Hope you enjoyed this slightly longer breakdown for the finale! Thanks for tuning into my videos breaking down Masters Of The Air, it's been a fantastic show to watch! If you want to see breakdowns on Band of Brothers them below! ➡ *BAND OF BROTHERS Episode 3 Breakdown:* th-cam.com/video/FRyeG3fbmY8/w-d-xo.html ➡ *BAND OF BROTHERS Episode 2 Breakdown:* th-cam.com/video/MaEOgfArpKc/w-d-xo.html ➡ *MASTERS OF THE AIR Episode 8 Breakdown:* th-cam.com/video/tvXUqX1zwTw/w-d-xo.html
My dad flew 25 missions over Germany. He couldn’t deal with the guilt of having killed civilians. On his last mission he made a deal with God. If her survived he would never hurt another person. He came home, went to medical school, and treated patients in rural Missouri from 1948 - 1980. He kept his word.
My dad was at Stalag 7A when it was liberated. He told me that the Luftwaffe guards actually protected them from the SS when the SS tried to take control of the camp, and during the short battle between the SS and the US Army. He said some SS were firing into the camp. He talked about the small home made flag being raised, but he really knew it was over when he saw the Nazi flag being lowered in Mooseburg, and the US flag being raised. Gen. Patton visited the camp and shook his hand and said quite colorfully what he was going to do to Hitler when he got to Berlin. Dad died just short of his 101st birtrhday in 2016.
Glad your grandpa made it and lived up to an old age! Luftwaffe and Wehrmacht soldiers were indeed gallant in comparison to the Waffen SS. I was dismayed by the camp guards shooting at the POWs in the episode. The war was nearly over, so why commit such a war crime? Sucks to be one of the unlucky guys who were killed moments before liberation.
Thank you. He told me the guards didn't shoot anyone, but actually protected the prisoners from the SS. The SS was shooting into the prison. He got to fly the B17 Nine-O-Nine when he was 87. He said it was a lot more fun piloting a B17 when no one was shooting at him. If you have read or listenned to The Masters of the Air book, it quotes a navigator from the 381st a few times. Roger Burwell. Roger was my dad's navigator for all his missions. They were shot down in The Feather Merchant 532nd Bomb Squadron nearf Bremen on 8 Oct 43. The same mission Buck Cleven was shot down on. @@miliba
My grandpa was captain Frank Murphy played by Jonas Moore. He wrote luck of the draw. Very very proud proud of my grandpa. I wish he was here to see this
As a matter of fact, when my grandfather, when he was shot down, he landed in a German families field. They took him in and they hid him until the Nazis came. The Nazis thought my grandfather was a spy.
My father, God rest his soul my father was my grandparents first child, and my dad actually helped my grandfather to write that whole book. Something that’s never mentioned. Unfortunately, my father died some years back from cancer, but yeah, my father was a big part of this book as well
Man, got to say that I'm surprised I never knew about Robert "Rosie" Rosenthal. What an amazing story. Jewish kid from New York, turned lawyer, became pilot, and one of the most bad ass pilots in the European campaign. 52 missions shot down twice. He went above and beyond what was asked of him. Also became a prosecutor in the Nuremberg trials. True American hero. Much respect!
As part of his duty for the Nuremberg trials, he interrogated Herman Goering. The Allies chose Rosenthal partly due to his prior experience as a lawyer, but mostly due to his experience as a combat pilot. They correctly guessed that Goering would open up to a fellow combat flyer who fought against Goering's Luftwaffe. I read a book on the interrogation. Goering was cagey and unwilling to assume any responsibility for the war, but also freely talked shop with Rosenthal concerning the defense of the Reich against the 8th and RAF. Fascinating transcripts of Rosie's questioning.
Literally, ALL of the guys who fought in the Air War against the Nazis and Axis Powers were heroes of the first magnitude. This series, “Master’s of The Air,” was well worth viewing, and so well done. However, I agree that “Rosie” Rosenthal was an Extraordinary Hero again a backdrop of Exceptional Heroes. A “Breaker of the Mold” of Heroism and Selfless Sacrifice.
@@ChienaAvtzon What he said was there was no one left from the Bloody 100th. Lucky was in the 100th and he is in Dallas telling his story all the time.
im so glad you took the time out to let someone on the internet know they were wrong with such grace and tact. lol. find better things to do with your life. and i hope you learn how to navigate it better. LOL the edit to correct yourself also.. what a tool.
My grandpa was in the 15th air force based out of Italy in the B-17 but ended up at Stalag Luft 3 in April of 1944. He was also on the march to stalag 7 as depicted in the show. He really never talked about details of the march but he mentioned it was the coldest he had ever been and how it was very long. Its hard to visualize something like that so this finale was very emotional. Not to mention the liberation was depicted just how he described it in his book. A P-51 buzzed the camp, the tanks rolled in, and the flag was raised. Even in his final days he got emotional when he talked about it. He said "The flag may just be a symbol to many, but to me it's Moosburg and that day in April. I love to see our flag flying." The whole series was very jarring because of how hard it hit home. The horrors of being on bomber let alone a stricken bomber were unimaginable until this series. He mentioned how he didn't think he would survive after seeing B-17s return from a raid for the first time. Its a miracle he survived his shoot down because when he tried to bail out of the nose, he got swept against the fuselage of the airplane and had to climb back in to try again. Meanwhile the port wing was on fire and the plane was seconds from exploding. Seeing almost all of this in the show was really emotional and I could not have asked for a better representation of what those men went through in the strategic bombing campaigns of WWII. The show had its flaws but it was still a solid 9.1/10
My uncle flew a B24 also with the 15th out of Italy. Flew 51 missions. Like many of his fellow WWII he said very little about it unless he was with his fellow WWII veterans. Both he and his two brothers were combat veterans of WWII. Like so many of their fellow WWII veterans to them it was a job that had to be done and if you survived you were among the lucky few.
It could have easily gone to 12 episodes and used better CGI, but it was probably over budget and delayed by several years, made worse by covid. At this point, I'm glad we got this - it's been too long. I don't agree with the executives wanting to spin this off into a themed series for WW2 stories of other branches or POV of soldiers. I think the trilogy is complete.
Unfortunately we are not going to see shows like Band of Brothers,Pacific,Game of thrones studios will not spend the money any more.I still enjoyed it though.
I kind of wished there was an entire episode of just the mechanics fixing the planes showing how they patched/cannibalized the planes and got them back in the air so quickly. My great uncle was a RCAF mechanic in England so I find that aspect of the war interesting.
My father was a pilot with the 305th Bomb Group who flew in the winter of 1943 through spring of 1944. He had his missions increased from 25 to 30 around his 10th mission, which must have been crushing emotionally. His squadron had lost 15 of 18 planes on the the second Schweinfurt raid and he was a replacement for them. Like many men who had been through that he never talked about his combat experience. I looked through his flight log and he had 7 missions to Berlin and 6 to Frankort among his 30 missions. This series gave me insight into what it must have been like in some way. He was just 21 and 22 years old like many of the others when all this took place. Too me M of A is more than just a TV series
My father was also in the 305th,...the 366th BS. Began as a tail gunner and upon his return from a couple weeks in the hospital, he became next man up for the ball turret. Spoke very, very little of his experiences, both in the air or as a POW. Shot down Feb 26th '43 during the run that involved the Writing 69th. He was liberated from Stalag 17. It's been difficult to try and piece together his story from the limited information he gave us, and then sifting through endless Google searches...
Major Harry Crosby is my second cousin. His mom and my grandmother were sisters. I had the privilege of meeting him in the early 90's when he came to visit.
i waited nearly ten years since hearing about HBO making of 'MASTERS OF THE AIR'. I have prostate cancer from agent orange exposure in Vietnam. I was beginning to think I wasnt gonna see the series. i thought it was outstanding. Having read the book and many others about Eighth Air Force. The courage of the snake (AH1G ) and loach (OH 6) drivers were unmatched in our time!
Thank you so much for your service and for being all our heroes ❣️I agree that this Series was absolutely outstanding. Thank you for sharing you thoughts ‼️ I will be praying for you ❣️
I loved this finale. The last half or so I hardly saw clearly through the teared up eyes of mine. So moving. Rosie and Crosby were always and will be forever legendary bad ases, all these guys.p were. Let’s not forget this coming DDay anniversary 😢
My dad was an ordinance engineer captain and fought during the Battle of the Bulge and later was at Cologne Cathedral during the famous tank shoot out between the M-29 Pershing and the King Tiger, and he then went on to participate in the liberation of several comcentration camps. My mom was a WAC clerk typist in the same HQ company as my dad, they met in Paris in Auguat 1944 and married in November 1945. I think the Hanks-Spielberg collboration on BoB, The Pacific, and MoTA are so important to remind the American people of the service and sacrifice of that generation and the price they paid for the freedom we enjoy today.
