IR TV Review: MASTERS OF THE AIR - EPISODE 4 [Apple TV+]

The essence of "Masters Of The Air" so far has been to show the opening of eyes and the begotten stretegy of war. After the thrilling and evenly paced attack on the ball bearing plant in Episode 3 and the escape to North Africa, the thought with Episode 4 is decompression, even though there was loss of a major character in 3. Here the time jump (whether it just be a couple weeks or a month) is meant to show the fleeting energy of what is going and the blur it becomes. With Austin Butler's Buc, it is keeping true to his image and values while many of the other guys are playing the field.

When the next run comes up, Egan (Callum Turner) is on an off-shift and ends up having a excrusion into London (specifically a Polish club) during the bombing. That sets up an undeniable scene afterwards with Joanna Kulig (so great in "Cold War") that really speaks to the unworldly scenario that many of these boys finds themselves in. It is a sobering experience but also one few else would ever have. It was a specific moment in time for sure but also when time was either stolen or stood still.

That is the power of this episode even though it is meant to bridge certain storylines. The prelude to Buc's take off really captures the fly by the seat of your pants mentality. The series always in many instance doesn't feel the need to overexplain why certain things happen...just that they happen. Certain soldiers live to fight another day, as evidence in some of the soldiers shot down over Belgium. It is a different thrust to the storyline (one which is decidedly not air oriented) but it does show a progression of thought. B

By Tim Wassberg