For All Mankind (TV series)

For other uses, see For All Mankind (disambiguation).

For All Mankind
File:For All Mankind poster.jpg
Genre	Science fiction Alternate history Drama
Created by	Ronald D. Moore Matt Wolpert Ben Nedivi
Starring	Joel Kinnaman Michael Dorman Sarah Jones Shantel VanSanten Jodi Balfour Wrenn Schmidt Sonya Walger Krys Marshall Cynthy Wu Casey W. Johnson Coral Peña
Composer(s)	Jeff Russo
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	20 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Ronald D. Moore Matt Wolpert Ben Nedivi Maril Davis Seth Gordon Naren Shankar
Production location(s)	Los Angeles, California
Camera setup	Single-camera
Running time	48–76 minutes
Production company(s)	Tall Ship Productions Sony Pictures Television
Distributor	Sony Pictures Television Distribution Apple Inc.
Release
Original network	Apple TV+
Picture format	4K (Ultra HD) Dolby Vision
Audio format	Dolby Atmos
Original release	November 1, 2019 (2019-11-01) – present (present)
External links
[{{#property:P856}} Website]

For All Mankind is an American science fiction drama streaming television series created and written by Ronald D. Moore, Matt Wolpert and Ben Nedivi and produced for Apple TV+. The series dramatizes an alternate history depicting "what would have happened if the global space race had never ended" after the Soviet Union succeeds in the first crewed Moon landing ahead of the United States. The series stars Joel Kinnaman in the lead role as fictional NASA astronaut Edward Baldwin, with Michael Dorman, Sarah Jones, Shantel VanSanten, Jodi Balfour, and Wrenn Schmidt in other starring roles. The series features historical figures including Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins, Mercury Seven astronaut Deke Slayton, rocket scientist Wernher von Braun, flight director Gene Kranz, U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy, and U.S. Presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan.

For All Mankind premiered on November 1, 2019, and was renewed by Apple TV+ in October 2019 for a second season, which premiered on February 19, 2021. The second season was critically acclaimed, and nominated for the TCA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Drama. In December 2020, ahead of the second-season premiere, the series was renewed for a third season.

Premise

In an alternate timeline, in 1969 a Soviet cosmonaut, Alexei Leonov, becomes the first human to land on the Moon. This outcome devastates morale at NASA, but also catalyzes an American effort to catch up. With the Soviet Union emphasizing diversity by including a woman in subsequent landings, the United States is forced to match pace, training women and minorities who were largely excluded from the initial decades of U.S. space exploration.

Ronald D. Moore explained how history had been different in the series: "Sergei Korolev, who was the father of the Soviet space program, in reality, he died during an operation in Moscow in the mid '60s. And after that point, their moon program really never pulled together.... Our point of divergence was that Korolev lives, ... and he made their moon landing happen."

Cast and characters

Main

• Joel Kinnaman as Edward Baldwin
• Michael Dorman as Gordo Stevens (seasons 1–2)
• Sarah Jones as Tracy Stevens (seasons 1–2)
• Shantel VanSanten as Karen Baldwin
• Jodi Balfour as Ellen Wilson (née Waverly)
• Wrenn Schmidt as Margo Madison
• Sonya Walger as Molly Cobb (season 2; recurring season 1)
• Krys Marshall as Danielle Poole (season 2; recurring season 1)
• Cynthy Wu as Kelly Baldwin (season 2)
• Casey W. Johnson as Danny Stevens (season 2)
  • Mason Thames as young Danny Stevens (recurring season 1)
• Coral Peña as Aleida Rosales (season 2)
  • Olivia Trujillo as teen Aleida Rosales (recurring season 1)
• Edi Gathegi as Dev Ayesa (season 3)

