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For in-depth thoughts on For All Mankind: The Complete First Season, please see my colleague Tia Fabi’s review from its original television debut here.
Video Quality
For All Mankind: The Complete First Season arrives on Blu-Ray courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment with a sumptuous AVC-encoded 1080p transfer. While we wish the show could have received a 4K UHD Blu-Ray release, it is exciting to save this one from a streaming-only fate. The release provides 10 episodes spread across four discs. The cinematography on display from episode to episode will often leave you in awe with its unparalleled beauty, and it is rendered perfectly here.
The series remains pristine with a lovely, natural color palette revealing deep colors within the various settings. The highlights of the show are luminous and avoid any ounce of blooming in this presentation. Black levels are deep and provide an immense amount of detail in darker scenes. This transfer reveals a world of fine detail within the costumes and intricate period production design. Skin tones appear very natural throughout the presentation, and compression artifacts and noise are nearly nonexistent. When compared to the streaming version of the series, this physical presentation mostly marches or exceeds the level of quality. The Blu-Ray presentation is fabulous and represents a top-tier release from Sony.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray comes with a surprisingly robust DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that showcases the soundscape of this world effortlessly. This is not a traditional action show, but the environmental sounds accentuate thrilling moments by effectively engaging the surround speakers. Whether the din of the bustling interiors or the dynamic open-air scenes, this track captures the complexity of the world. Ambient sounds are carefully placed in the rear channels.
The Jeff Russo score is essential to establishing the tone of this series, and it soars with its deft handling of both the more intensive moments as well as the subtle touches. The music on the show is often sweeping and enveloping in the best way. Dialogue always comes through crisp and clear without being overshadowed by any competing sounds. The audio track serves as a first-rate presentation for the fans of the series. There are optional English, English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles provided.
Special Features
There are no special features provided for this release.
Final Thoughts
For All Mankind is one of the most underrated shows to come from AppleTV+. The show takes a few episodes to really get cooking, but it proves to house many surprising developments over this debut season. The ensemble is in top form, and the attention to detail keeps this a true joy to watch episode after episode. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray featuring a top-notch A/V presentation but no supplemental features. We are so glad this is not stuck as a streaming-only option, and we encourage you to take a chance on this one if you have not yet. Recommended
For All Mankind: The Complete First Season will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD on November 14, 2023.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
