The Breaking Point continues the story of Easy Company. They are still in the Ardennes Forest, preparing to defend the town of Foy from an impending German attack. And this is just one of the problems they faced.

Written by Graham Yost, this episode was first broadcast on 14 October, 2001.

Morale is at an all-time low for the 101st. They are cold, undernourished, under-supplied, with poor leadership in the form of Lt. Dike (Peter O’Meara) and seem to be under constantly shelling by the Germans. How much more can they take before they reach their breaking point?

The brutal, realistic portrayal of events depicted in the series has made this a captivating and heart-wrenching watch. And to see men pushed ot their actual breaking point, real men brought to life by a fantastic cast. It’s something.

We see the breaking of Buck (Neal McDonough), and Lipton (Donnie Wahlberg) gives a narration throughout, giving us context for the events as he reports to Winters (Damien Lewis) and Nixon (Ron Livingston) as well as giving us a look inside the thoughts of those on the line.

The men all support and are loyal to Winters, but Dike is in between Easy Company and him. And Dike is a terrible leader. And that costs E Company. Lipton tries to mitigate the issue by maintaining an image and chain of command, but he knows Dike is unreliable. The episode also shows how good a leader Lipton is.

The shelling is absolutely terrifying, and the human cost is extraordinary and horrifying.

I’m hard-pressed to pick a favourite episode in the series. The series is focused on realism and attention to detail, grounding everything in fact, and it makes the whole series a collective experience.

It’s a fantastic series, faithful to documented events, and honouring the men who served.

The Last Patrol was first aired on 21 October, 2001. It was written by Erik Bork and Bruce C. McKenna.

Webster (Eion Bailey) a member of Easy Company since the beginning, is ostracized and despised when he rejoins them. He wasn’t at Bastogne, and that was the crucible for so many of them.

Easy Company is now in Hagenau. It’s February of 1945. Not only has Webster returned, but the company has a new young lieutenant just out of West Point, Jones (Colin Hanks), who is eager to prove himself.

Everyone is reluctant to take risks now, as they have a bit of relaxation in actual homes and buildings, but there is a mission to accomplish: cross the town’s river and take some German prisoners for information.

Through Webster’s POV we see how things have changed for Easy Company. He’s treated like a replacement and is trying to reconnect with the men he served with. But Bastogne changed everything.

Everyone is worn down, and Webster and Jones stand out. Jones takes most of it in stride, but Webster misses the connection he had.

It’s a great episode showing how war literally changes people and the long-lasting effect combat has on them. This series deserved all the awards and critical acclaim it received, and I think it’s a must-watch for everyone.

Next week, we finish off this fantastic, important, and iconic series.