Recurring

• Chris Bauer as Deke Slayton (season 1)
• Colm Feore as Wernher von Braun (season 1)
• Eric Ladin as Gene Kranz (season 1)
• Michael Harney as Jack Broadstreet (season 1), a TV news anchorman.
• Dan Donohue as Thomas O. Paine (seasons 1–2)
• Arturo Del Puerto as Octavio Rosales (season 1), an undocumented Mexican immigrant who settles in Houston with his daughter Aleida.
• Ben Begley as Charlie Duke (season 1)
• Rebecca Wisocky as Marge Slayton (season 1)
• Meghan Leathers as Pam Horton, a barkeeper.
• Chris Agos as Buzz Aldrin (season 1)
• Ryan Kennedy as Michael Collins (season 1)
• Noah Harpster as Bill Strausser, a Mission Controller.
• Nick Toren as Tim 'Bird Dog' McKiernan
• Daniel Robbins as Hank Poppen (season 1)
• Dave Power as astronaut Frank Sedgewick, the Command Module Pilot of Apollo 15.
• Spencer Garrett as Roger Scott (season 1; guest season 2)
• Teddy Blum and Tait Blum as Shane Baldwin (season 1), the son of Ed and Karen Baldwin.
• William Lee Holler and Zakary Risinger as Jimmy Stevens (season 1), the son of Gordo and Tracy Stevens.
  • David Chandler as older Jimmy Stevens (season 2)
• Teya Patt as Emma Jorgens, MSC receptionist in season one and Margo's new assistant in season two.
• Krystal Torres as Cata (season 1)
• Nate Corddry as Larry Wilson, a NASA engineer.
• Dan Warner as Air Force General Arthur Weber (season 1), military liaison to NASA.
• Lenny Jacobson as Wayne Cobb, Molly's pot-smoking artist husband.
• Edwin Hodge as Clayton Poole (season 1), Danielle's husband.
• Tracy Mulholland as Gloria Sedgewick (season 1), the wife of Frank Sedgewick.
• Wallace Langham as Harold Weisner (season 1), the NASA administrator in the Ted Kennedy administration.
• Leonora Pitts as Irene Hendricks, the first woman Flight Director.
• James Urbaniak as Gavin Donahue (season 1)
• Megan Dodds as Andrea Walters (season 1; guest season 2), a news anchor.
• John Marshall Jones as Air Force General Nelson Bradford (season 2), military liaison to NASA.
• Michael Benz as Pathfinder pilot Gary Piscotty (season 2)
• Michaela Conlin as Helena Webster (season 2), a Marine pilot and astronaut.
• Tim Jo as Steve Pomeranz (season 2)
• Charlie Schlatter as Paul Michaels (season 2), a news anchor.
• Linda Park as Amy Chang (season 2)
• Scott Michael Campbell as Alex Rossi (season 2), commander of Jamestown Moon Base.
• Kayla Blake as Dr. Kouri (season 2)
• Ellen Wroe as Sally Ride (season 2)
• Alex Akpobome as Paul DeWeese (season 2)
• Daniel David Stewart as Nick Corrado (season 2)
• Connor Tillman as Vance Paulson (season 2), head of the Marine detachment at Jamestown.
• Zac Titus as Charles Bernitz (season 2)
• Andre Boyer as Jason Wilhelm (season 2)
• Chris Cortez as Steve Lopez (season 2)
• Jeff Hephner as Sam Cleveland (season 2), Tracy's second husband.
• Piotr Adamczyk as Sergei Nikulov (season 2), a Soviet engineer on the Apollo–Soyuz team.
• Josh Duvendeck as Nathan Morrison (season 2)
• Alexander Sokovikov as Rolan Efimovitch Baranov (season 2)

Guest

• Jeff Branson as Neil Armstrong (season 1)
• Steven Pritchard as Pete Conrad (season 1)
• Saul Rubinek as Charles Sandman (season 1)
• Cass Buggé as Patty Doyle (season 1)
• Brian Stepanek as Shorty Powers (season 1)
• Matt Battaglia as John Glenn (season 1)
• Stephen Oyoung as astronaut Harrison Liu (season 1)
• Mark Ivanir as Mikhail Mikhailovich Vasiliev (season 1), a Soviet cosmonaut.
• Bjørn Alexander as Wubbo Ockels (season 2)
• Garrett Reisman as shuttle pilot Garrett Reisman (season 2)
• Dustin Seavey as Lee Atwater (season 2)
• Alim Kouliev as Soviet Diplomat (season 2)

