In an alternative version of 1969, the Soviet Union beats the United States to the Moon, and the space race continues on for decades with still grander challenges and goals.
It’s not a happy day when Americans glued to their television sets learn that the first country to land a man on the Moon turns out to be Russia. Like “The Man in the High Castle” – premised on Germany winning World War II – “For All Mankind” takes on a Cold War hypothetical of the space race. In the wake of the political setback, NASA crews are dismissed for the weekend to clear their heads and return, ready to double down their space exploration efforts on Monday. The Americans do a lot of soul-searching and some finger-pointing in their quest to retake the lead in exploring the solar system.
Joel Kinnaman stars as astronaut Edwin Baldwin and Shantel VanSanten as his wife Karen, who attempt to deal with the prospect of cutbacks at NASA or even decommissioning the agency altogether. The couple is forced to consider Ed’s return to the Navy as a conventional pilot. To make matters worse, Eddie has blabbed a story about the Russian Moon landing to a hungry reporter – a significant breach of protocol.
As the U.S. plays catchup in the form of the Apollo 11 mission, one could legitimately wonder if arriving in second place on the Moon was the end of the space race. However, the mission director clarifies that Mars will be next after landing on the Moon, followed by Saturn, the asteroids, and ultimately beyond the solar system.
The uncharted turn of events allows the writers to turn history on its head. Who would have thought, for example, that a female Russian cosmonaut landing on the Moon would accelerate the acceptance of women into the U.S. program? Of course, it didn’t, but it makes for some feel-good TV, as does much of the series. A husband-wife astronaut couple named Gordo (Michael Dorman) and Tracy Stevens (Sarah Jones) represent the most obvious public relations selection, geared to assist in the president’s reelection. Hints of “Hidden Figures,” with thinly veiled misogyny, infect many encounters between the men and women. How they overcame the prejudice is a story in and of itself. In addition, much of the space maneuvers and plotting borrow liberally from “The Martian” – somewhat derivative but an effective technique nonetheless.
Infidelity amongst the other astronauts peppers events with an obligatory note of melodrama. At least the subject is handled intelligently. As two wives navigate the situation, Karen says to Tracy about Gordo’s affair, “I’m not saying we have the same problems, but we all have problems.” Other timely social issues weave their way into the mix as well.
Wren Schmidt plays Margo Madison, a pivotal mission controller at NASA. She regularly trades notes with Colm Feore, who does a fine turn as Wernher von Braun, the propulsion scientist guiding NASA’s unprecedented efforts to conquer space. Their back-and-forth provides much welcome levity in the glum early proceedings.
Given the series’ basis, some realities should be acknowledged. Since the rise of industrialization, scores of writers and futurists have speculated that humans would roam the galaxy largely unabated into an essentially infinite universe. That might have turned out to be (and may yet become) a workable concept had space travel become as commonplace as envisioned. The idea of earth travelers routinely visiting nearby planets, asteroids, and stars once seemed a near certainty based on the work of science fiction writers featured as far back as 1865 when Jules Verne wrote ‘From the Earth to the Moon.’ H.G. Wells penned his first novel in 1895, and serialized science fiction publications such as Amazing Stories began to appear in 1926. But space travel and many other engaging technologies became more problematic puzzles to solve than first believed. Journeying through outer space to planets devoid of ecosystems is expensive and consumes enormous resources. In that regard, narratives like “For All Mankind” remain fanciful goals awaiting at least one and probably several breakthrough technologies.
That aside, the ten episodes provide an enjoyable excursion back to the late 1960s that will undoubtedly please nostalgia fans. Production design includes post-World War II track homes, period fashion and music, cigarettes in conference rooms, the predictable outrage of President Nixon when NASA comes up short – and even a Barbara Walters lookalike as a news anchor – all serving as reminders of an era gone by.
Created by Ben Nedivi, Matt Wolpert, and Ronald D. Moore, “For All Mankind” works hard to suspend our disbelief but only partially succeeds. The series relies too heavily on teasers for the next episode, suggesting a strained storyline struggling to carry its own weight. However, if nothing else, the first season tackles interesting alternative scenarios that might have happened but didn’t. No doubt modern-day billionaires and other adventurers clearly hope that someday they will.
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