It’s one of my greatest disappointments that more people aren’t watching For All Mankind. That is an over-exaggeration, but while people focus on See and The Morning Show on Apple TV+, I’m tuning in for the space-race series For All Mankind. I’ve been a fan since season one, where the show broke off from reality and asked the question “what if Russia put the first man on the moon?” Since then, the show has toed the line between real-life events and fictional storylines.
Slight Spoilers
Season three entered the nineties and it’s amazing to see how far this series has come since season one. It’s a show that’s tackled space exploration in a way that no one else has. It’s not space that’s the main character, but it’s the people. The show has such a huge array of personalities, with each person’s storyline developing and taking unexpected turns.
Hooked From the Start
From the first episode, I was interested in what season three entailed. From Ed Baldwin’s involvement in an Elon Musk-like company, to Karen’s very unexpected venture in the space hotel area, to Molly’s firing, and Margo’s close ties to the KGB. It’s almost unbelievable to think of where these characters came from. In season one, we were very much in a stereotypical 1960s era, full of the pros and cons of that decade; and now in season three, we’re in the 90s and heading to Mars.
While season three did make some decisions that I questioned, like Karen’s journey from a housewife who disliked women astronauts to the head of a company looking to make hotels in space a thing; I consumed every twist and turn season three gave me. I was shocked when Molly was fired, I was shocked by Margo’s relationship with the USSR, and I was disappointed by Ed’s behavior towards Danielle when he couldn’t get his way. The show did a great job in stirring the pot and keeping characters in character, while also showing that characters can change over a thirty-year period.
No Spoilers
Now, the title of this review does mention the death of two characters, but I’m not going to tell you who. That would be spoiling it for you. Season two shocked us all when the show killed off Tracy and Gordo. And season three proves that this show is not afraid to kill off big-name characters. It really shows the realism in its writing – everyone has an expiration point and doesn’t assume anyone is safe.
Looking Forward to Season Four
Season three did what season two did – jumping ahead in time and now we’re in the 2000s. I love living in this world. There’s some really great things that happen in the show that you wish could have happened in real life. It’s such a character driven show and even though Joel Kinnaman’s character will be in his seventies at this point, I’m still going to watch like a proud parent watching all my characters develop from the 1960s to now.
Rating: 8.5/10
For all Mankind is not to be slept on and now that season three is done, you have plenty of time to catch up and binge this compelling space-drama. Season four has a lot of homework ahead, but I’m looking forward to it!
For All Mankind is now streaming on AppleTV+.
A girl with too many fandoms to count.
