Episode 8 - The Last Patrol:
- The guys I knew were gone or different than I remembered. I went through D-Day and Market Garden, but because I had missed Bastogne I was treated as a replacement and felt like I was starting all over.
— David Webster
"The Last Patrol" is the eighth episode of Band of Brothers. Narrated by Private David Kenyon Webster as he rejoins Easy Company in Haguenau, France after spending the past few months in the hospital. As he missed Bastogne, he faces resentment and hostility from his fellow soldiers. This coincides with the arrival of Lt Jones, a West Point graduate who desires combat experience. Webster tries to reconnect with the men while they prepare for a mission to cross into enemy territory and capture German soldiers.
Tropes nervous in the service:
- Armchair Military: Lt. Jones is treated something like this, partly because he's a fresh replacement whose adherence to staff protocol is out of place among the hardened battlefield veterans, who have long since shaken that off, partly because Easy Company has recently had bad luck with incompetent commanding officers, and partly because he's a graduate of West Point who is both on the fast track and is eager to see combat, meaning that everyone treats him as some kind of wet-behind-the-ears Glory Hound. He ends up proving himself, however.
- Artistic License – History: This episode is the one that diverts the most from historical records.
- The reason why the real Webster missed Bastogne was because the army lost his paperwork in the hospital, so he was stuck at the replacement deposit for a month until they found it. Also, the other men weren't as hostile towards him when he came back (the real Webster mused it was probably because they were just glad to see someone from the company alive and well).
- Several characters depicted on the first patrol, including Webster and Jones, weren't actually on it. Forrest Guth was the translator on it, making Webster something of a Composite Character. He was to go on the second patrol that never happened though.
- Sgt. Kiehn was actually killed when the building he was napping in was bombed and collapsed on him.
- Winters was promoted to major a little later than shown depicted in the episode.
- Bilingual Bonus: During the raid of the German outpost, Webster shouts something in German to the enemy. It's not said in the show what he was saying but it translates as "be good and you'll get a cookie."
- Beard of Sorrow: Malarkey has grown one.
- The Bus Came Back: Played for Drama and shown from the perspective of one on the proverbial bus.
- Character Development: In "Currahee", Winters was willing to face court-martial in order to prove that he wouldn't knowingly disobey the orders of a senior officer. In this episode, he knowingly disobeys the orders of a senior officer by telling the men not to go on the ordered second patrol and giving them a false report to lodge. In his defence, it is suggested that the second patrol was reckless, would only needlessly endanger the lives of his men, and was only really being done out of ego on part of the commanders, thus making it admirable even if still against military code.
- A Day in the Limelight: For David Kenyon Webster.
- Delayed Explosion: See Where's the Kaboom? below.
- Drinking on Duty: Cobb is drunk after the eponymous last patrol.
- Dropped a Bridge on Him: Lampshaded by Webster's narration. In contrast to some men who were killed in battle, Kiehn was killed while crossing the street.
- Dude, Where's My Respect?: Webster, a Toccoa man who fought in D-Day and Market Garden, is upset that everyone is treating him like a replacement because he missed Bastogne. Likewise, Lt. Jones is annoyed about being written off by everybody as useless just because he's fresh out of West Point and hasn't been in combat yet.
- Due to the Dead: Martin covers Jackson with another soldier's blanket.
- Ensign Newbie: Lt Jones to the point that even after Winters agrees to let him go on the patrol, he still puts Martin in charge.
- Face Death with Dignity: Subverted. Webster's narration says that Jackson's family will get a letter saying he did this – when in reality he died screaming for his mother.
- Fanservice: The below-mentioned Shower of Angst.
- Foil: It's noted that Perconte is given a warmer welcome back than Webster when he returns from the hospital, mostly because he broke out after spending a couple weeks there while Webster stayed for months full recuperating and following the proper protocolnote .
- Friendship Moment:
- Liebgott offering to help Webster onto the wagon at the end. In the next two episodes, the two share several scenes together.
- On the flipside, after Liebgott grumbles that Webster speaks German as well as he does when Webster appears to downplay it in the briefing, Webster approaches the officers and convinces them that they only need one translator on the patrol and he can do it fine, thus allowing Liebgott to be excused.
- Heroic BSoD: Christenson is shown having one after Kiehn is found dead. Vest has another one when Jackson dies.
- Historical Hero Upgrade: There are generally some conflicting viewpoints about Webster — he's treated in the episode and the book which inspired it as a kind of Warrior Poet, but judging from the recollections of other soldiers he appears to have been generally unpopular with his fellow soldiers, who considered him standoffish, workshy and fond of flaunting his superior education — though, somewhat ironically, by Webster's own recollection they actually didn't ostracise him as much on his return as the episode depicts. Probably the biggest example is that in the episode he is depicted as volunteering to go on the "Last Patrol" when in actuality he stayed behind (though he was rostered to go on the second patrol that was cancelled).
