Masters of the Air (2024 - AppleTV)

[Covert Rain]

The series serves as a companion to Band of Brothers (2001) and The Pacific (2010). It is also the first series to be produced by Apple Studios, in cooperation with Playtone, and Amblin Television.

Release: 1/25/2024

Synopsis: During WWII, five miles above the ground and behind enemy lines, ten men inside a bomber known as a "Flying Fortress" battle unrelenting flocks of German fighters. Based on the 2007 book Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany by Donald L. Miller and follows the actions of the 100th Bomb Group, a B-17 Flying Fortress unit in the Eighth Air Force during World War II; the unit was nicknamed the “Bloody Hundredth”

Stars: Austin Butler as Major Gale Cleven, Callum Turner as Major John Egan, Anthony Boyle as Major Harry Crosby, Barry Keoghan as Lt. Curtis Biddick, Nikolai Kinski as Colonel Harold Huglin, Stephen Campbell Moore as Major Marvin "Red" Bowman, Sawyer Spielberg as Lt. Roy Frank Claytor, Isabel May as Marge, James Murray as Colonel Neil “Chick” Harding

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[Covert Rain]

Anybody watching? It's been pretty good. A tad of a slow burn through the first two episodes. However, I wonder about the scope of the show. Unlike Band of Brothers and Band of Brothers Pacific, I am a tad worried that seeing them up in the air doing the same thing over and over might be limiting in story telling.

 

[Devilmaycare]

Oh, I didn't realize it was out already. I thought it was next week. I also didn't realize it was a series. I've heard a couple commercials for it on the radio and thought it was a movie. I'll start it tonight or this weekend.

 

[Devilmaycare]

Good article. I thing this is the problem I'm having with the show. The bombing runs are great action and show how harrowing they were but we're not really getting the how or why of it all. It's feeling a bit like empty calories to me. This is something that Band of Brothers did really well. After E3 I figured that this is what the show's going to be. Good actions scenes with little extra depth to really draw me in. It's something I'm going to watch but not be fully invested in like I was with BoB or other shows.

‘Masters of the Air’ Nails Many Details, Misses Context

“Masters of the Air” captures the hardship of life in the 100th Bomb Group, but lacks the context on why such sacrifice was necessary.

www.airandspaceforces.com

 

[Cheesebeef]

Good article. I thing this is the problem I'm having with the show. The bombing runs are great action and show how harrowing they were but we're not really getting the how or why of it all. It's feeling a bit like empty calories to me. This is something that Band of Brothers did really well. After E3 I figured that this is what the show's going to be. Good actions scenes with little extra depth to really draw me in. It's something I'm going to watch but not be fully invested in like I was with BoB or other shows.

‘Masters of the Air’ Nails Many Details, Misses Context

“Masters of the Air” captures the hardship of life in the 100th Bomb Group, but lacks the context on why such sacrifice was necessary.

www.airandspaceforces.com

From what I read with folks who have seen the whole series is that it shifts further and further away from the bombing missions as big end setpiece and starts digging much more into the characters around episode 4.

 

[Town Drunk]

Good article. I thing this is the problem I'm having with the show. The bombing runs are great action and show how harrowing they were but we're not really getting the how or why of it all. It's feeling a bit like empty calories to me. This is something that Band of Brothers did really well. After E3 I figured that this is what the show's going to be. Good actions scenes with little extra depth to really draw me in. It's something I'm going to watch but not be fully invested in like I was with BoB or other shows.

‘Masters of the Air’ Nails Many Details, Misses Context

“Masters of the Air” captures the hardship of life in the 100th Bomb Group, but lacks the context on why such sacrifice was necessary.

www.airandspaceforces.com

Yeah, you definitely don’t feel the same emotional connection to the characters as you did with BoB.

 

[Mulli]

I started this. Already get the feeling that it doesn’t live up to the other shows.

 

[Devilmaycare]

From what I read with folks who have seen the whole series is that it shifts further and further away from the bombing missions as big end setpiece and starts digging much more into the characters around episode 4.

I hope this is the case. I generally avoid reviews but a couple things I've read made me think this is how the entire season goes. E4 is this week so we should see if it shifts either this week or next.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I hope this is the case. I generally avoid reviews but a couple things I've read made me think this is how the entire season goes. E4 is this week so we should see if it shifts either this week or next.

I’d be pretty bummed if this is basically what the season is. It’ll get monotonous fast if it stays in the same gear moving forward.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I started this. Already get the feeling that it doesn’t live up to the other shows.

