Everyone is down on Mars, but the games have only just begun. As the Russians negotiate with Helios on a surprising discovery, one of Dani’s crew makes a declaration that will send shockwaves through the mission and the world.

I’ve often felt that For All Mankind is at its absolute peak when it’s dealing with issues that impinge on the very real stuff we find ourselves dealing with in the real world, despite its fantastical nature. This time out, we get competing nationalism, the realities of capitalism and some good old-fashioned bigotry for good measure. And that’s without even thinking about the dysfunction at the heart of one of the missions.

So after Dani and her Russian counterpart’s less than graceful exit from the ramp of Sojourner, the two crews are left to deal with the realities of their current predicament. Their ship is busted, they can’t take off in it again and their habitats are several kilometres away. And even when they reach them, all is not rosy – stuff isn’t working how it should, and they’ve no idea where (if anywhere) the water is on the Red Planet so they’re rationing, tired, too hot and basically grumpy.

And then Will Tyler throws a massive curveball which fundamentally alters everything. It’s been weird watching Ellen and her husband, the only remaining actual gay characters in the show, operating as a heterosexual President and First Husband of the Republican Party. Seeing Ellen negotiate with a hardline evangelical conservative to be her Vice President being one highlight among many. So it’s… something to see the show circle back to address these issues once again, and to find a way to mirror certain historical developments of the time, albeit with a new twist.

That said, it’s also heartbreaking to watch a young man tell his truth and be vilified for it, in spite of all he has done for his country. It’s immensely depressing to watch the same issues we currently see being openly debated today in a show that’s largely aiming for utopian in its tone. I can’t speak to the issues it’s addressing from a completely informed standpoint, but speaking as someone who likes to think of himself as an ally to the LGBTQIA+ community, I can see a bit of ‘both sides’ here, in that it’s incredibly painful to watch but also absolutely ‘realistic’. The macro reaction of the world is unfortunately largely in synch with the personal reaction of a crewmate Will considered a friend – almost a brother – and that just makes it worse still.

Meanwhile on Earth, the Russians are negotiating with Helios to get their assistance with something they don’t want to share with anyone else. This puts Ed in particular in an awkward position, ordered to provide said assistance but unable to share with his friends and former colleagues (and even his daughter) on the Sojourner what he’s up to. Dani has enough issues already with Kuznetsov, the Russian commander, who’s very keen to make sure that nobody orders his crew about and never misses an opportunity to be an awkward so and so. When she finds out the secret that’s being kept from her, she’s even more unhappy, and rightly so.

And speaking of Ed, there’s a ticking timebomb at the heart of his own mission. Danny is starting to let his mask slip and reveal his rashness, leading Ed to start wondering whether or not the kid he considers a son of his own should really be here. And when you’re pontificating on these things to a camera on your own, in a message destined for one person only, you’re likely not considering that the very person you’re expressing concerns about might be watching too. Oh dear, indeed.

As the episode winds to a close, an unfortunate disclosure to what very well may be the wrong person sets in motion events which could have shockwave effects on the USA and its institutions. It all goes to show that in spite of all the progress and strides forward the human race has made in this utopian alternate timeline, some things about human nature never really change.

Verdict: A real tipping point of an episode, which promises a rollercoaster of a ride as we head into the back half of the season. 9/10

Greg D. Smith