Thank you for the recap, I actually missed the last part of the story and what the men did after the war so fortunately when back to watch that. My father enlisted in the Army Air Corps and training to be a fighter pilot after graduating from high school and was 1 month away from being shipped out when the war ended. My older brother enlisted in the Air Force and served two tours in Vietnam. I heard combat stories about WWII from my father’s friends when I was young in the 1960s. I still can’t fandom what they actually went through, but stories like this series bring it to life. We owe them all a debt in the greatest sense to our freedom for what they did. They changed the world with their bravery and sacrifice.
Great show, right up there with the standards of Band of Brothers and The Pacific. Brought these characters, their character, and their experiences & sacrifices fighting Fascism into crystal clear perspective. Who would have thought that almost 80 years later we would be forgetting the legacy and potency of their selfless actions and patriotic convictions. Fascism is coming to America in another major test in 2024. How will we respond in repelling this malignant threat to our history this time?
Its a shame that they used modern aerial map of Berlin... being a Berliner I couldnt ignore the modern changes in both Tempelhof airport and surrounding area.
We were just in Berlin visiting my relatives in September and October. I saw Tempelhof For the first time since 1974, when I first visited as a 15-year-old with my mother, we flew into Tempelhof from Cincinnati. I stayed with my Opa for a month in West Berlin.
Agreed. It was a damn good show. Truly put the war and the things these men went through into perspective. Definitely one of the best war shows I have ever seen!
@@nnoddy8161 I disagree, neither The Pacific or MOTA are as good as BOB but that doesn't mean they are bad. You seem to sound as if since you didn't like them as well they are trash or something. Both productions are considerably better than the typical crap being pushed out on a weekly basis.
I believe “Greyhound” is about as much as you are likely going to get from this related group about Battle of the Atlantic. Interesting movie on Apple TV. Worth the watch.
And, the majority of the B-17G/replacement crews (the planes had a "Y" painted below the serial #) consisted of 9, not 10 crewmen. The crews had a"Toggleer" who would drop with the lead plane (with the Norden Bombsight) released.
Another account of the forced POW march are given by Lt. Col Edward M. Bender in the 2008 book Lest They Forget Freedom's Price. B-17 downed west of Paris due to engine problems 25th of April 1944, captured by HJ personnel with the I SS Panzer Korps. Additional account of the POW march is also provided by Richard R. Bender (not related) in the book Maximum Effort.
Very, very good breakdown and terrific reminder of the magnitude of the series as a whole. I think it got better and better as it went on. Though a combination of superb cast, story re-construction, stunning cinematography and modern FX - there seems to be a focus on making you feel (as far as is possible) what these poor guys went through in a very visceral way, in a way I’ve not felt since Band Of Brothers. What an achievement. And thanks @BrainPilot for this awesome breakdown. 🙏
The producers are not idiots! You naive think it is that simple to make those CG changes overnight when you overseeing and producing NINE episodes almost simultaneously and during the height of Covid? with dozens of CG studios and literally hundreds of extras and production staff with tight deadlines and had to shot with whatever was ready to be filmed due to a tight schedule. That is the reality of FILM production. If you are wealthy and willing to offer to fund those changes by all means!
Well done for explaining Żabikowo so clearly (09:38 on). Probably the best scene of the whole series. Although it was initially a labour camp for Jews, it was (as you say) also a prison camp. In the later years of the war, it had many captured Polish resistance fighters, German deserters, and Soviet and American POWs. Many of these died there before the death march to Sachsenhausen in January 1945. I just wish the series had pointed out the things you said here (e.g., narration, titles). The fireside conversation between Rosie and Crosby was a really good opportunity to cover these topics, but was far too short. Rosies comment that ''they had it coming'' was too vague (and a bit corny). But Mann and Boyle were great - clearly the best two actors in a sea of mediocracy.
@@BrainPilot - Well, to be fair, only Episodes 6 and 9 are when Rosie being Jewish is directly related to the plot. Since, those are the two episodes that deal with the emotional toll the war took on him.
@@ChienaAvtzonall that really matters. Show, don't tell. My grandpa was a bombardier for B-24s out of Italy and he maintained, despite knowing otherwise, he never flew over Germany. He was Jewish too.
Plus, I would have wanted a bit more critical context. A few more scenes of what these bombardments did on the ground, because only few bombs fell where aimed, and many weren't even aimed at industrial targets to begin with.
Just finished the series & it was very, very good. It truly was great story telling, it looked great, a war we should not forget. Then your review was heartfelt. Thank you!
Amazing series. Hats off to Tom Hanks and Spielberg. My only complaint is that the series was too short. Much thanks to those brave young men and woman in the war effort. True hero's and patriots. It's good that we are honoring them. Going 80's plus since WWII. I'm always amazed at what US soldiers accomplished.
I have been obsessed with Masters of the Air my whole life. Air shows, die-cast models and books on the subject have been added to my knowledge. My mother was engaged to a 8th Air Force bombardier who didn't make it back.
Notice the scene with Crosby by the fireplace when he is quoting Nitschke. On the fireplace mantle is a Robin Hood Mug which is a reference to the fictional 918th bomb group of the famous Movie 12 o’clock High.
Loved this show and everything about it. To anyone interested in reading about the life in Germany at the end of the war, I recommend reading German Boy by Wolfgang Samuel. Eye opening. With his mom and sister, they had (also) to leave Sagan in January ‘45 to escape the Russian invasion and living in Russian-occupied Germany post-war. For many (Allied and Germans) the effects of the war lived on for a few years after Germany surrendered. This was new to me and was very interesting to read about from Mr. Samuel’s point of view.
I knew a Canadian veteran (captured at Dieppe) who was in a forced march from a POW camp in Poland and I’ve wondered why the German guards would even bother with it. Wouldn’t it have made a lot more sense (from their perspective) to move as fast as they could to head west where they could surrender to the British or Americans? The men depicted in this film are obviously in terrible condition and there is no way that the guards could get them to move fast enough to outrun a T34. Why not leave them behind for the Red Army to take care which they would have done and start goose stepping westward just as fast they can?
I loved the series but there where simply not enough episodes, this should have been more then 12 episodes or a 2nd season. I normally like the concept of just one season but here it failed.
My dad's first cousin was a member of the 100th. On March 23rd 1945 he was in a mid-air collision with another B 17 that had been hit by flak. My dad's cousin survived but the 9 other members of the Patriotic Patty did not survive. So late in the war to die.
Having read the book Masters of the Air by Donald Miller I was wondering how on Earth they were going to parce it out into an eight, or nine episode series. The book covers the entirety of the air war over Germany (mainly focusing on the bomber missions) to include everything in between from the crew's time in England, escape and evasion after being shot down, and POW camp life. I was surprised to see the portrayal of how dangerous it was for any crew member to be caught by the civilian populace versus the German military. This facet of the war has never been addressed in any movie or TV show. This was in the book, and prior to reading I had no knowledge to the fact that they were likely to be killed if captured by German civilians. Hitler had stated all bomber crews were made up of gangsters and killers let go from American prisons and should be treated as such if captured by the populace. Overall, they did a pretty good job.
A great show I really enjoyed it . It is about time now Hanks and spilsperg did a series on the Brtish forces Iam sure there a lot a great hereos there .
You're joking, surely? Spielberg and Hanks have had managed to insert a derogatory remark or scene about the British in Saving Private Ryan and Band Of Brothers. Perhaps they might make one about Bomber Command and call it "Terror Flyers".
I missed noticing the ceramic mug the first time while Crosby and Rosie were talking by the fireplace. I had to get out the DVD of 12 O'Clock High to confirm it was the same ceramic mug (or whatever it was). Great Catch!!
Excellent series! Who caught the Easter Egg to "Twelve O'Clock High"? If you missed it, it's in this video at 12:03, lower left of the frame in darkness.
Dude right!? In the beginning I loved it, loved the characters. By episode 6 the plot just kinda scattered and by the last episode I was left really wanting to see more of the main characters. Leading to the very end feeling left slightly empty.
Totally agree, felt like they had a lot more planned, but during Covid things changed and the series was cut down in scale. The story definitely needed more episodes or a second season, or being two hours long each episode. It feels like the whole series was big jumps in time and we went down rabbit holes without getting to the end, what was the point in Sandra’s story in occupied territory, why spend half an episode following Quinn and Bailey only for them to appear back on the base for a few seconds without giving their journey back to allied lines more air time. The weird changes of commanders, not giving any real time on the stories of these guys so important to the 100th’s history.
