Easy.
This is what sleepless nights will do to me. Or make me do. They make me create my very first picspam. It's not dial-up friendly, but there is a lot of pretty to behold.
Yes. This is a Band of Brothers picspam. I had a hard time figuring out who all the guys were the first time I watched it (and I know I've left some guys out now as well), but since I now know all of them and am trying to make other people watch, I figured I'd do a little "Who's who?" and introduce a bunch of them to you. You know, lure you in with the pretty. If you've never watched it, that is. If you have, you can still look and point and go, "Hi, Bill! Hi, Skip! Hi, Nix!"
So, here goes.
Just for the sake of symmetry, we'll start with the man who, despite his shortcomings as an officer, really made Easy Company what it was: Capt. Herbert Sobel.
He is mean, petty, absolutely useless in combat and pretty much hated all around. But he trained those men. They became the elite company that they were because of him. (I can't take him seriously when he shouts, though. All I hear is Ross, "WE WERE ON A BREAK.")
Right, that's Sobel dealt with. Phew. Let's move on.
This is Don Malarkey. Ginger, kind of cheeky, all around adorable. Good at playing cards, likes motorcycles and, though it's never stated in the series, Glenn Miller. Also, he really wants a Luger and is willing to do some pretty stupid things to get one.
Sadly, because smiley Malark is my favourite Malark, he isn't always cheeky and happy. The things they put this boy through.
But when you talk about Malarkey, there's someone else who needs to be mentioned in the same breath, and that is his best friend: Skip Muck. These two. BOYS.
(Yep, that's the Trickster. Gabster. Whatever we should call him.) Ah, Skip. His little face! He swam across the Niagara once - beat that if you can! - and got chewed out for it by his family and his girl, sweet Faye Tanner. Another cheeky, happy-go-lucky boy, who also happens to be rather pretty and adorable.
See?
He can even pull off the beard. Well, kind of. There's a lot you could say about Skip Muck, but the short version is that he rocks.
The third musketeer, also in the above cap, is Alex Penkala Jr.
I tend to forget about him, and then I feel bad about it because when I do notice him he seems a sweetie. I guess I find him a bit easy to overlook, kind of. Shame on me. But if there's a third kid with Malark and Skip, it'll most likely be Penk.
There is no one quite like Easy Company's own SSgt. Bill Guarnere (also known as Wild Bill or Gonorrhea), from Philadelphia. South Philly, to be more specific. He's a bit of a hellraiser and likes to have fun, and is utterly loyal to his company. As in, going AWOL from the hospital with an injured leg to get back to his men and avoid being sent someplace else once he'd recovered. He is just really, really awesome, and Frank John Hughes is brilliant in the part.
Be aware, though, that if you are a German soldier, chances are he will volunteer to go out and fuck. you. up. (That's Joe Toye on the left. You'll meet him in a little bit.) I could put at least another five caps of Bill here, because I adore him, but I singled this last one out.
One thing that brings out Bill's awesome, huge grin is meeting other boys from his old neighbourhoods in South Philly. Which, incidentally, he does! He meets Babe Heffron whose first name is really Edward, but the only ones who call him that are nuns. He's a replacement, which would normally make him a bit of an outcast, but when you're from Wild Bill's old hood, that don't matter.
Immaculate, stubble-less, happy, innocent Babe. *sniff* He doesn't stay like that for long.
Long story short, war SUCKS. Luckily, he has Eugene Roe and Ralph Spina to look out for him when he's sad. Babe's a cutie who cares deeply about his friends.
And then there's this little fella, Frank Perconte.
Like quite a few others, he too is adorable. (Are you starting to sense a theme here? I'm starting to sense a theme here.) He's Italian, tiny enough that you want to put him in your pocket, and he likes to brush his teeth a lot. Gotta keep those pearly whites - well, pearly white. Perco/Toothbrush OTP.
He sometimes become stunned after having his face squashed into some Dutch bosoms. In a good way, though. Lipton is rather amused.
Ah, yes, Carwood Lipton. Let's have a look at him.
If there is one word to describe this man, it's "humble". He takes care of his men, leads them, keeps tabs on who needs a break and when, all the while unaware of just how much they respect, trust and rely on him.
