Ah I was wondering if it was, but I couldn’t remember
For All Mankind Trailer - Apple TV- SPOILER
- Thread starter Mysterion
- Start date
Like I mentioned previously in the thread, I binge-watched all of For All Mankind, became hooked, and it became my favorite new sci-fi series. Now I'm doing a re-watch, which I've just started. Taking it at a slower pace and giving my insights into each episode. I'm hoping to be finished with covering the fourth season by the time the fifth season starts. I'll speed up the re-watch as necessary, if I don't think I'll make it on time. But we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.
I'm watching For All Mankind on a projector I have, and I'm watching it up against an entire wall, for the full Home Theater Experience.
"Red Moon" (S1E1)
In our reality, the thing about the Space Race was that once the United States landed men on the moon, that was the end of it. We had our victory, then interest died down. But in For All Mankind's reality, that victory was denied us and United States was still determined to beat the Soviet Union in some way. First, though, they had to show that we could land a man on the moon at all, before they could plan to send people to Mars, the asteroid belt, Saturn, and beyond. Knowing how the series progresses, they laid out the entire trajectory of the series right in the first episode.
When they had the archival footage, I love that they used it. When they didn't, they did a good job of faking it. The voice actor they had for Nixon did a great job of sounding like him when he had to deliver original lines. Nixon in FAMK acts exactly how he would've acted if NASA hadn't landed a man on the moon first. "They'll say Kennedy kicked the ball, Johnson ran it, and Nixon fumbled it at the finish line!" No matter what he was able to accomplish, he had a real inferiority complex from what I can tell.
When everyone working for NASA, all of their families, and everyone else watching, are all watching the Moon Landing in all in their separate corners, it reminded me of Mad Men where they had an episode during the seventh season with everyone watching the Moon Landing and how we also go to see everyone watching in all their own corners as well, and their reactions. This was 10 years before I was even born, so getting to watch these characters react and seeing them, makes me almost feel like I'm there myself, watching. I've watched archival footage of the Moon Landing and as impressed as I am at what they were able to accomplish, I know it's just not the same thing as watching it in Real Time.
And as Ed Baldwin is watching, he's furious. He barely tries his best to hide it, but as his friend and co-pilot Gordo Stevens reminds him, they could've been the first to land on the Moon when they were on the Apollo 10 landing. Watching the Russians land, they have a feeling of "We were so damn close!" The next day, Deke Slayton tells his men to use the weekend to be pissed off, do whatever they have to do, but then it's back to work on Monday. After they leave, when they all get in their cars, not only is it cool to have racecar scene with everyone racing each other, but for them it's like they're in a race that they think they can win. And it's a friendly competition unlike the rivalry with the Russians.
Ed Baldwin is still pissed, though, and blabs his true feelings to a reporter who then says that Ed said NASA lost its balls. I'm going to assume that how furious Ed was, how close he thought they were when he was on Apollo 10, and having a few drinks was enough to set him off. Like his wife said, "I didn't know it only took a few drinks!" So now it doesn't look he'll have a chance to go into space ever again. He was nearly fired from NASA and would've been if Deke didn't stand up for him.
What I like about Deke Slayton is that he'll stand up for his people and he'll do what he thinks his right. He can be a hard-ass, but he's a fair hard-ass, and dead-set determined. Unlike Ed, he doesn't let his emotions get the best of him.
Deke Slayton has to deal with damage control, with the whole Ed Baldwin fiasco, answering questions about how they couldn't have known how close the Russians really were to landing someone on the moon, and Werner von Braun has to explain why Apollo 10 couldn't have landed while it was in lunar orbit. They have to answer all the tough questions, while all Ed had to do was be quiet and not put his foot in his mouth. Putting his foot in his mouth is something Ed does a lot.
Margo Madison, on the other hand, tries to avoid putting her foot in her mouth at all costs. She's a woman in a man's world, she respects the chain of command, maybe even a little too much, and doesn't speak up more when she has the information in front of her when Apollo 11 is approaching the Moon. Werner is her mentor, he knows her father, and he tells her that she shouldn't have felt intimidated or like she was speaking out of place. The facts were on her side. It's not about feeling, it's about facts. Margo takes this advice to heart, and it puts her on a very different trajectory than the trajectory we'll see Ed go on.
While all the wives are gathered together, this time for Apollo 11, Mrs. Slayton tells Karen Baldwin, Ed's wife, that Ed would have a chance to be an astronaut again if he completely denied the newspaper article that was written about what he said about NASA and completely distanced himself from it. Karen tells Mrs. Slayton that Ed is all about duty, honor, and country, and Mrs. Slayton says that sometimes you can only choose two. It's one of the first ethical dilemmas of the series, and the episode asks if Ed can make that leap.
The final act of this episode really had me going. For a good long while, I thought Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin wouldn't make it to the Moon. It looked like Apollo 11 might've crashed, they might've died, the news was saying the odds of their surviving was low. I had thoughts of, "Okay, this definitely feels like a Ron Moore show! Maybe they won't make it!" I really thought there was a chance they wouldn't make it, which made me wonder, "Where will they go from here?" And then it turned out they did make it! So, they really had me on edge.
I want to take a step back and say I love the set design, I love design aesthetic, seeing everyone's daily routine, and a taste of their normal lives when the characters aren't on their missions, and who they know outside of work. Even in the first episode, it feels like a real, lived-in world.
Can't wait to put on the next episode! Typing this makes me want to put on the next one right now, but I'm going to pace myself.
I'm watching For All Mankind on a projector I have, and I'm watching it up against an entire wall, for the full Home Theater Experience.
"Red Moon" (S1E1)
In our reality, the thing about the Space Race was that once the United States landed men on the moon, that was the end of it. We had our victory, then interest died down. But in For All Mankind's reality, that victory was denied us and United States was still determined to beat the Soviet Union in some way. First, though, they had to show that we could land a man on the moon at all, before they could plan to send people to Mars, the asteroid belt, Saturn, and beyond. Knowing how the series progresses, they laid out the entire trajectory of the series right in the first episode.
