(no subject)

[halfnorn.livejournal.com]

Subject Line: Winters/Nixon (Band of Brothers)
Title: A Man, his Dog, and his Major
Author: halfnorn
Email: len@pwcons.com
Spoilers: All of the Band of Brothers miniseries.
Note: Part of this was written at home with the DVDs by my side, and part of it was written on a boat between Germany and Helsinki, so my apologies for the sudden and random lack of quotations left and right, as well as a variety of misquotes that can pop up here and there. I’m doing this by memory, folks. (And my essays are usually already rambling at best. Oops?)



"Well, we're in a dell.": A Word Upfront

Band of Brothers fanfiction is a tricky thing. It teeters on a certain moral edge; is it ethical to take creative liberties with these men, considering that they are based on actual veterans? Any writer in this fandom must, at some point, ask themselves this question.

An important answer required to solve this conundrum is the one to the question of whether or not the characters in this series are completely accurate, thorough depictions of the men and the events that they went through.

The answer, after a detailed inspection, is no. At many times, the writing staff of the series itself have taken liberties with the story. Every character has been reduced to flatter, if still well-drawn, caricatures of themselves. Many events have been attributed to different characters, in an attempt not to further extend the already sizeable cast. The actors, themselves, have added their own personal style to the characters that they portray. In the end, Band of Brothers is a fictional mini-series, if one that is far deeper rooted in reality than most.

Unfortunately, few can be expected to follow this same reasoning. As a result, many of the writers in this fandom suffer from a low brand of paranoia about who reads their fics. I ask you all to keep this in account while reading this manifesto. I will attempt to stay as far away from anything that does not directly pertain to the mini-series, to keep this fictional edge.

To summarize: As one fan once put it, 'I'm pretty sure there was no homosexuality in the book or real life, but godDAMN if Ron Livingston and Damien Lewis weren't hamming it up for the camera!'

"I did smell a fire, are you out of your mind?" The 'Ship and I

Unlike most of my fellow fans, I was far too impressed to notice anything but the absolute awesomeness of this series the first two times I ever watched it. The quality of the writing and the cinematography of this series is so incredibly high that it still stuns me every time I watch it, even though by now I know what to expect.

It was only by the very end of the second viewing that the pairing came up and bit me in the ass.. During the last part of the episode Points, before the epilogue begins, we see Winters swimming towards a small stone pier that extends over a large Austrian lake. Sitting on that pier is Nixon, who throws Winters a towel as soon as he comes to a stop. Nix holds up a picture of him and Winters that was made, presumably, during the time period that the first episode covers.

Nixon: Look at these two kids. What the hell happened to them?
Winters: New Jersey, huh? [referring to an earlier suggestion Nix made that he come live in New Jersey with him]
Nixon: Yeah.. Think about it.
Winters: Yeah, I am. You awake yet?
Nixon: Awake? Time to go to bed.
-- Points

After this, Nix glances at Winters in contemplation, and then decides to leap into the water himself - fully clothed.

There were three things that allowed this scene to click it all together for me. First of all, the way they insisted on keeping their eyes on one another for the longest possible time. Secondly, the almost desperate expression that appeared on Nix's face as he encouraged Winters to think about his proposal. And finally, of course, The Dive - which can be seen as symbolic in so many ways.

I spent a long time searching for any sort of slash fandom related to the two of them, or at least the series; all I found were a small group of Japanese girls drawing pictures of a soldier from the series with a giant canary^A. (Try and figure that one out) It was only in October that I stumbled onto septicemic and snicket_fm; the rest of the Dirty Dozen were soon to follow, and what remains is history of the camp_toccoan kind.

"Nothing but the best for mrs. Nixon's baby boy.": Lewis Nixon

When we meet him for the first time, Nix comes off as a somewhat relaxed, competent and sarcastic man with a slightly greater than average love for alcohol. Early on in the very first episode, he becomes the battalion's intelligence officer (or as actor Ron Livingston puts it, 'the Map Guy'), freeing him prematurely from the clutches of his company's incompetent leader, Sobel. He has had a privileged education, and appears to know the intellectual world quite well.

