Overview: Follows the experiences of American Air Force officers leading the 100th Bomb Group in England for an offensive against Germany. Created by John Orloff, the 2024 World War II series “Masters of the Air” is based on a book by Don Miller and has been executive produced by Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, and Gary Goetzman.

Part six of the series picks up from the tense ending of episode five – with Major John Egan landing in the Westphalia region of Germany. While he stealthily attempts to hide from the enemies, it’s like trying to camouflage a pen in a stack of needles. So Egan’s section in this episode is quite intense, and will have viewers on the edge of their seat, especially if they’ve grown to like the character (I have) by now.

Episode six simultaneously also explores the fates of Major Robert ‘Rosie’ Rosenthal (Nate Mann), the only pilot who gets flies his crew safely back in their last mission, and Lt. Harry Crosby (Anthony Boyle), who loses his best friend Bubbles in the same mission. While Rosie and his surviving crew are sent on a retreat of sorts to recover from the horrors they experienced mid-air, Lt. Harry Crosby gets to take a small break at Oxford, where he meets an interesting British officer.

This was a slow, somber edition, which juxtaposes Egan’s brush with Nazi brutality in Germany with the breaks his luckier colleagues get to take to forget their war for a minute. “Some of the men were coming undone. They’d seen too many planes blow up in front of them. Too many friends killed,” Crosby says while narrating his experiences. However, while Crosby is able to take it easy at Oxford, Rosenthal is restless during his break which is practically forced upon him; he would rather be up in the air and ‘finish the job’ than pretend like a war isn’t going on. It’s an intriguing insight into how individuals react uniquely to identical situations. Some would be more than glad to take a breather from the guns, bombs, and deaths, while others fail to see the point if they must return to the front and confront violence once again.

Six episodes down, “Masters of Air” has settled into a rhythm, alternating between intense dogfights and more contemplative episodes focusing on character development. While some viewers may find the lack of a clear protagonist disorienting, I’m enjoying the series precisely for this reason. The shifting focus on different characters provides multiple perspectives and keeps the plot dynamic.

You can stream “Masters of the Air” on Apple TV+.

Read Next: Wil Review – Violence Comes Full Circle Here

Also Read: Einstein and the Bomb Review (Audio Version Below)