I teetered back and forth between Band of Brothers and Saving Private Ryan for the focus of today's post, ultimately settling on the HBO miniseries for its sheer magnitude and undeniable role in propelling me to pursue a graduate degree in history (and despite my general estimation of Steven Spielberg's 1998 World War 2 magnum opus as one of the greatest films ever made).
I knew about the critically acclaimed Band of Brothers miniseries well before I ever saw it, largely thanks to Entertainment Weekly. The magazine's coverage and reviews intensified my overall interest, already piqued by the comparisons made to Saving Private Ryan. Without access to HBO, though, I waited to watch Band of Brothers until I found a deal for the boxset I couldn't pass up. DVDs in hand, I binged my way through all ten episodes in a matter of days, and to say the series surpassed my expectations would be an understatement. In fact, Band of Brothers made such an impression that when I rewatched the series again a year or so later, it motivated me to finally start the process of obtaining my Masters degree in History, something I had been stewing over for years. Based on the work of historian Stephen Ambrose, Band of Brothers depicts World War 2 from boot camp to war's end through the eyes of the US Army 101st Airborne's Easy Company. Throughout the series, viewers witness the company's involvement in such momentous events as D-Day, the Battle of the Bulge, and the liberation of a concentration camp. In fact, the image above comes from episode nine, "Why We Fight," which deals with Easy Company's discovery and subsequent liberation of a Nazi Concentration Camp and represents one of the most heart-wrenching hours of programming ever to air on television. Not surprisingly, a strong bond of brotherhood develops between company members based on the intensity of their shared experiences over the course of the war, not unlike the kind identified by the character of Upham in Saving Private Ryan. And while Spielberg's war film certainly introduces the idea, the miniseries format allows Band of Brothers to expand on the groundwork laid by Ryan, flesh out a broader cast of characters, and incorporate recollections from surviving Easy Company veterans. Brothers therefore provides audiences with a much more intimate glimpse of what the war was like for soldiers fighting in Europe. If you've been keeping up with my Countdown to 40 blog, my fascination with World War 2 does not come as a surprise, and I can think of two specific reasons why the it interests me so much. First, as I recounted in my post about Schindler's List, the Holocaust and its socio-political repercussions in Germany raised several historical questions for me, ones I eventually explored in grad school using films like Downfall. The second reason, one I have not yet shared, relates to my grandfather. Like many people my age and around the world, my grandparents lived through the war. And like many men of his generation, my mother's father fought in the war. I was not yet fifteen when my grandfather passed away, and I often regret not learning more about his wartime experiences. That's not to say I am completely without knowledge of his time in the Navy. When putting together a video memorial of my grandfather's life shortly after his death, my older sister and I came across a set of letters he and my grandmother exchanged during that time. Based on what my relatives told me, I also learned that Grandpa returned from the war a changed man, one who no longer believed in the existence of God. Taken as a whole, that pretty much sums up what I know about my grandfather's wartime perspective. Of course, given the intense nature of such experiences, perhaps he wouldn't have wanted to talk about them with me. Nevertheless, I still wish I would have asked him, and I think things like Band of Brothers and Saving Private Ryan offer a way for me to imagine the war through Grandpa's eyes. And maybe, just maybe, my desire to know the world and time of my grandparents better was the real impetus behind initiating my graduate studies.
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I jumped aboard the Sex and the City bandwagon late, only ever watching it on DVD after the final season aired on HBO. I knew the show's stellar reputation, as it frequently appeared on year-end best lists and garnered numerous awards throughout its six-season run. Not subscribing to HBO, though, meant I had no easy access to the show and therefore could not watch it. And before ever seeing a single episode, I simply could not understand the hysteria surrounding Sex and the City, at least not initially. It was well before streaming movies and television series was a thing, after all. Still, the critical hype piqued my interest, increased all the more when one of my good friends, Carrie, highly recommended the show to me.