When they had the archival footage, I love that they used it. When they didn't, they did a good job of faking it. The voice actor they had for Nixon did a great job of sounding like him when he had to deliver original lines. Nixon in FAMK acts exactly how he would've acted if NASA hadn't landed a man on the moon first. "They'll say Kennedy kicked the ball, Johnson ran it, and Nixon fumbled it at the finish line!" No matter what he was able to accomplish, he had a real inferiority complex from what I can tell.
When everyone working for NASA, all of their families, and everyone else watching, are all watching the Moon Landing in all in their separate corners, it reminded me of Mad Men where they had an episode during the seventh season with everyone watching the Moon Landing and how we also go to see everyone watching in all their own corners as well, and their reactions. This was 10 years before I was even born, so getting to watch these characters react and seeing them, makes me almost feel like I'm there myself, watching. I've watched archival footage of the Moon Landing and as impressed as I am at what they were able to accomplish, I know it's just not the same thing as watching it in Real Time.
And as Ed Baldwin is watching, he's furious. He barely tries his best to hide it, but as his friend and co-pilot Gordo Stevens reminds him, they could've been the first to land on the Moon when they were on the Apollo 10 landing. Watching the Russians land, they have a feeling of "We were so damn close!" The next day, Deke Slayton tells his men to use the weekend to be pissed off, do whatever they have to do, but then it's back to work on Monday. After they leave, when they all get in their cars, not only is it cool to have racecar scene with everyone racing each other, but for them it's like they're in a race that they think they can win. And it's a friendly competition unlike the rivalry with the Russians.
Ed Baldwin is still pissed, though, and blabs his true feelings to a reporter who then says that Ed said NASA lost its balls. I'm going to assume that how furious Ed was, how close he thought they were when he was on Apollo 10, and having a few drinks was enough to set him off. Like his wife said, "I didn't know it only took a few drinks!" So now it doesn't look he'll have a chance to go into space ever again. He was nearly fired from NASA and would've been if Deke didn't stand up for him.
What I like about Deke Slayton is that he'll stand up for his people and he'll do what he thinks his right. He can be a hard-ass, but he's a fair hard-ass, and dead-set determined. Unlike Ed, he doesn't let his emotions get the best of him.
Deke Slayton has to deal with damage control, with the whole Ed Baldwin fiasco, answering questions about how they couldn't have known how close the Russians really were to landing someone on the moon, and Werner von Braun has to explain why Apollo 10 couldn't have landed while it was in lunar orbit. They have to answer all the tough questions, while all Ed had to do was be quiet and not put his foot in his mouth. Putting his foot in his mouth is something Ed does a lot.
Margo Madison, on the other hand, tries to avoid putting her foot in her mouth at all costs. She's a woman in a man's world, she respects the chain of command, maybe even a little too much, and doesn't speak up more when she has the information in front of her when Apollo 11 is approaching the Moon. Werner is her mentor, he knows her father, and he tells her that she shouldn't have felt intimidated or like she was speaking out of place. The facts were on her side. It's not about feeling, it's about facts. Margo takes this advice to heart, and it puts her on a very different trajectory than the trajectory we'll see Ed go on.
While all the wives are gathered together, this time for Apollo 11, Mrs. Slayton tells Karen Baldwin, Ed's wife, that Ed would have a chance to be an astronaut again if he completely denied the newspaper article that was written about what he said about NASA and completely distanced himself from it. Karen tells Mrs. Slayton that Ed is all about duty, honor, and country, and Mrs. Slayton says that sometimes you can only choose two. It's one of the first ethical dilemmas of the series, and the episode asks if Ed can make that leap.
The final act of this episode really had me going. For a good long while, I thought Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin wouldn't make it to the Moon. It looked like Apollo 11 might've crashed, they might've died, the news was saying the odds of their surviving was low. I had thoughts of, "Okay, this definitely feels like a Ron Moore show! Maybe they won't make it!" I really thought there was a chance they wouldn't make it, which made me wonder, "Where will they go from here?" And then it turned out they did make it! So, they really had me on edge.
I want to take a step back and say I love the set design, I love design aesthetic, seeing everyone's daily routine, and a taste of their normal lives when the characters aren't on their missions, and who they know outside of work. Even in the first episode, it feels like a real, lived-in world.
Can't wait to put on the next episode! Typing this makes me want to put on the next one right now, but I'm going to pace myself.
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FYI: yesterday at WWDC during the tvOS part, Apple showed some Apple TV+ show/movie teasers - For all Mankind (and Star City Spinoff) were both absent and not listed either.
"He Built the Saturn V" (S1E2)
The A-Plot: This episode starts with using actual archival footage of the real Wernher von Braun from 1955, showing his model of a proposed manned spaceship. It's bookended with Von Braun's career being finished at NASA, after Congress Representative Charles Sandman exposes that he worked for the SS in Nazi Germany during World War II. Up until this episode, it was classified by Operation Paperclip that Von Braun was in charge of the development of rockets, which were used by the Germans for warfare, and Sandman asks if Wernher knew how many people died because of his work, to which he falters. Everything in-between is used to set up a string of dominoes that takes "He Built the Saturn V" from the starting point to its endpoint. The fall of Wernher von Braun affects the overall trajectory of NASA during this series, his friendship mentorship with Margo Madison, and whether or not Ed Baldwin will ever become an astronaut; the last of which is the main focus of the B-Plot. The show is about Ed Baldwin, but this episode is dependent on the fall of Wernher von Braun and is titled after one of his accomplishments, which is why I consider Wernher's story to be the A-Plot.
