Ep 1. Currahee
- TVMA
- September 9, 2001
- 73 min
-
8.6 (12,321)
Easy Company is an American paratrooper unit that is stationed in England during World War II. The company is made up of a diverse group of men from all different backgrounds and walks of life, but they all share a common goal - to serve their country and defeat the Axis powers in Europe.
The first episode, entitled "Currahee," introduces viewers to the men of Easy Company as they undergo their grueling paratrooper training at Camp Toccoa in Georgia. The soldiers undergo rigorous physical training, learn how to jump out of airplanes, and are put through a series of intense exercises designed to prepare them for combat.
Throughout the episode, we see the different personalities and backgrounds of the soldiers in Easy Company. There's Richard Winters, a quiet and reserved officer who leads by example; Bill Guarnere, a tough-talking Italian-American from South Philly; and George Luz, a wisecracking, quick-witted soldier from Massachusetts.
As the training progresses, tensions rise among the men, especially between the officers and the enlisted soldiers. The officers - including Captain Sobel, Easy Company's strict and uncompromising leader - demand absolute obedience and discipline from their men, while the soldiers struggle to maintain their individuality in the face of such rigid authority.
Eventually, the company is given a new challenge - a grueling run up a nearby mountain called Currahee. The soldiers must carry heavy packs and weapons and make the ascent in under an hour. Some soldiers, like Winters, take on the challenge with grim determination, while others, like Sobel, struggle to keep up with their men.
The episode ends with the soldiers of Easy Company reaching the summit of Currahee, exhausted but victorious. As they look out over the surrounding countryside, they know that the real battles are yet to come, but they are ready to face them as a team.
Overall, "Currahee" is a powerful introduction to the men of Easy Company and the grueling training that prepared them for the battles ahead. The episode does an excellent job of setting the stage for the rest of the series, which follows Easy Company all the way from their training in Georgia to the end of the war in Europe. Viewers will undoubtedly become invested in the personal journeys of the soldiers and their struggles to survive and thrive in the face of adversity.