#MotA: Ep 7

[clevervonskelli]

I can take them making the Crosby/Landra thing explicit (even when keeping it vague would have been very doable and truer to his own memoir) but him pushing her about what she actually was doing was annoying. The call we'll see next week is fine, but whining about it in a pub instead of just being like "haha pretty sure my badass former-roomate is a spy, crazy times we live in, ammirite?" rubbed me the wrong way.

[rcbertleckie]

BUCK: Last letter I sent before Bremen, I popped the question. BUCKY: You did? BUCK: She said yes.

[kafka-ohdear]

#gay men looking like a renaissance painting.

[hogans-heroes]

Ok episode 8 thoughts…

LETS FUCKING GOOOOO FINALLY MY T BOYS SHOW UP HELL YEAHH

P-40s my love 😭❤️❤️

I did cringe a bit when they were getting into the P-51s that were obviously props and not real planes but that’s just me being picky ITS OK those planes are like 3mil a piece of course they’re not gonna use them

Bucky going stir crazy was so sad, glad the fight wasn’t really a fight but it still showcases how much he’s struggling. Imprisonment has hit everyone differently.

Oh…Crosby is…not well. Hurt my heart. He really does need that leave.

Rosie being the MVP as usual.😍

I talked a bit more in this ask about how we’re getting some real scenes of the racism the Tuskegee guys faces and damn nothing was candy coated. Them getting heckled walking into the camp was devastating and really drove home what they went through. The internal social conflict that was happening in America at the time is something not talked about enough in wwii media and hopefully this will open up more conversation.

That speech that the one guy (still trying to learn all their names sorry) gave to the interrogator when he asked why he was fighting for a country that treated him like that? It floored me because even though I knew a lot of guys had that perspective and reason for fighting, it’s more faith that I ever could have had and I can’t wrap my head around it. Just overwhelming respect to someone that could say I’m gonna fight because things can get better, and I know it will get better because I’m going to make it better? It was far, far more than what this country deserved after all the shit it was doing.

Alex! What a guy. Love him. Something about the combination of dynamic force to be reckoned with and cute kid enjoying life make my favorite type of character. Loved the one-brainy-to-another convo with Buck. Please let us see more of him!

THE PREVIEW OF THE NEXT EP IM GONNA DIE. The forced march, the concentration camp, Bucky sacrificing himself to help Buck escape is gonna break me.

I’m gonna be in a daze today

[turtleofdamascus]

Me to Croz after part 7

[fangirlwithasweettooth]

Masters of the Air ep 7 fans (particularly Croz fans) I have a present for y’all over on my writing blog 😏

[trillgutterbug]

lol the idea that anyone (me) being hashtag done with mota due to [redacted] is a failure to comprehend The Senseless Brutality of War and Its Artistic Depictions.... like nah bro it's bc [redacted] was the one (1) good thing the whole bland tepid mess had going for it so it's just not enjoyable to watch anymore ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[trekkiehood]

Just finished my MotA rewatch and Buck looks SO SICK at the Stalag. Like EPs 7-9 I just keep waiting for him to collapse bc he always looks like he's on the verge. And no one even acknowledges it 😭

[lamialamia]

We have a problem: cheating, humanizing your characters, and delivering your message

This meta is going to talk about Crosby's cheating in episode 7 and 8 of MOTA and how the show's lack of acknowledgement for it ultimately weakened its message on the effect of war.

So. I have talked about how Sandra's abrupt change of heart regarding her principles in her relationship with Crosby disrespects her character in this post. Now, I'm going to talk about the cheating plot point again from another angle: MOTA wants us to see how war is capable of changing people for the worse, but it will not engage with this message any further than the surface level.

When Crosby decided to cheat on his wife with Sandra, it happened within episode 7 and ended in episode 8. You can see him looking at other women in episode 6 and then spend a day hanging out with Sandra and is impressed with her as well as sending her longing look, he also shares a moment of vulnerability with her by talking about Bubbles. This is a legit basis (I'm only going to talk about Crosby in this analysis) for him to cheat with Sandra.

However, after the affair ended, the show never mentions it again. Crosby never says a single thing about it, his friends and colleagues never says a single thing about it, the story never says a single thing about it. Does Crosby feel good or bad about his action? Does he has remorse? Does he feel he is justified for an extra-marital affair? Does he think he's more of a man now that he has done it? Does he regret not courting Sandra further and making her his wife?

Not a thing.