Nixon: Five 'o' clock in New York. Four 'o' clock in Chicago.
Winters: Happy hour, huh?
Nixon: Heh, yeah. Couple of drinks, maybe an early dinner before the theatre.. A civilised place for civilised men.
-- Currahee

In his own sardonic fashion, he is a jokester. Even in this early stage, it seems as if it's easier for him to crack jokes than to have a serious conversation with anyone.
Nixon's character is rather complex, and after this episode, we begin to see that he has many cracks at the seams. Throughout the series, his drinking increases, until it reaches its apex in Why We Fight, in which Nix is demoted for his alcoholism. By that time, however, he is far too far gone to truly even care; by that time, we have realised that maybe his story is a bit more tragic than we all thought at first.
It is quite possible that his drinking began as a result of his home life. During Why We Fight, he gets word that his wife is divorcing him, and taking all of their belongings. Far from making an issue out of her leaving, he instead focuses only on his dog, which she is also taking. Though it could very well be seen as shifting his attention from one problem to a smaller one in defense, the way that he reacts (as well as a particular interview with mr. Livingston) also gives cause to think otherwise. Rather than referring to his wife and child as 'my wife and my son/daughter', he declares that 'Kathy [...] is taking [...] the kid, the dog.. It's not even her dog! It's my dog! SHE'S TAKING MY DOG!'.
Even earlier on in the series, there are hints that he isn't particularily fond of his home life; for example, the lady that he declares he is going to see during his off time is never identified. Perhaps the finest example comes when he is given permission to return home for a month. He proceeds to take the permission slip to Winters, and declares,

Nixon: I've already seen the States, I grew up there. That's why I came to Europe, just wish they told me a war was going on. Anyway, this thing is wasted on me, but I'm sure we could find an officer somewhere in this battalion that could use a long trip home.
-- Breaking Point

He would rather be on the line and use his opportunity to return to his family in a way that actually helps Winters than see his wife and child again. There doesn't seem to be too much love lost there, at least not anymore.
Though it is obvious that he is competent, considering he is working on a regimental level before his demotion in Why We Fight, he seems to have trouble handling the war, and is a bit of a rebel at heart. By Why We Fight, he is completely disillusioned by war, uncomfortable in his new regimental position, and wishes nothing more than to drown himself in alcohol. When he runs out, he hits his lowest point as he breaks into an apothecary in search of booze.

Nixon: What do you think I should write to these parents, Dick?
Winters: Hear what I said, Nix? You've been demoted.
Nixon: Yeah, demoted, gotcha. Cause I don't know how to tell them their kids never even made it out of the goddamn plane.
Winters: You tell 'em what you always tell 'em. Their sons died as heroes.
Nixon: You really still believe that?
Winters: Yeah, yeah I do, don't you?
-- Why We Fight

When we see him again in Points, his demeanour has, finally, changed for the better.

"No flaws, no vices, no sense of humor.": Dick Winters

Ah, Dick Winters. We meet him first as the stoic and competent lieutenant who has long since earned the trust of his men that his superior officer can’t seem to get. A truly decent man, he comes off as the rock that cannot crumble. He is the farm boy to Nixon's intellectual, perhaps, but possesses a high degree of intelligence none the less.
As the series progresses, we quickly see how much warmth there is under that exterior, how much he cares for his men, and how they return it. But though he shares the pains of his men, it takes a special kind of person to make him reveal whatever is bothering him. He remains the rock throughout the series, keeping to himself whenever possible yet giving without a thought to his men.
What we see of him, unguarded, says a lot. His sense of humour has a tinge of the sarcastic, though this might very well be a result of too much time spent around Nixon. He is very, very unlikely to mention anything about being hurt if he can help it. And there is a lot going on under the surface; he is a true example of how still waters run deep.
He prefers being in the field with his men. After his promotion to a desk job in Crossroads, he comes off as distinctly unhappy with the state of affairs. Even later on, in episodes such as Breaking Point, he is very much ready to run into the field and take command without notice, though he is stopped by a superior.
Hence, when he asks to be turned over to another unit (together with Nixon, of course) in Points, we are surprised. However, his superiors think otherwise; they declare that his unit deserves having him around, and he spends the months leading up to the Japanese capitulation and the end of the war in peace with the rest of his men. After the series, it is suggested that he leaves with Nixon to go to New Jersey.