After the archival footage, we get a look the Eagle retrieving Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin off the moon. Everyone in control of celebrating. This is Werhner's last real victory in the series, except he doesn't know it yet.
Then the episode cuts to two months later. Wernher and Deke return from a meeting, as they enter NASA, they see Ed. Wernher looks at Ed with contempt as he walks by. On the wall, you can see pictures of President Nixon, NASA Director Verner von Braun, and NASA Administrator Thomas Paine, reinforcing how big of a deal Wernher is and how big of barrier he is to Ed being forgiven. Other than it's history that Neil Armstrong was the first man on the moon and Ed Baldwin is a fictional character, I think one of the reasons Ed Baldwin probably wasn't selected for the honor of landing on the Moon first was because he probably mouthed off to the wrong person. Wernher would likely insist that since they needed to test the waters first, Ed Baldwin was the perfect person to take the risk of visiting the moon and that he was exactly the wrong person to get the reward of landing on it.
As early as within the first five minutes is when it's framed that Wernher has to go. The United States may have lost the race to the Moon but Paine, who was appointed by Nixon, says that they can win the "race for the base". Wernher pushes back. He doesn't want a military presence on the moon. He wants NASA to be used to explore space, not fight wars. Nixon, on the other hand, is determined for a win against Russia and wants a base on the Moon and wants Wernher gone for telling him "no." Henry Kissinger tells Nixon that Wernher is untouchable, to which Nixon says, "We'll have to get creative." It was a masterstroke that immediately before this scene, they establish that Wernher's work was "defiled by men with guns" in Germany. And that's when they start digging into Operation Paperclip to see what they can declassify. Operation Paperclip being when the United States employed former German scientists and engineers to work for the United States government before other countries, including the Soviet Union, could get their hands on them. As long as Wernher could help the government, they didn't care about what he did. The Cold War forced the United States to become more pragmatic. But once Wernher started pushing back, that's when they started to care, and exposed what he did to the world.
On a professional level, Wehrner's standing and career at NASA are finished. On a personal level, his friendship with Margo is ruined. She looked up to him for most of her life, he knew her father, he was a mentor and like a second-father to her. And now to found out how many deaths he was responsible for, even though he was an engineer and not a soldier. It was too painful for her to watch the testimony on the TV and it was especially painful for her to face him in person know, and especially after he tries to deflect the question about if he knew how many people died and suffered because the development of his rockets for the SS. This is in sharp contrast to the beginning of the episode when Wehrner thinks about retiring and Margo is wondering who she'll have lunch with, he gives her is special ruler, and then he congratulates her on becoming the first woman in Mission Control.
During Margo's interview with Gene for a position in Mission Control, Gene says Wehrner thinks the world of her. It's a very good thing this interview took place before Wehrner's exposure, or that would've been a huge black mark against her. Gene also wants to make sure she won't leave to become a mother. Several times before, Wehrner had also asked Margo about whether or not she'd find anyone and she's said doesn't have time for that. She's interested in her career and, to be honest, it doesn't look like she's that interested in relationships. Despite what society thinks, especially back then, you don't have to be. People shouldn't think less of you for it, then or now. Then Gene makes a comment that crosses a line for Margo about how not everyone is cut out to be a mother, except it's something she can't say anything about. It seems like something a 1969 man would say without even thinking about it, but it's also likely something he said to see how Margo would react, since he made a point about how people can wilt under pressure in Mission Control. At the end, she actually does get the job, and Wehrner is the one to tell her congratulations.
Unfortunately, Wernher's celebration is short-lived because of what happens next. He leaves NASA as Apollo 12 launches. Everyone in Mission Control is celebrating Apollo 12's launch, while he walks down hallways on the way to the exit, making eye-contact with no one and being greeted by no one. His picture that used to be alongside Nixon's and Paine's has been taken down.
The B-Plot: Ed Baldwin has spent two months behind a desk since he told that interviewer that NASA doesn't have guts. No doubt part of their plan to get rid of Wehrner, Paine and Sandman want Ed to speak before a Committee about the Apollo 10 mission and NASA. They tempt him with this possibly being his way back up into space. Ed had earlier looked at getting back into the Navy and into the battlefront in Vietnam, which made his wife worried for his safety, but as his former CO told him: people go from pilots to astronauts, not the other way around. Unable to go back, unable to move forward, and trapped in limbo, the only way out of this situation is if he testifies before the Committee. His eye is on the prize of getting back onto Apollo 15.
What I like about Ed Baldwin is that ultimately, he's a man of integrity. He won't throw Wernher under the bus, and takes ownership of what happened on Apollo 10 and why they didn't land on the Moon. The flashbacks to the Apollo 10 mission added to Ed's testimony. The sense of wonder in Ed and Gordo's eyes is conveyed in the flashback that can't be done justice in a testimony. When the Representative counters by asking about what Ed said in the newspaper article, that NASA didn't have guts, Ed sounds like he's in a state of contrition, and that if there's anyone to blame for the United States not landing on the Moon first, it should be him. He takes full responsibility, he was the commander of Apollo 10. Except Sandman doesn't want to blame Ed Baldwin. He was to blame Wernher von Braun, as directly or indirectly instructed by Nixon.
Regardless of whatever would've happened next, Ed's back to deciding he wants to go back to the Navy. He's owning up to what he did and genuinely sorry for what he told the reporter. And that's when Deke comes to the rescue. It's no coincidence that the very first scene after Wernher leaves NASA is a scene where Deke recruits Ed and puts him back on Apollo 15, admiring the guts Ed had when he spoke to the Committee.
The major conflicts during the first two episodes have been resolved. NASA bounced back after the Russians beat them to the Moon, and fences have been mended with Ed. Then the Russians up the ante by putting the first woman on the Moon! Great page turner. Now not only does NASA have to win "the race for the base", but they also have to put a woman on the Moon too. What I love about For All Mankind in general is how landing on the Moon only became the starting point for the Space Race and not the end, like in our time.
