Masters of the Air: Episode 8

[Xpendable]

Yes, I've been watching the series.

If you haven't watched through episode 8 yet, stop reading! Otherwise... continue down below...
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So... I had a lot of problems with this episode, as reality and physics pretty much went out the window. Let's start with the fighters dropping their 250 or 500 lbs bombs. They depict them diving down on target and releasing their bombs at something less than 100 feet, and show the fireballs reaching within feet of the aircraft as they are pulling back up. What? They'd be blowing themselves to pieces! Not a single plane would survive... they'd all be blown up instantly. I can't believe they depicted the fighter bomb runs like this. I guess that's Hollywood for you.

My next big issue... they seem to think that fighter pilots are capable of bailing out of an aircraft at 50-100 feet off the ground. WHAT?!?!?! Guy gets hit while flying on the deck. His wingmen tell him to bail out! bail out! Dude doesn't even bother to climb to gain altitude. I mean... come on. It's clear the show creators know nothing about low level bombing or how high you have to be to even attempt bailing out for any chance of survival.

[Bones]

So... I had a lot of problems with this episode, as reality and physics pretty much went out the window. Let's start with the fighters dropping their 250 or 500 lbs bombs. They depict them diving down on target and releasing their bombs at something less than 100 feet, and show the fireballs reaching within feet of the aircraft as they are pulling back up. What? They'd be blowing themselves to pieces! Not a single plane would survive... they'd all be blown up instantly. I can't believe they depicted the fighter bomb runs like this. I guess that's Hollywood for you.

I thought that myself immediately. I was like, well, they just fragged themselves!

My next big issue... they seem to think that fighter pilots are capable of bailing out of an aircraft at 50-100 feet off the ground. WHAT?!?!?! Guy gets hit while flying on the deck. His wingmen tell him to bail out! bail out! Dude doesn't even bother to climb to gain altitude. I mean... come on. It's clear the show creators know nothing about low level bombing or how high you have to be to even attempt bailing out for any chance of survival.

Yeah, but I'm sure they also are thinking they have to make it appealing to the layman.

v6,
boNes

[PanzerMeyer]

As bones implied, this series is squarely aimed at mainstream audiences and not history/military aviation enthusiasts.


I would estimate that 95% of people who watch Hollywood movies and/or tv shows featuring military operations have no clue when there are inaccuracies being portrayed on screen.

[Bones]

As bones implied, this series is squarely aimed at mainstream audiences and not history/military aviation enthusiasts.


I would estimate that 95% of people who watch Hollywood movies and/or tv shows featuring military operations have no clue when there are inaccuracies being portrayed on screen.

Although, this is kind of sad considering Band of Brothers, from the same Producers, was hailed for being very accurate as well. Why not strive to be as accurate in Masters of the Air? It cant be too difficult. For example, on that bomb run, simply give the flight leader the line, "Make sure you don't get too low on the drop, or you;ll get too close to the explosion and debris and kill yourself" then simply CGI the P-51s at a higher altitude.

I'm also noticing a lack of bonding with the characters, and the inclusion of the Tuskegee Airmen seem to be an afterthought as a matter of convenience to include them. Maybe it was that way in the book, I don't know. BUt I would also think given how much hatred there was for anyone non-Ayrian by the Nazis that they wouldn't simply be Geneva Convention nice to black aviators. At least in "Hart's War" they touched on that with Terence Howard.

And yes, the CGI, which I was willing to give a chance, is getting too cartoony and feels like a caricature. It has this weird quality about it as if every scene has been filtered through Instagram or something.

But, hey, I'll keep watching.

v6,
boNes

[PanzerMeyer]

BUt I would also think given how much hatred there was for anyone non-Ayrian by the Nazis that they wouldn't simply be Geneva Convention nice to black aviators. At least in "Hart's War" they touched on that with Terence Howard.


v6,
boNes

These historical facts are little known but there were about 30,000 black people who lived in Germany during the Third Reich era. They were not sent to concentration camps and while they were definitely treated as second class citizens, they were never subjected to same kind of persecution that Jews, gypsies and other groups were. It turns out that while blacks were not regarded as "Aryans" by the Germans, they were also not as far down the racial inferiority spectrum as other groups. Interesting and surprising isn't it?

There's also a well documented interview with Jesse Owens where he mentions that he shook hands with Hilter (in private) during the 1936 Summer Olympic Games in Berlin. I bet you a million dollars that no Hollywood movie about Jesse Owens will ever portray that!

[Bones]

Thanks for the historical insight!

v6,
boNes

PS the scene where the colonel teaches them how to rip out a German throat was pretty disturbing. Although not as disturbing as the squish squish squish scene from Poor Things.

[PanzerMeyer]

PS the scene where the colonel teaches them how to rip out a German throat was pretty disturbing. Although not as disturbing as the squish squish squish scene from Poor Things.

On a related note, Peter Jackson in one of the LOTR commentaries mentions a story about how Christopher Lee was showing him the proper way to rip out an enemy throat. You see, Lee was in the SAS during WWII so he himself was trained on that! Jackson also mentioned in the commentary just how disturbed he was by the details Lee shared with him.

[Bones]

Well, today I saw the new episode of Masters of the Air and I was like, "YES! This is is the kind of episode I was waiting for! It FINALLY got really good." Then I found out it was the last episode. And they did take one artistic liberty too, I guess.

Oh well.

v6,
boNes