Tensions rise at NASA as Molly takes a bold decision and Margot decides to assert her own authority. Karen is approached with an offer that seems too good to be true. Ellen makes a bold choice of her own with regards to her selection of Running Mate for the upcoming election.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – Joel Kinnaman is one of those actors who performs above and beyond when he’s working with a director who knows how to get the best from him. Here, he’s ably matched by Krys Marshall as Ed and Dani find themselves on opposite sides but the same side, and it’s equally delicious and heart-breaking to watch.

Molly, determined to stamp her own authority (possibly because she’s feeling a little bit sensitive these days with being grounded permanently), takes the big decision of who gets to lead the first Mars mission herself, with no consultation of Margot. We knew this was coming – Molly favours the test pilot to get the mission there, Margot favours the more science-focused astronaut who will ensure that all the research i’s get dotted and t’s crossed when they arrive. Truth be told, there’s an argument for both being on the same mission to ensure it all goes smoothly, but that’s a solution that nobody seems to see.

When Margot finds out about it, she decides to stamp a little of her own authority, and in the process quite possibly overcompensates – it’s tricky to deny that she’s the architect of a lot of her own issues as things play out. For Dani and Ed, things are more awkward still. These two have been through an immense amount together, but as close as they are, as much as they trust in one another, there are always going to be gulfs of understanding between them. Kudos to the writers for having the guts to go there, having an amiable conversation turn into a tense exchange rooted in real tensions all too relatable to the present day.

Karen finds herself approached by private aerospace mogul Dev Ayesa, who has an offer which she literally cannot refuse. Turns out that space hotel-shaped millstone around her neck might be the golden goose that solves all her problems. Maybe even a few problems for others in her life as well. Before she does a victory lap, though, she has the small issue of Danny to deal with. What she as a grown woman can reflect on as a moment of weakness – a simple fling that ran its course – is something entirely else to the young man, and it’s clear there are going to be issues going forward between the two of them.

And as for Ellen, in order to try to cement her credentials as a Republican candidate, she allows herself to be talked into a meeting with Jim Bragg, a notoriously anti-science evangelical governor, to discuss the possibility of his being her running mate in the presidential election against Bill Clinton. The conversation doesn’t go the way she might expect, and whereas it’s difficult to see this working out as entirely smooth sailing, it’s a nice curve ball thrown in by the writers.

Overall, there’s not a lot of ‘spacey’ stuff (bar Aleida being on the moon) but a whole lot of the human drama which underpins it all. That for me isn’t a bad thing, when you have a cast and characters as strong as this.

Verdict: We ain’t anywhere near Mars yet, but the tension on Terra Firma is more than enough to keep me enthused. 8/10

Greg D. Smith