Feels like Mad Men: Gordo is a man of vices. When he's in a hotel and calling Tracy, a woman he's sleeping with flushes the toilet and Tracy overhears. Then Tracy becomes furious and wants to get rid of everything. Karen finally talks her down. I don't blame Tracy, I'm on her side. Gordo should be faithful. But I can also see Karen's point about how Karen will be a struggling single mom without Gordo. They're in a deeply, deeply flawed marriage.
What else feels like Mad Men is when Karen is holding a party at her and Ed's house. The wives are together talking amongst each other, the husbands are talking amongst each other, the kids are playing, and Neil Armstrong wants to get away from it all by finding a corner that no one's at. When Ed joins him, I could see Don Draper doing the same thing and then asking Neil about his insights into actually landing on the Moon.
Feels like Battlestar Galactica: Ed is like Adama. Straight-laced, taking responsibility, making the tough calls. Gordo is like Tigh. The drunk who over-indulges but is also fiercely loyal to our lead.
Feels like Star Trek: The Next Generation: When Wernher was saying that NASA should be used for exploration and not for military conflict, it reminded me of something Captain Picard would say.
Humble Beginnings: In the previous episode, when Aleida Rosales was watching the first Moon landing, I pegged her as someone who would eventually become part of NASA. Especially since I already knew the series would jump decades from season-to-season even before I started watching. But I was wondering how it would eventually all connect. Then I see it with her and her family moving from Mexico to the United States; and then with her father, Octavio becoming a janitor at NASA. Evidence of the series playing the long game and that as fast as some developments are, others are slow burns.
Another humble beginning was Ted Kennedy during the Committee Hearing when he was questioning the relevance of Wernher von Braun's role during World War II. The voice briefly questioning Sandman, the Representative working for Nixon, will eventually become the man running against Nixon.
The A-Plot: This episode starts with using actual archival footage of the real Wernher von Braun from 1955, showing his model of a proposed manned spaceship. It's bookended with Von Braun's career being finished at NASA, after Congress Representative Charles Sandman exposes that he worked for the SS in Nazi Germany during World War II. Up until this episode, it was classified by Operation Paperclip that Von Braun was in charge of the development of rockets, which were used by the Germans for warfare, and Sandman asks if Wernher knew how many people died because of his work, to which he falters. Everything in-between is used to set up a string of dominoes that takes "He Built the Saturn V" from the starting point to its endpoint. The fall of Wernher von Braun affects the overall trajectory of NASA during this series, his friendship mentorship with Margo Madison, and whether or not Ed Baldwin will ever become an astronaut; the last of which is the main focus of the B-Plot. The show is about Ed Baldwin, but this episode is dependent on the fall of Wernher von Braun and is titled after one of his accomplishments, which is why I consider Wernher's story to be the A-Plot.
After the archival footage, we get a look the Eagle retrieving Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin off the moon. Everyone in control of celebrating. This is Werhner's last real victory in the series, except he doesn't know it yet.
Then the episode cuts to two months later. Wernher and Deke return from a meeting, as they enter NASA, they see Ed. Wernher looks at Ed with contempt as he walks by. On the wall, you can see pictures of President Nixon, NASA Director Verner von Braun, and NASA Administrator Thomas Paine, reinforcing how big of a deal Wernher is and how big of barrier he is to Ed being forgiven. Other than it's history that Neil Armstrong was the first man on the moon and Ed Baldwin is a fictional character, I think one of the reasons Ed Baldwin probably wasn't selected for the honor of landing on the Moon first was because he probably mouthed off to the wrong person. Wernher would likely insist that since they needed to test the waters first, Ed Baldwin was the perfect person to take the risk of visiting the moon and that he was exactly the wrong person to get the reward of landing on it.
As early as within the first five minutes is when it's framed that Wernher has to go. The United States may have lost the race to the Moon but Paine, who was appointed by Nixon, says that they can win the "race for the base". Wernher pushes back. He doesn't want a military presence on the moon. He wants NASA to be used to explore space, not fight wars. Nixon, on the other hand, is determined for a win against Russia and wants a base on the Moon and wants Wernher gone for telling him "no." Henry Kissinger tells Nixon that Wernher is untouchable, to which Nixon says, "We'll have to get creative." It was a masterstroke that immediately before this scene, they establish that Wernher's work was "defiled by men with guns" in Germany. And that's when they start digging into Operation Paperclip to see what they can declassify. Operation Paperclip being when the United States employed former German scientists and engineers to work for the United States government before other countries, including the Soviet Union, could get their hands on them. As long as Wernher could help the government, they didn't care about what he did. The Cold War forced the United States to become more pragmatic. But once Wernher started pushing back, that's when they started to care, and exposed what he did to the world.
On a professional level, Wehrner's standing and career at NASA are finished. On a personal level, his friendship with Margo is ruined. She looked up to him for most of her life, he knew her father, he was a mentor and like a second-father to her. And now to found out how many deaths he was responsible for, even though he was an engineer and not a soldier. It was too painful for her to watch the testimony on the TV and it was especially painful for her to face him in person know, and especially after he tries to deflect the question about if he knew how many people died and suffered because the development of his rockets for the SS. This is in sharp contrast to the beginning of the episode when Wehrner thinks about retiring and Margo is wondering who she'll have lunch with, he gives her is special ruler, and then he congratulates her on becoming the first woman in Mission Control.
