This is the first episode of the series that has disappointed me, but it is mainly because of what they aren't showing us here. In many ways, it is an excellent episode, with many glimpses into the stresses and other stories that we should be aware of that are going on. We see the consequences of the missions and the war here.
It reminds me a lot of Episode 3 of The Pacific (the Melbourne episode). Most of what we are shown is probably among the more fictionalized out of the source material, as was that episode. Everything we are seeing probably happened in some way, in some form, to some one, but the source materials don't necessarily spell this out. The drama and the story it shows is fine.
But (and this is where my spoilers start), we are really missing out by not seeing the Bremen mission of 8 October. This mission is something Crosby wrote about extensively in his memoir, and made even more of an impression on him than the Regensburg mission. Yes, Buck Cleven is shot down in this mission, and Crosby didn't know his fate.
But, Crosby also saw things here that impacted on him tremendously. His plane was group lead, and they crash-landed in England after severe damage. In Crosby's book, it is the only time he goes into detail about the injuries suffered, because he saw them. Their waist gunner, Lester Saunders, had been killed. Their co-pilot, Charlie Via, who was in the tail position as a command pilot flew with them again, had his leg and abdomen severely injured by a 20mm cannon shell, but lived. Two other crew whose names I forget were also injured.
This mission affected Crosby profoundly, and he was never the same by his own writing after it. As the show narrator, I think it is a travesty to leave it out and focus on the mission solely as Egan's response to Cleven being shot down.
Again- fine episode as-is, and I see what they are aiming to do here, but I think it is a missed opportunity. Maybe the budget was already too high, or maybe they were concerned about people being too affected by so much death and destruction onscreen, but this is the first time I've been disappointed.
It reminds me a lot of Episode 3 of The Pacific (the Melbourne episode). Most of what we are shown is probably among the more fictionalized out of the source material, as was that episode. Everything we are seeing probably happened in some way, in some form, to some one, but the source materials don't necessarily spell this out. The drama and the story it shows is fine.
But (and this is where my spoilers start), we are really missing out by not seeing the Bremen mission of 8 October. This mission is something Crosby wrote about extensively in his memoir, and made even more of an impression on him than the Regensburg mission. Yes, Buck Cleven is shot down in this mission, and Crosby didn't know his fate.
But, Crosby also saw things here that impacted on him tremendously. His plane was group lead, and they crash-landed in England after severe damage. In Crosby's book, it is the only time he goes into detail about the injuries suffered, because he saw them. Their waist gunner, Lester Saunders, had been killed. Their co-pilot, Charlie Via, who was in the tail position as a command pilot flew with them again, had his leg and abdomen severely injured by a 20mm cannon shell, but lived. Two other crew whose names I forget were also injured.
This mission affected Crosby profoundly, and he was never the same by his own writing after it. As the show narrator, I think it is a travesty to leave it out and focus on the mission solely as Egan's response to Cleven being shot down.
Again- fine episode as-is, and I see what they are aiming to do here, but I think it is a missed opportunity. Maybe the budget was already too high, or maybe they were concerned about people being too affected by so much death and destruction onscreen, but this is the first time I've been disappointed.