"I heard rumors of a red-headed Eskimo.": Winters, Nixon, and a Lake

This will be less of an essay on why they should be written as a pairing, and more of an essay on why the series seems to subtextually portray them as a pairing. There is a reason that most camp_toccoans refer to the Wintersnixon pairing as ‘the Obvious’, and I will be attempting to illustrate why this is so.
First of all, though, one thing is clear about this pairing. They are entirely different people, but something pulls them together to reach that state of familiarity we see them have throughout the series. Competence seems to be the thing they share most; in a world where sometimes, the most incompetent of men can become leaders through their own connections, they have the skill to keep the soldiers going in the right direction. They are respected, and most importantly, they can respect each other.

The first full dialogue scene we see (though before we have seen some soldiers shouting and running around) in the series begins with Winters, walking outside only to find Nixon waiting for him. Nixon asks if Winters thinks it’s clearing up. What results is a conversation with a sort of fatalistic-yet-hopeful edge and the first whiff of banter we get from them, in which as quoted above Nix promises to take Winters to Chicago, have dinner and go see something at the theatre.
What most slashers catch right away is that they spend the entire time staring at one another. Also in this scene; Winters watches Nixon light a cigarette, intently. It continues throughout the series. ^{B C D E F}
Of course, staring doesn’t particularly make for a believable pairing. When one’s around, the other is oftentimes sure to follow, except there where it is too hazardous. (And even that, as the episode Carentan shows us, is no absolute rule; in the middle of battle, Winters runs into Nixon and exchanges amused looks with him) By the second half of the series, when Winters no longer has a field commission, they seem attached at the hip. In ’The Last Patrol”, there is barely a moment where we don’t catch Nixon by Winters’ side, like a shadow that doesn’t want to leave. (The episode also features a rather suggestive scene involving Nix giving a small box to Winters… which ends up being rank insignias)
Even early on in the series, this is obvious: Winters spends his lunchtime with Nix, and when he is facing a court martial, the soldiers immediately consider Nix the guy who will work to get him out. By the first episode, the two are already basically linked together in the soldiers’ minds.
Another thing illustrated in this first episode is one of the reasons why we rarely see Nix until after the battle is done, besides his Battalion position. Winters seems to be rather worried about something happening to Nix. Though he is concerned for all of his men, it is Nixon that he most directly voices his fears to and about, as an individual.

Winters: Nix, what’re you gonna do when you get into combat?
Nixon: I have full confidence in my scrounging abilities.
--Currahee

This fear, in fact, results in one of the most hilarious scenes from the entire mini-series. Winters and Nixon watch over their unit’s retreat from battle. Suddenly, a rogue bullet strikes Nix’s helmet, and he goes crashing to the ground. Though Nix has gotten little more than a scrape and a hole in his helmet, Winters freaks out completely. ^G This is very unlike him; when his other good friend Harry Welsh is harmed in the episode Bastogne, he reacts level-headedly, getting the man first aid and transport in a matter of minutes.

Nixon: I’m alright! I’m alright!
Winters: Are you alright? Are you alright?
Nixon: Am I alright? Am I alright?
Winters: Yeah, you’re alright, you’re alright.
Nixon: Quit lookin’ at me like that!
--Replacements

When together, they do not utilize their emotional defences. Nixon is the one that Winters opens up to when he loses his first soldier in battle; Winters is the one Nixon opens up to after a combat jump gone completely wrong.
Nix always seems to know when Dick needs him. For example, when Nixon learns that twenty-one soldiers have been wounded in battle, his first response is the infamous “Has anybody seen Captain Winters?” And in his own, snarky way, he comes to reassure Winters after the man is promoted to being a desk jockey. (Of course, he takes the time to scare the shit out of Dick’s new orderly at the same time) Whenever the two are together on the screen in situations like this, the mood seems to clear up a little bit; they inject warmth into it.

