A disillusioned American bombardier named Yossarian is stationed on a Mediterranean island during the Second World War, desperately trying to get himself declared insane so he can be grounded and avoid flying any more dangerous missions. His efforts are constantly thwarted by the paradoxical military rule that anyone seeking to avoid combat duty thereby proves their own sanity. The series uses dark comedy and surreal imagery to satirise the absurdity of war, bureaucracy, and institutional power, following Yossarian and his fellow airmen as they navigate a world in which survival seems increasingly impossible.