Masters of the Air: Episode Discussion 5

[muccamukk]

In which we (hopefully) welcome directors Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck!

Rules:

1. Don't be a dick. Specifically (but not limited to):


1. Not liking something is fine, and negative comments are fine. Please do not directly tell other participants why the thing they like is bad or that they are bad for liking it.


2. Kink shaming will be deleted.


3. Racism, homophobia, transphobia, antisemitism, misogyny, etc will be deleted.


2. Discussing material from the books is fine, but if you're going to discuss something that happens in future episodes, or the fate of historical characters, please put it under a cut and title the comment Book spoilers! or something similar.


3. Likewise, wanting to treat the show as a self-contained unit and not engage with the books/history is perfectly valid.

How to do an in-comment spoiler cut:
<details><summary>Describe what you're spoiling here</summary>All the spoilers go in this part.</details>

Comments

[muccamukk]

I quite liked that one. We focused on a small enough group, and I can tell Rosie and Egan apart by their eyebrows, so that worked. Plus this mission is pretty famous, so I knew what was happening anyway. Some nice bits of characterisation like Egan trading out the jacket.

The subplot with Bubbles and Croz was appropriately gutting, ditto Rosie's ship being the only survivor.

The music in the key of "well, we're fucked" as they were leaving worked for me.

I was thinking the other day that the only NCOs we're really gotten to know are Lemmons, and the two guys on the run last episode, who I'm not sure we'll see again. HBO War shows tend to be a lot more about EMs and NCOs, at least as much if not more than officers, so this show's a bit of an oddity. I do think all those gunners etc getting shot up would be more meaningful if we had any idea who the fuck they were.

Sad lack of Meatball, but nice bit with Lemmons and the kids. I thought one of the kids was a girl, but I guess he's a boy with longer hair? Or are there different kids sometimes?

They actually talked about maybe bombing civilians is bad, but then the bombs were perfectly on target again. Wonder if they'll ever get around to addressing how often that wasn't the case.

Voice over continues completely pointless.

[partypaprika]

I went into this episode wanting to be a lot more positive in my outlook. And honestly, this episode gave me a lot to work with.

I like that we're seeing Lemmons again. And Crosby's returned! I love getting a look at the headquarters.

I feel like the music did a great job of steadily ratcheting up the tension leading up to the mission to Munster. I'm not sure if I just wasn't paying close enough attention to it in the previous episodes, but I liked the music a lot in this episode.

I liked the flying visuals as well in this episode, especially combined with the music.

Escorts? I feel like this is the first I'm hearing of them. But interesting to know that they had escorts for some portion.

I really liked that we stayed with one ship for a good portion and then a second. I really felt the tension. I think the sound really was great (sorry to keep going on about it, but I felt like it was just so well done).

I think I had a heart attack when Hambone (?) got caught on the door. I totally freaked out. I was prepared for something really gruesome.

Ugh, I knew what was going to happen to She's gonna but it was still so sad. The end scene with the men helping to put together the personal belongings of the men who hadn't come back was very well done.

This was like the aviation equivalent of watching "And Then There were None". This was also the first episode that felt like really getting to see a dogfight. I really think that they should have extended it a little longer.

I really liked Rosenthal as a character and hope we get to follow him a bit as well.

This was a big step up. This was the episode that I really wanted for the second or third episode. It's frustrating that it came in the middle and not earlier, but I'm glad we got it.

[sovay]

"The only tree in East Anglia!"

That was like an actual hour of television with dramatic tension and emotional stakes and characters the camera could identify and follow. Crosby gets kicked upstairs to send his friends to die! Rosenthal pilots a bomber like an ace and can hum a memorable klezmer besides! Lemmons remains good with kids! The shots of the bunks and gear of all the men who won't be coming back for them are appropriately somber without being slushy. This may in fact be the first episode in some time where I can remember taking note of specific images as more than plot information: the wall of German fighters, the air full of fragments of falling B-17s. The music was also nicely welded into the clusterfuck and it wasn't all Shepard tones. What took the show so long?

[wearing_tearing]

This isn't going to be a long comment because I was actually invested in what was going on! A much better episode all around in terms of tension, action, and continuity. There was no confusion aside from me still having a little trouble telling all the white men apart.

I loved that we got some more Lemmons with the boys! Even if his final scene was not a happy one. I also very much enjoyed Rosenthal as a character and what we saw from him here--it was very exciting to watch him pilot and the implications of his team being the only one that came back. I did tear up a little with Croz and the letter, that was really well done.

The preview for next episode also looks really interesting! Finally :D

[impala_chick]

Finally feeling fannish this episode!! I think because Egan and Crosby's points of views solidified a lot more imo. Also the Egan bravado/pretending he's got it all under control thing has me intrigued. Egan saying he doesn't even feel it!! Not wearing the Jacket Buck hates!! Everyone walking on eggshells around him!!

Also Crosby reading Bubbles' letter literally brought me to tears, and I don't remember crying this early into BoB.