- Historical Villain Downgrade: Ironically – given his Historical Villain Upgrade in previous episodes – Cobb's Drinking on Duty is downplayed. In reality he got so drunk he attacked Lt Foley and he was arrested, eventually getting discharged after VE Day. In the episode the most he does is mouth off to Lt. Jones. Craig Heaney revealed the reason for the change was that the producers didn't want to make Cobb too unsympathetic.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Jackson throws a grenade into the house and gets hit by the blast of it.
- Inelegant Blubbering: Vest while Jackson is dying and bullets are exploding everywhere outside.
- Innocently Insensitive: Webster asking where Hoobler is, among other things.
- Jerkass Has a Point:
- Cobb comes across as a jerk for suggesting to Foley that Webster report to 2nd Platoon instead of 1st, but it makes sense for Webster to go there since they lost the most guys during Bastogne and need more men.
- It is often noted by the platoon that other Easy Company members, despite (seemingly) more serious injuries, made a point of breaking out of the field hospitals to return to the company during times of battle.
- Inverted, since he's not really the one being the jerk in the situation; when Lt. Jones tries to convince Winters and Speirs to put him on the patrol, we points out that he's spoken to Malarkey, who is clearly exhausted and would be happy for Lt. Jones to take his place. Winters rather sarcastically points out that this is very nice of Malarkey, but acknowledges that it is nevertheless a fair point.
- Kicked Upstairs: This happens to Lt Jones at the end. It isn't due to incompetence though; they needed a 'post-War' officer corp as most of the existing officers would be discharged once the war ended – and they didn't want him killed before he could fill his position.
- Majorly Awesome: Winters is promoted to Major at the end.
- Mercy Kill: Discussed. One German POW is "too far gone" to be brought back with the others. They can hear him crying in pain the next day and suggest putting him out of his misery. Cobb says "fuck his misery" and it's not stated whether they did or not. Ironically in reality all the soldiers threw grenades at the man as a mercy kill - and it was Cobb's who got him.
- Must Make Amends: Webster subtly does this throughout the episode, getting Lt Jones a spot on the patrol (and by extension getting Malarkey a chance to rest). He also sneakily gets Liebgott off the patrol, reminding them that they only need one translator.
- The Neidermeyer: The men don't want Jones on the patrol out of fear he'll be this. He turns out to be anything BUT this.
- New Meat:
- Lt Jones, a West Point graduate who is eager for experience.
- Although Webster has been there since Toccoa, he's treated as such because he missed Bastogne.
- One-Steve Limit: Averted. There's a Eugene Jackson in addition to Doc Eugene Roe.
- Posthumous Narration: Of a sort. Webster survives the war but is lost at sea in 1961, long before Stephen Ambrose's book was written.
- Rescued from the Scrappy Heap: In-universe. Lt Jones is more fondly received after he successfully participates in the eponymous patrol. Webster also begins to re-ingratiate himself with the platoon by volunteering for various duties, such as being the only translator on the patrol so that Liebgott wouldn't have to go.
- Remember the New Guy?: Private Jackson has been there long enough for Webster to know who he is, though this is his first episode. Same with Sgt. Kiehn, who was with the company since Toccoa and is on friendly terms with Webster.
- Sacrificial Lamb: Again lampshaded. Jackson's death is there to show that although the war is drawing to an end, people still get killed.
- Sergeant Rock: Martin has to fill this role during the eponymous patrol.
- Shower of Angst: The men get to have hot showers, with a special focus on Malarkey. Scott Grimes said it was one for him in real life too; citing that as the point where he really started missing home.
- Took a Level in Jerkass: It's entirely justified regarding their traumatic experiences in the Ardennes and is used to contrast with the refreshed replacements, but our main characters are noticeably more hostile, unwelcoming and bitter than they were in previous episodes. Even Winters is notably curt and dismissive of Lt. Jones in ways that he wouldn't have been in previous episodes (likely because he's had some bad experience with replacement officers).
- Unusually Uninteresting Sight: Done as a way of establishing character. After learning of the patrol, the company are heading to the shower block when an explosion that goes off in the distance, and the camera focuses on Liebgott, Webster and Jones. Jones, the fresh recruit, flinches instinctively. Liebgott, the hardened and bedraggled veteran of the Bulge, barely notices. But Webster, although looking fresher than Liebgott, doesn't react either, indicating that despite the contemptuous treatment of his comrades he actually is combat-experienced.
- Where's the Kaboom?: A time bomb is left behind during the raid on the German outpost. Winters checks his watch shortly before the building explodes the next day, as if checking that the kaboom isn't behind schedule.
