Plot Synopsis

Based on Joseph Heller's seminal novel of the same name, Catch-22 is the story of the incomparable, artful dodger Yossarian, a US Air Force bombardier in World War II who is furious because thousands of people he has never met are trying to kill him. But his real problem is not the enemy, but rather his own army which keeps increasing the number of missions the men must fly to complete their service. Yet if Yossarian makes any attempt to avoid his military assignments, he'll be in violation of Catch-22, a hilariously sinister bureaucratic rule which specifies that a concern for one's own safety in the face of dangers which are real and immediate is the process of a rational mind; a man is considered insane if he willingly continues to fly dangerous combat missions, but a request to be removed from duty is evidence of sanity and therefore makes him ineligible to be relieved from duty.

Aarfy is Yossarian's navigator who is frequently lost. When he starts recounting stories we get a glimpse into his darker mind and soon see it manifest on a weekend away. Nately is Yossarian's closest friend. He is someone who had lived his young life without trauma and is in love with Clara, a prostitute in Rome.

Scheisskopf is a training commander at cadet school in California. Ambitious, humorless, inept, angry, sadistic -- and above all else, obsessed with parades and winning parade tournaments. At cadet school he makes the men's lives a living hell. Deep down he's just an angry idiot, so there's no real danger he'll ever be sent overseas. And then: he is sent overseas. As the Head of Operations for the entire Mediterranean Theater. And straight back into Yossarian's life.

Married to Scheisskopf but having an affair with Yossarian, Marion can seem both grounded and restless. Lusty. Passionate. Bored. Perhaps a bit sad. But, alone with Yossarian, she can be mischievous, light and playful too. She dreams of a bigger life. She made a huge mistake marrying the awful Scheisskopf. She's one of the few people that connects with Yossarian. It's mental and intellectual as well as physical.

Major de Coverley is squadron executive officer on Pianosa air base. A noble, leonine presence, like some Civil War general, de Coverley dances to the beat of his own drum. Regarded with awe by the men. He spends his time pitching horseshoes, listening to jazz on his phonograph, mixing himself martinis, and hiring apartments for the officers in every new city the Americans take.

Executive produced and directed by series star George Clooney and Grant Heslov, CATCH-22 premiered on Friday, May 17, 2019 at 3:01am ET/12:01am PT on Hulu, with all six episodes of the limited series released on the same day.