@@neilfound3506 dude that’s exactly what I said. In my opinion the series peaked with Quinn starting his way back to England. They added so much suspense in the trailers. And in the show, what they showed in the trailers was all we got 😂. They just left that story and he pops up in like episode 6. That’s kinda where it all started to lose some steam if you ask me. I realised by the end that the most suspenseful moments were all shown in the advertisements and then that was all we got…like DDAY…and I know DDAY wasn’t the MOST eventful for the airforce..there was still more they could have showed…..it was DDAY lol….
The actual name of the POW Camp was Stalag Luft 3, Sagan, Germany, a POW camp for officers with 10,000 prisoners. The camp from which the Great Escape of 75 prisoners took place with the Germans executing 50 of the 72 that were recaptured. The Soviets took over the camp in 1945. These POWs were rescued by US personnel but the prisoners in Stalag Luft 2 an 2B were captured S0viets in 1945. There were 25,000 American, 31,000 British/Commonwealth and hundreds of thousands of other allied POWs that were retained by the Soviets from camps in Europe and Asia(Manchuria and Korea), many of whom died in slave labor camps. The US and British governments kept this secret until the 1990s.
Another nice attention to detail: Look at the final scene where the B-17s are taxiing out and taking off for home. None of them are armed...no machine guns in the turrets, tail, nose, waist, ball turret....
Detail?! ... Having not [yet] seen any of its episodes (but for viewing some of the various You Tube-trailers/teasers throughout here), the many [visual] flaws over attention to historical accuracy (and consistency) are many. Speaking as a lifelong WWII air-war history-buff, the ('supposed' [late-model]) B-17G-series depicted there in the final scene (and throughout the latter half of the Series) would've [at least] still retained its twin .50-cal 'chin'-turret (upon conducting these types of 'end-of-hostility' [supply] missions). Showcasing it there at war's end (in May 1945, still depicted as an earlier [incorrect] F-series model [Virtually none {but a scant handful} of these early-/mid-production F-series featured the 'chin-turret', installed on the later G-series, those of which started to appear in the theatre in late '43.]), with a clearly conspicuous closeup of its forward-ventral underside - _without_ its 'chin'-turret emplaced - would've been _extremely_ unlikely for the period. In other words, this shot was totally unacceptable to the [even] average (if not, novice) air-war historian. There simply is no excusable reason - considering an almost record-setting 'budget' of [some] $250 million[!] (Hell, 'they' may as well been better-off building a B-17 factory, along with a couple squadrons of authentic full-scale Nazi-era warplanes for that kind of money, as well considering the substandard, less-than-convincing - if not downright cheesy - CGI-effects.) - with all their consulting technical-advisory teams 'involved' (and yes, I'm using 'scare-quotes' there for a _goddamn-well_ good reason!) in this most-anticipated production (with at least _ten_ years in the making!), as to why both Spielberg and Hanks (among others) couldn't quite 'get things right' about accurately portraying both the authenticity to [period] detail, as well as to the events surrounding the story itself ... Still questioning my _(very_ disappointed) sanity over watching this [long-awaited] Series. And _that's_ the way *_I_* goddamn-well *see* it, _'mister'!_
Rosenthal mentions him being Jewish in like episode 3 or 4 when he goes for R&R they ask him something about horseriding and he replies "Jews from brookling don't do horseriding" or some sort of thing like that
well, they did create an episode where there are interviews with the real veterans like Crosby, Rosenthal, John Luckadoo, Jefferson, Macon and a few more, which make the series more powerful. It's called THE BLOODY HUNDREDTH and is narrated by Hanks
It’s not fair comparing the timing with band of brothers. Most of the BoB episodes covered a year of the war between the invasion of Normandy and the German surrender so it’s understandable that the events are more tightly woven. Masters of the air had to cover two years of operations and have the challenge to illustrate two timelines that happen at the same time but feel completely different : aerial missions and PoW camps.
What was sad is that we didn't get to see current photos of the characters of the show since they had died a few years before. I saw the documentary after where some of the characters, specially Rosie, gave live interviews before they left us for good. So that was also well worth watching. Overall, an amazing show. Correction, Mr. Luckadoo was in the Bloody 10th and was part of the documentary that followed. May he be living a peaceful and fulfilling life and am so thankful for his sacrifice and service.
I just finished the Miller book Masters of the Air when I saw the last episode, and I was angered at how wrong they depicted the last days in the POW camp. In real life.... American forces were closing in on the vicinity of the camp, and all the guards left the camp to fight the Americans. The strafing of the camp by an American P-51 DID NOT HAPPEN. German guards in watchtowers firing at POWS with MG 42s in the camp DID NOT HAPPEN. Angered POWs overwhelming German guards on the ground DID NOT HAPPEN (the guards had already left). The last slow motion dramatic ripping down of the swastika flag and raising the American flag through a hail of German machine gun fire DID NOT HAPPEN like it was depicted. How Miller wrote it (see pg 505) was that the American POWs saw an American flag flying form a church steeple off in the distance, and they did have a hidden American flag that was hoisted, but not in the overly dramatized way Spielberg and Hanks depicted it, and Miller did not identify Egan as the exact person who hoisted it.
My wifes aunt and uncle were standout to her and our marriage.visiting florida where his company was located generous, welcoming, conversational .after his funeral his fellow airman buddy told of harrowing tales of war. Bring a shot to hell b17 from a german raid on flight 25 and bringing it home 2 killed 5 wounded.
On several occasions had privilege of talk to Col Robert Morgan of Memphis belle fame at the Sun n Fun airshow . At this time he is in his 80 s flew another 25 missions on the B 29 in the Pacific gentlemen war hero privilege to meet and talk to him
What a superficial distortion of history to use the generalized name "russians" for all those who fought in the ranks of the Soviet Union armed forces. And this is what Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks do when honouring heroes of WWII in the 21st century. Like no other nation that Moscow enslaved and forced to fight at the front exists. During all the years of WWII, about 34.5 million people from dozen of nations fought in the ranks of the Red Army and the Navy. And, for example, 6-7 million of them were Ukrainians, 1.5 million - were from Uzbekistan, 1.5 million - were Kazakhs, roughly 800,000 were from Azerbaijan, 700,000 - Georgians, 600,000 - Armenians and others. At least from some human, basic respect to the people PLEASE call the army Soviet, not russian. At least. You still do not see the true essence of the Soviet Union from a distance, not only geographically (The distance between Los Angeles and Europe is 5700 miles) but also through centuries, as time passes and more horrific information about Moscow’s crimes against humanity is revealed to the world. The Soviet Union as an empire equals Nazi Germany - please stop finally glorifying those who murdered millions of innocent people through starvation and deportation, imprisonment across Gulag camps, NKVD and KGB slaughters, and continues this nowadays. Allied Forces have made a historic, bold mistake of not advancing towards Eastern Europe and letting Moscow have over half of the world. Mr. Winston Churchill and General Patton spoke truth to the world, but unfortunately they were foolishly ignored. Moscow once again breathes down our necks. And the civilized world has not yet realized this.
Rosenthal's conversation with the Jewish man was absolutely dark. Cuz I was watching that at the time when Israel was already at war in Gaza and Anti-Semitism is currently rapant right now.
WHAT A FANTASTIC SERIES. Everything was right spot on and accurate. unfortunately it could have had way more episodes but it would have gone overbudget.
Maybe if Speilberg wouldn,'t donate so much money to Biden's campaign fund, he could have improved the series. It certainly needed it. I thought it downright sucked!!!
Many stories needed to be expanded upon but it would have required at least two more episodes. It's plain to see that severe budget constraints clearly impacted the series making it far less that what it could have become.
The initial plan was for there to be 10 episodes in line with BoB and Pacific. Budget cuts hit and modern day politics meant Apple wanted more diversity in the series. So the remaining episodes should have told Rosie’s & Crosby’s story in way more detail but their time got spent on some weird fictional female spy story and the largely unrelated Tuskegee airmen.
Since when have modern-day politics got anything to do with making a show? Aside from the Red Tails, the most wasted time in the series was wasted on the Stalag scenes - two of the worst actors getting far too much screen time. This programme could be the end of Apple TV. @@eddierxx124
Having read "Lightning Down" a couple of months ago, the story of that USAAC P-38 pilot, who was shot down over France in August of 1944, and this story, merged at Luft Stalag III. The story told in that book is rather different regarding the liberation of the POW camp (which, yes, did have 75,000 Allied prisoners, but was actually designed for only 10,000). I won't spoil it for you... But there is a lot of details of the march as they evacuate Luft Stalag III that are visualized in the show.
Multiple Historic characters actually got remarried and that was left out. Including the guy who lost his wife in 1953, he got remarried in 1955 and stayed with his 2nd wife until he died.
