For All Mankind - AppleTV HardSF Alt Reality with Ronald D Moore

[ctg]

On June 10, 1995, cosmonauts aboard Russia's space station Mir relocated one of the outpost's modules in preparation for the first docking by an American space shuttle, a part of phase one of the International Space Station.

Or, on that same day, the Cold War space race between the Soviet Union and United States continued to push both countries outward, well beyond the moon, to a new planetary frontier: Mars (opens in new tab).

The latter is the premise behind the third season of the alternate space history series "For All Mankind," (opens in new tab) which is set to premiere on June 10, 2022 on Apple TV+. The 10-part season will debut a new episode each Friday through Aug. 12.

"The Red Planet becomes the new front in the space race, not only for the U.S. and the Soviet Union, but also an unexpected new entrant with a lot to prove and even more at stake," an Apple TV+ synopsis reads. "Our characters find themselves going head-to-head as their ambitions for Mars come into conflict and their loyalties are tested, creating a pressure cooker that builds to a climactic conclusion."

'For All Mankind' aims for Mars as season 3 lands June 10 on Apple TV Plus

The Red Planet becomes the new front in the space race.

www.space.com

 

[Elckerlyc]

Well... I don't know whether to be excited or indifferent. The second half of season 2 got more and more the characteristics of a soap rather than that of a thrilling quality TV-show about (an alternative) space-race as it started out to be with season 1 and the start of season 2.
Also, at first it was fun to watch how this fictitious space-race to the moon developed beyond the race as we know it went, asking ourselves; what if, what could have been achieved if the race had prolonged?
Now that has been explored, it becomes pure SF. Nothing wrong with that, of course (I'm no heretic!) but it will miss the element that gave it something extra.

 

[ctg]

For All Mankind sets its alternate timeline sights on Mars in S3 trailer

“There is a primal urge in all of us to explore.”…

arstechnica.com

How many of you have access to the AppleTV? I dropped writing on these because there was nobody to talk to and my interest on writing to no audience. But since we are on a season 3, maybe a seasonal non-spoiler review is possible, even though this series deserves more.

 

[Phyrebrat]

I thought this series was phenomenal— recently recommended it to super-agent Ed Wilson.

Was great to have a female cast lead and I’m not surprised it was so good bearing in mind RDM’s involvement.

Thing is, AppleTV is such a waste of money imo I cancelled my prescription months ago. This was the only thing I watched.

Really pleased if there’s a new season

 

[REBerg]

This is a worthwhile, well-done show.
I don't think I've watched a more engaging alternate history series. My only minor criticism would be that it tended to be a little heavy on the personal relationship drama.
I'm happy that a fourth season has been approved, but not so happy that it may not be coming for a year or more.

 

[ctg]

My only minor criticism would be that it tended to be a little heavy on the personal relationship drama.

Oh yeah, but I'd say it's very heavy on the personal drama. Especially on the people around Ed's family.

 

[Elckerlyc]

This is a worthwhile, well-done show.
I don't think I've watched a more engaging alternate history series. My only minor criticism would be that it tended to be a little heavy on the personal relationship drama.
I'm happy that a fourth season has been approved, but not so happy that it may not be coming for a year or more.

It is an enjoyable show, but I hate the personal drama stuff that has too much the character of some soap TV-series. More attention to technical challenges or troubles would be nice.
It would also achieve more credibility if it didn't include unstable persons to man their spacecraft. There were times when astronauts had to undergo some serious psychological tests before even allowed to approach a spacecraft within a 1 mile distance.

 

[REBerg]

It would also achieve more credibility if it didn't include unstable persons to man their spacecraft. There were times when astronauts had to undergo some serious psychological tests before even allowed to approach a spacecraft within a 1 mile distance.

I agree. Then, there's also the question of nepotism.

 

[Elckerlyc]

I agree. Then, there's also the question of nepotism.

That to. It could perhaps work with a company like Helios, but never NASA.

 

[REBerg]

Season 4, Nov, 10

 

[BAYLOR]

Season 4, Nov, 10

Looks very intriguing .

 

[Droflet]

I loved the first three seasons and am looking forward to this.

 

[BAYLOR]

I loved the first three seasons and am looking forward to this.

These are the kind of series that the SYFY Channel should be doing.