It’s impossible to live up to Band Of Brothers. That one’s on the Mount Rushmore of mini’s next to stuff like Roots and V.

The Pacific was disappointing to me. The only thing that really stood out for me while watching it was Rami Malek’s coming out party. He was pretty mesmerizing in all kinds of weird ways, but the rest of the characters fell a little flat to me and thus, so did the show.

 

[Mulli]

It’s impossible to live up to Band Of Brothers. That one’s on the Mount Rushmore of mini’s next to stuff like Roots and V.

The Pacific was disappointing to me. The only thing that really stood out for me while watching it was Rami Malek’s coming out party. He was pretty mesmerizing in all kinds of weird ways, but the rest of the characters fell a little flat to me and thus, so did the show.

Ya this current series is just not giving me any feels. Mediocre at best acting in the opening scene. Lame dialogue. Hopefully the war scenes make up for it.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Good article. I thing this is the problem I'm having with the show. The bombing runs are great action and show how harrowing they were but we're not really getting the how or why of it all. It's feeling a bit like empty calories to me. This is something that Band of Brothers did really well. After E3 I figured that this is what the show's going to be. Good actions scenes with little extra depth to really draw me in. It's something I'm going to watch but not be fully invested in like I was with BoB or other shows.

‘Masters of the Air’ Nails Many Details, Misses Context

“Masters of the Air” captures the hardship of life in the 100th Bomb Group, but lacks the context on why such sacrifice was necessary.

www.airandspaceforces.com

Pacific pales in comparison to BoB. This pales so far as well, but it’s entertaining.

 

[Covert Rain]

It’s impossible to live up to Band Of Brothers. That one’s on the Mount Rushmore of mini’s next to stuff like Roots and V.

The Pacific was disappointing to me. The only thing that really stood out for me while watching it was Rami Malek’s coming out party. He was pretty mesmerizing in all kinds of weird ways, but the rest of the characters fell a little flat to me and thus, so did the show.

So this. I don't think Pacific lived up to BOB but I think it was still good. Same with this show. I don't think it lives up to it either so far but then again? I don't think anything will live up to the original BOB so there is that. I am all caught up and so far? It been pretty much what I feared. You can only go up in the air so many times and there isn't really much else in terms of development. I hope you are right and the tail end of the series dives more into stuff with the characters.

 

[Devilmaycare]

It’s impossible to live up to Band Of Brothers. That one’s on the Mount Rushmore of mini’s next to stuff like Roots and V.

The Pacific was disappointing to me. The only thing that really stood out for me while watching it was Rami Malek’s coming out party. He was pretty mesmerizing in all kinds of weird ways, but the rest of the characters fell a little flat to me and thus, so did the show.

I'm with you on The Pacific too. Since it seemed to always be reviewed well I figure it was my going in with too high of expectations after BoB. It's nice to hear I'm not alone. I tempered my expectations of Masters due to it. I was hoping Masters would fall somewhere between the other two but right now it's tracking slightly lower than The Pacific for me.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

We still haven’t met a ton of the characters.

 

[Town Drunk]

We still haven’t met a ton of the characters.

Outside of Buck, Bucky, and Croz, I couldn’t tell you who the other characters are, except for the Colonel and maybe Bubbles. It feels pretty disjointed in terms of character development.

 

[Devilmaycare]

E4 was a little better. The french resistance stuff was great. I'd like to see more of that or even a show just on them. France gets a lot of flack for surrendering but the underground was unsung heroes. It wasn't all great though...

Spoiler: just in case, real history is mentioned

I didn't like the way they handled Buck going down at all. I know that they're trying to build some suspense but this is based on known history. It's not figuring out what the smoke monster is. We know what went down. Having it happen completely off screen for one of the only characters people know by name fell flat to me. I would have much rather have seen some of that battle and him get hit. They could show the plane going down and still leave his fate hanging until E5. The way they did it was just hollow.

 

[Town Drunk]

E4 was a little better. The french resistance stuff was great. I'd like to see more of that or even a show just on them. France gets a lot of flack for surrendering but the underground was unsung heroes. It wasn't all great though...

Spoiler: just in case, real history is mentioned

I didn't like the way they handled Buck going down at all. I know that they're trying to build some suspense but this is based on known history. It's not figuring out what the smoke monster is. We know what went down. Having it happen completely off screen for one of the only characters people know by name fell flat to me. I would have much rather have seen some of that battle and him get hit. They could show the plane going down and still leave his fate hanging until E5. The way they did it was just hollow.