The question then became, how does one gain access to a premium-channel show without the premium channel or an option to stream? Through DVD, of course. The early 2000s saw the rise of entire seasons of television shows on DVD and even if Netflix has now become synonymous with binge-watching, the modern phenomenon truly started with TV on DVD. So, one year I asked my parents for Sex and the City on DVD for Christmas, ultimately receiving the first two seasons as a gift. That same year I felt a little under the weather at Christmastime, not thinking much of it, especially considering I seemed to feel better within a couple of days. Fast forward a week to New Year's Eve, however, and suddenly it became clear that whatever illness I contracted was not done with me. Before long I felt the sickest I remember ever feeling in my life. What started as a sniffle turned into the worst possible sinus infection one could imagine. I spent New Year's Eve lying in bed, scared to move for fear of throwing up. Even rolling to one side while in bed caused severe nausea. The only way I could manage the dizziness and prevent vomiting was by lying perfectly still, and provided I did so, I actually felt fine. I could eat. I could drink. I could read. I could watch TV. I could play video games. The problem arose when I readjusted my position or needed to use the bathroom, and even sitting up in bed made me ill. I survived the bout of intensely debilitating sickness, clearly, but not without the help of some very generous people. My parents suggested I try eating a banana and drinking some gatorade as a way to restore my potassium balance, replenish my electrolytes, and rehydrate my body, all of which they thought could be culprits. My roommate at the time, Kara, and her new beau, Bailey, made sure I was okay and brought me some bananas and gatorade to try, though I felt as if they were suspicious of my illness--primarily because it was just so strange. After a full day in bed and feeling no better, another of my good friends, Allison, responded to my call for help and drove me to urgent care. Imagine, if you will, being so off-kilter that rolling over in bed caused so much dizziness that the only way your body knew how to react was by throwing up. Then imagine having to get into a car. Allison, my brave friend, managed to get me to urgent care, albeit with my arms wrapped around a bucket for the entire ride to and from the doctor's visit. Luckily enough, I had been so sick over the past 24 hours nothing was left in my digestive system to empty. Turns out I had contracted a very nasty sinus infection, most likely a hold out from the cold I had the week before. My orders were to lay low so as not to upset my equilibrium much, drink lots of water to cure my severe dehydration, take prescription-strength dramamine to help ease the nausea, and let my body take care of the rest. Over my days of recovery, I longed for something to keep my mind off of being sick. My good friends Kara, Bailey, Allison, and Dianna, another life-long friend made during my time at the University of Minnesota Duluth, helped with that by dropping by, hanging out, and checking in on me. With more free time on my hands than my friends had to give, I turned to my newly-acquired Sex and the City DVDs. It did not take long for me to see why the show had earned so many kudos, and soon Kara and I were hooked. Together, we binge-watched the entire series, instantly drawn to the comedy, romance, and drama of it all while also connecting to the power of great friendships as portrayed by the show's main characters, Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha. We zipped through the first two seasons with lightning speed, and yearning for more, I purchased the remaining seasons on DVD so we could finish what we started. By the very last episode of season six, I knew I had discovered another all-time favorite television show. Filled with humor, romance, drama, and heartbreak, Sex and the City proved immediately engrossing and infinitely watchable. Over the subsequent years, the show quickly became my most-watched, having seen it in its entirety several times. Even now I return to the show every summer, for like the good friends who took care of me while I was at my most sick, Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha never let me down. Confession: I have not read a single novel in George R. R. Martin's Game of Thrones series, though not for a want of trying. Over the past couple of years, I opened the first ebook on my Kindle multiple times, read a few chapters, and promptly moved on to another book or issue of Entertainment Weekly. Months later I'd pick up my Kindle and repeat the whole cycle from start to finish, never venturing more than a chapter or two further than before. Martin's books have simply been unable to pull me in despite my general interest in the fantasy genre.
The adaptation of Game of Thrones for television, on the other hand, proved a completely different story altogether. My husband, Bryce, and I jumped on the bandwagon rather late and started watching the series while HBO aired season five for the first time. Friends and family members remarked how excited they were for us, wishing they could go back and experience the show from its beginning, too. I quickly grew to understand why they felt that way. The captivating characters and absorbing narratives drew us into the engrossing fantasy world almost immediately, and we devoured the first two seasons in a matter of weeks. The intensity of season two forced us to take a short break, but less than a month later, we found ourselves delving into season three on our quest to catch up in time for the April 2016 season six premiere. Why so quickly? Partly because of the show itself, which compels audiences to binge watch, but mostly because of good friends in our current hometown. During our marathon viewing of the first five seasons, Bryce and I discovered several in our friend circle were also hooked on the series. We soon decided in the months leading up to the season six premiere that we should take turns hosting viewing parties and watch the new episodes together. Sometimes we'd start Sunday evenings with dinner beforehand, other times we arrived just as the show got underway, enjoying simple snacks and beverages. Regardless, not a week went by without lively debate and discussion about what happened, what might happen in the next episode, and what the episode could mean for the story further down the road. We'd share our reactions to the episode's most surprising twists and turns, introduce new theories based on observations or outside research, and summarily reject theories we posited in the weeks before. Game of Thrones has become, therefore, more than a show--it is an experience and a weekly highlight. And while I find the portrayal of Martin's characters, kingdoms, and storylines enthralling, what I love so much about the show is how we now share it with friends. You might think that after a fall into the Game of Thrones universe so deep and complete I would be able to move forward in the books. Unfortunately for me, that still has not been the case. One day, perhaps I'll finish the first book and tackle the subsequent volumes. For now, I'm content to immerse myself in the TV version, and I very much look forward to restarting our weekly viewing parties when season seven starts later this year. |
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I am a self-proclaimed pop culture geek and list enthusiast who is celebrating the big four-zero by counting down the most important, influential, and favorite music, movies, television shows, books, and video games of my life so far. Categories
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