999I would Rank Band of Brothers # 1, The Pacific, Masters of the Air. Masters graphic wise and acting was spot on. It needed more time. It felt rushed. Not enough time was given to the Tuskegee Airmen. Masters Honestly deserved 2 Seasons. Such a Great Story condensed. i love this period in History. Really Brave People. None of this America First BS. America Fought Back. I have always found American movies to be weak. Compared to the Japanese War Movies. The Eternal Zero, The Emperor in August, Isoruku, Battle of Okinawa, Yamamoto. Two different cultures saw things very different.
The statement that “no members of the Bloody 100th are still alive” is definitely not correct. John “Lucky” Luckadoo turns 102 on March 16, 2024 and is still very articulate. He is the last surviving pilot. As of March 2024, there are a total of 4 surviving members. Obviously, this is a day to day subject to monitor.
maaaan....i struggled with this series. this series was made with sensibilities straight out of the early 2000's. They lost me when Crosby is unpacking the guilt and trauma he holds from planning these missions where cities are being carpet bombed and Bucky alleviates him simply by saying "believe me, they had it coming." which is fine because yeah, we were fighting fascism and Nazis but that sort thinking is the kind of thinking that gives us permission to do horrible things to each other. The series shows multiple scenes of Allied POW's walking through cities they bombed whilst reminding the viewer not so subtly in the words of Rosie again "hey, it had to be done." And this sort of editorializing the series short circuits what should be the purpose of these shows in a post GWOT world: war is horrific to experience and horrific to behold and doing the necessary during times of war shouldn't be celebrated let alone venerated, it should be a stark reminder of what these men were forced to become in order to survive. WE do this with films about Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq but for some reason we refuse to apply the same lens to WW2 in an effort to truly understand what these people really went through. Overall, Masters of the Air was a missed opportunity to truly reflect what these men went through and what it cost them and how they really should be honored and remembered.
@10:40 yes it was mentioned…when he was sent to that 5 day retreat…on the way in Rosie was asked if he rides horses…Rosie said Jews from Brooklyn don’t ride horses…meaning himself…
😂😂😂. I wish they just stayed on the main characters. Every episode after the 6th episode just started zig zagging all over the place. I feel like the series reached its peak when Quinn and his buddy were escaping Germany. They never showed them make it back they just reappeared back at base a few episodes later. I’m sure there were some interesting stories sneaking across the channel. But from there the plot started gettin reaaal wobbly.
I think that would have been interesting also. She was obviously MI5 or MI6. You did see where she was dropped into France. She may not have survived the war.
Significantly, the Americans didn't bother to paint their planes - bombers and fighters - as they no longer needed camouflage due to no effective Luftwaffe. Masters of the air! I thought that was a great touch.
@@miliba I don't think so - I read that the costs of painting the huge aircraft were off-putting, and paint wasn't necessary anyway as Nazis were no longer bombing airfields so the bombers did not need the top paint, and their vapour trails were so visible it was unnecessary to paint the undersides. Although funnily enough the planes were slightly faster when painted, even though they weighed a bit more.
Loved Band of Brothers. Have watched it too many times to remember I thought The Pacific did not live up to BoB. As for Masters of the Air, I think it is really a missed opportunity and was incredibly disappointing. Too many threads, some exaggerated and over dramatised and less of a connection to the main characters. The episode introducing the Tuskagee Airmen is the best example, in reality it was completely unrelated to 100th Bomber Group or even the Eighth Air Force and just felt like Spielberg and Hanks had to, somehow, weave them into the series...(perhaps for 'diversity' and funding?) The plot was all over the shop and difficult to follow. For example; the buildup to Quinn's escape from Germany and the relationship with the British spy - both went no where. I thought the tiny, petty recognition of Bomber Command was bordering on insulting. If you were a Martian watching this, you would have thought that Bomber Command did not exist and they played no role in the European air war or destruction of Germany. In actual fact, the British and Commonwealth airmen of Bomber Command did the majority of fighting and dying (58,000 deaths compared with the USAAF's 26,000).
Like the Pacific tv show, this one was a disjointed mess of a show. Go back and watch band of brothers and you can see the difference between that and the next two shows. I think and tbh hope they make a series based on the Enterprise and her journey in pre war to the magic carpet rides for our troops back home. There’s a reason she was given the most battle stars of any ship in the U.S. navy.
Hope you enjoyed this slightly longer breakdown for the finale! Thanks for tuning into my videos breaking down Masters Of The Air, it's been a fantastic show to watch! If you want to see breakdowns on Band of Brothers them below!
➡ *BAND OF BROTHERS Episode 3 Breakdown:* th-cam.com/video/FRyeG3fbmY8/w-d-xo.html
➡ *BAND OF BROTHERS Episode 2 Breakdown:* th-cam.com/video/MaEOgfArpKc/w-d-xo.html
➡ *MASTERS OF THE AIR Episode 8 Breakdown:* th-cam.com/video/tvXUqX1zwTw/w-d-xo.html
My dad flew 25 missions over Germany. He couldn’t deal with the guilt of having killed civilians. On his last mission he made a deal with God. If her survived he would never hurt another person. He came home, went to medical school, and treated patients in rural Missouri from 1948 - 1980. He kept his word.
That's awesome brother. Your pops was an amazing person.
@@eduardoalvarez1921 He was for sure. Thanks for saying so.
Your dad is the best kind of human being! I use IS because he or his spirit is forever with us.
Good man.
Good man
My dad was at Stalag 7A when it was liberated. He told me that the Luftwaffe guards actually protected them from the SS when the SS tried to take control of the camp, and during the short battle between the SS and the US Army. He said some SS were firing into the camp. He talked about the small home made flag being raised, but he really knew it was over when he saw the Nazi flag being lowered in Mooseburg, and the US flag being raised. Gen. Patton visited the camp and shook his hand and said quite colorfully what he was going to do to Hitler when he got to Berlin. Dad died just short of his 101st birtrhday in 2016.
My grandpa was there too and always talked about the flag being raised. He said there wasnt a dry eye in the camp
Though one of my grand-grand dads died in of the Stalags' from Allied bombing.
Read similar accounts as well. There was a big difference between German soldier and SS Nazi scum.
Glad your grandpa made it and lived up to an old age! Luftwaffe and Wehrmacht soldiers were indeed gallant in comparison to the Waffen SS.
I was dismayed by the camp guards shooting at the POWs in the episode. The war was nearly over, so why commit such a war crime? Sucks to be one of the unlucky guys who were killed moments before liberation.
Thank you. He told me the guards didn't shoot anyone, but actually protected the prisoners from the SS. The SS was shooting into the prison. He got to fly the B17 Nine-O-Nine when he was 87. He said it was a lot more fun piloting a B17 when no one was shooting at him. If you have read or listenned to The Masters of the Air book, it quotes a navigator from the 381st a few times. Roger Burwell. Roger was my dad's navigator for all his missions. They were shot down in The Feather Merchant 532nd Bomb Squadron nearf Bremen on 8 Oct 43. The same mission Buck Cleven was shot down on. @@miliba
My grandpa was captain Frank Murphy played by Jonas Moore. He wrote luck of the draw. Very very proud proud of my grandpa. I wish he was here to see this
As a matter of fact, when my grandfather, when he was shot down, he landed in a German families field. They took him in and they hid him until the Nazis came. The Nazis thought my grandfather was a spy.
Reading his book literally right now!
@@Will_Izard that’s awesome!!! it’s amazing. I hope you’re enjoying it! ❤❤❤
My father, God rest his soul my father was my grandparents first child, and my dad actually helped my grandfather to write that whole book. Something that’s never mentioned. Unfortunately, my father died some years back from cancer, but yeah, my father was a big part of this book as well
On todays episode of things that never happened
Man, got to say that I'm surprised I never knew about Robert "Rosie" Rosenthal. What an amazing story. Jewish kid from New York, turned lawyer, became pilot, and one of the most bad ass pilots in the European campaign. 52 missions shot down twice. He went above and beyond what was asked of him. Also became a prosecutor in the Nuremberg trials. True American hero. Much respect!
Genuinely! A legend
As part of his duty for the Nuremberg trials, he interrogated Herman Goering. The Allies chose Rosenthal partly due to his prior experience as a lawyer, but mostly due to his experience as a combat pilot. They correctly guessed that Goering would open up to a fellow combat flyer who fought against Goering's Luftwaffe. I read a book on the interrogation. Goering was cagey and unwilling to assume any responsibility for the war, but also freely talked shop with Rosenthal concerning the defense of the Reich against the 8th and RAF. Fascinating transcripts of Rosie's questioning.
@tonyjanney1654 Is the book still available...Title author link?