Going back to tiny, adorable (hey, there's that word again!) boys for a moment, meet George Luz.
George Luz is That Guy. That Guy who talks through movie night, reciting all the lines because he's seen the movie before. (Not always a popular thing to do. He enjoys it, though.)
He's also That Guy who keeps everyone around him in a good mood by being silly and generally good-humoured. He likes to do impressions of (and impersonate) his superiors, especially when his fellow Easy boys are being filthy enablers, as they are below. (Hi, smiley Skip!)
Another guy who likes to make people laugh is Smokey Gordon.
He's a witty one who collects Purple Hearts and likes to make up poetry to mess with his comrades, but since we don't get to see a great deal of him I think the most important thing to point out is that he is NOT, in fact, Joe Toye, as I wrongly thought at first.
Because there is only one SSgt. Joe Toye, and this is him.
He is a tough SOB who likes brass knuckles, who will not come off the front line unless he absolutely has no choice, and who I wish we could've had more of on the show. Never quits, and one of the most admired men in the company. That's our Joe. There's a lot more to him than what we see, though, and he really needs a hug. And I'd totally give him one, but he'd probably punch me.
And since we've now entered Badass Territory, we may as well stay with that theme for a little bit - and who better to continue with than this man? This, my friends, is Capt. Ronald Speirs. He is one badass, stone-cold motherfucker, but also happens to be a really good CO who knows how to lead his men in battle.
He is not adorable. He is, on the other hand, smokin' hot.
Did I mention a badass motherfucker? Seriously, Superman would wear pyjamas with Ron Speirs on them. Just... Don't piss him off, and be careful if he offers you a smoke, 'kay?
You don't want to piss off Sgt. Johnny Martin, either. Because if you do, he WILL make you his translator.
And glare at you. Beware the glare. He's a good guy, though.
Not to be forgotten here is Sgt. Bull Randleman. He likes cigars, and everyone likes him. He's a bit of a Papa Bear, no?
He looks after and takes care of his men, and they'd do anything for him. Wouldn't you? Look at the smile! But don't think he won't kill you if he has to.
Joe Liebgott is really pretty badass, too, for a skinny little guy. He's Jewish (and so has a few tough and touching moments to deal with in this war), kinda narky, and will bite your head off at any moment. Or kick your ass. Or maybe shoot you. These caps don't quite illustrate it, though.
You're just gonna have to take my word for it. (Or better yet, watch the series if you haven't!)
While he might not quite fit in the same slot as these tough guys, medic Eugene Roe will show you what courage means.
Someone yells for a medic and Doc Roe sprints through the gunfire to get to whoever's wounded and try to help. Boy was born to be a medic, so say the others - he has the calming hands. He sees a lot of death and would have to have a cold, cold heart not to be affected by it. Needless to say, he does not have a cold, cold heart but a big, warm, soft one.
On a shallow level, he is so very pretty. And adorable. (Yeah, I said it.)
And oh look, it's Lt. Buck Compton, baby! If you've seen the video diaries, you'll know why Buck Compton's name should be followed by a 'baby'. If you haven't, well. It just should. Trust me.
He is strapping, is Buck, but also has some hard times. His men respect the hell out of him, though.
Less strapping, but no less awesome, is Lt. Harry Welsh.
On a few occasions he's very serious and Liutenant-y, as seen above. But a lot of the time, well.
A lot of the time he's just a bundle of smiles. He came to France to please General Taylor, but he's got a fiancée, Kitty, waiting for him at home and wants to send her the silk from his reserve chute, so that she can use it for her wedding dress. Aw.
David Webster is a Harvard man who gets all excited by things like going to Neunen because Vincent Van Gogh was born there. He's also a bit of a schmuck - or, I should say, he's portrayed as a bit of a schmuck - who has the amazing ability to ask the wrong thing at the exact wrong time. But he means well, does Web.
And how can you stay mad at him? The eyes! The smile! The pretty! (To the right we have Roy Cobb. He pops up every now and then, usually to be a dick. I mostly remember him because he looks like a grownup Haley Joel Osment.)