During Margo's interview with Gene for a position in Mission Control, Gene says Wehrner thinks the world of her. It's a very good thing this interview took place before Wehrner's exposure, or that would've been a huge black mark against her. Gene also wants to make sure she won't leave to become a mother. Several times before, Wehrner had also asked Margo about whether or not she'd find anyone and she's said doesn't have time for that. She's interested in her career and, to be honest, it doesn't look like she's that interested in relationships. Despite what society thinks, especially back then, you don't have to be. People shouldn't think less of you for it, then or now. Then Gene makes a comment that crosses a line for Margo about how not everyone is cut out to be a mother, except it's something she can't say anything about. It seems like something a 1969 man would say without even thinking about it, but it's also likely something he said to see how Margo would react, since he made a point about how people can wilt under pressure in Mission Control. At the end, she actually does get the job, and Wehrner is the one to tell her congratulations.
Unfortunately, Wernher's celebration is short-lived because of what happens next. He leaves NASA as Apollo 12 launches. Everyone in Mission Control is celebrating Apollo 12's launch, while he walks down hallways on the way to the exit, making eye-contact with no one and being greeted by no one. His picture that used to be alongside Nixon's and Paine's has been taken down.
The B-Plot: Ed Baldwin has spent two months behind a desk since he told that interviewer that NASA doesn't have guts. No doubt part of their plan to get rid of Wehrner, Paine and Sandman want Ed to speak before a Committee about the Apollo 10 mission and NASA. They tempt him with this possibly being his way back up into space. Ed had earlier looked at getting back into the Navy and into the battlefront in Vietnam, which made his wife worried for his safety, but as his former CO told him: people go from pilots to astronauts, not the other way around. Unable to go back, unable to move forward, and trapped in limbo, the only way out of this situation is if he testifies before the Committee. His eye is on the prize of getting back onto Apollo 15.
What I like about Ed Baldwin is that ultimately, he's a man of integrity. He won't throw Wernher under the bus, and takes ownership of what happened on Apollo 10 and why they didn't land on the Moon. The flashbacks to the Apollo 10 mission added to Ed's testimony. The sense of wonder in Ed and Gordo's eyes is conveyed in the flashback that can't be done justice in a testimony. When the Representative counters by asking about what Ed said in the newspaper article, that NASA didn't have guts, Ed sounds like he's in a state of contrition, and that if there's anyone to blame for the United States not landing on the Moon first, it should be him. He takes full responsibility, he was the commander of Apollo 10. Except Sandman doesn't want to blame Ed Baldwin. He was to blame Wernher von Braun, as directly or indirectly instructed by Nixon.
Regardless of whatever would've happened next, Ed's back to deciding he wants to go back to the Navy. He's owning up to what he did and genuinely sorry for what he told the reporter. And that's when Deke comes to the rescue. It's no coincidence that the very first scene after Wernher leaves NASA is a scene where Deke recruits Ed and puts him back on Apollo 15, admiring the guts Ed had when he spoke to the Committee.
The major conflicts during the first two episodes have been resolved. NASA bounced back after the Russians beat them to the Moon, and fences have been mended with Ed. Then the Russians up the ante by putting the first woman on the Moon! Great page turner. Now not only does NASA have to win "the race for the base", but they also have to put a woman on the Moon too. What I love about For All Mankind in general is how landing on the Moon only became the starting point for the Space Race and not the end, like in our time.
Feels like Mad Men: Gordo is a man of vices. When he's in a hotel and calling Tracy, a woman he's sleeping with flushes the toilet and Tracy overhears. Then Tracy becomes furious and wants to get rid of everything. Karen finally talks her down. I don't blame Tracy, I'm on her side. Gordo should be faithful. But I can also see Karen's point about how Karen will be a struggling single mom without Gordo. They're in a deeply, deeply flawed marriage.
What else feels like Mad Men is when Karen is holding a party at her and Ed's house. The wives are together talking amongst each other, the husbands are talking amongst each other, the kids are playing, and Neil Armstrong wants to get away from it all by finding a corner that no one's at. When Ed joins him, I could see Don Draper doing the same thing and then asking Neil about his insights into actually landing on the Moon.
Feels like Battlestar Galactica: Ed is like Adama. Straight-laced, taking responsibility, making the tough calls. Gordo is like Tigh. The drunk who over-indulges but is also fiercely loyal to our lead.
Feels like Star Trek: The Next Generation: When Wernher was saying that NASA should be used for exploration and not for military conflict, it reminded me of something Captain Picard would say.
Humble Beginnings: In the previous episode, when Aleida Rosales was watching the first Moon landing, I pegged her as someone who would eventually become part of NASA. Especially since I already knew the series would jump decades from season-to-season even before I started watching. But I was wondering how it would eventually all connect. Then I see it with her and her family moving from Mexico to the United States; and then with her father, Octavio becoming a janitor at NASA. Evidence of the series playing the long game and that as fast as some developments are, others are slow burns.
Another humble beginning was Ted Kennedy during the Committee Hearing when he was questioning the relevance of Wernher von Braun's role during World War II. The voice briefly questioning Sandman, the Representative working for Nixon, will eventually become the man running against Nixon.
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Karen's arc was absolutely my favorite part of season 1, as it became clear she'd sublimated all of her ambition into being the perfect housewife, then astro-wife, and she had to find a way to define herself once shit got real and she understood she was a control freak who'd gotten herself into a situation where her entire life was out of her control.
It's tragic (in the literary sense of being undone by an inescapable personal flaw) that she slips back into crisis in season 2 when she infers she's the reason Ed took a desk job and that he would've rather stayed on flight duty (as I recall, the scene almost played as her pushing him to get back into the cockpit, and he would've been fine enjoying the fruits of his labors; maybe she felt like she'd unintentionally put him into the awful position she'd been in before, and assumed it was eating at him the same way it tore her apart, though he's a different person and didn't have her issues).
It's tragic (in the literary sense of being undone by an inescapable personal flaw) that she slips back into crisis in season 2 when she infers she's the reason Ed took a desk job and that he would've rather stayed on flight duty (as I recall, the scene almost played as her pushing him to get back into the cockpit, and he would've been fine enjoying the fruits of his labors; maybe she felt like she'd unintentionally put him into the awful position she'd been in before, and assumed it was eating at him the same way it tore her apart, though he's a different person and didn't have her issues).
