For All Mankind (Apple TV+ series)

I started watching a few weeks ago, got caught up last week, now I have to wait a whole week for new episodes. Just watched the latest episode today.

I really like the series. It can get pretty soap-y and a tad melodramatic at times, with all the personal relationships and such, but it's not too bad. They do a great job with the story and tension - my pulse gets racing every time something goes awry.

I was wondering why the kids looked a bit too old to be teens in season 2, but now I realize they probably cast them to play not only 10 years older, but maybe 20 years older or more.
 
Hi Bob…

interesting music choices…Mary of Silence, quite fitting.

the episode where people need to keep their things together lol
 
Man, Danny sure is a creep, can't wait to see him go fully unhinged. During the scene with Kelly and the russian in the grow lab, all I could think was, "no! save your precious juices!" . I really hope to see Aleida punch that russian lady in the face at some point this season. Man I love Aleida, I wish they would have showed more of her trip earlier this season, with just the little they showed I damn near cried.
 
While I like the show, I have a few thoughts/questions/minor qualms while watching. I know the answer to most of these is probably just "the writers did this in service of the story" but I can't help but pick a couple nits:

- With the high security and competive nature of the Mars mission, is it realistic for astronauts and high level engineers to be allowed to leave NASA and go immediately to a competing private company?

- Before the most recent episode, I was going to question that a lesbian and gay man managed to keep their sham marriage a secret all the way to the oval office, especially after being investigated for being gay years ago, but it seems like they're addressing that now - looks like they're doing an alternate history spin on the Monica Lewinski scandel. I know there have been plenty of political sex scandels, gay and straight, so it's not totally unbelievable, but it just seems a little far fetched.

Not a spolier, but I wish the musical score was done better - I'm just referring to the original music written to underscore the show, not any of the pre-existing songs used. While overall I find it servicable, the themes are generally derrivative and unoriginal. Also, the synth instruments are very fake sounding. Actual live musicians are always preferable, though I realize TV shows have budget and time restrictions. But I personally know there are much more realistic sound libraries available, and are now relatively reasonably priced even for amateur composers to purchase, so for a professional score to have cheap sounding synths is confusing to me. The obvious synth brass (trumpets, trombones, french horns, etc.) at the beginning of this last episode was particularly painful for me to listen to. As I've said in another thread, I know most people can't tell the difference, but I think it matters. As a working musician, I also lament the loss of jobs for myself and other musicians whenever synth instruments are used. I don't think most people realize that technology is killing the arts just as it's killed blue collar jobs. I love tech, and what it enables people to do (myself included) but it's an unfortunate side effect that has ended the careers of a lot of talented creative people [end mini-rant].

On a positive note, I think the aging makeup is very well done. I don't know if it's "showy" enough to earn any awards, but I think the fact that it's subtle and believable go a long way.
 
I'm getting a bit annoyed at the show now, as it keeps pushing some hard to believe stuff...

I don't get how so many unprofessional, dangerous things can be happening due to the poor decision making of the people being sent to space and the ones back on earth making it happen. Yes, I get that there's a "space race," but this show is pushing the bounds of what I think is realistic just for the sake of dramatic storytelling.

Danny should have never been cleared to go into space for NASA or Helios. Nepotism aside, there's no way he would've cleared the mental and physical testing for astronauts for two separate space agencies unless there's a complete incompetence at both NASA and Helios. The fact that he's able to just take any pills he wants without detection makes no sense. There should be protocols, inventory taken by whoever is medically in charge. Is there actually any medical person in charge? Seems like there isn't onboard the Helios mission. Otherwise, Danny wouldn't be allowed to continue to have access to pills after Ed confronted him. And any decent medical professional would've noticed Danny's erratic behavior and taken action. And Ed may be "old school" but he's not stupid. He knew Danny was on pills and took no effort to keep him from getting and taking more. Even if Ed's been taking steroids, as Danny mentioned (which is another can of worms), and was afraid of Danny telling on him, Ed wouldn't ignore the safety of the mission by just letting Danny try to get his own sh!t together instead of taking proper action.

I still find it a little unbelievable that Margo could/would deliver all that design information to the Soviets. I know she got started doing it because she didn't want anyone to die needlessly due to design flaws she could correct, but to keep giving them such extensive plans to the point where their designs are virtually indistinguishable from NASA's seems unbelievable, even if she had an affinity for Sergei.