Speaking of pretty, again, let's not forget softspoken Virginia boy Darrell Powers, usually known as Shifty.
He might fly under your radar because of said softspoken-ness, but don't let it fool you. Despite that mild exterior, Shifty is a damn good shot and, as a certain ginger puts it, one helluva fine soldier. Trufax.
He's also - say it with me now - adorable. (I'm sorry. I can't stop.)
Don Hoobler is a bit gung-ho, and like Malarkey he really wants a Luger. You think maybe he's found one here?
He has the cutest smile, too. Oh, Hoob, you little imp.
This here is Floyd Talbert, commonly known as Tab.
Dutch women like him. And who can blame them, really? So do I. (And look! Real Babe Heffron in the foreground!)
Someone I had him (Tab, not the real Babe) confused with at first: Sgt. Chuck Grant.
(Who is that we spy on the left? That's right. Hi, Roe! And to the right we see little Popeye Wynn.)
Sgt. Grant is both beloved and respected by his unit. If you mess with him, you mess with all his boys. And bear no mistake, they will mess you up.
Whew. This series has a big cast, huh? And we still have the most formidable pair to go.
This man right here? This is Capt. Lewis Nixon, Easy Company's Intelligence Officer. He will hide his whiskey in your footlocker.
Nix is a fan of whiskey. Too big a fan, you might say. But he's also the kind of guy who gets the opportunity to go back home and doesn't take it, because he doesn't want to leave his men. NIX. He's loyal and sarcastic and not a morning person.
He is also in possession of a pair of very exquisite eyebrows, to dip my toes in the shallow end of the pool again.
Lewis Nixon just happens to be the person closest to the one, the only, biggest brother Major Dick Winters. The man hastily put in charge of Easy Company when their CO went MIA on D-Day, and whom the soldiers trust in beyond anyone else. With good reason, too. Dick Winters is as good a man and leader as you could possibly find - even though he doesn't curse and says stuff like "for Pete's sake" instead - and cares about each and every man under his command. And others, too.
*breathes*
That's it. That's, well, most of our fairly prominent Easy Company boys. If you haven't watched this series, and these men don't make you want to, I don't know what will. Come on, you guys. It's just ten episodes.
Yes. This is a Band of Brothers picspam. I had a hard time figuring out who all the guys were the first time I watched it (and I know I've left some guys out now as well), but since I now know all of them and am trying to make other people watch, I figured I'd do a little "Who's who?" and introduce a bunch of them to you. You know, lure you in with the pretty. If you've never watched it, that is. If you have, you can still look and point and go, "Hi, Bill! Hi, Skip! Hi, Nix!"
So, here goes.
Just for the sake of symmetry, we'll start with the man who, despite his shortcomings as an officer, really made Easy Company what it was: Capt. Herbert Sobel.
He is mean, petty, absolutely useless in combat and pretty much hated all around. But he trained those men. They became the elite company that they were because of him. (I can't take him seriously when he shouts, though. All I hear is Ross, "WE WERE ON A BREAK.")
Right, that's Sobel dealt with. Phew. Let's move on.
This is Don Malarkey. Ginger, kind of cheeky, all around adorable. Good at playing cards, likes motorcycles and, though it's never stated in the series, Glenn Miller. Also, he really wants a Luger and is willing to do some pretty stupid things to get one.
Sadly, because smiley Malark is my favourite Malark, he isn't always cheeky and happy. The things they put this boy through.
But when you talk about Malarkey, there's someone else who needs to be mentioned in the same breath, and that is his best friend: Skip Muck. These two. BOYS.
(Yep, that's the Trickster. Gabster. Whatever we should call him.) Ah, Skip. His little face! He swam across the Niagara once - beat that if you can! - and got chewed out for it by his family and his girl, sweet Faye Tanner. Another cheeky, happy-go-lucky boy, who also happens to be rather pretty and adorable.
See?
He can even pull off the beard. Well, kind of. There's a lot you could say about Skip Muck, but the short version is that he rocks.
The third musketeer, also in the above cap, is Alex Penkala Jr.
I tend to forget about him, and then I feel bad about it because when I do notice him he seems a sweetie. I guess I find him a bit easy to overlook, kind of. Shame on me. But if there's a third kid with Malark and Skip, it'll most likely be Penk.