Literally, ALL of the guys who fought in the Air War against the Nazis and Axis Powers were heroes of the first magnitude. This series, “Master’s of The Air,” was well worth viewing, and so well done. However, I agree that “Rosie” Rosenthal was an Extraordinary Hero again a backdrop of Exceptional Heroes. A “Breaker of the Mold” of Heroism and Selfless Sacrifice.
You're wrong. One from the bloody 100th still lives. John "Lucky" Luckadoo will be 102 yrs old tomorrow, March 16th. Look him up.
But Lucky Luckadoo was not a character on the show, not even as a background extra.
@@ChienaAvtzon What he said was there was no one left from the Bloody 100th. Lucky was in the 100th and he is in Dallas telling his story all the time.
Gene McMahon of North Plainfield, NJ is always remembered and missed.
I have had lunch with John Clark and Jim Rasmussen recently too. Both 100th BG(H) vets in Minnesota.
im so glad you took the time out to let someone on the internet know they were wrong with such grace and tact. lol. find better things to do with your life. and i hope you learn how to navigate it better. LOL the edit to correct yourself also.. what a tool.
My grandpa was in the 15th air force based out of Italy in the B-17 but ended up at Stalag Luft 3 in April of 1944. He was also on the march to stalag 7 as depicted in the show. He really never talked about details of the march but he mentioned it was the coldest he had ever been and how it was very long. Its hard to visualize something like that so this finale was very emotional. Not to mention the liberation was depicted just how he described it in his book. A P-51 buzzed the camp, the tanks rolled in, and the flag was raised. Even in his final days he got emotional when he talked about it. He said "The flag may just be a symbol to many, but to me it's Moosburg and that day in April. I love to see our flag flying." The whole series was very jarring because of how hard it hit home. The horrors of being on bomber let alone a stricken bomber were unimaginable until this series. He mentioned how he didn't think he would survive after seeing B-17s return from a raid for the first time. Its a miracle he survived his shoot down because when he tried to bail out of the nose, he got swept against the fuselage of the airplane and had to climb back in to try again. Meanwhile the port wing was on fire and the plane was seconds from exploding. Seeing almost all of this in the show was really emotional and I could not have asked for a better representation of what those men went through in the strategic bombing campaigns of WWII. The show had its flaws but it was still a solid 9.1/10
Likely story
On things that never happened episode 2
@@priestsonaplane2236 whatcha trying to say?
My uncle flew a B24 also with the 15th out of Italy. Flew 51 missions. Like many of his fellow WWII he said very little about it unless he was with his fellow WWII veterans. Both he and his two brothers were combat veterans of WWII. Like so many of their fellow WWII veterans to them it was a job that had to be done and if you survived you were among the lucky few.
@@priestsonaplane2236 you must be so fun at parties
The only complaint is is not long enough they clearly could of go few more eps. But probably budget
It could have easily gone to 12 episodes and used better CGI, but it was probably over budget and delayed by several years, made worse by covid. At this point, I'm glad we got this - it's been too long. I don't agree with the executives wanting to spin this off into a themed series for WW2 stories of other branches or POV of soldiers. I think the trilogy is complete.
Unfortunately we are not going to see shows like Band of Brothers,Pacific,Game of thrones studios will not spend the money any more.I still enjoyed it though.
I agree with you. Wish was longer.
I bet AppleTV+ doesn't have HBO money
I kind of wished there was an entire episode of just the mechanics fixing the planes showing how they patched/cannibalized the planes and got them back in the air so quickly. My great uncle was a RCAF mechanic in England so I find that aspect of the war interesting.
My father was a pilot with the 305th Bomb Group who flew in the winter of 1943 through spring of 1944. He had his missions increased from 25 to 30 around his 10th mission, which must have been crushing emotionally. His squadron had lost 15 of 18 planes on the the second Schweinfurt raid and he was a replacement for them. Like many men who had been through that he never talked about his combat experience. I looked through his flight log and he had 7 missions to Berlin and 6 to Frankort among his 30 missions. This series gave me insight into what it must have been like in some way. He was just 21 and 22 years old like many of the others when all this took place. Too me M of A is more than just a TV series
Thank you for sharing your father's story. What these young men did was truly amazing.
My father was also in the 305th,...the 366th BS. Began as a tail gunner and upon his return from a couple weeks in the hospital, he became next man up for the ball turret. Spoke very, very little of his experiences, both in the air or as a POW. Shot down Feb 26th '43 during the run that involved the Writing 69th. He was liberated from Stalag 17. It's been difficult to try and piece together his story from the limited information he gave us, and then sifting through endless Google searches...
Major Harry Crosby is my second cousin. His mom and my grandmother were sisters. I had the privilege of meeting him in the early 90's when he came to visit.
Really? My grandmother fucked him in London during the war
Did he really cheat on his SO with a british secret service woman?
i waited nearly ten years since hearing about HBO making of 'MASTERS OF THE AIR'. I have prostate cancer from agent orange exposure in Vietnam. I was beginning to think I wasnt gonna see the series. i thought it was outstanding. Having read the book and many others about Eighth Air Force. The courage of the snake (AH1G ) and loach (OH 6) drivers were unmatched in our time!
Thank you so much for your service and for being all our heroes ❣️I agree that this Series was absolutely outstanding. Thank you for sharing you thoughts ‼️ I will be praying for you ❣️
Thank you for your service. 🙏
Dang, Agent Orange sucks. For both Vietnamese and American victims. Reminds me of the Sheriff from Stranger Things when he talked about it
I loved this finale. The last half or so I hardly saw clearly through the teared up eyes of mine. So moving. Rosie and Crosby were always and will be forever legendary bad ases, all these guys.p were. Let’s not forget this coming DDay anniversary 😢
My dad was an ordinance engineer captain and fought during the Battle of the Bulge and later was at Cologne Cathedral during the famous tank shoot out between the M-29 Pershing and the King Tiger, and he then went on to participate in the liberation of several comcentration camps. My mom was a WAC clerk typist in the same HQ company as my dad, they met in Paris in Auguat 1944 and married in November 1945. I think the Hanks-Spielberg collboration on BoB, The Pacific, and MoTA are so important to remind the American people of the service and sacrifice of that generation and the price they paid for the freedom we enjoy today.
Wait what?
Your dad was around when they were considering blowing the Cologne cathedral?
True dat. Moving and profound!
Thank you for the recap, I actually missed the last part of the story and what the men did after the war so fortunately when back to watch that. My father enlisted in the Army Air Corps and training to be a fighter pilot after graduating from high school and was 1 month away from being shipped out when the war ended. My older brother enlisted in the Air Force and served two tours in Vietnam. I heard combat stories about WWII from my father’s friends when I was young in the 1960s. I still can’t fandom what they actually went through, but stories like this series bring it to life. We owe them all a debt in the greatest sense to our freedom for what they did. They changed the world with their bravery and sacrifice.
My Uncle, who was a Bombardier on a B-17 crew when he was shot down, was on that POW march. The show got pretty close to the way he described it.
That "buck" that Buck was holding was a $2 bill given to him for luck in an early episode.
Great show, right up there with the standards of Band of Brothers and The Pacific. Brought these characters, their character, and their experiences & sacrifices fighting Fascism into crystal clear perspective.
Who would have thought that almost 80 years later we would be forgetting the legacy and potency of their selfless actions and patriotic convictions. Fascism is coming to America in another major test in 2024. How will we respond in repelling this malignant threat to our history this time?
Vote. Do what the Germans could not do. Vote out Fascism.
I cried like I haven't cried in YEARS, watching the credits of their lives, in the finale, amazing tv show, it was an absolute pleasure to watch. ❤
It was such an emotional moment!
Lol. I'm a big crybaby to begin with. So, yeah, got me big time on ending credits.
So gutted its over i loved this show just like band of brothers and pacific all these shows were just top of the range
Yeah same here! It's a show that I felt like I could have just kept watching!
I just hope it gets released on dvd @@BrainPilot
Its a shame that they used modern aerial map of Berlin... being a Berliner I couldnt ignore the modern changes in both Tempelhof airport and surrounding area.
We were just in Berlin visiting my relatives in September and October. I saw Tempelhof For the first time since 1974, when I first visited as a 15-year-old with my mother, we flew into Tempelhof from Cincinnati. I stayed with my Opa for a month in West Berlin.
@@PeterMayer amazing park innit?
Amazing series. Sad to see it end. Well done!
Agreed. It was a damn good show. Truly put the war and the things these men went through into perspective. Definitely one of the best war shows I have ever seen!
I would like to see Spielberg and Hanks do a series focusing on the Naval aspect of the war
Yeah that would be good!
In my opinion, they are 1 from 3 (the last two being super disappointing). No more, as I cannot see how they could possibly pull it off.
