TV: For all Mankind

[RobBrown4PM]

Can't believe there isn't a thread up about this yet.



Season 2 dropped the other day. Next episode is the 26th.

I won't spoil anything, but it looks like the show is going to go in a very interesting direction.

For those of you who don't know, the show's premise is as follows:

In an alternate history, the Soviet Union lands a man on the moon first. Shortly after, they land a woman on the moon. Embarrassed, having had their prestige kicked into the ground, the US heavily invests into it's space program and starts training astronauts, including a core of female astronauts.

The team of female astronauts, who are pulled from the Mercury 13 (A real world program that trained a core of would be astronauts), are quickly ushered through the program at the behest of Nixon as a PR win. Obviously they are women in 1960's America, so they have to deal with a vast array of sexism, misogyny, and a culture which is sees them as house wives and baby reproductive ovens.

Aside from the cultural aspects of the show, the science in this show is HARD! This is really hard science fiction at it's best. I'd say the only show that get's it's science as well as this one is The Expanse.

This is an amazing what if, alternate history sci-fi show being run by Ronald D. Moore, of BSG fame.

I won't talk to much about what happens in the show, as it's easy to spoil things, but this show has a bright, bright future if it keeps going.

Click to read more...

 

[MadDevil]

I binged the first season a couple weekends ago and really enjoyed it. Haven't started watching season 2 yet.

 

[Raekwon]

Really enjoying this show, the cast is amazing.
Joel Kinnaman in particular is fantastic.

 

[alko]

Interesting. But here a question: Why did they send womens space commando?

 

[Jussi]

Interesting. But here a question: Why did they send womens space commando?

To trigger the internet.

 

[Eisen]

Interesting. But here a question: Why did they send womens space commando?

It's because the Soviets were planning to put women on teams in following landings and so sort of forced the US to keep up the pace.

 

[RobBrown4PM]

Interesting. But here a question: Why did they send womens space commando?

The Soviet's won the space race and got a man tot he moon first. The shortly there after upped the ante by placing a woman on the moon. Embarassed, Nixon ordered that the US space program be driven into overdrive, and that a corp of female astronauts be formed. At first, this is mainly seen as a PR stunt to which it most certainly is. However, over time the fact that these woman can hold there own is seen and subsequently exploited.

For more, read below. Warning, spoilers

Spoiler

In the race to space, America undergoes not only a technological evolution (This is really well done btw) but a cultural one as well. Space cares not about which gender is stronger and bigger. Everyone in space is in zero G and susceptible to the same horrible environmental effects space and the universe throws at us. The female corp become equals to their male counterparts, and over time, become heavily molded into the ranks of NASA. Because the American's and Soviet's keep upping the ante, NASA becomes a fixture on American television, the radio waves, et cetera. This leads to the gender revolution happening a lot quicker than it actually did, and with much less turmoil. The American people and the American government just want to beat the Soviet's at this point, and they don't care if you have male or female reproductive organs.

Eventually, as we're going to likely be seeing this season, the arms race reaches space, something to which NASA wants no part of. Unfortunately, they are beholden to Reagan and his warhawk policies.

Oh, also. Because history went in a different direction, a vast array of technologies and events have seeped into this time line that either weren't created/occurred (I.e. The Sea Dragon heavy lift Rocket, John Lennon surviving his assassination attempt, and a myriad of other spoilery stuff).

Look up the Sea Dragon Rocket, it's an awesome piece of real world hardware that unfortunately got got the bureaucratic axe.

 

[Rhaegar Targaryen]

I thought Season 1 was the best TV show of 2019. Amazing TV. Unfortunately, since so much happened and it’s been so long, I forget a lot of the details. I watched the recap which reminded me of some things but I’m looking forward to starting this season.

 

[Anthrax442]

Nice, loved season 1

 

[Stylizer1]

What a great show.

I found the whole sexual orientation parts a bit poorly written and total virtue signalling for today's audience, poorly executed. Also, virtually no racism/bigotry/misogyny? It's the one thing that makes it less convincing and reminds me it's a show. Other great shows you forget that its a program and are sucked into the story.
Overall it's a great premise for a show and the actors are great.

And enough with the Bob Marley music. We get it. One love. lol

 

[RobBrown4PM]

What a great show.

I found the whole sexual orientation parts a bit poorly written and total virtue signalling for today's audience,poorly executed.

Oooof

My dude, the show is set in 1960's America. Wanna take a poke at how women, minorities, and homosexuals were treated then?

Also, virtually no racism/bigotry/misogyny? It's the one thing that makes it less convincing and reminds me it's a show.

None what so ever.....

