If you've been keeping up with Masters of the Air on Apple TV+, you may be like many who were left wondering: is Buck dead in Masters of the Air episode 4? This is because his plane crashed in the episode, leaving viewers questioning the fate of Buck and his men.
Spoiler Warning: This article includes spoilers for Masters of the Air episode 4, so proceed with caution.
What Happened to Buck in Masters of the Air Episode 4?
Gale "Buck" Cleven (played by Austin Butler) is one of the lead characters of Masters of the Air. So when his plane was downed in episode 4, avid viewers of the show were left asking: is Buck dead in Masters of the Air? But what lead to this event?
In the fourth episode of Masters of the Air, Buck disappeared in an off-screen mission to Bremen.
After his plane was downed, members of the 100th Bomb Group were left thinking that Buck was killed in action since they did not see a chute come out of the plane.
When the men returned to base, it was evident that they lost many men, which is estimated at around 80 men. Apart from Buck, Major Harry Crosby (played by Anthony Boyle) was among the presumed casualties.
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Is Buck Dead in Masters of the Air?
The episode did not really reveal what happened to Buck since it did not focus on the mission and their fate. Because of this, viewers were left wondering whether Buck is really dead in the Apple TV+ show.
Since the show did not give a glimpse of the mission, we'll likely see a surprise twist in the next episode, which will reveal how Buck survived the ordeal.
But what happened was that Buck's plane was separated from their formation. This allowed the Germans to damage it badly.
Buck tried to land the plane in Holland. But because of its horrible condition, Buck and his men were forced to evacuate and land the plane within German territory.
What Happened to the Real Buck from Masters of the Air?
Since Masters of the Air is based on actual events, we can use this to determine what happened to the real Buck in history.
In the show, it was revealed that eight planes were lost during the Bremen mission. But as the 100th Bomb Group Foundation documents it, seven planes were lost.
Even though this is one plane short of the number, it still doesn't change the fact that many lives were lost that day. True enough, Buck and his men were considered MIA.
According to history books, however, Buck and Captain Bernard DeMarco (played by Adam Long) landed in the home of a German farmer. The two men were escorted to Frankfurt for questioning. They were then put into solitary confinement.
The two men were then imprisoned at Stalag Luft III, where they were kept until the war ended. Although this wasn't a positive experience for the real Buck, at least he didn't die during the mission.
We'll have to wait and see how the show will bring him back and document the atrocities he experienced at the prison camp.
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