IR TV Review: FOR ALL MANKIND - EPISODE 1 [Apple TV-S5]
After the shifting element in the final moments of last season, "For All Mankind" put certain characters on the precipice. The idea though of what actually change befits what history actually says. In Episode 1 of Season 5, the action shifts another bunch of years to 2012, which might not seem like a lot but considering how it affected some of the key places from the season finale, it is a lifetime. The idea of Mars (like "Total Recall" in a weird way) is reverse. Ultimately like most of everything the space program is motivated by a search of resources. That was the key aspect of what was motivating the asteroid run last season. While those who moved past it like Tony Kebbell's Miles, the beginning of the episode like the graduation feels less about exploration and more about the fact that the utopia might be failing in pursuit of perhaps better things like Saturn's moon Titan. The alternate timeline is an interesting play because it continues to show certain elements that would be pushing the space race. The integration of the North Korean arena is interesting because of what laws dictate now.
There are some tech elements but what this beginning episode focuses on is the next generation, specifically Alex Baldwin (Sean Kaufman), the grandson of the now aging Ed Baldwin (Joel Kinnaman). Ed put all his cards in a basket for Mars, and like Chuck Yeager with the space program and Mercury, it passes him by in a way but he will never lose his place in how it all came together. The question is what does this season hold? Alex is part of the first graduating class. On Earth, a certain new head of Helios (ironically considering what happened in the Season Finale last year) is wavering in what was sacrificed (especially for her mentor). But compared to what happened before, technology does not slow down and time and sacrifices seem to pass certain characters by. Alex, talking with his mom Kelly Baldwin (Cynthy Wu) must make a choice to move forward. An interesting play of human behavior marks the end of the episode which might circle a certain focus back to the Red Planet but this series is about ambition yet the human behavior that destroys progress is always part of the game. It is just a matter if the OG crew who wanted something better than handle something further down the line. B
By Tim Wassberg
