I cannot for the life of me understand all the hate/low scores this episode has received. Yes the time jumping takes so getting used to. The whole episode is shot/has a different feel for the rest of the series and im sure that was very intentional.
The point of this episode was to show the physical and emotional costs of the soldiers after war. I think the time jumps are trying to give the audience a sense of PTSD, trying to visualize that idea of "you can't know if you weren't there" talked about in the episode. It touches on the idea of soldiers who don't know of they can reintegrate back into civilization society, soldiers dealing with the physical wounds & finally the family toll of being away for long periods and missing your children growing up/not being able to be there for them.
The fundraiser was certainly an odd inclusion but i think that was inline with the whole revisiting WW2 season plot line. The music here and at the end further enforces that plot line. In a way i think it was meant as a tribute, not only to those that served but for those who came back injured (again both physically and emotionally) and yet continued to serve by being paraded around to raise war bonds. It of course was also used as a way to show that emotional line between a civilian and a combat soldier.
Finally the ending shows that Band of Brothers level of connection between those who fought together, while again hinting at the emotional tolls bubbling just below the service.
While this episode (like the entire series) has many flaws, i think it was an honest attempt to do/show something different and more meaningful then the new weekly threat that must be defeated the show is known for. As somewhat of a "bottle episode" i think it did pretty decent as well, since those can be notoriously bland. Overall it's one of my favorites from the series, not necessarily one i would rewatch again and again, but one episode that would certainly stick with me more that almost any other in the series.