Kelly gets pregnant on Mars? A female scientist like her somehow isn't on contraceptives? I find it hard to believe that a co-ed mission to Mars for months/years didn't account for the possibility of male/female romantic interaction. Further, female astronauts in real life often take contraceptives so that they don't have to deal with menstruation while in space, not only for the complications it can have biologically, but the added issues in dealing with tampons and pads - not only the extra weight required (which is a big issue in calculating fuel and space for a lengthy space flight), but in the disposal of them. So for Kelly to not be on birth control - again, as a person of science, specifically biology - makes zero sense. Even if the birth control failed, they should have had other options. Condoms, vasectomies for male astronauts, these things should have been addressed as they know the HUGE risk of a woman getting pregnant on a mission to Mars. The fact that no one has said really anything about it and questioned how stupid it was for her to put herself in the situation to begin with, is maddening (the doctor is the only one that has made any comments even slightly disparaging toward it).

North Korea managed to put a man (or men) on Mars without anyone knowing about it? Unless I recall incorrectly, NK had zero success in getting to the moon, but now they shot some guy (or guys) clear to Mars? And apparently the Soviets just sold the tech needed to do it to a bunch of other countries? I'm guessing it was a one-way journey for him/them, as it doesn't seem like they'd have the ability to get back to earth, so who knows.
 
Spoiler free review: Ugh.

I'm not sure I actually like any of the characters anymore, so nothing that happens really has any impact on me. And the story has gotten so unbelievable, that it's probably just as well. I used to really like this series, but now...

I guess this is going the way of Roland D. Moore's Battlestar Galactica for me, which maybe shouldn't be a surprise. He seems to start out very strong, but as these shows go on, they become more of a mess. Hopefully next season regains its footing, but I'm not holding my breath.

I just don't understand the motivations for what's happening anymore, other than this is basically a soap opera, less concerned with trying to tell a fairly realistic story of space travel in an alternate timeline and more concerned with melodrama.

Everyone happily risks their lives, and NASA, Helios, and Russia all throw reason and science away to attempt a hugely risky endeavor to strap a pregnant lady with massive health problems to the outside of a rocket and have her try to blast herself to safety, wasting billions of dollars spent on multiple Mars missions in the process.
No.
Just...no.

Danny: "I willingly caused the explosion that killed and injured people, destroyed precious equipment, and F'd up our mission to drill for water, jeopardizing the lives of everyone who happened to survive. Let me fly your daughter to safety to make up for it!"

Ed: "You think I'm gonna let you do that? No chance! But I will let you keep working, even though you admitted to intentionally causing a massive disaster which killed people. I'm sure you're probably not still addicted to pills, even though I've taken no steps to check, or try to stop you from access to those pills, or tried to get you any medical or psychological help. But hey, after it's over, if I survive the ill-conceived mission to save only my daughter - who was too stupid to use birth control or take any steps not to get knocked up and go through with an immensely dangerous pregnancy on friggin' Mars, without proper medical care or equipment - we'll exile you to a North Korean capsule, providing you with food, water, and oxygen (all which are extremely limited resources now that we all decided to risk everything for my dumb daughter), where you'll basically be in solitary confinement. I'm sure the psychological issues that drove you to addiction will just clear right up. Good luck!

And we say so long to the almost CEO of a billion dollar company, who's qualifications were...running a restaurant and being a stay-at-home mom/astronaut's wife. God bless America!

And don't forget the gay Republican commander-in-chief, who doesn't seem to be doing anything after a huge domestic terror attack on a government agency, other than visit her ex.

Flip-flop: Sergei's living in the U.S.A. while Margo's in mother Russia! How ironic! Not believable, but ironic none the less.

(Side-note: I don't want this thread to get political, or have anyone think I'm doing so with my comments. I'm just commenting on the absurdity of the story)
 
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Spoiler free review: Ugh.

I'm not sure I actually like any of the characters anymore, so nothing that happens really has any impact on me. And the story has gotten so unbelievable, that it's probably just as well. I used to really like this series, but now...

I guess this is going the way of Roland D. Moore's Battlestar Galactica for me, which maybe shouldn't be a surprise. He seems to start out very strong, but as these shows go on, they become more of a mess. Hopefully next season regains its footing, but I'm not holding my breath.

I just don't understand the motivations for what's happening anymore, other than this is basically a soap opera, less concerned with trying to tell a fairly realistic story of space travel in an alternate timeline and more concerned with melodrama.

Everyone happily risks their lives, and NASA, Helios, and Russia all throw reason and science away to attempt a hugely risky endeavor to strap a pregnant lady with massive health problems to the outside of a rocket and have her try to blast herself to safety, wasting billions of dollars spent on multiple Mars missions in the process.
No.
Just...no.