 

[REBerg]

The fourth season just ended, and I already miss this show.
I've read that a 7-season run is anticipated. I hope that's true.

 

[Elckerlyc]

I got stuck after episode 4 (of season 4). Melodrama of the not SF kind.
I may try to unstuck myself one of these days.

 

[Barleyman]

There are a lot of things that are illogical or wrong if you stop and think about it too much. In 4th season at least these howlers:

1. Soviets want to help bring Iridium asteroid to Earth orbit that will tank their lucrative Iridium export market.. Instead of trying to stop/sabotage the project from the start? What's their motivation?
2. First episode emergency was completely daft,
   Spoiler

   Why exactly the need to go rush and get yourself killed? They could just have powered down the spacecraft and stress would go away and give them time to sort things out. Even in the worst case, abort, regroup and try again? That ship apparently had plenty of dV to spare.
3. Goldilocks plotline had some more issues in the same vein,
   Spoiler

   the rock is now on Mars orbit, oh noes, we can never shift it to Earth now! What about that big honking ship that moved it in the first place that got dV to spare? That was already bolted exactly where they needed it? Even if it needed in-orbit refuel, it was obviously capable of it so they could have just tried again after sorting out the sillyness with the remote control.
4. They let Miles out alone after he tells people he has never done EVA, just because someone's feeling bitchy
5. Miles' export business is a problem because .. .. he's stealing Mars rocks? Seriously?

The show tries to be low-fantasy SF with actual science based technology, so this kind of thing sticks out more than in pew! pew! sci-fi.

Of course that was nothing compared to the extremely cringe-worthy S3 starting episode. Could they have asked someone in spaceflight forums what kind of g-forces they should put in?! Nobody notices they're weighting 2x more than normal before trying to throw shoe at your husband falls short? Okay then? Guys climbing ladders weighting (more than?) twice as much as normal? Must have been hitting gym something fierce! EVA with single-point tether at 4g?! Effectively 80-kilo guy would then weight 320kg, with the force concentrated in a single point? His spine would crack like a twig! And even if it wouldn't, it'd be impossible to move.

There was zero reason to be so dumb about it, just scale the numbers to 1/10th, and all that goes away. You're also pretty liable to notice suddenly carrying 20% extra weight on you..

So yeah, plenty here for nit picks, but I have to give it to Season 4 that the old-person make-up was vastly better than in S3. Like in S3 it was so bad they gave up on it. Also the basic storyline of S4 of corporates screwing you in space is always solid. Also no gawd-awful MILF infatuation storylines here.

 

[ctg]

Just finished watching S04E07 and I have to say Ed Baldwin is at his worst. He is the best worst old man that Mars could have, and he has nothing to lose. It's just it all points out to the Mars independence movement that was on the cards as soon as they got there. It had to happen, unlike in Moon, because it's that far from Earth and its politics.

Funny as it is For All Mankind has lots of moments of court drama. It's almost like GoT, but it's set in space and not in time when everyone's fighting over the same thing. Except that we only get to see most of that part, because it's involving the space, the future and the humanity. And in the season 4 it's so striking of how the space agencies have become the tools of the oppression.

Mr Baldwin's tantrum is a well written plot for getting Mars Independence on the table. In the Expanse we never saw it, but I am pleased that it's on the card, because it's an obvious point in humanity history, or rather for our future, because we would be some much better with two independent planets to get this solar system colonized.

So, yeah, I am enjoying the quirks of the season 4 to its fullest, because it's marvellous drama that I never wrote about.

 

[ctg]

Oh Margo, man, what did you do? I finished watching the season final last night and it still makes me giggle the stunt Margo pulled yet again, and it was bigger than the last one. Not that her life has been easy on the wrong side of the Iron Curtain, I kind of enjoyed her getting punished in the worst way and her using the female wrath to solve two of her most concerning problems, the fate of the space program and getting back to her handler.

In the latter case it was eye to eye, and in the shadow of the UA conflict it only felt proper. But the thing is I was surprised that whole institute has survived to 2012. To the age of Rock Hopping, as after capturing the Goldilock their next destination in the Belt.

Mars will gain its independence, and possibly more moons, but it will compete to resources with Earth as they both he'll to the belt. As a sidenote, some of this has started to resemble Ben Bova's Grand Tour. Is it intentional?