy few, we band of brothers

Okay, for all of you who haven't figured it out yet, I love me a series. I think it's because you get more bang for your buck - more viewing pleasure. Plus, I absolutely love the ensemble cast.

Anyway, I have been watching the 2001 series BAND OF BROTHERS on and off for the past few months. I am a bit late to the game, as I know practically everyone watched this when it was first broadcast on HBO. It's based on the Stephen Ambrose book and is the story Easy Company, a regiment of the 101st Airborne Division. They parachuted in D-day morning, and from there, they participated in many legendary battles, including the Battle of the Bulge.

Each is thrilling, riveting, and exhausting. Some are the tensest hour you'll experience, and that's saying something, considering we all know how this ends. Every episode begins with a few interview clips with the surviving members of the 101st, and there is a variety of writers and directors for the 10 episodes.

The battles are pretty bloody (the 101st had many casualties) and there are a lot of different characters, so you can get slightly overwhelmed, but that's also the beauty of the true ensemble cast. One gets an idea of the whole story, the largeness of the story the author is depicting, and in my case, it often left me in tears. My God, it was fierce. Fave episode: Bastogne.

But it's not that grim all of the time. Beacons of light (and to help you stay rooted) are the excellent Lt. Nixon (Ron Livingston) and Captain Winters (Damian Lewis - more on him in a future post). Their friendship is the thread that is consistent throughout all the episodes, and scenes with them are comforting. A bit of cover from the storm.

Whether you like war movies or not, it doesn't matter. See it.