Historical figures in archive footage

• Frank Borman
• Jim Lovell
• Alan Shepard
• Gus Grissom
• Scott Carpenter
• Gordon Cooper
• John Lennon
• Wally Schirra
• Richard Nixon
• Henry Kissinger
• Ted Kennedy
• Tom Lehrer
• Ronald Reagan
• Jeane Kirkpatrick
• Tom Brokaw
• John Paul II
• George Shultz
• Jimmy Carter
• Gary Hart

Episodes

Season		Episodes	Originally released
			First released	Last released
	1	10	November 1, 2019 (2019-11-01)	December 20, 2019 (2019-12-20)
	2	10	February 19, 2021 (2021-02-19)	April 23, 2021 (2021-04-23)

Season 1 (2019)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date
1	1	"Red Moon"	Seth Gordon	Story by: Ronald D. Moore & Matt Wolpert & Ben Nedivi Teleplay by: Ronald D. Moore	November 1, 2019 (2019-11-01)
Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov becomes the first man on the Moon in June 1969, causing a rush at NASA for an American moon landing. While blowing off steam at a bar with some friends after the landing, Apollo 10 astronaut Edward Baldwin admits to a reporter, while drunk, that he thinks NASA could've done more to put an American on the Moon first. Baldwin is reassigned by Wernher Von Braun from flight duty after his comments become public. A month later, after tensions have risen, Apollo 11 crash lands on the Moon and loses contact with NASA, but after more than four hours, Armstrong and Aldrin reestablish contact and announce that they have survived the crash. After the successful landing, Baldwin hopes to be reestablished as an astronaut on Apollo 15 and Gordo's family also watches the launch at a party. Meanwhile, a Mexican family listening to the launch over a radio escapes their country and crosses the border into the United States.
2	2	"He Built the Saturn V"	Seth Gordon	Matt Wolpert & Ben Nedivi	November 1, 2019 (2019-11-01)
The crew of Apollo 11 successfully return from the Moon. Director Wernher von Braun opposes President Nixon's directive to build a military Moon base. Representative Sandman tells Baldwin that if he publicly criticizes von Braun about the aborted Apollo 10 landing, Nixon will reinstate him as an active astronaut on Apollo 15. Instead, confusing and angering Sandman, Baldwin defends von Braun, but Nixon's men use his past involvement with the Nazi regime to remove him as Deputy Associate Administrator for Planning. Margo confronts von Braun about his past, and he defends his choices, much to her disappointment. Deke Slayton reinstates Baldwin as commander of Apollo 15 even though he didn't do what Sandman wanted. During the Apollo 12 mission, as the rocket ship launches, the Soviet Union lands the first woman on the Moon, much to the shock of everybody in flight control.
3	3	"Nixon's Women"	Allen Coulter	Nichole Beattie	November 1, 2019 (2019-11-01)
Deke Slayton must recruit female astronauts after the Soviet Union lands a woman, Anastasia Belikova, on the Moon. An elimination process whittles the initial field of 20 "Astronaut Candidates" (informally "ASCANs") to just five, including Tracy Stevens (wife of Apollo 15's Gordo Stevens), two of the last of Mercury 13 named Molly Cobb and Patty Doyle, a black woman named Danielle Poole, who works as a NASA computer (the term used for humans who performed computations), and a woman named Ellen Waverly. NASA probes find water on the moon, highlighting a spot to put the American Moon Base. During a training session, on a 20-mile hike, Tracy assists an injured Ellen and helps her to the finish line at the risk of not completing it herself. While driving out of the city, Gordo spots smoke and returns to the NASA base, where he finds a lunar module simulation on fire. Tracy meets him and reveals that Patty Doyle has died.
4	4	"Prime Crew"	Allen Coulter	Naren Shankar	November 8, 2019 (2019-11-08)
After NASA scientists discover that there could be patches of ice on the Moon, which had the potential of being turned into rocket fuel, a Soviet mission goes bad and crashes on the Moon, killing a cosmonaut. The equipment they had appears to have been to help establish a Moon base near the frozen water source. This pushes NASA to speed up their Moon base even more. It is mentioned that the presidential election is coming up and Ted Kennedy is the front runner for the Democratic Party. The Vietnam War ends. Deke Slayton makes a change to the Apollo 15 crew, replacing Gordo Stevens with Molly Cobb. Stevens wonders what he did wrong and confesses to Tracy, but still wants to celebrate her accomplishments. While training for the Apollo 15 launch, Molly is annoyed with Ed and the other crew member's sexism and Ed is disapproving of Molly's boasting. Though she is doubted, Molly performs at the launch, which goes smoothly.
5	5	"Into the Abyss"	Sergio Mimica-Gezzan	David Weddle & Bradley Thompson	November 15, 2019 (2019-11-15)
The crew of Apollo 15 take a significant risk, changing their landing site to land near Shackleton crater, a promising location for finding water that would be essential to any lunar colonization effort. However, after two days of venturing out onto the surface and not finding anything, Molly volunteers to rappel down into the crater. They find ice, and return home triumphant. Danielle's husband returns from fighting in Vietnam, and they have an argument with Gordo Stevens, ending with Danielle warning Gordo to stay away, reminding him that she only wanted for her husband to have a nice lunch. After initial fighting and doubt, Karen and Molly's husband Wayne reveal their fears to each other. The episode ends with the Jamestown landing two years later on October 12, 1973, to become NASA's first Moon base.
