Reviewed by Colin Jacobson (December 3, 2023)
Given its title, one might expect 2019’s For All Mankind to offer yet another exploration of the “space race” during the 1960s – and it does, but with a twist. Here we explore an alternate, fictional version of events.
Originally run on AppleTV+, Season One comes with 10 episodes across this set’s four Blu-rays. The plot synopses come straight from the package’s liner notes.
Red Moon: “NASA is in crisis as the Soviets surpass them and land the first man on the moon. Astronauts Ed Baldwin (Joel Kinnaman) and Gordo Stevens (Michael Dorman) find themselves in hot water after venting their frustrations with NASA to the press, and Mission Control Engineer Margo Madison (Wrenn Schmidt) struggles to hold her own in a hostile, male-centered world.”
As expected from a series’ debut episode, “Moon” mainly exists to set up characters and narrative. It launches with the big reveal of the Soviets’ success and then launches into introductions needed for the roles involved.
In that domain, “Moon” proves effective. It creates an engaging opening to this alternate history that leaves me curious to see where matters will go from here.
He Built the Saturn V: “With the Space Race heating up, Director Wernher von Braun (Colm Feore) finds himself in the hot seat after opposing a directive from Nixon himself regarding NASA’s future. A disgruntled Baldwin is presented with a way back to his former post at a steep mortal price, and Tracy Stevens (Sarah Jones) considers drastic actions when her husband’s infidelity pushes her to the brink.”
After the grand events of the pilot, “Built” goes for a more personal vibe, as it spends greater time with the characters. This seems like a good idea on the surface.
However, as executed, the episode can lean a little too melodramatic. While the show doesn’t go over the top, I hope we get a more balanced feel in the future.
Nixon’s Women: “After the world watches as the Soviets land the first woman on the moon, Nixon demands an answer. Deke Slayton (Chris Bauer), head of the astronauts office, is tasked with assembling a group of women to even the score. Molly Cobb (Sonya Walger), Patty Doyle (Cass Buggé), Ellen Waverly (Jodi Balfour), Danielle Poole (Krys Marshall) and Tracy Stevens (Sarah Jones) go through the rigorous training while some build allegiances and others butt heads.”
Going into Mankind, I admit I expected a broad sense of “fan fiction”. The first two episodes hewed away from this, but “Women” leans more in that direction.
Still, the show comes with some interesting new characters and developments. I don’t know if I’m wild with how far it deviates from actual history, but it nonetheless creates a fairly solid show.
Prime Crew: “There is a national debate about whether women should be allowed to become astronauts after a training accident. Deke Slayton defends the program and publicly announces the first class of female astronauts without permission from NASA officials.”
“Women” ended with tragedy, and that casts a pall over “Crew”. However the episode quickly transitions into the choice for a female astronaut to take on a mission, and that turns into an intriguing thread in this largely effective program.
Into the Abyss: “When NASA sees potential signs of lunar ice in Shackleton Crater, the Apollo 15 crew decide to change their landing site. Back on Earth, Molly’s hippie husband Wayne (Lenny Jacobson) and straight-laced Karen Baldwin (Shantel VanSanten) get off to a rocky start but grow closer as they share fears.”
Most of “Abyss” focuses on the Apollo 15 mission, so don’t expect a ton of character material. Still, it blends the two evenly enough to allow it to push ahead the season in a solid manner.
Home Again: “An accident on the launchpad at Cape Kennedy causes all Apollo missions to be postponed until the cause is identified and prompts FBI background checks of NASA personnel. Margo must visit an old friend to help in the accident investigation. Ellen and Larry (Nate Corddry) make a big life decision when they fear their secret will be uncovered.”
Though Mankind opened at the end of the 1960s, the series now finds itself zooming through time, as “Home” takes us to 1974. This brings some interesting curveballs, some related to alternate US history – President Ted Kennedy! – and personal.
The latter domains offer the most intrigue given the span of time. The developments in NASA and on the moon also expand matters pretty well and turn this into another solid show, even with a little too much melodrama related to the return of von Braun.
Hi Bob: “Due to a series of setbacks, the relief mission for the Jamestown crew is delayed months. When it becomes clear that Gordo needs to return home early, Baldwin stays behind at Jamestown as the lone American man on the moon. Back on Earth, Baldwin’s son Shane (Tait Blum) is in an accident.”
Unsurprisingly, the Jamestown elements become the most dynamic, as their situation creates tension. The material at home seems less involving, but the good outweighs the meh.
Rupture: “Karen awaits news about Shane’s condition at the hospital while NASA prepares the relief mission to bring Baldwin home. On the moon, Baldwin does his best to maintain Jamestown while beginnig to conduct surveillance of the Soviet base.”
Once again, we find another bifurcated episode where the majority of the real drama manifests on the moon. Though events on Earth seem mildly intriguing, the lunar escapades remain the meat of the show.
Bent Bird: “A problem with Ellen’s spacecraft leaves her crew stuck in Earth’s orbit. NASA sends Tracy, Molly and Dennis Lambert (Charlie Hofheimer) to repair the problem, with Gordo serving as Capcom.”
As S1 nears its conclusion, “Bird” pushes a few dramatic threads toward the finale. These mainly revolve around the efforts to get Baldwin off the moon, but other themes give the episode good momentum as well.
A City Upon a Hill: “While Baldwin contemplates what to do with a trespassing cosmonaut, Ellen and Deke must calculate a new course for the moon without the help of mission control. Back in Houston, Margo captures Baldwin’s attention and together they devise a plan to rendezvous with Ellen and Deke’s wayward ship.”
S1 comes to a close with a rousing show, even if it feels like both “City” and “Bird” lean Apollo 13 for their tension. Nonetheless, “City” completes S1’s NASA and character arcs in a positive way that leaves me interested to see where the series goes in Season Two.
Footnote: a post-credits scene offers a hint at what to expect from S2.
