For All Mankind series premiere recap: Red Moon

How would history be affected if the U.S. didn’t land on the moon first? For All Mankind gives us a glimpse into just that.

For All Mankind is all about the space race, but with a twist. During New York Comic-Con, I had the privilege of speaking with the cast and creators of the series to get insight into what the series is about. From their descriptions, it seemed as if For All Mankind isn’t just about the space race and an alternate history. Usually shows with the whole alternate reality angle are always gloomy and depressing.

For All Mankind aims to be different because it shows how the United States would have made different strides to get to space and the moon. It’s a more optimistic outlook on how things would have accelerated and propelled us into the future. So, don’t worry. You can watch this series and not end every episode as depressed as The Handmaid’s Tale makes you.

As the series premiere reveals, the Soviet Union, not the United States, is the first to land on the moon. Unlike our reality and how things actually happened, For All Mankind touches on what happens as a result of them losing the race to the moon. Naturally, this defeat hits NASA hard considering the Apollo 11 mission was coming up.

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At the heart of this disappointment is Joel Kinnaman’s character, Ed, who was on Apollo 10. In fact, he was literally right next to the moon but his mission was more of a rehearsal rather than the actual thing. There’s regret within Ed that he didn’t just land on the Moon when he was right there, and much of this haunts him to this day.

Ed manages to make things worse after this great loss because of his saltiness and ends up talking to a reporter. He reveals a bit too much about what’s going on at NASA and before he knows it, his comments make it into an article that’s questioning if the space race has been lost.

Sadly, this ordeal gets Ed demoted and he essentially becomes a paper pusher. Can you imagine that?! From space to desk work. Ugh.

What was the original moon landing in our reality, in For All Mankind, it happens later, and with some scary moments. For a while, no one hears from Neil Armstrong or Buzz Aldrin, so we’re led to believe that the series is going to kill them off. But, nope, things were just a bit off on their end when they landed, but they were alive and well!

Somehow, someway, the Americans make it to the moon, and now, they have to make sure they get back home. Will they succeed? Watch episode 2 to find out.

What did you think of the For All Mankind series premiere? Share your comments below!