@@nnoddy8161 I disagree, neither The Pacific or MOTA are as good as BOB but that doesn't mean they are bad. You seem to sound as if since you didn't like them as well they are trash or something. Both productions are considerably better than the typical crap being pushed out on a weekly basis.
Hanks did a naval movie a bit ago, titled Greyhound. Solid movie but a whole serried would be wonderful
I believe “Greyhound” is about as much as you are likely going to get from this related group about Battle of the Atlantic. Interesting movie on Apple TV. Worth the watch.
One disappointing detail was they never updated the B17’s to the B17G with the turret under the nose.
And, the majority of the B-17G/replacement crews (the planes had a "Y" painted below the serial #) consisted of 9, not 10 crewmen. The crews had a"Toggleer" who would drop with the lead plane (with the Norden Bombsight) released.
Another account of the forced POW march are given by Lt. Col Edward M. Bender in the 2008 book Lest They Forget Freedom's Price. B-17 downed west of Paris due to engine problems 25th of April 1944, captured by HJ personnel with the I SS Panzer Korps.
Additional account of the POW march is also provided by Richard R. Bender (not related) in the book Maximum Effort.
I was so emotional watching this one. I did not expect to be touched.
Yeah this final episode got me on multiple occasions!
I am a veteran of Iraq. OIF - while WWII had a clear victory i never had that moment where we felt victorious
Your episode reviews have been the best I have found. Great content and delivery. I’ll be following you and BoB
Thanks a lot! Glad you enjoyed the videos. Yeah I'm gonna be covering the rest of BoB! I'm also really enjoying delving into that show again!
Very, very good breakdown and terrific reminder of the magnitude of the series as a whole. I think it got better and better as it went on. Though a combination of superb cast, story re-construction, stunning cinematography and modern FX - there seems to be a focus on making you feel (as far as is possible) what these poor guys went through in a very visceral way, in a way I’ve not felt since Band Of Brothers. What an achievement. And thanks @BrainPilot for this awesome breakdown. 🙏
Glad you enjoyed it!
I enjoyed the series. But apparently the producers have never heard of a B-17G?
Agree, they could change the colour of the planes, but could not CGI a front under chin turret? Cmon!
The producers are not idiots! You naive think it is that simple to make those CG changes overnight when you overseeing and producing NINE episodes almost simultaneously and during the height of Covid? with dozens of CG studios and literally hundreds of extras and production staff with tight deadlines and had to shot with whatever was ready to be filmed due to a tight schedule. That is the reality of FILM production. If you are wealthy and willing to offer to fund those changes by all means!
They had four years to make it - plenty of time. Covid had very little impact.@@Filscout
This was a great episode . Tears were shed. 👏👏👏
Well done for explaining Żabikowo so clearly (09:38 on).
Probably the best scene of the whole series.
Although it was initially a labour camp for Jews, it was (as you say) also a prison camp. In the later years of the war, it had many captured Polish resistance fighters, German deserters, and Soviet and American POWs. Many of these died there before the death march to Sachsenhausen in January 1945. I just wish the series had pointed out the things you said here (e.g., narration, titles).
The fireside conversation between Rosie and Crosby was a really good opportunity to cover these topics, but was far too short. Rosies comment that ''they had it coming'' was too vague (and a bit corny).
But Mann and Boyle were great - clearly the best two actors in a sea of mediocracy.
Yes, may they never be forgotten!!! We are free today because of them!
Rosenthal’s first line in Ep.6, is him revealing to the audience that he is Jewish. So, it was mentioned before he started speaking Yiddish.
Ah thanks for the correction! Episode 6 feels like a lifetime ago now!
@@BrainPilot - Well, to be fair, only Episodes 6 and 9 are when Rosie being Jewish is directly related to the plot. Since, those are the two episodes that deal with the emotional toll the war took on him.
His surname, Rosenthal, is OBVIOUSLY Jewish.
@@ChienaAvtzonall that really matters. Show, don't tell. My grandpa was a bombardier for B-24s out of Italy and he maintained, despite knowing otherwise, he never flew over Germany.
He was Jewish too.
@@TchaikovskyFDR - Your grandfather was a true hero.
Sadly they missed all the German beauty which I expected - Me163 or 262 scene "for the first time"...
Plus, I would have wanted a bit more critical context. A few more scenes of what these bombardments did on the ground, because only few bombs fell where aimed, and many weren't even aimed at industrial targets to begin with.
Just finished the series & it was very, very good. It truly was great story telling, it looked great, a war we should not forget. Then your review was heartfelt. Thank you!
I feel the final two episodes they tried to cram too much into them. And the final ending almost felt like it was a little Michael Bay
The whole series felt rushed and unnatural.
Very much agree!
Amazing series. Hats off to Tom Hanks and Spielberg. My only complaint is that the series was too short. Much thanks to those brave young men and woman in the war effort. True hero's and patriots. It's good that we are honoring them. Going 80's plus since WWII. I'm always amazed at what US soldiers accomplished.
I have been obsessed with Masters of the Air my whole life. Air shows, die-cast models and books on the subject have been added to my knowledge. My mother was engaged to a 8th Air Force bombardier who didn't make it back.
Notice the scene with Crosby by the fireplace when he is quoting Nitschke. On the fireplace mantle is a Robin Hood Mug which is a reference to the fictional 918th bomb group of the famous Movie 12 o’clock High.
That mug is called a Toby jug
It's called a " Toby mug"
Good catch. Great movie.
it's spelled Nietzsche
Yep, I saw the Toby mug as well. Nice tribute to Twelve O’Clock High ‘918th Bomb Group’…
Loved this show and everything about it. To anyone interested in reading about the life in Germany at the end of the war, I recommend reading German Boy by Wolfgang Samuel. Eye opening. With his mom and sister, they had (also) to leave Sagan in January ‘45 to escape the Russian invasion and living in Russian-occupied Germany post-war. For many (Allied and Germans) the effects of the war lived on for a few years after Germany surrendered. This was new to me and was very interesting to read about from Mr. Samuel’s point of view.
I knew a Canadian veteran (captured at Dieppe) who was in a forced march from a POW camp in Poland and I’ve wondered why the German guards would even bother with it. Wouldn’t it have made a lot more sense (from their perspective) to move as fast as they could to head west where they could surrender to the British or Americans? The men depicted in this film are obviously in terrible condition and there is no way that the guards could get them to move fast enough to outrun a T34. Why not leave them behind for the Red Army to take care which they would have done and start goose stepping westward just as fast they can?
I loved the series but there where simply not enough episodes, this should have been more then 12 episodes or a 2nd season. I normally like the concept of just one season but here it failed.
I agree. you can plainly see how budget constraints have taken what would have been a masterpiece instead becomes something less.
The budget collapsed and then filming was seriously impacted by Covid restrictions.
That and political issues at the time ruined the series.
@@eddierxx124 to be honest, it shows. I thought it was a serious missed opportunity. Really disappointed in it.
Rosie mentioned his heritage when he jokingly declined to ride horses during his R+R week, so we knew before he toured the camp
What happened to the female RAF spook ?
My dad's first cousin was a member of the 100th. On March 23rd 1945 he was in a mid-air collision with another B 17 that had been hit by flak. My dad's cousin survived but the 9 other members of the Patriotic Patty did not survive. So late in the war to die.
With taking anything away from the others. I think just Rosethal was just an amazing person.
Yeah he definitely was!
fantastic job recapping and reviewing all the episodes. Thank You.
Thanks, glad you enjoyed the videos!
Having read the book Masters of the Air by Donald Miller I was wondering how on Earth they were going to parce it out into an eight, or nine episode series. The book covers the entirety of the air war over Germany (mainly focusing on the bomber missions) to include everything in between from the crew's time in England, escape and evasion after being shot down, and POW camp life.
I was surprised to see the portrayal of how dangerous it was for any crew member to be caught by the civilian populace versus the German military. This facet of the war has never been addressed in any movie or TV show. This was in the book, and prior to reading I had no knowledge to the fact that they were likely to be killed if captured by German civilians. Hitler had stated all bomber crews were made up of gangsters and killers let go from American prisons and should be treated as such if captured by the populace.
Overall, they did a pretty good job.
A great show I really enjoyed it .
It is about time now Hanks and spilsperg did a series on the Brtish forces Iam sure there a lot a great hereos there .
It is about time now ''Hanks and spilsperg'' retired after this rubbish!
Let a British producer do the British story.
You're joking, surely? Spielberg and Hanks have had managed to insert a derogatory remark or scene about the British in Saving Private Ryan and Band Of Brothers.
Perhaps they might make one about Bomber Command and call it "Terror Flyers".
Their Dad’s were American soldiers in WWII so they only focus on Americans.
@@gibson617ajgWe need miniseries about Korea or Vietnam after this one. So many true stories to cover and show the brutality of both wars.
