For All Mankind: An Epic Journey Through Alternate Space History

My Rating:

“For All Mankind” is a thought-provoking alternative history series that explores a captivating “what if” scenario: What if the Soviet Union had beaten the United States to the Moon? This premise sets the stage for an enhanced space race that extends far beyond the lunar surface, propelling humanity towards ambitious goals like establishing a permanent Moon base and embarking on crewed missions to Mars.

The Alternate Timeline

In this alternate history, Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov becomes the first human to land on the Moon in 1969[1]. This pivotal moment occurs due to a key divergence from our timeline: the survival of Sergei Korolev, the father of the Soviet space program[1]. In reality, Korolev died in 1966, which significantly hampered the Soviet lunar efforts. However, in the show’s timeline, his continued leadership allows the Soviet Union to overcome technical challenges and achieve this monumental feat[5].

Character Development and Social Issues

The show excels in developing its characters over time, showcasing how relationships evolve as friends become rivals and unexpected alliances form. This character-driven narrative unfolds against the backdrop of an accelerated space race, with each season jumping forward by about a decade[1].

Social Issues Covered

“For All Mankind” tackles a wide range of social issues, reflecting both the historical context of each era and our contemporary concerns:

Gender Equality: The show explores the integration of women into the astronaut corps in the 1970s, far earlier than in our timeline[7].
Racial Discrimination: The experiences of Black astronauts, such as Danielle Poole, highlight ongoing racial tensions and the struggle for equality[4].
LGBTQ+ Rights: The series delves into the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly through Ellen Waverly’s storyline[4].
Mental Health: The show doesn’t shy away from depicting the psychological toll of space exploration and high-pressure environments[10].
Disability and Accessibility: Molly Cobb’s story in Season 2 addresses the challenges of developing a disability and adapting to life changes[12].
Cold War Politics: The ongoing space race serves as a backdrop for exploring geopolitical tensions[11].
Work-Life Balance: Characters often struggle to balance their personal lives with their demanding careers[6].
Technological Ethics: The series raises questions about the ethical implications of rapid technological advancement[13].

Breaking Stigmas

“For All Mankind” breaks stigmas surrounding various social issues by presenting them in a nuanced, realistic manner. For instance, it portrays women as capable astronauts and leaders, challenging historical gender norms[7]. The show also addresses mental health issues head-on, depicting characters grappling with stress, trauma, and the psychological impacts of their high-stakes work[10].

By setting these issues against the backdrop of alternative history, the show allows viewers to reconsider societal progress and imagine how things might have been different if certain barriers had been broken earlier.

Use of Real-World Footage

The showrunners’ decision to incorporate real-world footage adds a layer of authenticity and grounds the alternate history in reality. This technique helps blur the lines between fact and fiction, making the alternate timeline feel more plausible and immersive. It also serves as a poignant reminder of how close our own history came to taking a different path.

Source Material

“For All Mankind” is not based on a book but is an original creation for Apple TV+ by Ronald D. Moore, known for his work on various Star Trek series and the reimagined Battlestar Galactica[8]. The show’s premise allows it to explore themes of human ambition, sacrifice, and progress that Moore has tackled in his previous science fiction works.

Final Thoughts…

In conclusion, “For All Mankind” offers a compelling blend of alternative history, character drama, and social commentary. By reimagining the space race, the show invites viewers to consider how different choices and circumstances might have shaped our world, while still grappling with timeless human challenges and aspirations.

Shopping

Bestseller #1

For All Mankind: Season 1 [Blu-ray]

£19.99

Buy on Amazon

Bestseller #2

For All Mankind Season 2 [Blu-ray]

£19.99

Buy on Amazon

Resources & Links

AI Prompt

Help write a review post on For All Mankind

A Post about “For All Mankind” and how thought-provoking this alternative timeline show is. Basically, Russia beat America to the moon and so started an enhanced space race to the moon and beyond, this show develops the characters at a get pace, showing how they interact, friends become enemies and vis vera, alliances develop, all while jumping though the timeline to key points of development (moonbase, the road to mars etc) and covering social issues of the day and all while highlighting real-world video footage of real event as they would happen in the real world.

The show covers social issues very well from female astronauts, equality, stress and mental health and so much more.

Why did Russia beat America to the moon? Why did the showrunners decide to use real-world footage?
What are the social issues covered by the show? include a detailed list of each
How does the storyline break the stigma of social issues (Including mental health awareness)?
Is the show based on a book and if so how close does it follow the storyline?

