David Webster rejoins Easy Company in the town of Haguenau.
This is another very strong episode that focuses on a specific mission and also pays tribute to what Easy Company went through in the context of the whole war until that point.
There are a number of poignant reflections on the volume of combat situations certain soldiers had been involved in since the D-Day, plus the loss of life and general suffering. This is put in context by the war reaching its final stages, references to normalcy returning to life back home, and the dread of more loss of life after surviving so much.
Additionally the narrative around the patrol sent to capture German soldiers is fascinating and probably worth the story time alone. One decision Major Winters makes at the end of the episode is so heartwarming it almost puts butterflies in your stomach. Credit is due to any leader who does something like that for his men and it is fantastically placed in the story.
The toll the campaign had taken on the remaining soldiers is very much in focus as we see it all from the perspective of a replacement soldier who is not welcomed back with open arms. By all accounts these dynamics existed, so it is important that it is captured on screen.
How much of the dialogue and banter is for dramatic licence is interesting to consider. Roy Cobb is portrayed as constantly hostile, which is fine if this is an accurate reflection of the real person, but if not I think it is unnecessary. Also interesting is the situation where a stranded, injured German soldier is ignored by Cobb, when in reality he was actually put out of his misery by a grenade.
All performances are great and the production values are of the highest standard. Whether or not the combat sequences feel authentic can only be judged by those who were there, so it's not for me to comment on.
