Masters Of The Air Episode 7’s Time Jump Thankfully Skipped Another Devastating 100th Bomb Group Mission

This article contains spoilers for Masters of the Air episode 7.

Over seven episodes, Masters of the Air has delved into some of the darkest missions and moments experienced by the 100th Bomb Group, however, a time jump in the seventh episode meant that the series skipped over one mission in particular, and it is probably for the best that it did. Since the very first episode, the men of the 100th have seen a number of horrifying and lethal missions, from Regensberg to Munster, and most recently, Berlin. These missions show the bleak nature of the 100th, but it turns out, there are even more the series isn’t showing.

In Masters of the Air episode 7, the 100th brings on a number of replacements to take over the men that have been lost in previous missions. At this point, most of the original 100th has either been killed or captured as prisoners of war. However, the war does not stop, and for the 100th, the missions get more and more dangerous. In the seventh episode, the 100th take on Berlin for the very first time in a mission known as Black Monday. What the episode does not show is the similar battle that happened long before it: Black Thursday.

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Masters Of The Air’s Time Jump Skipped Past “Black Thursday”

While Masters of the Air episode 5 portrays the disastrous Munster Raid in October 1943, and episode 6 follows it up by showing Major John Egan’s capture as a POW and the effects Munster had on Lt. Col. Robert Rosenthal, the seventh episode jumps all the way to March 1944. Five months after the Munster Raid, important events like The Great Escape and Black Monday occur. However, this time jump skips completely over another major battle that the 100th fought in: Black Thursday. This mission occurred only days after the Munster Raid, on October 14, 1943.

Despite the Americans’ best efforts, they were easily tracked and targeted by German forces. Therefore, in a very organized and overwhelming attack, the Germans took out the American bombers one by one. By the end of the mission, 60 B-17s had been lost and 17 damaged beyond repair, leading to the deaths of approximately 600 airmen. Though Schweinfurt was successfully bombed that day, American losses were immense.

Why Did Masters Of The Air Skip Over Black Thursday?

Most likely, Masters of the Air did not include Black Thursday because it is so similar to other 100th Bomb Group losses, and the series needed to keep the plot moving along. Although Black Thursday is another great example of the hard hits the 100th took during 1943, it does not particularly stand out among the other deadly missions they flew. For example, Regensberg is notable because of its destination being in Africa, meanwhile Munster stands out because of Lt. Col. Rosenthal being the only pilot to return to base, and also, Major John Egan becoming a prisoner of war.

Though the series could have included Black Thursday in Masters of the Air episode 6, it likely would have slowed everything down. It was important to spend the sixth episode following up on Masters of the Air’s cast apart from flying missions. Audiences needed to see what became of Major John Egan after the Munster Raid, and also, had to learn about the mental states of Rosenthal and Major Harry Crosby. In this way, a slower episode 6 added much more to the story than another dangerous mission like Black Thursday would have.

It’s Good Masters Of The Air Skipped “Black Thursday”

Ultimately, Masters of the Air skipping over Black Thursday is a good thing because it not only kept the story going, but also, maintained some semblance of hope. Though the 100th Bomb Group’s story is undoubtedly a bleak one that only seems to grow worse with each episode, including Black Thursday would have been an unnecessary addition to an already sad story. At a certain point, it is important for the series to include only the most important bad moments for the 100th, otherwise Masters of the Air would be too difficult to watch.

Though Black Thursday is a notable mission for the Eighth Air Force considering its dark nickname, it is better that Masters of the Air avoided portraying it. The series was able to avoid getting too dark, and also, used the extra time wisely by exploring the emotionality of its characters. This helped audiences feel closer to the cast, and also, set up for what is sure to be an intense ending. Black Thursday should certainly be remembered, but in the case of keeping Masters of the Air entertaining, it was good to skip over it.