World War II saga Masters of the Air streamed its 9th and final episode last week, delivering some much-needed closure to the adventures of the 100th Bombardment Group.
As the war draws to a close, the surviving 100th participate in Operations Manna and Chowhound, air-dropping food and supplies to Dutch citizens in famine. After the Germans surrendered, the 100th returned home. Masters of the Air ends with photos of the real soldiers of the 100th, as well as descriptions of their lives post-war.
This ending follows the miniseries’ predecessors, Band of Brothers (2001) and The Pacific (2010), which also paid tribute to the real-life heroes who inspired the series.
Will there be a season 2?
In case that ending wasn’t definitive enough for you, no, there will be no second season of Masters of the Air. Like Band of Brothers and The Pacific before it, MotA is a limited series. At least, not from the original creative team.
Producer Gary Goetzman told The Wrap, “I hope somebody does it, but I don’t know that it’ll be us, … With ‘Band of Brothers,’ ‘The Pacific’ and ‘Masters of the Air,’ I feel like [it’s] somebody else’s turn.”
Unfortunately for fans of the miniseries, collaborators Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Gary Goetzman have decided that Masters will be the final chapter of their WWII trilogy.
However, if you want to learn more about the 100th, you’re in luck.
Apple TV+ has released a companion documentary, The Bloody Hundredth, narrated by executive producer Tom Hanks. The hour-long documentary focuses on the stories of the airmen we met in the series, including John Egan, Gale Cleven, Harry Crosby, Robert “Rosie” Rosenthal, Frank Murphy, Alexander Jefferson, Richard Macon, as well as veterans John “Lucky” Luckadoo, Robert Wolf, and many others.
You can also read the 2007 book that inspired the series, Masters of the Air: America’s Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany, by Donald L. Miller.
(featured image: Apple TV+)
