The TARZ TV channel briefly went dark, with only the station logo in the corner indicating the signal was still live.
It felt just like the moments before a movie starts.
Then, a few gray-haired elderly men appeared on screen, sitting in front of the camera, reminiscing about the past. From their words, it was clear they were World War II veterans—elite paratroopers who'd made their mark in Europe.
"I was sitting in a shop when this guy walked in and told us to enlist. I was like, 'What are you talking about?' He said, 'Pearl Harbor's been hit. America's in the war.' We couldn't believe it—our country, attacked?"
"Our nation got hit, and this wasn't like Korea or Vietnam. We were attacked! You get it—that feeling… Maybe we were just simple country folks, but back then, we all volunteered to serve and defend our country."
"'Who wants to join the tank corps?' 'Who's up for the air force?' 'Who's in for the navy?' Then they asked, 'Who wants to join the airborne division?' God, what's airborne? We'd never even heard of it."
"I came from a tiny little town. Three guys there killed themselves after failing the physical—just because they couldn't enlist. It was a different time, really."
"We didn't do this for medals or glory. We did it because it was our duty…"
Five short, straightforward snippets of dialogue instantly painted a vivid picture of the tension, passion, and patriotism of that era, setting a serious tone in the room.
Dunn pulled his hand back from under Mila Jovovich's skirt, already swept up by those brief 90 seconds.
Maybe that's the magic of film language—raw and powerful.
Little Taylor, though, clearly wasn't old enough to get all sentimental about history. She pouted and muttered, "A bunch of dummies—didn't even know they got blindsided by the Japanese!"
Dunn snapped, "What are you going on about?"
"It's true!" she huffed. "I watched Pearl Harbor. We got crushed by the Japanese!"
Dunn frowned, then sighed and put an arm around her shoulders. "You're still young. When you grow up, you'll get it. Being a hero isn't about winning or losing—it's about the courage to step up and give everything."
Little Taylor rested her head on Dunn's shoulder and mumbled a soft "Oh," half understanding.
At that moment, the TV flashed the "TARZ Premiere" logo. The next frame showed the credits: a joint production by Dunn Films, DreamWorks, and Preston Studios.
A slow, soulful background melody began, carrying a haunting, weathered vibe.
It was the Band of Brothers theme song—"Requiem for a Soldier."
Amid scenes of smoke and war, the song felt timeless—no blaring electronic beats or thundering drums. Paired with shots of fighter planes, artillery, and troops, it brought out the era's weight and tragic heroism.
One shot stood out: paratroopers drifting through the sky, parachutes blooming against the blue, scattered high and low. The visual contrast hit hard.
Mila Jovovich gasped, "This kind of footage—what's the difference between this and a movie?"
Dunn shook his head. "Don't judge Band of Brothers by old TV standards."
In his past life, he'd seen the show and thought it was just intense. But in this life, in this country, this setting, this mood, he could really feel the brilliance in its details.
The 2.5-minute opening hooked every girl in the living room.
Well, except Little Taylor. Snuggled in Dunn's arms, her long lashes fluttered—she was clearly drowsy, barely keeping her eyes open.
Then Dunn's phone buzzed.
Probably not wanting to interrupt his viewing, it was a text. Simple: "Viewer households just broke 12.5 million!"
The message didn't specify how many were paid subscribers versus those using the one-month free trial.
Still, TA Network's total subscriber base was just over 10 million. This number meant Band of Brothers was pulling in way more households than expected.
Dunn didn't dwell on it and turned back to the show.
To capture the depth of history and the bleakness of war, the screen's saturation was dialed down.
And that was Band of Brothers. The story officially began…
First, a series of quick shots showed the state of military camps on the European front.
Then the focus shifted to Georgia, deep in the American heartland.
A group of young guys from all over volunteered to train as the army's newest unit—paratroopers—forming Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division.
Under the strict command of Captain Sobel, they went from clueless civilians to the elite of the U.S. military.
