Masters of the Air episode 4 review: "Takes the action from the air to the ground – to powerful effect"

GamesRadar+ VerdictThis episode takes the action from the air to the ground – to powerful effect GamesRadar+ Verdict GamesRadar+ Verdict This episode takes the action from the air to the ground – to powerful effect This episode takes the action from the air to the ground – to powerful effect Why you can trust GamesRadar+Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about our reviews policy. Why you can trust GamesRadar+Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about our reviews policy. Spoilers forMasters of the Airepisode 4 follow. Last week, Masters of the Air revolved around a heart-stopping, bloody battle in the skies that split the squadron and saw some familiar faces tragically killed. Episode 4, however, takes the action from the air to the ground, reminding us that what’s going on beneath the clouds can be just as dangerous as the dogfights above. It makes for a moving, mournful episode about different kinds of heroism. This instalment picks up in Algeria in the aftermath of episode 3’s daring mission, but we don’t get to spend any time in this fabled paradise the men were promised. Back in East Anglia, we’re reminded of the cost of the war not through a dramatic aerial battle, but through a raucous celebration for a crew returning from their 25th mission. Clearing that hurdle means you can go home – and, as we learn only 12 out of the original 35 crews remain, the party becomes an eerie reminder of just how fatal these skyward trips truly are. Love and death (Image credit: Apple) It’s during this celebration that we meet some fresh faces, including Lt. Nash (Laurie Davidson), a new pilot. He strikes up a sweet, burgeoning romance with Red Cross member Helen, complete with slow dancing and a fleeting pre-mission meeting over coffee. Naturally, it can’t last. This episode is about heroism, yes, but it’s also about love and loss. At the end of the episode, the returning Lt. Rosenthal takes a brief moment to tell Helen that Nash was lost in battle. We get just a glimpse of her stunned, devastated reaction before we move on – because, in the war, there’s simply no time. Egan’s storyline picks up on the same themes. He gets a coveted weekend leave pass and travels to London, but there’s no respite to be found in the city. Just as the party on the base strikes an uneasy balance between joy and death, Egan’s experiences are similarly queasy – he dances with a stranger as the distorted sound of the air raid siren blares in the background. This stranger tells Egan that her husband was lost in the war – quite literally, as she has no idea if he’s a prisoner or if he was killed when his plane went down. It’s for this reason that the stranger wants only a night with Egan; there’s a real wistfulness to the moment she hesitates at the door and Egan looks up, hopeful, before she leaves and that door closes for good. It’s another reminder that the war wounds everyone, driven home when Egan walks a street that bears the scars of the Blitz. In a truly gut-wrenching moment, he passes a wrecked home and a woman screaming in grief for her daughter, killed in the night’s bombing raids. The war is everywhere. Occupied territory (Image credit: Apple) Fallen friends (Image credit: Apple) “Courage took many forms during the war,” Cros tells us at the start of the episode, an idea displayed over and over again throughout this installment, which deftly throws tender sentiment up against the cruel reality of conflict. Masters of the Air continues weekly on Apple TV Plus. You can fill out your watchlist with our guide to thebest Apple TV Plus shows. 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television right now” 1 Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now” 2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2 Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3 Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4 Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5 Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”