6	6	"Home Again"	Sergio Mimica-Gezzan	Stephanie Shannon	November 22, 2019 (2019-11-22)
On August 24, 1974, Jamestown Base has three people in it: Edward Baldwin, Gordo Stevens and Danielle Poole. The Equal Rights Amendment is ratified as an amendment to the Constitution as a result of campaigning by President Ted Kennedy. Apollo 23 explodes on the launchpad, killing 11 members of the ground crew and Gene Kranz, the new Director of Johnson Space Center. 60 days later the USSR announces the establishment of a Soviet Moon base named Zvezda, located eight miles (13 km) away from Jamestown Base. Margo notices Aleida working on her math homework. The FBI investigation on Apollo 23 starts to focus on Ellen and Larry's private life. Margo blackmails NASA into making her a Flight Director. Richard Nixon is pardoned for the Watergate scandal by newly elected President Ted Kennedy. Gordo sees some unexplained red flashing lights near Jamestown Base.
7	7	"Hi Bob"	Meera Menon	Ronald D. Moore	November 28, 2019 (2019-11-28)
NASA has replaced the component that caused the Apollo 23 accident but the Apollo 24 relief mission is continually delayed for different reasons involving the wrongful production and manufacturing of the Saturn V. This causes Gordo mental health problems. Ed eventually decides that Gordo should be evacuated back to Earth with Danielle, knowing Gordo would be prevented from ever flying again. Danielle deliberately breaks her arm, providing an excuse for Gordo to bring her back to Earth without revealing his psychological issues. Danielle's husband is unable to get a job. After harsh interrogations by the FBI, Ellen and Larry choose to marry to avoid a potential sex scandal, though Pam, Ellen's lover, tells her they are over if she accepts the proposal. Ed's son, Shane keeps getting into trouble at school, and steals from a local store. Karen slaps him then grounds him to his bedroom until she returns home. However, Shane does not want to miss his basketball game and sneaks out of the house and is hit by a car.
8	8	"Rupture"	Meera Menon	Nichole Beattie	December 6, 2019 (2019-12-06)
Back on Earth, Gordo is seeing a psychiatrist, without NASA's knowledge, and Danielle worries that his willingness to publicly reveal that Danielle broke her arm for him will get her grounded by officials. Shane Baldwin's accident leaves him brain dead, with a head injury from which he cannot recover. Karen frantically holds out hope, but after NASA scientist Weddler informs her that Shane is beyond hope, she takes him off the respirator. Karen decides that Ed should not know about Shane's accident. Ed is told to spy on the Soviet base, and then discovers a Soviet camera has been recording him working inside the crater. The Soviets send Ed a condolences message, confusing him, until Karen reveals that Shane is dead. Ed destroys the Soviet camera. Aleida is given a scholarship for Maths and Physics, but, considers delaying her scholarship as she does not want to leave her friends and new boyfriend.
9	9	"Bent Bird"	John Dahl	David Weddle & Bradley Thompson	December 13, 2019 (2019-12-13)
Karen struggles to cope with Shane's death but finds comfort with Wayne. Apollo 24 has a technical failure while in orbit so they cannot transit to Moon. Apollo 25 (with Dennis, Tracy, and Molly) launches quickly to fix Apollo 24, but just after the repairs are finished, when they run a self-test, Apollo 24's engines ignite prematurely and burn Harrison Liu to death and leaves Molly adrift. On Apollo 24, Ellen is knocked out and Deke's status is unknown as he was outside tethered to the spacecraft. Molly is rescued, but the accident results in a trajectory change which will cause Apollo 24 to miss the Moon and fly into deep space. Tensions escalate between the rival lunar explorers, and the Soviets investigate the US lunar mine. Octavio is uncovered as an illegal immigrant and is apprehended by the authorities. Later, without enough oxygen to return to his base, a cosmonaut asks for help at Jamestown. Ed invites him in but then depressurizes the airlock.
10	10	"A City upon a Hill"	John Dahl	Matt Wolpert & Ben Nedivi	December 20, 2019 (2019-12-20)
Apollo 24's S-IVB burns to depletion sending the spacecraft way off course. Ed interrogates the cosmonaut, who is still alive but is now captive. NASA continues attempts to regain contact with Apollo 24. Ellen and Deke perform a burn using the service module engine to correct their course but their fuel supplies are depleted before the course correction is complete. Ed launches the Lunar Surface Access Module (LSAM) with help from the cosmonaut to perform a rescue of Apollo 24 and capture the spacecraft into Lunar orbit. Unfortunately, the spacecraft is tumbling, making it nearly impossible for Ed to dock. Instead of docking, Ellen suggests Ed throw the fuel capsule to Apollo 24. Ellen misses it at first but then lunges toward it, capturing it. Deke dies from internal bleeding as the rescue mission is completed. In a post-credits scene in 1983 Ed and Karen discuss a live coverage from the South Pacific Ocean showing a sea launch of a Sea Dragon rocket carrying a plutonium payload for expansion of the Jamestown colony.