(and that's it 🙃)

The problem with this is not about the cheating itself, but about how the narrative ignores Crosby's humanity. As war changed him, we see in the conversation he had with Rosie in ep 9 that he has doubt and struggles with his role in such large-scale destruction. The show is showing me how a man like him is capable of violence and contributes to human suffering in a big grand level. However, when it decides to never mention any kind of impact on Crosby, his friends, or the overall narrative that stemmed from his cheating -- a small-scale everyday cruelty -- the show weakens his character. Not because he cheated on his wife, but because it tries to say we should ignore his small cruelty in favor of his big one. Effectively, MOTA tells me its characters are above judgement for small cruel thing. That is inherently dehumanizing.

Let's make a comparison. Meet Brad Colbert in Generation Kill.

He's a Marine who is on his way to invade Iraq and pretty much a weapon of war. Other than that, he enjoys riding his bike, surfing, hates country music, and he was cheated on by his ex-fiancee and his best friend.

Here we can easily see that Colbert is pained by this experience. It affects him so much he stopped dating altogether and only have sex with sex workers.

Despite his prowess to kill a lot of people, despite the fact that he is part of the military complex of the USA that is committing atrocities, this man is still vulnerable human being. He is still a man who can get hurt from the betrayal of those he trusted. And by showing this vulnerable side of Brad Colbert, GK effectively made its case: the banality of evil - The person who enact evil is as human as you and me. And Evil can be enact by any average human.

This is because anyone and everyone can commit both the everyday-cruelty AND the grand-scale atrocity.

But unlike GK who reflect on this duality, MOTA only spent screentime to reflect on the grand-scale atrocity. It spent time to share Crosby's regret and guilt in being part of the war effort that kill many people, civilians and military personnel alike. It spent time to have John Egan faced down en entire street of angry civilians to make that point.

However, if you do not acknowledge that your character can commit the every-day cruelty, and show how only his grand-scale atrocity matters, then your character only have half his humanity to lose. You dehumanize him. And now, your message of how war affect the humanity in an average citizen is only half as effective.

[avonne-writes]

Update: still being tour guide to my parents, not much time to write, but I talked so much about Reverie that I convinced them to watch Mota! We watched ep. 5-7 because my dad already saw the first few and didn’t like it.

Results: Dad hates Bucky (😭 sorry, Dad, you’re disowned), Mom is in love with Rosie (relatable). Dad might also be in love with Rosie but he’s grumbling that we didn’t watch a Korean drama. Dad's impression of Buck's voice warrants a second disowning. Mom thought Buck and Bucky were acting too fruity (🥰) but she was relieved (🙄) when Buck got the letter from Marge in ep. 7

[clevervonskelli]

Update: Looking like it wasn't Alkire. Someone checked the credits and Lt. Col. Albert Clark & Lt. Col. Bill Aring are listed. Idk who the heck Aring is (unless the real dude's name was George and they're calling him Bill here) but I'm very happy to see Clark included and I think it might be him we saw, since he was head of the escape committee at Stalag Luft III. I didn't figure he'd be in the show bc I don't remember him being mentioned very much in Miller's book but I'm looking forward to hopefully seeing more of him.

I'm trying to focus on what I liked about Episode 7 and my brain is just looping a few things.

-Was that Colonel Alkire at the camp heading up compound staff? I missed if he was named, but if so, I'm quite pleased to see him.

-Frank Murphy getting a letter from his mom ❤️

-The way the show approached the Great Escape. They managed to keep the focus entirely on the tragedy and incredulousness of the situation, and on how it could directly impact the American prisoners in the other compounds. It felt very balanced and very Great Escape in the context of MotA, not Great Escape eclipsing the show.

- MUSTANGS!!!!! MotA is a bomber-centric show and B-17s are incredible in how they can be beat to hell and keep flying, but fighter planes will always be my first love when it comes to WWII.

-Von Lindeiner's removal from his position as commodant being mentioned. He's someone I find very interesting, plus it's nice to have that hint of how there was a whole world of politics going on when it came to the running of the camps and the tension between the Luftwaffe and the Gestapo.

- I loved all the fountain pen shots we got to see this ep when folks were writing.

[rcbertleckie]

my sister saw austin on my screen and was like i cant really decide if he is hot or not and like... girl wish that was me

[ecoustsaintmein]

Stages of being a Rosie / MotA stan:

1. Found out Hanks/Goetzman/Spielberg is making MotA (it's been 84 years...)

2. Read the book and trying to figure out which characters they are going to include and what stories they will tell (my bet had been on cleven, egan, rosie as definites but not sure about others because that book covers A LOT)

3. Found out the cast list and surprised that they got already established famous actors as leads, but who the fuck is Nate Mann??