Winters: They’re bombing Eindhoven.
Nixon: Yeah.
Winters: C’mon, Nix. Let’s dig in for the night.
Nixon: Won’t be waving so many orange flags at us, tomorrow.
--Replacements ^H

There is a lot of banter going on between the two. None of it hostile, but instead warm and knowing. It’s what makes the interaction between the two so nice to watch; it’s obvious that they are rather close, and enjoy making each other laugh. There’s a running joke in fandom regarding Nixon’s over abuse of pickup lines, as well, because of his tendency to ask Winters if he’s ‘going [Nixon’s] way’, him helping Dick up a rather phallic tank (with those same words)^I, and of course the infamous ‘red-headed eskimo’ quip.

Nixon: I don’t know why I’m even doing this anymore.
Winters: Drinking?
Nixon: No, hiding it in your footlocker, I’m a Captain for Christ’s sake.
Winters: Well, maybe you should stop.
Nixon: What, drinking?
Winters: No, hiding it in my footlocker, you’re a Captain for Pete’s sake.
--Crossroads

The few times we do see Winters laugh, it’s usually because of Nix. In Points, with the war in Europe over and done with, Winters brings Nixon the gift of a cellar full of alcohol. While Nix stares on in an almost blessed trance^J, Dick breaks into the sort of beaming smile never before seen on his face. A few times earlier, Nix’s cracks have gotten chuckles out of him, but beyond that we only see him smile just after the news of the German army’s capitulation has reached him.
When Winters attempts to get himself reassigned to the Pacific by the end of the series, Nixon has decided to come with him. Winters’ decision to leave is met with general confusion and questioning by both his good friend Harry Welsh and the public, but Nixon has leapt to a position of support instead of discouragement. Despite the fact that he seems overly tired of the war – he just can’t let Dick go on his own.

Harry: ..Are you in on this, too?!
Nixon: Can’t let him go by himself, he doesn’t know the way.
--Points

Harry’s first assumption is that Nix will go along; like that little discussion between the soldiers in Currahee, he links the two together almost immediately. Once again, this speaks volumes of the way these two men have profiled themselves. As a unit.
And thus we come back to Points, and the lake.

Nixon: I heard rumors of a red-headed Eskimo. Thought I’d come check it out.

They look through old pictures^K together, and then Nix breaches that oh-so important subject of what Dick’s going to do after the war. When Winters states he might stay in the Army, we see the sort of broken look on Nix’s face you’d think he’d have had when he heard the news about his divorce.
Thus, Nix asks the question about New Jersey, they exchange long gazes again, and Winters says he’ll think about it, all the way displaying the sort of body language playing at something more going on there: gazes shifting down to the ground, staring when the other isn’t looking, a certain awkwardness. Dick dives into the water.
When we see him resurface again and Nix dives in there with him, it’s rather obvious what his decision is going to be, and a camp_toccoan can’t help but smile.

To conclude: They are always there for each other, worry their pants off, banter, smile, and just generally seem to be comforted and pleased by each other’s presence, seeking it out whenever possible; and by the end of it all, they don’t seem to be able to consider a future without the other. Men from different worlds but with the same sense of competence that draws them together.
In the end, who can’t help but like a pairing where everything and everyone, from the actors to the camera angles^L, seem to be with us?


"Goin' my way?": Fandom, and How to Get There

On 12 November 2003, camp_toccoa was birthed by a group of slashers, including myself, referring to themselves as the Dirty Dozen. Today, it remains the go-to community for Band of Brothers-slash related items, icons, and competitions, even if it has its dry spells. The Band of Brothers Slash Archive is the community's main archive, and close to (but not all) fanfiction posted to C_T is stored there, divided by pairing and author. The writing in this fandom generally has a high standard of quality, and badfic is practically nonexistent. This can be rather intimidating for new writers; do not fear, we are a friendly bunch.

