This article contains spoilers for Masters of the Air.
Summary
- Buck Cleven’s unexpected disappearance in episode 4 changes his status as the main character in Masters of the Air.
- The series diverges from the initial marketing plan, leaving Cleven’s fate uncertain and shifting focus away from him.
- Despite historical accuracy, Cleven may not reclaim his main character status in the remaining episodes of the show.
Long before Masters of the Air premiered on Apple TV+, the series was marketed as a companion to Band of Brothers with an amazing ensemble cast led by Elvis star, Austin Butler, however a plot twist in episode 4 means that this marketing plan may have been a lie all along. Masters of the Air follows the men of the 100th Bomb Group as they take on German forces in the spring and summer of 1943. Though countless men make up the 100th, one of the very best is Austin Butler’s Major Gale ‘Buck’ Cleven.
While the first episodes of Masters of the Air follow Cleven fairly closely, showing his arrival at Thorpe Abbotts and his first mission, episode 4 changes everything for Buck Cleven. While Major John ‘Bucky’ Egan goes on a personal day, Cleven sets off on a mission to Bremen. Unlike past missions, Masters of the Air does not show this one. Instead, it is revealed that Cleven and his crew did not make it back. The series does not offer explanations or give sneak peeks at Buck’s fate. He is simply gone. This change means Buck can’t possibly be the lead.
Masters Of The Air May Have Done The One Death Band Of Brothers Would Never Do
Masters of the Air episode 4 did something with its main character that Hanks and Spielberg’s Band of Brothers never could have done in 2000.
Austin Butler’s Buck Cleven No Longer Seems Like Masters Of The Air’s Main Character
Though Masters of the Air did a good job of focusing on Buck Cleven while also offering the perspectives of the other members of the 100th, this case is no longer the same. After episode 4, Cleven is gone from the story, and he does not reappear in episode 5 or in the teaser for episode 6. With only nine episodes in the show, that means he is absent for a third of the story. It also does not help that all the characters believe Buck to be dead.
How could a presumed dead man keep leading a series?
What makes this choice especially strange is that Masters of the Air made it seem like Austin Butler was the main character of the series. Like Band of Brothers’ Dick Winters, Cleven would be the leader that everyone could look up to, and who would survive the war with several accomplishments to be proud of. However, the series completely sidetracked that with his disappearance. And while the real Buck Cleven did disappear after the Bremen mission, it is unusual that Masters of the Air would not check in on him for three whole episodes. That ruins his main character status.
Austin Butler’s Buck Probably Can’t Become Masters Of The Air’s Main Character Again
The unfortunate truth is that Gale ‘Buck’ Cleven cannot become the main character again. According to history, Cleven escaped the Bremen mission alive and then spent the rest of the war as a POW at Stalag Luft III. Notably, he reunited with Major John Egan there as well. Despite this, Cleven likely cannot lead the rest of the series. Though Masters of the Air may follow him once again at the POW camp, it seems likely that the show will continue mainly focusing on the 100th’s missions. This ultimately leaves Cleven as a supporting storyline rather than the main character.
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