by Jeff Alan, Contributing Writer
After the (literally) explosive Season Three finale which left many characters’ fates in tragic situations, For All Mankind returns to our now familiar alternate history to continue NASA’s journey to colonize and inhabit Mars. Season Four brings back many of the past seasons’ favorites, like Joel Kinnaman as Ed Baldwin, Krys Marshall as Danielle Poole, Wrenn Schmidt as Margo Madison, Cynthy Wu as Kelly Baldwin, Coral Peña as Aleida Rosales, and a few key supporting characters from Season Three. Season Four’s cast grows slightly, adding Toby Kebbell’s Miles Dale to the team.
The season picks up in 2003, where the Mars base, dubbed “Happy Valley,” has grown exponentially, and now houses not only the NASA team, but also the Soviets, North Koreans, and Helios. Ed, now an old man, commands a team to move an asteroid that is ripe with iridium into Mars’ orbit so that all crews have a chance at mining its raw minerals for use on Earth, which would be life changing for the human race. That is until an accident causes two crew members to die, and the mission is aborted, leaving the asteroid out of reach.
Meanwhile, Danielle is recruited to come back to NASA and join Ed on Mars to command the mission to bring the asteroid to Mars after the initial mission fails. Also on Earth, after the FBI discovered that she had given NASA secrets to the Soviet Union, Margo is a defector to the Soviet Union, and lives a very dull life in Russia. But at the news of the asteroid mission being a bust, she tries adamantly, but to no avail, to get in contact with the Soviet space program.
At the same time, Miles struggles to get work at home, and applies to work on the moon. While the spots are full, and the wait list is too long for his timetable, he is given the opportunity to join a trip to Mars, which means more money, and starting sooner. But at the same time, he will be there for much longer than he would be on the moon; he accepts anyway.
As Miles and Danielle adapt to being on Mars, Aleida struggles with PTSD from the events of the bombing in 1995, which resulted in her believing Margo had died in the attack. Kelly has issues with her research funding being, cut and ultimately turns to Aleida, and they both decide to leave their work with NASA and find corporate funding for their projects together, resulting in turning to an old colleague, Dev Ayesa (Edi Gathegi), who is no longer CEO of Helios.
This show is outstanding, and Kinnaman and Marshall are its heartbeat. Watching their characters change from Season One to now has been really fascinating, as they’ve risen through their ranks and gone further and further into the depths of space. Kebbell is also a great addition to the cast, bringing the sort of everyman perspective into this dynamic. It’s interesting to see how his character copes with working in an unfamiliar place, and stepping into an unexpected role, when the job he signed up for isn’t exactly meeting his expectations.
Margo’s journey is compelling as well, as she is turned into a stranger in a strange land, having to deal with the long-term ramifications of her defection and the ultimate embracement of her apparent death in the previous season. Having no friends, no family, and no team to turn to, she is left to her own devices, and we see that struggle really take a toll on her.
Not only does the acting hold up, but the science fiction aspect keeps getting better and better. What initially pulled me into the series was the idea of this alternate history of how the Russians beat the U.S. to the moon in 1969, but what it turns into is this fascinating space drama with tension-filled action sequences that left my heart racing. And that action doesn’t dampen in this season. There is a spacewalk sequence that had me sitting up straight and not looking away. This show knows how to keep your attention when they want it.
If I were to name any negatives, I think there are a few small story moments it feels like the show wants to pursue, but ultimately doesn’t, in order to focus more on the mission of the crew. When all was said and done, it was the right choice, but then why hint at these things if you don’t follow through on them?
Overall, though, For All Mankind is a knockout of a series that keeps satisfying. And for sci-fi nerds like me who love movies like Interstellar, you get your deep space/interstellar fix, while also teasing very interesting things to come for the future! Itis a must-watch in my eyes, and I cannot wait to see where next season leads!
Rating: Loved It
For All Mankind is currently streaming on Apple TV+
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