Some Wintersnixon recs, as assembled by the C_T recruits:

"General, dein Tank ist ein starker Wagen" by sabine101. She writes an awesome account of the general strangeness of watching a forest explode before you, and echoes that in Nixon’s almost squirrelly behaviour towards Winters’ sudden advances. Perfect example of how most porn in this fandom does not come without some semblance of a plot. Colonel Sink's built an expensive weapon in you, and Lewis Nixon's protecting it like it's a case of Vat 69.

"There Must Be a Word" by garnettrees She writes Winters as a tentative man on the inside, which gives the fic an interestingly dreamy sense of happening. Written on Winters’ feeling, it seems. "Nah," [Winters] said finally, "it's just that I only have room for one annoyance on this desk, and the typewriter takes up most the space."

Nameless PWP by bionic. Possibly the closest thing to porn we have in this fandom. Quite hot, and makes an amusing use of Winters’ usual inability to curse. And, oh shit, thinks an astounded but extremely aroused Lewis Nixon, Richard Winters just cursed in an unbelievably obscene way.

"Rules of the Game" bylikethesun2. Makes good use of the character of Harry Welsh, putting him between Winters and Nixon but not quite. The outsider’s point of view is often interesting, and is nicely used in this fic. It reminds Harry of the train ride to New York when he slept beside Dick, breath steaming the window glass, but it was Lewis who could put a hand on the man, needle him, win a real laugh. Dick is one secret they can't share.

"Leave-Taking" by likethesun2. Nix point-of-view. Crossroads, with Dick seemingly miserable in Paris, is a favourite kick-off point for fanfic. likethesun2 uses the return of Winters to get Nixon to take the first step; slowly but surely, and cuts it off when things might go a bit too far. The epilogue puts a nice kind of perspective to it. "It was fine," you say, and don't mention the claustrophobia of the train, or that somehow you know the nightmare he's been having, or that there was no girl you went to visit. "Aldbourne's lovely this time of year. Rain, rain... more rain." You try a grin. "How was yours?"

The 500-Word Wintersnixon New Year's Challenge As the name says, it’s a page full of ficlets written by most of the official camp_toccoa writers. "I was a little worried about packing you off to Paris all by yourself, seeing as you're a sad uneducated farm boy who doesn't speak any French."

"I'm touched by your concern."
In Scorching Glass, by garnettrees. A long, fragmented look into Nix’s past and feelings. Full of references, she makes Nix’s thoughts into a jumble of past and present, connected by glass. "Can I ask why?"
"Why what?"
"Why New Jersey?"
"Well, gee, Dick," Nix's laugh is brittle and too close to hysteric, "it's where I live."
Boys Missing Shoes, by suckeriove.Drunken Nix tries to convince Dick to kiss him. It’s funny in a Nix-and-Dick banter kind of way, and Winters’ thoughts are as confused as any man in the same situation would be. “Drunk but lucid, lucid but sane,” he says.

“Nix, you haven’t been sane since I met you, and I don’t think you’ve been sober either.”
Broken Glass by septicemic. This fic… gives me the shivers. It’s been a year since I first read it, and I still can’t even seem to touch it for this manifesto. It’s a look at post-war Winters and Nixon, static and circling around each other in New Jersey, both knowing this won’t go on forever. The sort of fic that really gets to you, one way or another.

(The following recs and blurbs are courtesy of the amazing ms. septicemic, who insisted that I add some of my own work to this list)
Incomplete
Even non-slashers admit that it's very, very hard to picture Dick with a woman. halfnorn exploits that, making the scenes with Nixon feel like fresh air (well, whiskey-reeking air) in comparison with the miserable awkwardness of Dick's prewar attempt at a heterosexual relationship. War is peace, and peace is... He's realized, finally, that the right girl, perhaps, doesn't exist for him. It's a horrible but revealing truth. Instead, there is war. War, tomorrow, and it overtakes his mind.

