It's been several years in the making, but at last, Masters of the Air, the much-anticipated World War Two drama, based on Donald L. Miller’s acclaimed 2007 book, "Masters of the Air: America’s Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany", has arrived.
Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg have brought a range of World War Two stories to the screen in recent decades, taking us from the beaches of Normandy to the far-flung Japanese island of Iwo Jima in the process.
But after collaborating on the Oscar-winning movie Saving Private Ryan and exec producing TV hit series, Band of Brothers and The Pacific, the pair are now taking to the skies in a new wartime tale.
The new show is streaming on Apple TV Plus, and we've got a guide on how to watch Masters of the Air if you need any help in watching it yourself.
Featuring an impressive cast and some spectacular action sequences, Masters of the Air tells the real-life story of the US Army Air Force’s 100th Bomb Group, nicknamed the ‘Bloody Hundredth’, due to the heavy losses it incurred in combat missions.
Here's how the first episode played out (spoilers ahead)...
'I don't think he's the pen pal type..'
It's Spring 1943 and Major Gale "Buck" Cleven (Austin Butler) is sitting in a bar with his girlfriend Marge, who regrets not introducing her man’s best friend, Major John "Bucky" Egan (Callum Turner) to the girl he's dancing with sooner. But the pair are shipping out to France soon and Buck tells Marge: "I don’t think John Egan’s the pen pal type". This is just the first glimpse of how these two pals couldn’t be more different in their interests and demeanour. Chalk and cheese.
The two men met in basic training before the war started, with Bucky giving his pal the nickname ‘Buck’ because he reminded him of someone he knows from back home. Buck and Bucky are in the US Army’s 8th Air Force’s 100th Bomb Group and Buck is leaving for Europe the next day, with Bucky following him in a few weeks.
While he waits for the 100th arrive in the UK, Bucky will be an observational pilot with another unit and it’s not long before he gets his first taste of the peril that awaits him in the skies over Germany. His first observation mission in a B-17 Flying Fortress sees him battling to save a man’s life in mid-flight, while barely making it back to base. “Are they all like that?” he asks another pilot. His comrade’s response is less than reassuring.
'The low low group...'
A few weeks later, Buck is making his way across the Atlantic to South Greenland, where he meets some of the other members of the 100th, including childhood pals, navigators Lt Harry "Cros" Crosby (Anthony Boyle) and Capt. Joseph ‘Bubbles’ Payne (Louis Greatorex). It turns out Bucky came through the base a few weeks ago and trashed the bar in a wild party. “That sounds about right,” says Buck.
As the 100th set out for their base at Thorpe Abbott air base in East Anglia, Crosby suffers a severe bout of air sickness, which isn’t ideal for any airman, especially a navigator. In his confusion he plots a course to occupied France and they’re forced to make a hasty exit amid a hail of flak. Not a great start for our narrator!
To make matters worse, the bombers landing gear won’t come down when they arrive in Britain, which means they’re forced to attempt a "belly landing". Luckily they all manage to walk away from it, yet Capt Brady (Ben Radcliffe) covers for Crosby when he’s asked why they arrived so late.
Later that day, Bucky is getting a stern talking to from Colonel Harold Huglin (Nikolai Kinski) about the gravity of his responsibilities and discipline within the 100th. He says he’d be of more use as a Squadron Commander, rather than an air exec. Basically he wants to fly missions and doesn’t want to be left "behind a desk". Huglin’s not having it, but he seems quite ill tbh.
Some days later, Buck’s first mission is to take out the Nazi U-Boat pens in the city of Bremen. It’s an important target, as those U-Boats are sinking plenty of cargo ships heading from the US to Great Britain, yet the 100th will be in the "low low" group, placing them in one of the most vulnerable parts of the flying formation. Luckily there’s a reverend on hand to hear their prayers before they depart.
Buck will be flying with Lt. Curtis Biddick (Barry Keoghan), while Colonel Huglin is also taking part in the mission and Bucky is left at home, cursing his luck. He does give his pal a good luck token to take with him though. Let’s hope it works.
'Do you see any chutes?'
There’s a very close call as the B-17’s try to get into formation in thick cloud over the channel and one Fort is forced to turn back due to engine failure. On the ground below, the Germans begin firing flak shells and the 100th are taking a lot of punishment, while still more than 10 minutes from their target.
However when they arrive over Bremen the clouds are too thick to see the submarine pens and Co. Huglin aborts the mission. As they come about, the flak shells stop, which means an attack from German fighters is imminent. When they come, they attack the Forts head-on and are lethally fast.
Several Forts are shot down and very few of the airmen are able to bail out as their planes are engulfed in flames. There are only two Forts left from the 349th Bomb Group, who accompanied the 100th. On Buck and Biddick’s Fort, there’s a hole in the ball turret and the gunner begs to be lifted out before he freezes to death.
After dumping their bombs in the channel, the 100th limp home although only 16 of the 19 who set out return, meaning three were shot down. Co. Huglin makes it, but vomits on the runway (we think for him, the war might be over). The airmen are rushed off to interrogation, where they’ll go over what happened during the mission.
Meanwhile Buck is clearly shaken by the experience of his first mission. “Why didn’t you tell me it was like that?” he says to Bucky. “I didn’t know what to say,” comes the reply. “We got a long road ahead of us,” says Buck.
