Alright, let’s dive into whether Buck really bites the dust in “Masters of the Air.” I just finished watching the series, and lemme tell you, it was a rollercoaster. So, here’s my take on the whole “Buck dying” situation, from what I saw and how I interpreted it.
First off, the setup. We’re talking about Major Gale “Buck” Cleven, played by Austin Butler. This guy, along with his best pal Bucky Egan, is kinda the heart of the 100th Bomb Group. They go through hell together, bombing runs over Germany, dodging flak, all that jazz. Their bond is super strong, and you’re rooting for them both the entire time.
Then things get rough. I mean, they were already rough, but they escalate. Bucky ends up getting shot down and captured. This is where things get tense regarding Buck’s fate.
What happens to Buck? Okay, so Buck also gets shot down. This happens later in the series. He’s reported as MIA (Missing In Action). You see the plane go down, but you don’t see him die. This is key! The show doesn’t explicitly show Buck meeting his end. This is important because in war movies and shows, if you don’t see a body, there’s usually a chance.
So, Buck becomes a POW as well. I think it was epidsode 8 or 9? Then Buck is actually alive at the end. So this is great.
- No Body, No Death: The most classic trope in storytelling. If they don’t show the character dying onscreen, there’s a good chance they survived.
- Hopeful Tone: “Masters of the Air,” despite its grim subject matter, leans toward a more hopeful portrayal of the war experience. Killing off a major character like Buck, without showing his actual demise, feels tonally inconsistent.
My conclusion: Buck does not die in “Masters of the Air.”