Shaving (ficlet)
halfnorn writes a great Nix. Quite possibly the best Nix in the fandom. She can, of course, do angst, great, painful angst; but this is a concise example of how damn funny Nix's stream-of-consciousness can be, too. "What's so weird about shaving?" Winters said, the curve of his cheek and the newly-arrived wrinkles on his forehead betraying his amusement at the situation. (that was some distinct fluttering, there. no fuck no)

Vices
And here's some of that great, painful angst, from a different source. Not many people could portray Dick as the anguished one in the relationship, but halfnorn pulls it off. The ending is like a sucker-punch. As long as he finds a bottle in his footlocker every week, he knows Nix isn't out there somewhere, bleeding on the ground amidst the Germans. As long as the bottle's there, Nix is safe.

Comments

Great essay!

[iris-summers.livejournal.com]

Winters/Nixon are my Band of Brothers OTP, and this well-written piece highlights some of the great moments on the series which showcase their intimacy. And of course, thanks so much for the lovely fic links! I tend to be too lazy sometimes to search for fic in a fairly obscure fandom, and I hope to further my internet addiction further by reading your v. convenient recs. ^_^

[tvillingar.livejournal.com]

Mmm, now I'm feeling a definite Wintersnixon love over here. Must go and read some.

Lovely essay, thank you for posting it!

[likethesun2.livejournal.com]

Oh, great job, especially on the Nixon section. I've been looking forward to this essay for a long time, and now I'll definitely be sure to point potential converts this way.

[liptonrm.livejournal.com]

It might be 'The Obvious' ship but that doesn't mean it's not wonderful!

This is a great essay, it makes me want to run out right now and buy the dvds so that I can watch the wonderful Winters/Nix moments over and over and over again. Thanks for the great recs, too. That's the good crack right there.

And halfnorn writes the best Nix in fandom. I'll have to keep that in mind;-).

[writerj.livejournal.com]

Hello! I came across your essay via some BoB fans over in the Lord of the Rings fandom (baylorsr and hiyacinth). Thank you so much for compiling and analyzing the most significant moments of the Winters/Nixon pairing and for convincing me I was never crazy in seeing that.

[septicemic.livejournal.com]

I knew you were the woman to do this. Bravissima.

[hiyacynth.livejournal.com]

Well, that was just ... neat! Excellent job! You captured all those little moments that make me go *gasp-sigh-their-love-is-so-shining-and-true*

I love our fandom. It makes me so very happy!

[mace-m.livejournal.com]

Thank you for a great essay! I like how you've brought up the warm, loving aspect of Winters/Nixon. In the middle of a world gone crazy, their relationship is the glue that holds them together and prevents from falling apart as individuals.

Of course, I now want to go and watch Lake Homoerotica Points all over again.

lake homoerotica, indeed.

[nullsechs.livejournal.com]

fantastico! you've definitely done it, halfnorn my dear, a really great spot-on job, that had me reading, giggling and image clicking like mad. as much as i shy away from writing any wintersnixon, i defintely have the strongest reaction to them whenever i watch the series. they may not be everyone's OTP, but i think they're definitely the pairing that opens the door to the possibilities of BoB and has slashers' ears pricking up the moment nix says "i'll take you there someday". i know it's what won me over, the minute that nix appears, just WAITING for winters to show up and be snarked at. (the happy hour conversation with the cigarettes and the missed staring is hands down one of my favourite slash-o-rific scenes in fandom).

i think you're spot on with the whole essay and just reading (it as well as seeing "the Dirty Dozen" again) warmed the cockles of my heart. i should really tear into these stories again, it's been such a good long while since i've read the older stuff.

thanks so much for this! *digs up the cigarettes & happy hour icon*

[logovo.livejournal.com]

Very well put!
Yay!

Thank you for the care you put into this wonderful essay and the visuals that go with it.

[lunabloom.livejournal.com]

Wow. That was just...nifty. Summed up everything I love about this pairing, even the stuff I knew was there but couldn't put my finger on (for being one of the most obvious pairings I've ever seen, it's full of subtleties).
**adds to memories**

[brightest-blue.livejournal.com]

Fantastic essay! I think you managed to cover it all. And I'll definitely enjoy re-reading those recs. And to think at one time we really were just the "Dirty Dozen!"

