Chris Connor reviews the first two episodes of Masters of the Air…
Band of Brothers revolutionised television in the early 2000s, making a star out of many of its leads and guest stars and providing one of the early signs that TV could rival cinema for top-tier storytelling. The brainchild of Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks was followed by The Pacific in 2010 and now comes the long-awaited third series, Masters of the Air, which as the title suggests follows US air force crew during the Second World War.
The series is based on Donald L Miller’s 2007 novel and is led by a marquee of major names including Elvis’ Austin Butler, Callum Turner (Fantastic Beasts), Barry Keoghan (Saltburn) and Doctor Who’s Ncuti Gatwa. The level of stardom has led to a huge level of interest in the series and with Apple TV+’s recent successes, can it live up to the hype? The answer is a resounding yes.
The opening two episodes introduce us to our central crew of characters and the sense of scale of the project. Anthony Boyle is our narrator Major Harry Crosby, working alongside Butler’s Major Gale Cleven and Turner’s Major John “Bucky” Egan. Far from being a bleak show solely focused on missions, there is a sense of fun, humour, and bravado to proceedings as we get to know who the men are away from the cockpit and how they try to keep morale up during the war.
It helps to have such charismatic actors in the lead roles, the casting is spot on with this sure to be another feather in the cap for Butler, Turner and co who are bona fide movie stars. They share terrific chemistry and give a real sense of camaraderie and kinsmanship, important for an ensemble such as this, you get a sense of the stakes and how the unit operates. Butler is a calmer soothing presence while Turner’s Buck has a real fire in his belly and always looking for a scrap.
The stratospheric production values show the level of investment behind the series and how much care and attention Apple and all involved have put into it. It looks terrific, with the airborne set-pieces, nerve-jangling and full of tension. The true success of the opening two episodes is making us care for these characters and want to invest our attention across nine episodes.
Production first began in 2021 but it is more than worth the wait and is one of 2024’s first marquee TV series. The early reviews and feedback indicate that this will be just the tonic that fans of Band of Brothers and The Pacific will be hoping for. This feels like an instant classic and one that is set to rival Band of Brothers in the years to come. The first two episodes set the tone for what looks set to be a true masterclass, investing us in the pilot’s fate both in and out of the cockpit and giving a sense of the stakes and what they were up against.
Chris Connor
Originally published January 27, 2024. Updated February 2, 2024.
