Adapted from a (rather large) book of the same name, Masters of the Air is almost impossible to shape to the conventions of small-screen drama--even the prestige kind. Characters come and go--war is messy and doesn't follow nice narrative patterns--and thus it is sometimes difficult to form "scripted" relationships with the principals. But Masters of the Air always has its heart in the right place--and for that I can give it at least a reasonably solid 7/10 rating.
For a very basic overview, this series tells the sprawling story of the Eighth Air Force's 100th Bomb Group--a unit absolutely necessary to first gaining and then maintaining the air superiority that ultimately thwarted the Third Reich in World War II. Real-life figures such as Bucky Egan (Callum Turner), Harry Crosby (Anthony Boyle), Buck Cleven (Austin Butler), Curtis Biddick (Barry Keoghan), and Robert Rosenthal (Nate Mann) are featured prominently.
The "Bloody 100th", as it came to be known, was one of the most brutal units in which to serve during the war--with death-rate statistics far beyond that of other companies or branches. Masters of the Air covers it all--from the near-impossible early missions to the insides of POW camps to the mental toll such killing and uncertainty puts on a human mind.
Despite being from the same Spielberg-ian unit that produced the iconic Band of Brothers miniseries, Masters of the Air doesn't rise to that status. Why? Largely because it has to cover so much ground--both physically and character-wise. Here, characters drop in-and-out pursuant to their real-world exploits and do not conform to dramatic tenets. As such, it is difficult to form emotional attachments and be swept away by the storytelling. In the early goings, far too much time is spent in-plane on mission after mission with garbled dialogue and mask-wearing protagonists (not helpful to the relatability cause). Truth be told, there are a number of 6-star episodes to be found here.
For me, a strong 9-star finale (easily the best single ep of the bunch) bumped my overall rating up to 7 stars. Though messy and complicated to mold into a prestige TV miniseries, Masters of The Air always--at very least--has its heart in the right place in faithfully trying to depict (in nature and spirit) the events of the 100th Bomb Group.
For a very basic overview, this series tells the sprawling story of the Eighth Air Force's 100th Bomb Group--a unit absolutely necessary to first gaining and then maintaining the air superiority that ultimately thwarted the Third Reich in World War II. Real-life figures such as Bucky Egan (Callum Turner), Harry Crosby (Anthony Boyle), Buck Cleven (Austin Butler), Curtis Biddick (Barry Keoghan), and Robert Rosenthal (Nate Mann) are featured prominently.
The "Bloody 100th", as it came to be known, was one of the most brutal units in which to serve during the war--with death-rate statistics far beyond that of other companies or branches. Masters of the Air covers it all--from the near-impossible early missions to the insides of POW camps to the mental toll such killing and uncertainty puts on a human mind.
Despite being from the same Spielberg-ian unit that produced the iconic Band of Brothers miniseries, Masters of the Air doesn't rise to that status. Why? Largely because it has to cover so much ground--both physically and character-wise. Here, characters drop in-and-out pursuant to their real-world exploits and do not conform to dramatic tenets. As such, it is difficult to form emotional attachments and be swept away by the storytelling. In the early goings, far too much time is spent in-plane on mission after mission with garbled dialogue and mask-wearing protagonists (not helpful to the relatability cause). Truth be told, there are a number of 6-star episodes to be found here.
For me, a strong 9-star finale (easily the best single ep of the bunch) bumped my overall rating up to 7 stars. Though messy and complicated to mold into a prestige TV miniseries, Masters of The Air always--at very least--has its heart in the right place in faithfully trying to depict (in nature and spirit) the events of the 100th Bomb Group.