[lamadeleine.livejournal.com]

Oh, excellent job dear. I really enjoyed reading this, these two are just so great together. You mentioned so many little moments between them that I had forgotten, thank you for writing this.

[chestnut-nest.livejournal.com]

all I found were a small group of Japanese girls drawing pictures of a soldier from the series with a giant canary.

Well, I am from the said small group and I hope you already found them (http://supply.gozaru.jp/bob/bobillust~top.html) too. We also have some fics (as far as I know, there's probably little more than 50 fics) and most of them are very well-written. We even have BoB sim skins (http://members.jcom.home.ne.jp/kattekima-mariko/sims/sims_top.html).

BTW, your essay was great. it summed up all things we love about Winters/Nixon, BoB, and its fandom beautifully. I really enjoyed reading this and will rec to my fellow Japanese BoB fans!

As for the canary, it's really difficult to descrive... I must say we seem to have a weird (and sometime, VERY twisted )sense of humor.

[semielliptical]

Great essay! I'm just getting started on Winter/Nixon, so this is very useful.

[blond-bear.livejournal.com]

That was just fantastic! As a huge WinNix fan, I just found myself nodding and grinning through the whole thing...and I must say that you've picked just the right screenshots to illustrate your points :)

Well done!

[anne-jumps.livejournal.com]

*adds to memories*
*wonders how she got here*

[fairfax-verde.livejournal.com]

Oh this is brilliant, just perfect! I can't believe I'm just finding this. All these years I've missed out on shipping them.

[ohmygodmuffin.livejournal.com]

Oh oh this is wonderful. And wow, I'm the first comment in a year!
Only sad thing is all the pictures are downnn. But, I guess that's to be expected, since I'm...three and a half years late to this post!
But ohhh the fic I am excited to read. I haven't even finished the series yet and my yearning for Winters/Nixon to read is pretty damn strong. Yay!

Great essay!

[(Anonymous)]

I am SO glad I stumbled on this little gem, even though I'm a little delayed in the response. LOL! I'll be completely honest here, I find close friendship between men a very sexy attribute. ;) And after watching BoB that initial time, the first thing that struck me was the closeness of Winters & Nixon - I was hooked on their frienship.

The second time I watched it though, I listed to the dialogue & marvelled at the subtext. Then the subsequent viewings after, I was amazed at all the little moments that could certainly turn this into a slash relationship - of which I have no problems with, although I have to admit it took me longer to warm up to it in this fandom due to the affiliation with real people. But, what you said at the beginnning was right. Fictional mini-series with roots in reality. Once I embraced that, my little slasher heart couldn't help the constant giggle with every episode I watched thereafter. :)

All the little moments you mentioned were all the ones that had me smiling... BUT... after looking through the numerous stories, I am absolutely amazed that no one has caught a particular moment that caught me completely by surprise one night while I was watching "Bastogne". If you pay real close attention during the moment the mortars start to fly at the scene with the fire and the "dell", when the men start to scatter, Dick basically SHOVES Nix out of the way in order to remove him from the line of fire (even when Harry was the one that was closer to the shot - obviously)!!! It's very brief & my jaw dropped a mile when I caught it. Heehee. Gotta love it.

Anyways, thanks for this great synopsis of all those little moments that could mean so much more. I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one caught up in that "subtext". Haha. Now, I'm off to go read your recs, because I'm hopelessly addicted.

Winnix rules! LOL

- just another Winnix fan

[shortsweetsoul.livejournal.com]

Wow, I am a few years too late, but I just want to tell you how much I appreciate this essay. It really points out some fantastic bits that I overlooked. Also, the recs are all so fantastic. Thank you!

[wornoutbirks.livejournal.com]

I'm several years late into this, but fan-fucking-tastic job! Great essay, I really enjoyed it and thought you captured the best parts of the fandom and the pairing!

[breeeena.livejournal.com]

Really, REALLY late to this...We just watched Band of Brothers in History class and Winters/Nixon became my series OTP in no time flat.

Anyways, thanks for writing this! It's a shame the pictures are down, but I still enjoyed reading it :)