Spoiler

The entire first season is rife with all 3 of these things. It get's better in the second season because of the technological and cultural revolutions that occur in America due to the events that occur in their timeline.

Did you even watch the show?

 

[Stylizer1]

Oooof

My dude, the show is set in 1960's America. Wanna take a poke at how women, minorities, and homosexuals were treated then?



None what so ever.....

Spoiler

The entire first season is rife with all 3 of these things. It get's better in the second season because of the technological and cultural revolutions that occur in America due to the events that occur in their timeline.

Did you even watch the show?

Yes they called out women for being women, and black people get stared at. I didn't like how they introduced the topics. The 2 gay people somehow find each other by coincidence?

They make 60's America look like fairy tale. I understand it's alternative history but I thought that had to do only with landing on the moon.

 

[Stylizer1]

Oooof

My dude, the show is set in 1960's America. Wanna take a poke at how women, minorities, and homosexuals were treated then?



None what so ever.....

Spoiler

The entire first season is rife with all 3 of these things. It get's better in the second season because of the technological and cultural revolutions that occur in America due to the events that occur in their timeline.

Did you even watch the show?

Just found this:

Movie review: Stars of For All Mankind play characters in the 1980s - but not our 1980s | Ottawa Citizen

Because For All Mankind is set in an alternate 1983, the creators have rewritten history in numerous ways, some bad – Cold War tensions with the Soviet Union are if anything higher than they were in real life – and others good. Women’s rights and racial equality have advanced more quickly, for instance. Email, electric cars and laptop computers all happened a little sooner. And John Lennon survived his encounter with Mark Chapman, and is still alive.

 

[RobBrown4PM]

Solid 2nd episode. Margo is the best character on the show right now, and perhaps always has been.

Michael Dorman is amazing actor. Can't help but to feel terrible for Gordo.

 

[RobBrown4PM]

Amazing 3rd episode. I can't help but feel for old Gordo. The zipper incident is so true. Getting old sucks.

The Baldwin scene was incredible. All 3 actors were brilliant!

Sad to see what happened to Aelita, but not entirely unbelievable. She was a pyro when she was young.

I doubt the show will go there, but those red lights man. Mix those in with the title to the season finale and hook that pipe dream directly into my veins. The truth is out there.

 

[Tawnos]

Show is definitely great, although the personal drama is veers into melodrama. Anything they do inside the actual space program is fantastic.

 

[montreal]

looks interesting, will have to check it out at some point, had Apple tv for the free view but didn't care for it.

 

[ecemleafs]

watched both seasons. last episode of season 2 was so intense on all the different angles/characters.

 

[GabeTravels]

Really, really enjoy this show. Hyped for Season 3.

 

[NyQuil]

I also really like this show.

If you’re a space buff, it’s entertaining to see how they weave historical and fictional characters together.

 

[RobBrown4PM]

I also really like this show.

If you’re a space buff, it’s entertaining to see how they weave historical and fictional characters together.

From what I understand, that haunting sequence at the end of Season 2 is very much what would happen to a human body in a vacuum with that kind of protection.

 

[NyQuil]

From what I understand, that haunting sequence at the end of Season 2 is very much what would happen to a human body in a vacuum with that kind of protection.

The show doesn’t mess around with dropping characters when their story arcs are largely completed.

 

[ecemleafs]

The show doesn’t mess around with dropping characters when their story arcs are largely completed.

got red wedding vibes from the duct tape scene.

 

[Lshap]

Bumping this thread because I've bumped up the show to one of the most intense and well-executed dramas I've seen in years. I stumbled on it purely by accident about a month ago and just finished season-2 – the last episode was as haunting as anything I've ever seen.

The show sets up an impossible challenge: How do you create an imaginary timeline within the constraints of real history, while balancing science, technology, culture, and global politics? Most shows either opt for pure fantasy or stark recreations – For All Mankind has the balls to knit everything together. It should fall apart under its pretensions, instead it does the near impossible – combining heart-pounding storytelling with the gravitas of a documentary. This show is exhausting... but in a good way.

The science is hard and unapologetic; you either know what they're talking about or get left behind. The acting is excellent across the board; I didn't recognize a single cast member but each one owns their role. The story arcs digest like a history book after popping psychedelics. The scenes in space and on the Moon are so damn real I find myself holding my breath a little too often.

I plan to start season 3 today or tomorrow. Season 4 has begun production and is slated for release in about a year.

 

[SepticFish]

I really enjoyed the first two seasons, but they just about lost me with season 3. I don't know a lot of people that watch the show, so I might be in the minority, but I thought it was one of the more disappointing seasons of a tv show that I liked.