For All Mankind (Apple+)

Marc_C · Sep 28, 2021

Started watching this a few days ago. It's an alternate reality 60-70s space race in which the USSR landed on the moon first! Nixon is foaming at the mouth and wants a win from Nasa. Created by Ronald D. Moore (Galactica reboot). I like this a lot. Another good adult sci-fi show.

Mbrichman · Sep 28, 2021

Season 1 is good. Season 2 is REALLY good.

Grendel_Khan · Sep 28, 2021

I spend a lot of episodes of this show internally grumbling at the pace and adherence to now-kinda-outdated prestige TV tics. I've watched and loved plenty of shows with little or no action or plot twist shenanigans, but For All Mankind makes you sit with certain characters and situations that aren't super interesting or dynamic in the moment. But then it always pays off when the poop inevitably hits the fan, and you'd have had all that time with these people, and that overall sense of realism to ground everything.

When I recommend it to people I usually note that if it seems a little boring at times, not to worry--that's a feature, not a bug.

Morrus · Sep 28, 2021

I did struggle with the first season and gave up about 4 episodes in. Which was a shame, because it really seems like the sort of thing I should love. But it's too slow paced even for me!

Kobold Stew · Sep 28, 2021

Ronald D Moore is the creator, and he did the re-boot and not the original Galactica. (Roger E. Moore wrote a lot of 80s and 90s RPG stuff, and was not the James Bond actor I imagined him to be when I was 13).

It was Moore that drew me to For All Mankind, and while I liked season 1, season two stumbled on major plot points (spoilers follow).

1. why are we sending lame, problematic, plane-destroying middle-aged astronauts ahead of the more qualified younger team?
2. how many scenes in a boardroom do we have to have telling us how exciting things are on the moon. "tell don't show" is not a good narrative technique.

Zaukrie · Sep 28, 2021

I thought this was great. Really. Was it perfect? Of course not.

Marc_C · Sep 29, 2021

Watched a few more episodes. The build up is great. Werhner Van Braun is back! Didn't expect that.

Marc_C · Oct 6, 2021

Finished season 1 and two episodes into season 2. There is certainly a lot of human drama going on. The characters are well rounded and follow their own internal logic. Interesting to see how every one evolved during the 10 years between season 1 and season 2.