4. Nate Mann as Rosie appeared in ep 4 and not sure if this is the man they revere and is literally the ace of the 100th, what is that silly dance you (young) old man

5. Ep 5: I AM IN LOVE WITH YOU ROSIE (especially when he starts humming, then does some top gun dogfight shit with a freaking B17)

6. Ep 6 and 7: OBSESSED. Nate Mann, take my hand in marriage.

7. Profit??

[mastersoftheair]

Sorry but am I the only one that thought that episode…sucked? Like it was straight up bad. Horrible pacing, no wrap up of all the random characters and plot lines they’ve thrown around all season (the tuskegee airmen, Westgates spying, literally all the guys beside like the main 4). (Seriously it makes me so mad that the three redtails got all of 5 seconds of screen time, almost no lines. Literally what was the point of introducing them other than to pretend the show was iNcLuSiVe) Even at the end of BoB and the Pacific you get a much better idea of what happened to all the remaining guys. In this they’re like what happened to DeMarco or Hambone or Brady or (insert character here) we don’t know! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ The concentration camp scene felt shoehorned in compared to how it was done in BoB. Unless that actually happened to Rosie (which i haven’t heard anything about) but it was just like.. ok? It all felt so rushed and emotionless to me. Maybe I’ve just fallen out of love with MoTA but it’s been downhill for me since episode 6 or so.

i already made a little (read: long) post-finale write-up here, where i talk about the use of the tuskegee airmen, l'sandra, and overall editing/pacing issues i felt the show had. but i don't agree with the notion that adding the redtails was in any way insincere or trying to halfass being "iNcLuSiVe", i just think they suffer from this show's obvious time constraints. and to summarize what i wrote in my linked post, there's a limit to what white writers/directors/producers can do when creating a story about black people. there are some stories i'd feel uncomfortable with them telling on their own, truth be told. dee rees wasn't the sole nonwhite director, but she Was the only black one. i think she did her job well given the limitations and i appreciate that they let her direct those episodes, rather than leaving it up to a team of white people trying their best to tell a black story.

the worst i can say about the finale is that it didn't feel like That strong of finale, tho i wouldn't go as far to say it "sucked" or call it "straight up bad". i liked it plenty, it's just the weakest of the hbo war finales imo.

as for the concentration camp scene, artistic license was taken with both shows. unlike what's seen in the BoB, easy company wasn't the first to arrive at kaufering, and there's 0 mention of the all-japanese american 552nd who helped them liberate it). similarly, rosie rosenthal did assist in liberating those camps, though it would've been after the events shown this episode. idk if he saw one in that up-close way seen in this episode, but he could've (i should research this when i have time). plus, it would've felt weird Not having him acknowledge them at all. "shoe-horned" is an odd term to use here imo, as both scenes more-or-less center a jewish character (BoB's liebgott and MotA's rosie). the former show has survivors the characters can help, the latter shows no one left to help. the former has all of easy company there, the latter has rosie there all alone. rosie's scene felt deeply personal in that way. at the end of the day, both scenes are communicating different things. that doesn't make one better than the other when they aren't trying to be identical. (disclaimer, i'm not jewish, so i'd be interesting hearing from the perspective of someone who wrt whether or not they felt it was "shoe-horned")

i can understand if you've disliked the show post-episode 6 (and episode 6 was a very strong episode i'm ngl). eps 7 and 8 were weaker in many ways, even to me, so i get it. everyone's entitled to their own opinion (i'd be a hypocrite saying otherwise). just understand that this blog is run by someone who overall enjoys this show despite its flaws! basically, i encourage you to take this energy and make your own posts.

[oatflatwhite]

(leaving this ask for when u watch mota pt 7 tmr) liz bestie could u plz share thoughts from both u and ur seasoned hbo war vet mutual 🎤🎤

WELCOME HOME CHEATER!!!!!!!!!!!!

HELLO hello hello i have processed the episode i am indeed still processing the episode but yes. literally cannot trust any man ever fuck you harry. i am in love with rosie and deeply afraid for my boy. john egan patheticest man i love you what do you mean you have no one to write you letters!!!!!! I WILL DO IT. also my fic about john being in love with gale and gale knowing but having marge so they don't talk about it REAL. REAL AND MADE THE EP HURT MORE TBH.

my friend and i talked a lot about how damn good callum turner is, austin butler's iphone face, and rosie's moustache of competence. too painful to talk about harry :/