Completely agree.

 

[oaken1]

E4 was a little better. The french resistance stuff was great. I'd like to see more of that or even a show just on them. France gets a lot of flack for surrendering but the underground was unsung heroes. It wasn't all great though...

Spoiler: just in case, real history is mentioned

I didn't like the way they handled Buck going down at all. I know that they're trying to build some suspense but this is based on known history. It's not figuring out what the smoke monster is. We know what went down. Having it happen completely off screen for one of the only characters people know by name fell flat to me. I would have much rather have seen some of that battle and him get hit. They could show the plane going down and still leave his fate hanging until E5. The way they did it was just hollow.

dude...we had an awesome show about the french resistance. It was called Hogans Heroes.

 

[Devilmaycare]

dude...we had an awesome show about the french resistance. It was called Hogans Heroes.

Loved Hogan's Heroes. I've watched all of them and have the blu-rays ripped to my media server. I should start a rewatch. Been like 4 or 5 years now

 

[oaken1]

Loved Hogan's Heroes. I've watched all of them and have the blu-rays ripped to my media server. I should start a rewatch. Been like 4 or 5 years now

Was my favorite show as a kid. LeBeau, well, that dude is everything you need to know about the French resistance, lol.

 

[Covert Rain]

dude...we had an awesome show about the french resistance. It was called Hogans Heroes.

Loved that show. I also loved Baa Baa Black Sheep and was obsessed with that show. When I went to Pearl Harbor they were having a book signing of some of the surviving pilots from both sides that day. That was years and years ago. I think they are all gone now. At the time I didn't buy a book and get is signed. In retrospect I regret not doing it.

 

[Mulli]

I actually don’t mind this show. Something about it is pretty good.

 

[Phrazbit]

Episode 5... that was gnarly.

Spoiler

Cinematically, it was great, the action was well shot, the scene of Buck bailing out was amazing. I feel pretty certain that they did that by having a dude actually sky dive in an army air force uniform. The only moment of the action sequence that was anything but A+ was the brief slow motion, it was jarringly different than everything else. I can see slowing it down a bit to capture a moment of seeing the enemy so close that you look at each other, but they went full "humming bird wing flapping" slow mo. But that was basically my only gripe with the directing.

I suspect the show is going to have a huge change of focus. Given that virtually all the bomber crew that they've bothered to spend any time developing the characters of are either dead or missing. We're going to see a lot of guys trying to escape Europe or POWs or something, at least until they focus on the Tuskegee Airmen.

I am a bit disappointed at the lack of character development but I think a lot of that is because it is true to history. The 8th Air Force guys at this stage of the war were dying in absolutely crazy numbers. Far far greater casualty rates than the units the Pacific and Band of Brothers focused on. It also doesn't help that, to be accurate, in almost any combat scene you can barely see their faces.

Also, did anyone catch the moment when "Bubbles" plane got hit? I don't know if they didn't bother to show it specifically or if it just got lost in all the other mayhem.

 

[Town Drunk]

Episode 5... that was gnarly.

Spoiler

Cinematically, it was great, the action was well shot, the scene of Buck bailing out was amazing. I feel pretty certain that they did that by having a dude actually sky dive in an army air force uniform. The only moment of the action sequence that was anything but A+ was the brief slow motion, it was jarringly different than everything else. I can see slowing it down a bit to capture a moment of seeing the enemy so close that you look at each other, but they went full "humming bird wing flapping" slow mo. But that was basically my only gripe with the directing.

I suspect the show is going to have a huge change of focus. Given that virtually all the bomber crew that they've bothered to spend any time developing the characters of are either dead or missing. We're going to see a lot of guys trying to escape Europe or POWs or something, at least until they focus on the Tuskegee Airmen.

I am a bit disappointed at the lack of character development but I think a lot of that is because it is true to history. The 8th Air Force guys at this stage of the war were dying in absolutely crazy numbers. Far far greater casualty rates than the units the Pacific and Band of Brothers focused on. It also doesn't help that, to be accurate, in almost any combat scene you can barely see their faces.

Also, did anyone catch the moment when "Bubbles" plane got hit? I don't know if they didn't bother to show it specifically or if it just got lost in all the other mayhem.

Spoiler

They showed Bubble’s plane “She’s Gonna” get hit and then it crashed in to another plane and exploded.