Masters of the Air Episode – Season 1 Episode 5 “Part Five” Recap & Review

Part Five

Episode 5 of Masters of the Air begins with some good news. As expected, Egan is back at the base. So are some other crewmen from the deadly Bremen mission. The trio of Crossby, Berkely, and Douglas also arrive back at the base. Everyone is surprised to see them. The emotions are mixed because the crewmen learn that some of their brothers didn’t make it back. Cleven’s presumed demise has everyone talking.

He was the undisputed leader of the pack for the 100th. Crossby even mentions that Cleven was considered invincible. Egan is eager to get back at the Germans and waltzes in the mess area. His presence suggests that the 100th will be flying yet another mission that day – that is two in the space of as many days. Crossby is given good news by Bubbles – he is going to be the new group navigator for the unit. This means that Crossby will be replaced in the plane by Bubbles, while he handles the navigation from his office.

The episode introduces a moral conflict as CO Harding lays out the specifics of the mission. The unit will be targeting the railroad workers stationed near the city centre in Munster. This is an attempt by the US to disrupt Germany’s industrial transportation, which will land them a heavy blow. However, the target’s proximity to civilian areas gets many soldiers concerned. Cruikshank is one of them but is quickly shot down by Egan, who only has revenge on his mind. 

He still hasn’t processed Cleven’s death and this mission is probably the trigger to get him past it. Only 17 ships from the 100th fly out with escort formations to guide them closer to the target. Four mechanical failures make it 13. German flak bombs also do a lot of damage and as they subside, it is the turn for German fighters to cross paths with the 100th. Egan’s plane is badly injured after two rounds of heavy bombarding. He still insists on dropping the bombs and somehow, they manage to empty the bay of the plane. 

But there is no salvaging it and the crew abandons the ship. Egan lands somewhere in a field in Westphalia in German territory. Meanwhile, the action shifts back to the air where almost eight US bombers are able to destroy the target successfully. However, the incoming fire from German fighters takes a heavy toll. After their onslaught is done and they turn back to refuel, the 100th has lost all but one plane: the one manned by new recruits Rosenthal and Lewis. They are dumbfounded at what they see around them. The crew does not have enough time to process these inexplicable sights as stubborn German bogeys return to finish the job.

The plane is hit but is still in a flying condition. Although they take down several German planes, the crew find themselves in dire straights, facing an uphill task to make it out alive. Americans back at the Thorpe and Abbots base eagerly anticipate the arrival of the planes. They spot an RAF plane that flew with the 100th on the mission due to enormous repair works still incomplete from the previous mission. They communicate to Harding that none of the other planes made it back, bringing a despairing look on everyone’s face.

Finally, the one manned by Rosenthal and Lewis is spotted in the air. Rosenthal immediately calls for an ambulance and brings the plane to a halt. As the crew is heading for interrogation, one of them angrily throws his helmet to the ground and exclaims, “This is the last time I am up in the air.” It encapsulates all the frustrations that the men in battle, who can tangibly feel its brunt on the field, go through. During the interrogation, Crossby learns that Bubbles’ plane, “She’s Gonna,” blew up before anyone could get out. It is the same fate for most of the planes in the 100th. 

Cross reads the letter that Bubbles had written for Jean, Cross’ wife when he was presumed dead. It is the most affecting moment in the episode that puts into perspective the fickle nature of war. 

The Episode Review

Masters of the Air returns to its best form in Episode 5 during the blistering Munster mission. Although it all came undone in an anticlimactic way after Egan’s intense revenge buildup, the episode has many bright moments.

With each new mission in the series, the 100th’s heroics become even more significant, tying up the “cost of lives” narrative pushed from the beginning. The dwindling bunkers and huts hit you differently when you compare images from the first two episodes.

That trajectory has kept things interesting, especially as the makers choose to bypass the question of Cleven’s death completely. I do wish they had chosen to bring more continuity to the storytelling by continuing Quinn’s journey through Paris. It brought variety to the fore, as Crossby had remarked.

Speaking of, Harry Crossby has been in the thick of things without being in the limelight. Anthony Boyle is superb in the episode, bringing immense depth and complexity to his character.

Episode 5 is perhaps bleaker and more grim than its counterparts till now. But always remember, “Every storm eventually fades into clear skies and every dark night morphs into daylight.”