There is no one quite like Easy Company's own SSgt. Bill Guarnere (also known as Wild Bill or Gonorrhea), from Philadelphia. South Philly, to be more specific. He's a bit of a hellraiser and likes to have fun, and is utterly loyal to his company. As in, going AWOL from the hospital with an injured leg to get back to his men and avoid being sent someplace else once he'd recovered. He is just really, really awesome, and Frank John Hughes is brilliant in the part.
Be aware, though, that if you are a German soldier, chances are he will volunteer to go out and fuck. you. up. (That's Joe Toye on the left. You'll meet him in a little bit.) I could put at least another five caps of Bill here, because I adore him, but I singled this last one out.
One thing that brings out Bill's awesome, huge grin is meeting other boys from his old neighbourhoods in South Philly. Which, incidentally, he does! He meets Babe Heffron whose first name is really Edward, but the only ones who call him that are nuns. He's a replacement, which would normally make him a bit of an outcast, but when you're from Wild Bill's old hood, that don't matter.
Immaculate, stubble-less, happy, innocent Babe. *sniff* He doesn't stay like that for long.
Long story short, war SUCKS. Luckily, he has Eugene Roe and Ralph Spina to look out for him when he's sad. Babe's a cutie who cares deeply about his friends.
And then there's this little fella, Frank Perconte.
Like quite a few others, he too is adorable. (Are you starting to sense a theme here? I'm starting to sense a theme here.) He's Italian, tiny enough that you want to put him in your pocket, and he likes to brush his teeth a lot. Gotta keep those pearly whites - well, pearly white. Perco/Toothbrush OTP.
He sometimes become stunned after having his face squashed into some Dutch bosoms. In a good way, though. Lipton is rather amused.
Ah, yes, Carwood Lipton. Let's have a look at him.
If there is one word to describe this man, it's "humble". He takes care of his men, leads them, keeps tabs on who needs a break and when, all the while unaware of just how much they respect, trust and rely on him.
Going back to tiny, adorable (hey, there's that word again!) boys for a moment, meet George Luz.
George Luz is That Guy. That Guy who talks through movie night, reciting all the lines because he's seen the movie before. (Not always a popular thing to do. He enjoys it, though.)
He's also That Guy who keeps everyone around him in a good mood by being silly and generally good-humoured. He likes to do impressions of (and impersonate) his superiors, especially when his fellow Easy boys are being filthy enablers, as they are below. (Hi, smiley Skip!)
Another guy who likes to make people laugh is Smokey Gordon.
He's a witty one who collects Purple Hearts and likes to make up poetry to mess with his comrades, but since we don't get to see a great deal of him I think the most important thing to point out is that he is NOT, in fact, Joe Toye, as I wrongly thought at first.
Because there is only one SSgt. Joe Toye, and this is him.
He is a tough SOB who likes brass knuckles, who will not come off the front line unless he absolutely has no choice, and who I wish we could've had more of on the show. Never quits, and one of the most admired men in the company. That's our Joe. There's a lot more to him than what we see, though, and he really needs a hug. And I'd totally give him one, but he'd probably punch me.
And since we've now entered Badass Territory, we may as well stay with that theme for a little bit - and who better to continue with than this man? This, my friends, is Capt. Ronald Speirs. He is one badass, stone-cold motherfucker, but also happens to be a really good CO who knows how to lead his men in battle.
He is not adorable. He is, on the other hand, smokin' hot.
Did I mention a badass motherfucker? Seriously, Superman would wear pyjamas with Ron Speirs on them. Just... Don't piss him off, and be careful if he offers you a smoke, 'kay?
You don't want to piss off Sgt. Johnny Martin, either. Because if you do, he WILL make you his translator.
And glare at you. Beware the glare. He's a good guy, though.
Not to be forgotten here is Sgt. Bull Randleman. He likes cigars, and everyone likes him. He's a bit of a Papa Bear, no?
He looks after and takes care of his men, and they'd do anything for him. Wouldn't you? Look at the smile! But don't think he won't kill you if he has to.
