"The Last Patrol" is the second consecutive episode of HBO's Band of Brothers to benefit from effective voice-over narration. The previous episode was narrated by Carwood Lipton (Donnie Wahlberg). This one is shown from the point of view of David Webster (Eion Bailey), who dropped out of Harvard to join the paratroopers and later wrote a book about his wartime experiences. Webster's narration draws the audience in as he returns from an injury after a four- month absence, fresh-faced and clean, and faces the resentment of the men of Easy Company, who have been ravaged by their horrific experiences in Bastogne. Webster is an astute observer, and the episode clearly shows the emotional tightrope he walks in trying to regain the trust of his fellow soldiers. The episode also offers a well-dramatized glimpse of the lack of compassion of those in command, even of effective and respected leaders like Colonel Sink (series technical advisor Dale Dye). Sink jeopardizes the lives of the exhausted and heroic men of second Platoon, sending them on a dangerous mission, apparently in the service of his own ego. Once again, Winters (Damian Lewis) finds a way to protect his men. The combat scenes are impeccably presented, as usual, but there isn't a lot of fighting depicted in this installment. The characters have been established well enough by this point that an episode that focuses primarily on relationships between the soldiers can still command the audience's attention. The series continues to be a model of verisimilitude in its historical recreation, but that's not its greatest strength. The understated performances of actors like Lewis, Wahlberg, and Bailey enhance a production that grows in emotional resonance with each successive episode.