Anyone notice the homage to 12 O'clock High?
I missed noticing the ceramic mug the first time while Crosby and Rosie were talking by the fireplace. I had to get out the DVD of 12 O'Clock High to confirm it was the same ceramic mug (or whatever it was). Great Catch!!
Excellent series! Who caught the Easter Egg to "Twelve O'Clock High"? If you missed it, it's in this video at 12:03, lower left of the frame in darkness.
The Toby mug!
Was expecting a little more.
Fantastic series even my kids were hooked on it. Sad it’s ended 😢
This series needed more episodes as I honestly didn’t feel any connection to any of the characters
Dude right!? In the beginning I loved it, loved the characters. By episode 6 the plot just kinda scattered and by the last episode I was left really wanting to see more of the main characters. Leading to the very end feeling left slightly empty.
@@_TheDarkHalf the only change is that Crosby is a man that cheats in his wife which is a shame because at the start I kind of liked him.
Totally agree, felt like they had a lot more planned, but during Covid things changed and the series was cut down in scale. The story definitely needed more episodes or a second season, or being two hours long each episode. It feels like the whole series was big jumps in time and we went down rabbit holes without getting to the end, what was the point in Sandra’s story in occupied territory, why spend half an episode following Quinn and Bailey only for them to appear back on the base for a few seconds without giving their journey back to allied lines more air time. The weird changes of commanders, not giving any real time on the stories of these guys so important to the 100th’s history.
@@Cozza69 😂
@@neilfound3506 dude that’s exactly what I said. In my opinion the series peaked with Quinn starting his way back to England. They added so much suspense in the trailers. And in the show, what they showed in the trailers was all we got 😂. They just left that story and he pops up in like episode 6. That’s kinda where it all started to lose some steam if you ask me. I realised by the end that the most suspenseful moments were all shown in the advertisements and then that was all we got…like DDAY…and I know DDAY wasn’t the MOST eventful for the airforce..there was still more they could have showed…..it was DDAY lol….
The actual name of the POW Camp was Stalag Luft 3, Sagan, Germany, a POW camp for officers with 10,000 prisoners. The camp from which the Great Escape of 75 prisoners took place with the Germans executing 50 of the 72 that were recaptured. The Soviets took over the camp in 1945. These POWs were rescued by US personnel but the prisoners in Stalag Luft 2 an 2B were captured S0viets in 1945. There were 25,000 American, 31,000 British/Commonwealth and hundreds of thousands of other allied POWs that were retained by the Soviets from camps in Europe and Asia(Manchuria and Korea), many of whom died in slave labor camps. The US and British governments kept this secret until the 1990s.
From memory, Rosie Rosenthal was actually shot down twice and both time returned to allied lines safely.
Yes!
Truly woeful series about truly wonderful people.
Was the pirate mug, on the shelf behind the two officers in the final episode, a nod to 12 o'clock high? I'd love to know.
I can't believe my mother, my grandparents, and relatives survived in Berlin, but they did. My brothers were all born there. I was born in Chicago.
We appreciate your dedication and hard work. You'll always have our support no matter what.
Another nice attention to detail: Look at the final scene where the B-17s are taxiing out and taking off for home. None of them are armed...no machine guns in the turrets, tail, nose, waist, ball turret....
Detail?! ... Having not [yet] seen any of its episodes (but for viewing some of the various You Tube-trailers/teasers throughout here), the many [visual] flaws over attention to historical accuracy (and consistency) are many.
Speaking as a lifelong WWII air-war history-buff, the ('supposed' [late-model]) B-17G-series depicted there in the final scene (and throughout the latter half of the Series) would've [at least] still retained its twin .50-cal 'chin'-turret (upon conducting these types of 'end-of-hostility' [supply] missions). Showcasing it there at war's end (in May 1945, still depicted as an earlier [incorrect] F-series model [Virtually none {but a scant handful} of these early-/mid-production F-series featured the 'chin-turret', installed on the later G-series, those of which started to appear in the theatre in late '43.]), with a clearly conspicuous closeup of its forward-ventral underside - _without_ its 'chin'-turret emplaced - would've been _extremely_ unlikely for the period. In other words, this shot was totally unacceptable to the [even] average (if not, novice) air-war historian.
There simply is no excusable reason - considering an almost record-setting 'budget' of [some] $250 million[!] (Hell, 'they' may as well been better-off building a B-17 factory, along with a couple squadrons of authentic full-scale Nazi-era warplanes for that kind of money, as well considering the substandard, less-than-convincing - if not downright cheesy - CGI-effects.) - with all their consulting technical-advisory teams 'involved' (and yes, I'm using 'scare-quotes' there for a _goddamn-well_ good reason!) in this most-anticipated production (with at least _ten_ years in the making!), as to why both Spielberg and Hanks (among others) couldn't quite 'get things right' about accurately portraying both the authenticity to [period] detail, as well as to the events surrounding the story itself ...
Still questioning my _(very_ disappointed) sanity over watching this [long-awaited] Series.
And _that's_ the way *_I_* goddamn-well *see* it, _'mister'!_
Hopefully one day they make a series of Rosie and the trials that will be interesting!
That would be!
Rosenthal mentions him being Jewish in like episode 3 or 4 when he goes for R&R they ask him something about horseriding and he replies "Jews from brookling don't do horseriding" or some sort of thing like that
Great reviews. I appreciate it.
I don’t wanna be that guy but I think it’s safe to say that most of us knew that Rosie was Jewish. Rosenthal?
Hopefully this series will be released on DVD. I wasn't abler to watch...and I wanted to very much.
Did anybody else spot the Easter egg in this video at 12:04 To the left of Crosby on the mantle? The Toby from 12 O’clock high.😃
Classic
well, they did create an episode where there are interviews with the real veterans like Crosby, Rosenthal, John Luckadoo, Jefferson, Macon and a few more, which make the series more powerful.
It's called THE BLOODY HUNDREDTH and is narrated by Hanks
The dollar billl was the one buck gave to him for good luck. He didn't bring it with on the raid he got shot down in.
That semi auto K98 is quite something during the POW camp battle. Never heard of those!
Fantastic show!
It’s not fair comparing the timing with band of brothers. Most of the BoB episodes covered a year of the war between the invasion of Normandy and the German surrender so it’s understandable that the events are more tightly woven. Masters of the air had to cover two years of operations and have the challenge to illustrate two timelines that happen at the same time but feel completely different : aerial missions and PoW camps.
What was sad is that we didn't get to see current photos of the characters of the show since they had died a few years before. I saw the documentary after where some of the characters, specially Rosie, gave live interviews before they left us for good. So that was also well worth watching. Overall, an amazing show.
Correction, Mr. Luckadoo was in the Bloody 10th and was part of the documentary that followed. May he be living a peaceful and fulfilling life and am so thankful for his sacrifice and service.
I just loved it I wish it was two episodes. It covered so much
I just finished the Miller book Masters of the Air when I saw the last episode, and I was angered at how wrong they depicted the last days in the POW camp. In real life.... American forces were closing in on the vicinity of the camp, and all the guards left the camp to fight the Americans. The strafing of the camp by an American P-51 DID NOT HAPPEN. German guards in watchtowers firing at POWS with MG 42s in the camp DID NOT HAPPEN. Angered POWs overwhelming German guards on the ground DID NOT HAPPEN (the guards had already left). The last slow motion dramatic ripping down of the swastika flag and raising the American flag through a hail of German machine gun fire DID NOT HAPPEN like it was depicted. How Miller wrote it (see pg 505) was that the American POWs saw an American flag flying form a church steeple off in the distance, and they did have a hidden American flag that was hoisted, but not in the overly dramatized way Spielberg and Hanks depicted it, and Miller did not identify Egan as the exact person who hoisted it.
My wifes aunt and uncle were standout to her and our marriage.visiting florida where his company was located generous, welcoming, conversational .after his funeral his fellow airman buddy told of harrowing tales of war. Bring a shot to hell b17 from a german raid on flight 25 and bringing it home 2 killed 5 wounded.
I would like to see an authentic re-telling of Pappy Boyington and the black sheep squadron. The 70's series was pretty ridiculous.
On several occasions had privilege of talk to Col Robert Morgan of Memphis belle fame at the Sun n Fun airshow . At this time he is in his 80 s flew another 25 missions on the B 29 in the Pacific gentlemen war hero privilege to meet and talk to him
The last Episode was too rushed. Could of had 1-2 more episodes
What a superficial distortion of history to use the generalized name "russians" for all those who fought in the ranks of the Soviet Union armed forces.
And this is what Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks do when honouring heroes of WWII in the 21st century. Like no other nation that Moscow enslaved and forced to fight at the front exists.