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"Nixon's Women" (S1E3)
This episode is bookended by Gordo having doubts or concerns about Tracy, onto to have her pull through at the end. Not only Gordo having doubts, but Deke and Karen as well. Her husband, her instructor, and her friend. Throw in Molly, who's giving her shit all the way through, and you have Tracy taking it from all four corners.
Starting with a flashback was the right way to go: showing how Gordo and Tracy met, and the audience being able to see her prove herself. A pilot makes a comment about "still handing out wings like candy", which is ironic considering the main focus of this episode -- after the flashback -- is showing what the ASCANs, short for AStronaut CANdidates, have to go through in order to become Astronauts for NASA. The selection process is show, the back-and-forth up top, and all the different types of training and instruction the ASCANs have to go through and endure. Paine says that Nixon wants a woman on the Moon, Deke says he'll need 20 women so he can narrow it down to the right one. At the end, they have four. Tracy, Molly, Danielle, and Ellen. Over the course of several months depicted here, we gradually see the numbers thin out through each exercise. And what does everyone think of this program to train women astronauts in 1970?
Deke will take every woman through the same process as every man. He's the fairest. He doesn't care who are what you are, just so long as you can do the job. While he doesn't like that Tracy was forced onto him for a list of candidates, he'll still treat even her fairly. Paine only cares about the publicity and doesn't think they can handle the rigors Deke will put them through. In particular, Paine loves the idea of Gordo and Tracy being a married couple in space. A Space Couple. Karen is furious about the idea that a woman is being made an astronaut just because the Soviets had a woman cosmonaut. Ed says he doesn't think it's a great idea, but it's not his call. Karen points out how much Ed had to go through to get to where he is, and they shouldn't just pin a medal on a woman just so she can fly up. It reminds me of the story that women in the test audience for "The Cage", the first pilot episode for the original Star Trek, didn't respond well to Majel Barrett's character Number One, who was the First Officer. The story recalled by Gene Roddenberry was that they thought, "Just who does she think she is?"
In particular regard to the selection of Tracy as a candidate, Deke brings up a point that no one can argue with, "Would you want to work at the same place as your wife?" Instead of trying to argue with it, Paine tells Deke to work his way around it. I didn't notice this on first or second watch, but after Deke is told to give Gordo something he wants so he won't object to Tracy becoming an astronaut candidate, I just picked up that a seat on Apollo 15 is the thing that Deke offered him. That makes it even that much worse for Gordo when his spot on Apollo 15 is eventually taken away from him. Gordo was pawn for the behind-the-scenes political game throughout.
ASCANs
In the training class, Molly and Patty are clearly the hotshots in the class. Danielle, being black, doesn't find anyone who'll interact with her, so she sits with Tracy, the only other one being shunned, since they think she's only there because she's Gordo's wife. Deke tells the ladies right upfront that he's not sure if all of them will still be here a year from now, and lays out all the criteria they'll be graded on during their training. Molly is still doubtful that the training program will make it past the second month. She thinks things haven't changed that much. That's the pessimism speaking, but she's not taking into account is just how much to continued competition with the Soviet Union with the Space Race is going to force change a lot more than she, or anyone else, thinks.
While this episode has having the ASCANs learn how to be Astronauts, we learn more about the characters themselves or at least get glimpses into what's to come. There's the first unspoken sign that Ellen is gay. Tracy tells Ellen she's surprised she isn't married yet. Ellen says that Tracy sounds like her mother. Probably true, but also a good way to dead-stop to all conversation about the matter as well.
The low-key rivalry begins between Molly and Margo. Margo is teaching the class and Molly isn't paying attention because she already knows what's being covered, so Margo gives an immediate pop-quiz, then finds out Molly really does know the material.
At one point, Tracy tells Karen that being an Astronaut isn't easy, and then instead of showing support, Karen hits back with "It's not supposed to be easy," and Karen decides to leave but it makes it look like she's calling it a night. This low-key dog-whistle about Tracy on Karen's part is in stark contrast to Molly, who makes what she thinks crystal clear. Later on, at the bar, Patty maintains that they're the future and the men are resisting them because they're the future. Molly still doesn't believe it, and still expects the program to end. She feels bad for the other women because she thinks they don't know what's coming. The only one she doesn't feel bad for is Tracy, who she calls "Astro Wife".
While Molly keeps making assumptions about Tracy, Tracy is telling the other women about how she's been flying since she was a kid. If Tracy hadn't met Gordo, and wasn't married to him, Molly wouldn't have a problem with Tracy because she wouldn't be assuming she's only there because of her husband and not because of her own merits. Molly doesn't want to see that. Molly wants to see Tracy as the enemy. Tracy and the other women talk about what they did for careers before they became Astronaut Candidates, and they were all traditional jobs that women would have in those days. Tracy didn't see flying jets as a viable career for her as a woman. In a different world, they all probably would've been Astronauts, or at least pilots, all along.
Tracy vs. Everyone
It takes two-and-a-half months before Molly really has a chance to under Tracy's skin, and plant serious doubt in her mind when she has struggles inside the Lunar Capsule Flight Simulator. Molly calls her "Astro Wife" yet again, questions what she's still doing here, and it gets under Tracy's skin. Later on, Tracy and Gordo have a fight over it where Tracy isn't sure if she believes in herself anymore. Gordo believes in Tracy but Tracy doesn't like it when he tells her that she cracked under the first pushback that Molly gave her. Tracy continues on anyway. I think partially because of stubborn pride, partially because of strong will, and partially because of not wanting to give Molly the satisfaction of seeing her leave.
