Informal Rewatch: Carentan and Replacements
Carentan
- What sort of plane is that, the wrecked one Blithe's standing next to? I'm not good at identifying American planes.
- Direction appreciation: The shot of Perconte swiping another watch is beautifully angled and framed.
- I've been reading Winters' memoirs recently, and it's quite funny comparing that to this episode, with his obsession with good leadership coming through. "Officers crapping out on their training" and all that - Dick's utterly fixated, in series and in real life, on the importance of leading from the front and leading by example.
- I adore the firefight in Carentan. It's my favourite battle scene. I think it's easier to follow than some of the others. New detail I've found - the bathtub hanging out of the top floor of a house with a wall knocked down.
- It's a pity they don't make it very clear that Tipper survived.
- "Catchy tune, ain't it?" That, that short scene right there, is where Harry Welsh became my favourite character, thanks to sheer charisma. It's the grin and the timing and the way his hat rattles around on his little head.
- Either I briefly blacked out, or the BBC fucking CUT Harry's pep talk to Blithe. I can understand that the episode runs a bit over an hour and they need to save time, but who the fuck thought that THAT, of all things, was a bit that could safely be removed without detracting from the story arc?
- Love the guys all sharing cigarettes after the battle. Very post-coital.
- The music gets practically Disneyesque when Blithe finds his Edelweiss. And then, of course, dramatic irony strikes again as he gets shot just after discovering his courage and volunteering for a patrol. So really, conquering his tendency to hide in ditches didn't do him any favours.
- Mrs Lamb offers Malarkey a cup of tea. Of course she bloody does. She is English, tea is ready at all times.
Replacements
- Directed by David Nutter. This amuses my inner five-year-old. (Also, who the hell are Douglas Spain and Rene L. Moreno, and why do they always get their names in the opening credits when more prominently featured cast members don't?)
- This opening bit is quite confusing, actually, given that they're told they're moving out again right at the end of the last episode. A tiny bit of clarification is given when Nix mentions things being called off, but even so, that's actually quite annoying.
- It's Peacock who wants his leg tapped! Of course it is! Oh, Peacock, you big ol' chickenshit, why didn't I notice it was you earlier? Actually, Peacock's in this one a fair bit. He's the one who yells at everyone to keep moving when they're in Eindhoven.
- I adore the little expression of confusion Roe makes when Hoobler passes him with the beers he's liberated.
- Hashey's actually quite important in this episode. I didn't pick up before on how much he appears. Perhaps it's because despite that, he's still pretty much just a generic newbie.