Joe Liebgott is really pretty badass, too, for a skinny little guy. He's Jewish (and so has a few tough and touching moments to deal with in this war), kinda narky, and will bite your head off at any moment. Or kick your ass. Or maybe shoot you. These caps don't quite illustrate it, though.
You're just gonna have to take my word for it. (Or better yet, watch the series if you haven't!)
While he might not quite fit in the same slot as these tough guys, medic Eugene Roe will show you what courage means.
Someone yells for a medic and Doc Roe sprints through the gunfire to get to whoever's wounded and try to help. Boy was born to be a medic, so say the others - he has the calming hands. He sees a lot of death and would have to have a cold, cold heart not to be affected by it. Needless to say, he does not have a cold, cold heart but a big, warm, soft one.
On a shallow level, he is so very pretty. And adorable. (Yeah, I said it.)
And oh look, it's Lt. Buck Compton, baby! If you've seen the video diaries, you'll know why Buck Compton's name should be followed by a 'baby'. If you haven't, well. It just should. Trust me.
He is strapping, is Buck, but also has some hard times. His men respect the hell out of him, though.
Less strapping, but no less awesome, is Lt. Harry Welsh.
On a few occasions he's very serious and Liutenant-y, as seen above. But a lot of the time, well.
A lot of the time he's just a bundle of smiles. He came to France to please General Taylor, but he's got a fiancée, Kitty, waiting for him at home and wants to send her the silk from his reserve chute, so that she can use it for her wedding dress. Aw.
David Webster is a Harvard man who gets all excited by things like going to Neunen because Vincent Van Gogh was born there. He's also a bit of a schmuck - or, I should say, he's portrayed as a bit of a schmuck - who has the amazing ability to ask the wrong thing at the exact wrong time. But he means well, does Web.
And how can you stay mad at him? The eyes! The smile! The pretty! (To the right we have Roy Cobb. He pops up every now and then, usually to be a dick. I mostly remember him because he looks like a grownup Haley Joel Osment.)
Speaking of pretty, again, let's not forget softspoken Virginia boy Darrell Powers, usually known as Shifty.
He might fly under your radar because of said softspoken-ness, but don't let it fool you. Despite that mild exterior, Shifty is a damn good shot and, as a certain ginger puts it, one helluva fine soldier. Trufax.
He's also - say it with me now - adorable. (I'm sorry. I can't stop.)
Don Hoobler is a bit gung-ho, and like Malarkey he really wants a Luger. You think maybe he's found one here?
He has the cutest smile, too. Oh, Hoob, you little imp.
This here is Floyd Talbert, commonly known as Tab.
Dutch women like him. And who can blame them, really? So do I. (And look! Real Babe Heffron in the foreground!)
Someone I had him (Tab, not the real Babe) confused with at first: Sgt. Chuck Grant.
(Who is that we spy on the left? That's right. Hi, Roe! And to the right we see little Popeye Wynn.)
Sgt. Grant is both beloved and respected by his unit. If you mess with him, you mess with all his boys. And bear no mistake, they will mess you up.
Whew. This series has a big cast, huh? And we still have the most formidable pair to go.
This man right here? This is Capt. Lewis Nixon, Easy Company's Intelligence Officer. He will hide his whiskey in your footlocker.
Nix is a fan of whiskey. Too big a fan, you might say. But he's also the kind of guy who gets the opportunity to go back home and doesn't take it, because he doesn't want to leave his men. NIX. He's loyal and sarcastic and not a morning person.
He is also in possession of a pair of very exquisite eyebrows, to dip my toes in the shallow end of the pool again.
Lewis Nixon just happens to be the person closest to the one, the only, biggest brother Major Dick Winters. The man hastily put in charge of Easy Company when their CO went MIA on D-Day, and whom the soldiers trust in beyond anyone else. With good reason, too. Dick Winters is as good a man and leader as you could possibly find - even though he doesn't curse and says stuff like "for Pete's sake" instead - and cares about each and every man under his command. And others, too.
*breathes*
That's it. That's, well, most of our fairly prominent Easy Company boys. If you haven't watched this series, and these men don't make you want to, I don't know what will. Come on, you guys. It's just ten episodes.