MASTERS OF THE AIR: Episode 1 and Two: “Part One” and “Part Two”

MASTERS OF THE AIR is a patriotic miniseries on Apple TV+ about the 100th Bomber Group of the U.S. Army’s 8th Air Force during World War II in Europe, and the first two episodes being released first focus on the first two missions that the two leading squadron commanders, Gale Cleven and John Egan, and their men face together. Episode 1 and 2 of MASTER OF THE AIR are exciting, riveting, and beautifully produced and acted, with some references to faith, but they have intense violence and lots of foul language, including several “f” words and at least 15 strong profanities overall.

Episode 1 opens in a bar with Major Gale “Buck” Cleven and two women saying goodbye to Buck’s friend, Major John “Bucky” Egan, who’s traveling to England the next day to be the exec leader of the 100th Bomber Group, which has four squadrons. Buck explains to his girlfriend Marge that, when he met John, he started calling Gale “Buck” after a friend he knew in school. Soon, everyone was calling Gale Buck, even though everyone calls John Bucky. Bucky tells Buck that, even though, as the exec who leads all four squadrons, he’s going to have a desk job, he’s going on bombing runs as an observer. He promises to tell Buck what the missions are really like.

However, when Buck joins John a few weeks later in England, Egan hasn’t told Buck anything because going on a bombing mission is something you can only experience, not fully describe to someone, especially another airman or pilot. So, the first bombing mission to destroy some U-Boat pens in Bremen, Germany is so chaotic and fraught with danger that all the bombers have to go back to England without hitting their targets. The German anti-aircraft flak and fighter planes were just too overwhelming. Worse, three planes and 30 American men are lost and a couple men need to go into the hospital. Meanwhile, the Bombing Group’s Commanding Officer has to leave so he can visit a specialist to treat a terrible ulcer that’s causing him to cough up blood.

Bucky Egan decides to get drunk and shows up drinking some coffee at a morning meeting with the new CO, a Colonel “Chick” Harding. It turns out that Buck Cleven delivered a letter to Colonel Harding earlier that morning saying that, in his opinion, Major Egan, would make a better Squadron Leader than an exec. Harding agrees, but Harding’s new choice for exec, Major Jack Kidd, isn’t happy about the switch. Apparently, these particular American officers are happier being in the thick of the action, serving with the men under them, than sitting at a desk worrying how many of them will be returning safely.

After some R and R, the Bombing Group, along with two other groups, get another assignment, this time to bomb some submarine pens in Norway. However, the lead navigator, Lt. “Bubbles” Payne, has a terrible case of the flu. He has to be replaced by Lt. Harry Crosby, no relation to Bing. The problem is, Crosby has a terrible case of air sickness whenever he flies. So, the big question in Episode 2 is whether Crosby can overcome his air sickness and get the bombers on target and then home to England.

Episode 1 and 2 of MASTERS OF THE AIR are exciting, suspenseful, and beautifully produced and acted. The music by Blake Neely is stirring and outstanding.

As they did with BAND OF NBROTHERS and THE PACIFIC, which focused on American infantry men in Europe and American Marines and sailors in the Pacific during World War II, Executive Producers Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg of MASTERS OF THE AIR honor the courage and sacrifices of American servicemen. The first two episodes give viewers an inkling of the harrowing nature of doing a bombing run over Europe. The Germans didn’t just sit idly by while the Americans bombed the heck out of their military bases and industries. They fought back! And, that’s one of the reasons the 100th Bombing Group was nicknamed “the Bloody 100th.”

The first two episodes of MASTERS OF THE AIR are well worth watching; but, be forewarned, the two episodes contain intense scenes of air battles with bloody casualties and lots of strong foul language, including several “f” words and 15 strong profanities. So, MOVIEGIDE® advises extreme caution.