Overall, this series is good. Certainly not the best the Spielberg/Hanks duo have made, but in general it is good. You can easily watch it and enjoy it - be shocked and horrified at the terrible brutality of war, but from a new angle (although occasionally the familiar one of the ground).
Sadly, scrutinising it quickly reveals some problems. Apart from Buck, Bucky, Crosby, and Rosenthal I didn't really find myself able to care much for any of the other characters. Their arcs simply weren't fleshed out enough, even if they died early on. Two come to mind: the other navigator Crosby was friends with and the pilot Buck was friends with, but I cannot remember their names. Is that the nature of war at play or poor character development?
There are also several subplots that are left loose, which isn't something that should be happening in a big budget series (writers' strike must have hit hard). Crosby's relationship with the... Subaltern (can't remember her name either!) which ends because she is part of SOE and is sent to France to help the resistance. We know this because we are shown a scene where she is in France helping the resistance, but then nothing else. It is the same on Crosby's side. Every time Rosenthal brought up his wife, Crosby would attribute his lack joy of seeing her to how the war has affected him, but apparently his affair hasn't. Another concerns the Tuskegee airmen, who seem inserted into the series to hit the diversity quota, because their subplot is left hanging as well. Sure they get rescued with all the other POWs, but then we don't hear from them until we are told about what happened to them after the war. The series could have benefitted from expanding on their story, but it wouldn't have really suffered from a lack of it, allowing more screentime to characters we already know a bit.
There is also the problem of how the British airmen are portrayed, but other reviews have already pointed this out. However, I would also like to point out that the Poles could have been better portrayed too. Despite being some of the best pilots, all we get is one person from the government in exile who is a bit sad (at least that's the impression I got) her pilot husband died. As you might have gathered, this series was made with an American audience heavily in mind.
Finally, the end. Comparing this to Band of Brothers is like trying to compare the achievements of a great king's heir to the king. And this is most evident in the end. The end of Band of Brothers felt much more cathartic and you were able to revel in it. In Masters of the Air, it seems over too quickly. War's over, let's show some partying because the people are happy, and then it ends. We don't get a view from the Eagle's Nest onto the beautiful hillsides of the Alps, it just ends.
Now before you think I have tried to pick every bone I could with this series, let me assure you that I enjoyed it, and you will probably enjoy it too. The crew simply dropped the ball on a fair few occasions which slightly worsens the viewing experience. However, there is some excellent acting and visuals, and it generally feels authentic. They also managed to prevent the bombing missions from feeling repetitive, which was something I feared would happen. Much like I said at the start, good, but certainly could be improved.
Sadly, scrutinising it quickly reveals some problems. Apart from Buck, Bucky, Crosby, and Rosenthal I didn't really find myself able to care much for any of the other characters. Their arcs simply weren't fleshed out enough, even if they died early on. Two come to mind: the other navigator Crosby was friends with and the pilot Buck was friends with, but I cannot remember their names. Is that the nature of war at play or poor character development?
There are also several subplots that are left loose, which isn't something that should be happening in a big budget series (writers' strike must have hit hard). Crosby's relationship with the... Subaltern (can't remember her name either!) which ends because she is part of SOE and is sent to France to help the resistance. We know this because we are shown a scene where she is in France helping the resistance, but then nothing else. It is the same on Crosby's side. Every time Rosenthal brought up his wife, Crosby would attribute his lack joy of seeing her to how the war has affected him, but apparently his affair hasn't. Another concerns the Tuskegee airmen, who seem inserted into the series to hit the diversity quota, because their subplot is left hanging as well. Sure they get rescued with all the other POWs, but then we don't hear from them until we are told about what happened to them after the war. The series could have benefitted from expanding on their story, but it wouldn't have really suffered from a lack of it, allowing more screentime to characters we already know a bit.
There is also the problem of how the British airmen are portrayed, but other reviews have already pointed this out. However, I would also like to point out that the Poles could have been better portrayed too. Despite being some of the best pilots, all we get is one person from the government in exile who is a bit sad (at least that's the impression I got) her pilot husband died. As you might have gathered, this series was made with an American audience heavily in mind.
Finally, the end. Comparing this to Band of Brothers is like trying to compare the achievements of a great king's heir to the king. And this is most evident in the end. The end of Band of Brothers felt much more cathartic and you were able to revel in it. In Masters of the Air, it seems over too quickly. War's over, let's show some partying because the people are happy, and then it ends. We don't get a view from the Eagle's Nest onto the beautiful hillsides of the Alps, it just ends.
Now before you think I have tried to pick every bone I could with this series, let me assure you that I enjoyed it, and you will probably enjoy it too. The crew simply dropped the ball on a fair few occasions which slightly worsens the viewing experience. However, there is some excellent acting and visuals, and it generally feels authentic. They also managed to prevent the bombing missions from feeling repetitive, which was something I feared would happen. Much like I said at the start, good, but certainly could be improved.