Pierce asks Deke about the ASCANs, a.k.a. Nixon's Women, and he tells him that they'll be doing Desert Survival Training. It's not a group exercise, they'll each have to survive individually on their own. Pierce, being a sexist, is convinced they'll all wash out. Deke is matter-of-fact and says that if they can't survive the desert, they can't survive the Moon. Can't argue with that. And once again, Deke is the voice of reason. But even he's not perfect in his judgement, as we'll see when it still comes to Tracy.
Molly and Patty still act as if they have nothing to prove. Patty makes it through Desert Survival Training first, even though Molly thought she was first, but they never, ever had any doubts in their mind that it would be down to either of them for who made it through first. They arrogantly toast. And they really do seemingly have nothing to prove, even in Deke's eyes. But no matter what Tracy does, it still isn't good enough.
While Deke and Patty want to keep Tracy down in different ways, Tracy sees Ellen and helps Ellen instead of asking her to abort. She wants to bring Ellen and herself forward. As opposed to Molly & Patty, who just want to put others down and in their place. Tracy looks heroic in helping Ellen make it back and Deke doesn't cut her from Astronaut Candidate list. These astronaut candidates inspire women and girls everywhere, who look up to them, and some want to become astronauts themselves. It's was great to see this news footage and how it uplifts so many.
Unfortunately, this ties back to Deke still not thinking anything Molly does is good enough. Even after all this, and even though he doesn't cut Tracy because he thinks she had guts, he still wants her to step away from the candidate program. He can't past that she's Gordo's wife and Pierce forced on him. As fair as he tries to be, he's still biased in this regard, even though he can't see it. I appreciate this nuance that Deke wants to cut her out, can't think of a reason to, and in a way wants Tracy to make the decision for him. While Tracy had doubts along the way, especially after Molly belittled her in the simulator, she didn't realize just how badly she wanted to be in the program until she was facing Deke asking her to leave the program voluntarily. She tells Deke that if he wants her out, he'll have to cut her himself. "Sir." This shows real character growth because if Deke can't get her down, then neither can Molly from this point on.
The Surprise Twist
Ironically, it's not Tracy who Deke should've been worried about. It's Patty. Now almost seven months into the training program. Ed, who's been training the ASCANs in flight, wants each of them to operate individual jets and perform a specific set of a maneuvers. Then the scene cuts away to Gordo driving at a distance, it looks like something has gone wrong on the training field, he drives closer, to the crash site, where the training is, and in a wonderful sense of misdirection, we're led to believe Tracy died when Gordo fears the worst... and then it's revealed that it was actually Patty who died! Hopefully this sends a message to Molly not to be so arrogant and not assume she's so much better than everyone else.
I loved the direction of the final sequence. The ASCANs and Ed are off in their corner, Patty is up in the air, and Gordo is way off in the distance driving and minding his own business when he sees what happens from what both seems like so close and so far away at the same time. Close enough that can drive right over and far enough that he's wondering for an eternity about what happened to Tracy and if she's the one who died, and what he'd do if she did. Ending in tragedy, even though it's not the one Gordo thought, was a perfect way to end the episode. It lets what happened to Patty stay with the audience before the following episode moves on to what happened next.
This episode is bookended by Gordo having doubts or concerns about Tracy, onto to have her pull through at the end. Not only Gordo having doubts, but Deke and Karen as well. Her husband, her instructor, and her friend. Throw in Molly, who's giving her shit all the way through, and you have Tracy taking it from all four corners.
Starting with a flashback was the right way to go: showing how Gordo and Tracy met, and the audience being able to see her prove herself. A pilot makes a comment about "still handing out wings like candy", which is ironic considering the main focus of this episode -- after the flashback -- is showing what the ASCANs, short for AStronaut CANdidates, have to go through in order to become Astronauts for NASA. The selection process is show, the back-and-forth up top, and all the different types of training and instruction the ASCANs have to go through and endure. Paine says that Nixon wants a woman on the Moon, Deke says he'll need 20 women so he can narrow it down to the right one. At the end, they have four. Tracy, Molly, Danielle, and Ellen. Over the course of several months depicted here, we gradually see the numbers thin out through each exercise. And what does everyone think of this program to train women astronauts in 1970?
Deke will take every woman through the same process as every man. He's the fairest. He doesn't care who are what you are, just so long as you can do the job. While he doesn't like that Tracy was forced onto him for a list of candidates, he'll still treat even her fairly. Paine only cares about the publicity and doesn't think they can handle the rigors Deke will put them through. In particular, Paine loves the idea of Gordo and Tracy being a married couple in space. A Space Couple. Karen is furious about the idea that a woman is being made an astronaut just because the Soviets had a woman cosmonaut. Ed says he doesn't think it's a great idea, but it's not his call. Karen points out how much Ed had to go through to get to where he is, and they shouldn't just pin a medal on a woman just so she can fly up. It reminds me of the story that women in the test audience for "The Cage", the first pilot episode for the original Star Trek, didn't respond well to Majel Barrett's character Number One, who was the First Officer. The story recalled by Gene Roddenberry was that they thought, "Just who does she think she is?"
In particular regard to the selection of Tracy as a candidate, Deke brings up a point that no one can argue with, "Would you want to work at the same place as your wife?" Instead of trying to argue with it, Paine tells Deke to work his way around it. I didn't notice this on first or second watch, but after Deke is told to give Gordo something he wants so he won't object to Tracy becoming an astronaut candidate, I just picked up that a seat on Apollo 15 is the thing that Deke offered him. That makes it even that much worse for Gordo when his spot on Apollo 15 is eventually taken away from him. Gordo was pawn for the behind-the-scenes political game throughout.
ASCANs
In the training class, Molly and Patty are clearly the hotshots in the class. Danielle, being black, doesn't find anyone who'll interact with her, so she sits with Tracy, the only other one being shunned, since they think she's only there because she's Gordo's wife. Deke tells the ladies right upfront that he's not sure if all of them will still be here a year from now, and lays out all the criteria they'll be graded on during their training. Molly is still doubtful that the training program will make it past the second month. She thinks things haven't changed that much. That's the pessimism speaking, but she's not taking into account is just how much to continued competition with the Soviet Union with the Space Race is going to force change a lot more than she, or anyone else, thinks.
