This is a series that I have been catching up and while I was going through the images just to make things clear I'm watching and writing about it from a regular viewer who likes action series, I don't take sides or think who is was wrong or right, at this point is history, inaccurate or accurate, its just a TV series, nothing that dictates how I think or live, for all the crystal generation out there.
At this point in time I'm already up to date with all four episodes and very satisfied, I did mention on my previous post from episode one that the series does feel a bit slow pace at first and that I wish air battles were a bit more exciting but its about bombers, they just weather the storm its not about fighters at least yet, it amaze me how some people love to shit on scores.
"After 4 episodes I just want my life back. The script is pathetic minus 5 stars." ...he gave it 1/5
After four episodes I give this series a solid 7.5/10, I can understand that the story some times feels it jumps too fast into whats next but you will not be able to fit everything whats in the book into a mini series, its not a documentary but a narrated story with probably the most important aspects of what Harry Crosby remember from all the missions he was in and certain events documented around the base.
Episode two another solid one, probably the episode where Crosby start to move into the ranks, other aviators noticing him after a successful mission leading the pack, he was the navigator that guide them, keep in mind that almost everything was done manually back in the day, this bombers were basically dead traps guided by pen and pencil from the navigator.
USA is loosing bombers constantly, every bomber has a ten men on board, every time one goes down is ten men that you wont see ever again all because of war and it hits Bucky, so far he has not been aloud to flight next to his friends and it was Buck first mission who was shocked for what he went through, all Bucky could do was hope Buck gets back form this one.
After not been able to flight and loosing so many friends he goes had a few drinks with Curt until the next morning when he had to meet the new Co. replacing Col. Huglings who had Bucky in the bench.
Cpt. Frank has been promoted after Bucky got demoted, he thinks Bucky was the only one who had to do with it but in fact he was fkn drunk when he talk to Col. Harding, before he got interview it was Buck who recommended Frank to be Air Exec and Bucky as the leader of the squad, everything play out just as Buck and Bucky wanted, all they want is to flight together.
The US Air Forces keep loosing planes, pilots and crew members, either because of pilot mistakes or plain failures or because of war and they are a bit of a short staff at the moment, everything was kept manual they had this big boards to plan things out while some one was taking notes on the side to keep records, every bomber or fort as they call them had a crew that stick together and it was a reminder among them "If I go down we all go down", it was a very tight relationship they build up between them, specially if they flight on the same fort.
Fighting the Germans was the US Air Force and the Royal British Air Force, both with different strategies one a bit more risky than the other but hardly to debate who was more deadly to the enemy, US strike during the day and British. They had this argument while taking some drinks that end up in a boxing match having Curt taking down Pilot Bryan, after mentioning how US will keep continue to loose more men because of their high risk strategy.
The bases was in constant movement even at night, all planes were getting repaired during the day to then be armed during the night while pilots and their crew rest, the reason US could go with precision bombing was because of The Norden Bombsight, a device that let bombers precisely calculate where to drop bombs from a high altitude, it was one of US Air Force most valuable secret during the war.
Col. Hardling in charge thinks will change a bit, Bucky back in the air he gets Lt. Crosby on his first mission replacing Lt. Payne because he is sick, both navigators, the difference is Crosby has never lead the pack, he was always air sick and a bad one, some times people call others lucky the first time they manage to pull off a mission although what happens when they do it over and over? still lucky? it was Crosby first time leading the formation and he did manage to pull it of, can you call lucky all those who survive the war or were they just good at their job?.
The scenes with all the bombers in formation those are crazy when watching in VR, thats why I keep asking for better air battles because must be sick watching all the fighters going at the bombers who can just stand there, I'm sure at some point there will also be US fighters probably as bombers escorts, as I mention above, again Crosby felt sick as fuck but he manage to lead the pack and drop bombs on the target.
On the series it was this mission that got him on Capt. Frank Murphy and Col. Harding sight, they were looking for a new group navigator, since no body knew what went down during their flight except Lt. Douglas sitting next to Crosby; after some talking they ask Crosby to be the new navigator leader after all he got and brought them back from the mission, so again lucky? some times people are so good at their job others cant see farther than just luck when in fact you are that damn good.
I think this was just another great episode, yes missions are not that long, scenes jump from one to another, there are a lot of names and ranks to learn during the series, its definitely not for everyone, this is one of those series I consider for advance viewers, if you are into connecting dots and learning a bunch of characters this is for you but if all you are looking is for air battles and constant action then you will find this series boring, there are just too many characters and they can not be on every single scene, they all cant have big long dialogs every time so to some viewers can feel like they all say so little it means nothing or empty although that's just the way some series are develop, at the same time not for everyone.
From now one we will see a few characters like Cpt. Frank, Major Eagan "Bucky" and Lt. Crosby developing on their new positions, so far for me a great series and it feels fast enough, nothing flashy, even the intro is very smooth, nothing feels rush, only give me more air battles and longer missions.
