IR TV Review: FOR ALL MANKIND - EPISODE 3 (“Home”) [Apple TV-S5]
that it gives an interesting perspective of the immovable tendency that is Ed Baldwin (Joel Kinnaman). His character has lived life (despite the interesting jump at the end of Season 4) but the ending structure of Episode 2 in Season 5 gives the series its sense of progression while showing something somewhat of the future. Mars is old news but for some people it was the inherent dream. Kinnaman reflects this subtly in an interesting way, not unlike David Bowman mixed a little bit with Fred Ward in "The Right Stuff". His bullheaded nature is simply a product of his time, but what is really cool here is how Kinnaman as Ed shows his mettle even after flying when he wasn't supposed to. It makes what happens in this episode all the more rich, not because it is explained but how Ed asks. Even the bookending flashbacks have something very poignant to say. Ed wants to remember every moment as "him" which is a great arc to watch.
But what is key is how his daughter Kelly (Cynthy Wu) and his grandson Alex (Sean Kaufman) each treat himv differently in regards to what is going on and how they move around him. It feels very grounded despite the setting. Kelly and Aleida (Coral Peña) also are interesting in this episode because they are both being pushed to do things against their common sense but not against their instinct. It is a very specific separation and what is interesting is that they are both moving towards the same exact goal which will likely be the climax point of the season. That said, both are motivated by the perceptions of their mentors who see beyond their time but sometimes cannot convey what needs to be happen "in" time. The question is not of opportunities lost but of time missed. The headline on Earth are reflecting something less that what is actually happening because the closed door details are more finite than the participants are given credit for. However there is the controlling of the narrative which is always part of the game. As Ed speaks of (at a bar on Mars no less), it is about the ambition and striving but not missing the importance of the moment, even if its impact and its repercussions are mostly fleeting. A-
By Tim Wassberg