While this episode has having the ASCANs learn how to be Astronauts, we learn more about the characters themselves or at least get glimpses into what's to come. There's the first unspoken sign that Ellen is gay. Tracy tells Ellen she's surprised she isn't married yet. Ellen says that Tracy sounds like her mother. Probably true, but also a good way to dead-stop to all conversation about the matter as well.
The low-key rivalry begins between Molly and Margo. Margo is teaching the class and Molly isn't paying attention because she already knows what's being covered, so Margo gives an immediate pop-quiz, then finds out Molly really does know the material.
At one point, Tracy tells Karen that being an Astronaut isn't easy, and then instead of showing support, Karen hits back with "It's not supposed to be easy," and Karen decides to leave but it makes it look like she's calling it a night. This low-key dog-whistle about Tracy on Karen's part is in stark contrast to Molly, who makes what she thinks crystal clear. Later on, at the bar, Patty maintains that they're the future and the men are resisting them because they're the future. Molly still doesn't believe it, and still expects the program to end. She feels bad for the other women because she thinks they don't know what's coming. The only one she doesn't feel bad for is Tracy, who she calls "Astro Wife".
While Molly keeps making assumptions about Tracy, Tracy is telling the other women about how she's been flying since she was a kid. If Tracy hadn't met Gordo, and wasn't married to him, Molly wouldn't have a problem with Tracy because she wouldn't be assuming she's only there because of her husband and not because of her own merits. Molly doesn't want to see that. Molly wants to see Tracy as the enemy. Tracy and the other women talk about what they did for careers before they became Astronaut Candidates, and they were all traditional jobs that women would have in those days. Tracy didn't see flying jets as a viable career for her as a woman. In a different world, they all probably would've been Astronauts, or at least pilots, all along.
Tracy vs. Everyone
It takes two-and-a-half months before Molly really has a chance to under Tracy's skin, and plant serious doubt in her mind when she has struggles inside the Lunar Capsule Flight Simulator. Molly calls her "Astro Wife" yet again, questions what she's still doing here, and it gets under Tracy's skin. Later on, Tracy and Gordo have a fight over it where Tracy isn't sure if she believes in herself anymore. Gordo believes in Tracy but Tracy doesn't like it when he tells her that she cracked under the first pushback that Molly gave her. Tracy continues on anyway. I think partially because of stubborn pride, partially because of strong will, and partially because of not wanting to give Molly the satisfaction of seeing her leave.
Pierce asks Deke about the ASCANs, a.k.a. Nixon's Women, and he tells him that they'll be doing Desert Survival Training. It's not a group exercise, they'll each have to survive individually on their own. Pierce, being a sexist, is convinced they'll all wash out. Deke is matter-of-fact and says that if they can't survive the desert, they can't survive the Moon. Can't argue with that. And once again, Deke is the voice of reason. But even he's not perfect in his judgement, as we'll see when it still comes to Tracy.
Molly and Patty still act as if they have nothing to prove. Patty makes it through Desert Survival Training first, even though Molly thought she was first, but they never, ever had any doubts in their mind that it would be down to either of them for who made it through first. They arrogantly toast. And they really do seemingly have nothing to prove, even in Deke's eyes. But no matter what Tracy does, it still isn't good enough.
While Deke and Patty want to keep Tracy down in different ways, Tracy sees Ellen and helps Ellen instead of asking her to abort. She wants to bring Ellen and herself forward. As opposed to Molly & Patty, who just want to put others down and in their place. Tracy looks heroic in helping Ellen make it back and Deke doesn't cut her from Astronaut Candidate list. These astronaut candidates inspire women and girls everywhere, who look up to them, and some want to become astronauts themselves. It's was great to see this news footage and how it uplifts so many.
Unfortunately, this ties back to Deke still not thinking anything Molly does is good enough. Even after all this, and even though he doesn't cut Tracy because he thinks she had guts, he still wants her to step away from the candidate program. He can't past that she's Gordo's wife and Pierce forced on him. As fair as he tries to be, he's still biased in this regard, even though he can't see it. I appreciate this nuance that Deke wants to cut her out, can't think of a reason to, and in a way wants Tracy to make the decision for him. While Tracy had doubts along the way, especially after Molly belittled her in the simulator, she didn't realize just how badly she wanted to be in the program until she was facing Deke asking her to leave the program voluntarily. She tells Deke that if he wants her out, he'll have to cut her himself. "Sir." This shows real character growth because if Deke can't get her down, then neither can Molly from this point on.
The Surprise Twist
Ironically, it's not Tracy who Deke should've been worried about. It's Patty. Now almost seven months into the training program. Ed, who's been training the ASCANs in flight, wants each of them to operate individual jets and perform a specific set of a maneuvers. Then the scene cuts away to Gordo driving at a distance, it looks like something has gone wrong on the training field, he drives closer, to the crash site, where the training is, and in a wonderful sense of misdirection, we're led to believe Tracy died when Gordo fears the worst... and then it's revealed that it was actually Patty who died! Hopefully this sends a message to Molly not to be so arrogant and not assume she's so much better than everyone else.
I loved the direction of the final sequence. The ASCANs and Ed are off in their corner, Patty is up in the air, and Gordo is way off in the distance driving and minding his own business when he sees what happens from what both seems like so close and so far away at the same time. Close enough that can drive right over and far enough that he's wondering for an eternity about what happened to Tracy and if she's the one who died, and what he'd do if she did. Ending in tragedy, even though it's not the one Gordo thought, was a perfect way to end the episode. It lets what happened to Patty stay with the audience before the following episode moves on to what happened next.
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