As Apollo 24 continues to drift, mission control still cannot raise either it or Ed to try to gain his assistance. Ed himself is a little busy interrogating his new prisoner, the Russian cosmonaut. The fate of all hangs in the balance as the world watches on helplessly.

It was difficult for me to imagine how the final episode in this series might possibly top what the penultimate one had achieved. Coming off the adrenaline-soaked highs of that impossibly tense fifty minutes, how could this feature length finale do anything but disappoint? I’m happy to report that it doesn’t do any such thing, even though I have to admit it never quite hits the peaks of that previous effort.

Ellen and Deke have one last-ditch attempt at putting themselves into lunar orbit, but a variety of issues conspire against them to mean that they’re definitely going to require assistance from Ed. Problem is, he still isn’t answering NASA’s incessant calls for his attention, preferring instead to focus on continuing to interrogate the Russian cosmonaut. Given the strength of the rest of the show, the way this particular subplot plays out is a little weak – it’s predictable and leans a little too heavily in a direction which the show has hitherto avoided. But honestly, it’s a minor gripe among all the good stuff that’s going on here.

Karen is starting to find strength in the epiphany she experienced – that she doesn’t really know any of her fellow NASA-wives. Far from making her sad, this gives her a new strength, feeling as if she is no longer hidebound by all the unwritten rules that persist in that tightly knit community.

And on the 24 itself, Ellen is finally completely honest with someone as she opens up to Deke about exactly who she is. His response is complex and whereas perhaps not exactly what she might have hoped for, consistent with the character.

Aleida meanwhile, has troubles of her own as her father is set to be deported and she is running out of options to actually stay in the United States. Yet again, the show’s big ideas are contrasted perfectly with the mundanities of mankind.

It all barrels along at a breakneck pace towards a conclusion which sets up all sorts of interesting threads for series 2. It’s been a hell of a ride, and one in which nobody – even historical legends – are safe, but I for one can’t wait to see this one blast into orbit again later this year.

Verdict: A fitting end to one hell of a series. 9/10

Greg D. Smith