Season 2 (2021)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date
11	1	"Every Little Thing"	Michael Morris	Ronald D. Moore	February 19, 2021 (2021-02-19)
Almost a decade later, Jamestown has expanded to accommodate more astronauts and equipment. Ed is Chief of the Astronaut Office, Karen runs The Outpost and they have adopted a daughter, Kelly, who works with Karen. At Jamestown, Ellen looks forward to handing over the reins and returning home. On the ground, Tracy announces her marriage to another man on live television, blindsiding her ex-husband Gordo. At NASA, a huge solar flare and a fast-moving solar storm cause problems on Earth, on Skylab and at Jamestown. Without the safety of the Van Allen Belt and Earth's atmosphere, astronauts are forced to shelter and wait it out. All successfully do so except for two still out on the Moon's surface. Molly finds shelter in a lava tube but sees her colleague Wubbo Ockels has crashed his rover nearby. She leaves the relative safety of the lava tube to rescue him as the solar storm hits the Moon, leaving her radiation wristband behind in the process. She returns to the lava tube with Wubbo who is alive but sustained a huge dose of radiation.
12	2	"The Bleeding Edge"	Michael Morris	Matt Wolpert & Ben Nedivi	February 26, 2021 (2021-02-26)
Molly lies to Ellen about going out to rescue Wubbo, but Ellen cautiously takes them both back to Earth with her. On the ground, a heroes welcome awaits but Molly is affected by her exposure to harmful proton radiation. Ellen begins a new post as Deputy NASA Administrator and tries to resist calls to cut funding to the Mars program while Margo is given a task which could de-escalate tensions between the US and the Soviets yet possibly compromise classified NASA technology. Meanwhile, Kelly looks at college brochures for Annapolis and quizzes Tracy and Gordo's eldest son, who is on leave from there, for information. Danielle asks to go back to the Moon during a catch-up with fellow Jamestown pioneers Ed and Gordo. After a family reunion, however, Gordo's excessive drinking forces Karen to call Ed down to the Outpost to intervene. As he walks his friend home, Gordo drunkenly confesses to Ed he feels he left behind a piece of himself on the Moon; he feels lost and an embarrassment to his boys. Ed assigns Danielle and Gordo to the next Moon mission.
13	3	"Rules of Engagement"	Andrew Stanton	Stephanie Shannon	March 5, 2021 (2021-03-05)
The Americans send guns to the Moon to take a mining site back from the Soviets after Ed realizes they bugged the base 10 years ago. Margo attempts to reconcile with Aleida by offering her a Systems Engineer position at NASA after learning from Aleida's boyfriend, Davey, that she will be deported if she cannot hold a job, confronting her after almost a decade. Aleida refuses to accept the job, not wanting to be embarrassed as she has been fired from all her past jobs for behavioral issues, though her past bosses have complimented her skills and engineering. Davey convinces her to take the job, but she breaks up with him for going behind her back. Tracy's escapade in The Outpost ends with her calling for Gordo's help, fueling their feud that may further affect their mission assignments. Kelly makes it clear that she wants to attend the Naval Academy in Annapolis. Karen comes to terms with this, but Ed becomes furious, not wanting to lose Kelly like he lost Shane. They eventually realize that they need to let Kelly live her own life and allow her to attend the academy.