This was 1942.
On September 6, 1943, Easy Company shipped out from Brooklyn Army Terminal to Aldbourne, England, for training, inching closer to the war, ready to support the front lines.
During training, the soldiers lost faith in Sobel's shaky leadership. Tension brewed between the beloved young officer Lieutenant Winters and the widely disliked Sobel.
After a mutiny by Easy Company's NCOs protesting Sobel's sidelining of Winters, Sobel was reassigned to a training base in the rear. The company finally shook him off and welcomed a new commander…
Visually, you'd never guess this was a miniseries, not a movie. But the pacing gave it away.
It was TV, after all. The story unfolded slower than a film. The first episode ended without even hitting the battlefield—definitely not movie tempo.
Back in the day, Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan kicked off with the brutal Normandy landing to grab viewers right away, igniting the war vibe.
But Band of Brothers took a ground-level view, showing the daily grind of training through the soldiers' eyes—a fresh angle never seen before.
Episode one was just the setup, laying the groundwork. Under the first sergeant's lead, Easy's recruits grew up fast. A company commander needed more than grit—military skill mattered too. Sobel flunked the test and was out.
The preview for episode two, though? Normandy landing—now that's something to look forward to!
When Band of Brothers wrapped up, the living room was dead quiet. Dunn glanced down and saw Little Taylor fast asleep across his lap.
He was about to carry her to bed when Chris Albrecht called right on cue with good news. "Boss, the numbers are in! Episode one premiere averaged over 12.8 million viewers, peaking at over 14 million households watching at once!"
For free broadcast networks, 10-20 million viewers per show was standard. Hit series often topped 20 million—like Friends, which once pulled a legendary 30 million viewers at once!
But TA was a premium cable network with just over 10 million subscribers.
Compare that to NBC, CBS, ABC, or FOX—free broadcast nets reaching 110 million U.S. households.
Even Friends only hit a 30% viewership rate. Band of Brothers? 128%. At its peak, over 140%!
No comparison.
Dunn was pleased. The peak of 14 million didn't quite match HBO's 15 million from his past life, but it was close enough. Band of Brothers was a powerhouse.
"Great job today, Chris. You've worked hard!"
Dunn tossed out a few encouraging words, hung up, and noticed Little Taylor stirring awake, groggy. She clung to his neck, pouting, "Dunn, I wanna sleep with you tonight."
His heart skipped. "Don't be silly. You're a big girl now—how can you sleep with me?"
"No way! I wanna sleep with you!" She rubbed her eyes, cheeks puffed out, looking ready to argue.
"No chance!"
Dunn shot her down flat.
He'd finally gotten all these gorgeous girls together tonight—no way was a little kid ruining it.
Little Taylor huffed, "Then who are you sleeping with?"
Silence dropped like a bomb.
The other girls in the room froze, their expressions shifting, eyes flicking to Dunn with curiosity.
Penelope Cruz stepped over with a warm smile and cooed at Taylor, "Sweetie, how about I sleep with you instead?"
"No way, no way!" Taylor's head shook like a rattle, her gem-bright eyes locked on Dunn. "I'm sleeping with you. If you say no, I'll call Natalie and tell her to come back and keep me company!"
The girls exchanged looks, barely holding in laughter.
This kid—how did she know so much?
If Natalie came back and saw this scene, it'd be chaos.
Dunn's head throbbed. "Fine, fine, you little brat!"
Taylor giggled, swaying smugly.
Dunn grumbled inwardly, This little punk—I can't handle her? Once she's out cold, the night's mine to enjoy.
That night, Dunn darted between bedrooms.
Quite the party!
"Ah!"
Angela Lindvall was mid-moan under Dunn when Karolina Kurkova, kneeling nearby and tending to him, let out a yelp.
"What's wrong?"
Dunn jumped, following her gaze to the door—and froze, chills running down his spine.
Taylor Swift stood there, hands on hips, cheeks puffed, glaring with gritted teeth…