Danny: "I willingly caused the explosion that killed and injured people, destroyed precious equipment, and F'd up our mission to drill for water, jeopardizing the lives of everyone who happened to survive. Let me fly your daughter to safety to make up for it!"

Ed: "You think I'm gonna let you do that? No chance! But I will let you keep working, even though you admitted to intentionally causing a massive disaster which killed people. I'm sure you're probably not still addicted to pills, even though I've taken no steps to check, or try to stop you from access to those pills, or tried to get you any medical or psychological help. But hey, after it's over, if I survive the ill-conceived mission to save only my daughter - who was too stupid to use birth control or take any steps not to get knocked up and go through with an immensely dangerous pregnancy on friggin' Mars, without proper medical care or equipment - we'll exile you to a North Korean capsule, providing you with food, water, and oxygen (all which are extremely limited resources now that we all decided to risk everything for my dumb daughter), where you'll basically be in solitary confinement. I'm sure the psychological issues that drove you to addiction will just clear right up. Good luck!

And we say so long to the almost CEO of a billion dollar company, who's qualifications were...running a restaurant and being a stay-at-home mom/astronaut's wife. God bless America!

And don't forget the gay Republican commander-in-chief, who doesn't seem to be doing anything after a huge domestic terror attack on a government agency, other than visit her ex.

Flip-flop: Sergei's living in the U.S.A. while Margo's in mother Russia! How ironic! Not believable, but ironic none the less.

(Side-note: I don't want this thread to get political, or have anyone think I'm doing so with my comments. I'm just commenting on the absurdity of the story)
Agree there should be a bit more science, Happy Valley was turning into Falcon Crest.

The fact that he didn’t tell Ed everything still irks me.

Kind of puts a wrench in things for the next season.
 
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...either that, or Buckwheats. See you all at season 4
 
I know I'm late to the party on this, but just started watching this show thanks to a cold that has been kicking my ass...

I'm at the start of season 2, but man, season 1 was pretty amazing! This show just hits a lot of emotional chords for me...

One gripe I have is the characters tend to swing pretty wildly across the emotional spectrum.

While season 1 was mostly in the 60's/70's, we're currently in the mid-80's, so I'm curious where this gonna go...

Sean
 
The Season 4 finale was released yesterday, so I'm all caught up.

Spoiler free review: I liked this season better than season 3, though it still leans toward melodrama more than drama, which means characters seem to act more irrationally for the sake of the story.

Part of what I liked included getting away from certain characters and storylines. With the timejumps between seasons, you never know who will end up continuing in the series, which can be good or bad, depending on if your favorites don't come back or if the ones you hate do.

I still hate that they not only recast Aleida from season 1 to season 2, but changed her character completely. So not only do you have an actress taking over that doesn't really look like the previous one, you also have the character acting completely differently, so it seems like brand new character. I assume they replaced Olivia Trujillo with Coral Peña partly because of Olivia looking younger, and they didn't think they'd be able to age her up enough, especially to the current season - assuming they were looking ahead. As an example, they obviously cast Cynthy Wu to play a teen with the idea that her character would age, since she did not look like teenager in her first season. Peña does a good job with what the character was changed to - more angry and deviant than her younger self -but I liked the chacter more in the first season. Changing the character and actor diminshed the relationship developed in season one between Aleida and Margo, where I felt like the characters are barely connected.

The aging makeup continues to be mostly well done in season 4 - with one big exception (I won't say who, but it should be pretty obvious).
 
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By the end of season 4, what was the transit time from Mars Back to Earth as it ‘appeared’ to be very quick, due to the physical state of one character, whereas I assumed it was still weeks, if not months.
 
By the end of season 4, what was the transit time from Mars Back to Earth as it ‘appeared’ to be very quick, due to the physical state of one character, whereas I assumed it was still weeks, if not months.
Yeah, it seemed like that person arrived pretty fast, considering the events.

I also wonder about the communication time between Earth and Mars. They said it was only 5 minutes, yet all the video messages they send and recieve seem like they're talking like it's a lot longer between messages. Maybe that's just the "priority" communication that has a faster turnaround time, but you'd think if communication were that (relatively) fast, people would be communicating with their families a lot more and messages would be a lot shorter, more like the content of text messages today. Also, considering the bandwidth required for video, you'd think they'd communicate a lot more frequently with text-based messages (D-Mail as it's called in-universe).
I do realize the reasons for it are in service of the story rather than realism.
 

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