During all the years of WWII, about 34.5 million people from dozen of nations fought in the ranks of the Red Army and the Navy. And, for example, 6-7 million of them were Ukrainians, 1.5 million - were from Uzbekistan, 1.5 million - were Kazakhs, roughly 800,000 were from Azerbaijan, 700,000 - Georgians, 600,000 - Armenians and others. At least from some human, basic respect to the people PLEASE call the army Soviet, not russian. At least.
You still do not see the true essence of the Soviet Union from a distance, not only geographically (The distance between Los Angeles and Europe is 5700 miles) but also through centuries, as time passes and more horrific information about Moscow’s crimes against humanity is revealed to the world.
The Soviet Union as an empire equals Nazi Germany - please stop finally glorifying those who murdered millions of innocent people through starvation and deportation, imprisonment across Gulag camps, NKVD and KGB slaughters, and continues this nowadays.
Allied Forces have made a historic, bold mistake of not advancing towards Eastern Europe and letting Moscow have over half of the world. Mr. Winston Churchill and General Patton spoke truth to the world, but unfortunately they were foolishly ignored.
Moscow once again breathes down our necks. And the civilized world has not yet realized this.
Rosenthal's conversation with the Jewish man was absolutely dark. Cuz I was watching that at the time when Israel was already at war in Gaza and Anti-Semitism is currently rapant right now.
WHAT A FANTASTIC SERIES. Everything was right spot on and accurate. unfortunately it could have had way more episodes but it would have gone overbudget.
Maybe if Speilberg wouldn,'t donate so much money to Biden's campaign fund, he could have improved the series. It certainly needed it. I thought it downright sucked!!!
Many stories needed to be expanded upon but it would have required at least two more episodes. It's plain to see that severe budget constraints clearly impacted the series making it far less that what it could have become.
Writing constraints (i.e. poor writers) and directing constraints (i.e. terrible directors) also played a role...
The initial plan was for there to be 10 episodes in line with BoB and Pacific. Budget cuts hit and modern day politics meant Apple wanted more diversity in the series. So the remaining episodes should have told Rosie’s & Crosby’s story in way more detail but their time got spent on some weird fictional female spy story and the largely unrelated Tuskegee airmen.
Since when have modern-day politics got anything to do with making a show?
Aside from the Red Tails, the most wasted time in the series was wasted on the Stalag scenes - two of the worst actors getting far too much screen time.
This programme could be the end of Apple TV.
@@eddierxx124
They gotta make a Navy series
Yep the one in the pacific would be interesting
We need a Silent Service series that actually does them justice.
A series about the USS Enterprise would be amazing.
Having read "Lightning Down" a couple of months ago, the story of that USAAC P-38 pilot, who was shot down over France in August of 1944, and this story, merged at Luft Stalag III. The story told in that book is rather different regarding the liberation of the POW camp (which, yes, did have 75,000 Allied prisoners, but was actually designed for only 10,000). I won't spoil it for you... But there is a lot of details of the march as they evacuate Luft Stalag III that are visualized in the show.
This was also covered much more in depth in the book Masters of the Air by Donald Miller that this series was drawn from.
@@earlyprimate I have that by my bed. Next up to read.
Episode 9 felt almost like a movie
Yeah it did! It was very good
Multiple Historic characters actually got remarried and that was left out. Including the guy who lost his wife in 1953, he got remarried in 1955 and stayed with his 2nd wife until he died.
great stuff - maybe the best narration
Thanks a lot!
999I would Rank Band of Brothers # 1, The Pacific, Masters of the Air. Masters graphic wise and acting was spot on. It needed more time. It felt rushed. Not enough time was given to the Tuskegee Airmen. Masters Honestly deserved 2 Seasons. Such a Great Story condensed. i love this period in History. Really Brave People. None of this America First BS. America Fought Back. I have always found American movies to be weak. Compared to the Japanese War Movies. The Eternal Zero, The Emperor in August, Isoruku, Battle of Okinawa, Yamamoto. Two different cultures saw things very different.
The statement that “no members of the Bloody 100th are still alive” is definitely not correct. John “Lucky” Luckadoo turns 102 on March 16, 2024 and is still very articulate. He is the last surviving pilot. As of March 2024, there are a total of 4 surviving members. Obviously, this is a day to day subject to monitor.
They made a similar mistake with BOB & Blythe..
Yup John is still alive he has lots of stories
maaaan....i struggled with this series. this series was made with sensibilities straight out of the early 2000's. They lost me when Crosby is unpacking the guilt and trauma he holds from planning these missions where cities are being carpet bombed and Bucky alleviates him simply by saying "believe me, they had it coming." which is fine because yeah, we were fighting fascism and Nazis but that sort thinking is the kind of thinking that gives us permission to do horrible things to each other. The series shows multiple scenes of Allied POW's walking through cities they bombed whilst reminding the viewer not so subtly in the words of Rosie again "hey, it had to be done." And this sort of editorializing the series short circuits what should be the purpose of these shows in a post GWOT world: war is horrific to experience and horrific to behold and doing the necessary during times of war shouldn't be celebrated let alone venerated, it should be a stark reminder of what these men were forced to become in order to survive. WE do this with films about Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq but for some reason we refuse to apply the same lens to WW2 in an effort to truly understand what these people really went through. Overall, Masters of the Air was a missed opportunity to truly reflect what these men went through and what it cost them and how they really should be honored and remembered.
You're trying to put a 2024 standard in the 1940s
you've got it backwards, the producers have imposed 1940's thinking and standards upon a 2024 audience@@Vultor
@10:40 yes it was mentioned…when he was sent to that 5 day retreat…on the way in Rosie was asked if he rides horses…Rosie said Jews from Brooklyn don’t ride horses…meaning himself…
An amazing show.
It really is!
But, but…what happened to British spy lady?!?! 😊
That whole part was unnecessary in my opinion lol
The writers must have forgotten
😂😂😂. I wish they just stayed on the main characters. Every episode after the 6th episode just started zig zagging all over the place. I feel like the series reached its peak when Quinn and his buddy were escaping Germany. They never showed them make it back they just reappeared back at base a few episodes later. I’m sure there were some interesting stories sneaking across the channel. But from there the plot started gettin reaaal wobbly.
Exactly. She was hot 🔥.
I think that would have been interesting also. She was obviously MI5 or MI6. You did see where she was dropped into France. She may not have survived the war.
Are those B17's being depicted in Lt Rosenthal's final mission? Their silver gray color makes them look like B29's
Significantly, the Americans didn't bother to paint their planes - bombers and fighters - as they no longer needed camouflage due to no effective Luftwaffe. Masters of the air! I thought that was a great touch.
@@TheBiggusdee
Maybe they were silver and shiny to strike fear into Germans
@@miliba I don't think so - I read that the costs of painting the huge aircraft were off-putting, and paint wasn't necessary anyway as Nazis were no longer bombing airfields so the bombers did not need the top paint, and their vapour trails were so visible it was unnecessary to paint the undersides. Although funnily enough the planes were slightly faster when painted, even though they weighed a bit more.
@@TheBiggusdee
Interesting, thanks for your input!
Loved Band of Brothers. Have watched it too many times to remember
I thought The Pacific did not live up to BoB.
As for Masters of the Air, I think it is really a missed opportunity and was incredibly disappointing.
Too many threads, some exaggerated and over dramatised and less of a connection to the main characters. The episode introducing the Tuskagee Airmen is the best example, in reality it was completely unrelated to 100th Bomber Group or even the Eighth Air Force and just felt like Spielberg and Hanks had to, somehow, weave them into the series...(perhaps for 'diversity' and funding?)
The plot was all over the shop and difficult to follow. For example; the buildup to Quinn's escape from Germany and the relationship with the British spy - both went no where.
I thought the tiny, petty recognition of Bomber Command was bordering on insulting. If you were a Martian watching this, you would have thought that Bomber Command did not exist and they played no role in the European air war or destruction of Germany. In actual fact, the British and Commonwealth airmen of Bomber Command did the majority of fighting and dying (58,000 deaths compared with the USAAF's 26,000).
Americans always play themselves up and the Allies down
Make one of these for the Flying Tigers!!!!
Like the Pacific tv show, this one was a disjointed mess of a show. Go back and watch band of brothers and you can see the difference between that and the next two shows. I think and tbh hope they make a series based on the Enterprise and her journey in pre war to the magic carpet rides for our troops back home. There’s a reason she was given the most battle stars of any ship in the U.S. navy.
Actually one member is still alive. Col Luckadoo who is 102
Amazing series man, sad to see it go
Yeah it's a shame! I thoroughly enjoyed it. It peaked probably a couple of episodes too soon but it delivered a fantastic finale
i agree@@BrainPilot