We ended For All Mankind season 5 episode 4 in a rough place. Alex (Sean Kaufmann) had uncovered the truth of what was happening on Mars.
And he, along with Lily (Ruby Cruz), decided to tell the world. It threatened to kick off a firestorm, and season 5 episode 5, “Svoboda,” that firestorm is here.
A familiar face
We begin back in 2003, where the last season ended. As part of the big events to close season 4, Irina (Svetlana Efremova) was hung out to dry. We see her return to Russia, where she is quickly placed in prison. It’s a hard labor camp, and there is little room for grace for her, despite her previous positions. But you can’t keep Irina down for long.
Of course, we knew that, because Aleida (Coral Pena) spotted her in the group bound for Mars representing Kuragin. In this early flash-forward we see her spend 19 months in prison, laboring and avoiding any confessions. When she finally gets the upper hand, she’s released into the frozen Russian world. And, as you’d expect, she’s worked her way back to a position of prominence.
Now, she’s back on Mars at a time of crisis. And things aren’t going well for Governor Polivano (Costa Ronin). At a tense meeting, where Aleida suggests putting a pause on the automation plan, she wants to hit the gas. And she puts pressure on finding the responsible party. But Dev (Edi Gathegi) shuts it down, saying he knows who did it.
Confronting Alex
As it turns out, Dev does know. He pulls Alex in and doesn’t waste much time letting his new protégé know he is aware of who accessed and released the files. Alex doesn’t deny it—nor does he show remorse. He challenges Dev, who sees this plan as a path toward his city of the future. Alex sees it as a way of setting Mars apart for the elite, something his grandfather would have opposed. So, he offers his resignation and joins the protest movement.
The law, led by Palmer (Myk Watford), meanwhile, is searching for those responsible for this public black eye. He puts pressure on Dale (Toby Kebbell) to help him, threatening Lily with jail time. That puts them more at odds, as does Dale’s attempts to get Lily to turn in Alex and save herself. Instead, Mars remains a hotbed of protests.
Governor Polivano tries to hush the crowd, but he’s met with anger and derision. At the behest of Irina, he decides to act. He places a curfew and sends Palmer and his entire force to disburse the crowd. It doesn’t go as planned. It makes things worse, and soon an all-out riot begins. The protestors get weapons, and as we end this week’s episode, they’re making a move on the governor. Once again, Irina is proving not to be the steadiest hand.
A murderer uncovered
Meanwhile, Celia (Mirielle Enos) is still fixated on the murder and the coverup. She is hunting for leads and confides in her partner, Fred (Tyler Labine). He offers to help, but it’s not fast enough. She finds a way to learn more about who was on duty at the time and discovers Fred is among that group. Suspicious of what she’s seen, Celia confronts her partner just before the riot.
Fred wasn’t so much helping as stalling. He was not only involved in the murder—or more accurately responsible—he was the one following Celia who led to her being knocked out. And it turns out all of it was sanctioned by Palmer, which means that Celia is truly spinning her wheels trying to get justice with the current administration. Will the riot provide her some other options?
Things are going bad quickly on Mars. We’re faced with yet another riot, which makes you wonder if this is the least stable place in the galaxy. But I like the flow of information and learning more about the murder and what’s going on up on Mars. We are quickly moving toward the stretch run of this season, and things are being put in place for the final season.
For All Mankind streams Fridays on Apple TV. Check back next week as we recap the action of season 5.
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