AI Citations

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/For_All_Mankind_(TV_series)
[2] https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/for-all-mankind-deserves-to-be-the-biggest-sci-fi-show-on-tv/
[3] https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4188/1
[4] https://www.screenedword.com/post/for-all-mankind-season-1
[5] https://www.sealionpress.co.uk/post/alternate-space-for-all-mankind
[6] https://www.pajiba.com/tv_reviews/for-all-mankind-is-propelled-this-season-by-unrequited-love.php
[7] https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4145/1
[8] https://reactormag.com/the-problem-with-for-all-mankinds-alt-history-politics/
[9] https://whatifhistory.com/blog/for-all-mankind-major-spoilers-inside
[10] https://nss.org/for-all-mankind-and-the-price-of-womens-pain/
[11] https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4119/1
[12] https://collider.com/for-all-mankind-diverse-characters-inspire-future/
[13] https://www.arcstudiopro.com/blog/what-can-we-learn-from-apple-tvs-for-all-man-kind
[14] https://www.reddit.com/r/scifi/comments/i8yy4z/tv_show_for_all_mankind_opinions_an_alternate/
[15] https://comicon.com/2023/12/01/blu-ray-review-for-all-mankind-season-1/
[16] https://theconversation.com/for-all-mankind-space-dramas-alternate-history-constructs-a-better-vision-of-nasa-214935
[17] https://www.thefivecoatconsultinggroup.com/tfcg/for-all-mankind
[18] https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24532700-500-for-all-mankind-review-a-superb-alternative-history-of-the-space-race/
[19] https://www.reddit.com/r/MauLer/comments/17uuiyu/for_all_mankind_the_show_is_woke_af_and_i_think/
[20] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/For_All_Mankind_(TV_series)
[21] https://mashable.com/article/for-all-mankind-apple-tv-plus-review
[22] https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2023/11/for-all-mankind-season-4-review/675964/
[23] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw5RPeLjCVg
[24] https://screenspeck.com/2022/08/12/the-gentle-ruthlessness-of-for-all-mankind/
[25] https://www.arcstudiopro.com/blog/what-can-we-learn-from-apple-tvs-for-all-man-kind
[26] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIuWyZpGHy4
[27] https://www.reddit.com/r/nasa/comments/11bp7ow/how_accurate_is_the_show_for_all_mankind/
[28] https://beforesandafters.com/2021/04/23/zero-gravity-frame-rates-deep-fakes-and-moon-scrapes-the-vfx-of-for-all-mankind/
[29] https://sixcolors.com/post/2021/02/interview-ron-moore-on-for-all-mankind-season-2-alt-history-space-tech-and-the-road-to-star-trek/
[30] https://www.buzzfeed.com/marycolussi/21-book-adaptations-that-fans-felt-personally-betrayed-by
[31] https://www.reddit.com/r/ForAllMankind/comments/v0hnpg/is_the_show_based_on_a_bookbooks/
[32] https://litreactor.com/columns/book-vs-film-world-war-z
[33] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/For_All_Mankind
[34] https://ew.com/best-book-to-screen-adaptations-of-all-time-8685833
[35] https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2673344-for-all-mankind
[36] https://www.thespacereview.com/article/3959/1
[37] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lS6E0nXTgoE
[38] https://www.theringer.com/2021/03/05/tv/for-all-mankind-season-2-deepfakes-ronald-reagan-john-lennon-johnny-carson
[39] https://www.escapistmagazine.com/how-true-accurate-is-for-all-mankind/
[40] https://www.brightwalldarkroom.com/2024/02/26/for-all-mankind-1989/
[41] https://screenrant.com/for-all-mankind-timeline-alternate-real-history-comparison/
[42] https://thethirdfloorinc.com/5667/for-all-mankind-season-3/
[43] http://criterioncollection.blogspot.com/2006/04/54-for-all-mankind.html
[44] https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2019/11/06/for-all-mankind-fact-check-apple-space-history/4116254002/
[45] https://groveatlantic.com/book/for-all-mankind/
[46] https://booksatruestory.com/2014/05/21/book-vs-movie-count-monte-cristo/
[47] https://veredneta.com/blog/book-vs-tv-show-lessons-in-chemistry/
[48] https://atlantic-books.co.uk/book/for-all-mankind/