Created by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, Band of Brothers is based on the novel of the same name by Stephen E. Ambrose. The miniseries tells a dramatized narrative of Easy Company’s exploits during the time of World War II. The characters of Band of Brothers are based on real people, many of whom die or sustain serious injuries.
The miniseries flaunts a wide and talented ensemble including David Schwimmer who plays the role of Captain Herbert Sobel. For fans of the show, though, it was quite difficult seeing the actor play such a serious role after he had been linked with the comedy genre for such a long time. On the other hand, there is Ron Livingston’s Captain Lewis Nixon who fans believe could have been treated a bit better in the show.
Band of Brothers – Nixon Deserved Better
Many fans and historians argue that the series treated David Schwimmer’s character, Sobel, unfairly by reducing a complex figure to a mere antagonist and failing to capture the full scope of his contributions. However, Nixon was a character who was, debatably, treated much worse than Sobel.
Ron Livingston played the role of Nixon in Band of Brothers, a pivotal figure, an intelligence officer, and a close friend of Damin Lewis’ Major Richard Winters. While Nixon played a key role in Easy Company’s journey, he was much reduced in the miniseries.
Most probably, Nixon was the smartest man in the company and was often trusted with the most important jobs. However, some fans believe that Nixon was sometimes pushed aside in the miniseries and was more or less reduced to Winters’ alcoholic sidekick who would always be hanging out with him.
Since he was the S-2 (intelligence officer), fans believe that there was a lot of scope for character development, which unfortunately did not happen for him. In a Reddit thread asking fans about their unpopular opinions on the miniseries, a user wrote,
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A fan who deeply loves Nixon’s character replied,
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Another added,
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On the other hand, since Band of Brothers only had ten episodes to tell its entire story, fans believe that this made the show compromise on Nixon’s story, along with other characters.
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Perhaps they have a point! If the show was just a little bit longer, then maybe fans would have gotten a more detailed look into Nixon’s contributions.
Fans Have a Lot of Love for Lewis Nixon
The last episode of the show was released all the way back on November 04, 2001, but it has been difficult for viewers to completely outgrow the series. Why? Well for starters, characters like Nixon make it kind of impossible to forget the show.
Even today, fans of Band of Brothers cannot get over their love for Nixon and state that he is still one of their favorite characters.
Take a look at some of the praise Livingston received for his role:
Ron Livingston, forever one of my favorite actors since his amazing portrayal of Lewis Nixon in Band of Brothers.
— Mikael Selander 💙💛 (@upc_cid) March 11, 2022
Nixon will always be my favorite character in Band of Brothers
— Marvin Schwarz (@itstheBNICSshow) September 16, 2021
Nixon is the best Band of Brothers character.
— Luke Buckley (@NewsGuyLuke_) September 3, 2020
I love his character so much in Band of Brothers. The scene where Nixon sees the wine collection (and that entire episode) is one of my favorites.
If you haven’t seen Band of Brothers, it’s a must. It’s streaming on Netflix right now. pic.twitter.com/WcM0NdJpPx
— Cool Earth (@Cool_Blue_Dot) January 30, 2024
Ron Livingston should have won an Emmy for playing Lt Nixon in Band of Brothers and wasn’t even nominated. A standout performance among other amazing performances. pic.twitter.com/zoXRIH69ov
— Thomas Chefferson (@Languedoctor) April 27, 2023
Well, Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks sure knocked it out of the park with this casting but we just wish there was a little more spotlight on Nixon than what was shown in the miniseries.
Stream Band of Brothers on Max and Netflix.