14	4	"Pathfinder"	Andrew Stanton	David Weddle & Bradley Thompson	March 12, 2021 (2021-03-12)
Ed appoints himself to Mission Commander for the next generation nuclear-powered Space Shuttle "Pathfinder", after Karen encouraged him to go back to space now that Kelly is going to Annapolis. Ed asks Molly Cobb to assume his position as Chief of the Astronaut Office, and she accepts. Danielle Poole visits her in-laws after Clayton's suicide, and after exchanging personal effects, they argue, and Danielle realizes that she is missing out on opportunities, and later confronts Ed on his last day demanding Mission Commander status. Shortly afterwards, Ed is called into his final meeting, where he announces Danielle will be commanding an Apollo–Soyuz rendezvous mission. Gordo experiences anxiety about the mission, and experienced a panic attack when the helmet was sealed on his spacesuit, and later believes he is hallucinating. Ed reassures him that he is ready for the mission in a terse conversation prior to both astronauts flying to Cape Canaveral. During the flight, Ed challenges Gordo to a dogfight, and after high G maneuvers, Ed's aircraft experiences an engine fire, and he ejects into the Gulf of Mexico.
15	5	"The Weight"	Meera Menon	Nichole Beattie & Joe Menosky	March 19, 2021 (2021-03-19)
After Karen's initial emotional turmoil regarding Ed's accident, she avoids much discussion of it even once he returns home safely. Ed and Gordo are given a stern warning by Molly despite Tom and Margo's plea for a harsher punishment. After an awkward reception at the Jamestown base, Tracy is introduced to the resident illegal distiller of ethanol during a tour. Just one month into her six-month mission the vent noise, cigarette cravings, and monotony drive Tracy to cover her vent, smoke in the old airlock, and take up drinking. The blocked vent causes a base-wide CO2 alert. Tracy is almost sent home but is given a second chance on the condition that her special treatment ends and she is given double shifts. Molly starts having trouble with her vision. Aleida is given a mildly condescending welcome to NASA as a rookie engineer on the Apollo–Soyuz project. Ellen visits a poetry reading of Pam's and, despite being surprised by Pam's new girlfriend, agrees to meet for drinks at The Outpost which leads to them having sex. Gordo battles to overcome his claustrophobia and poor fitness. A mission is sent to Jamestown with firearms.
16	6	"Best-Laid Plans"	Meera Menon	Joe Menosky	March 26, 2021 (2021-03-26)
The Soviet team arrive in the USA for the Apollo-Soyuz project, but objects to every proposal made by NASA including the project name. The Baldwins watch the Sea Dragon launch, previously shown at the end of season 1, and reminisce about adopting Kelly. Kelly starts writing about her life for her Annapolis entrance. Danielle and her fellow astronaut takes the two Cosmonauts (Orlov and Alexeev) to The Outpost where they begin to bond. Margo tells Sergei to meet her at the 11:59 club where they hit upon the design of an androgynous docking adapter. Aleida helps to refine the design later. Ellen tells Pam she loves her, and asks Larry for a divorce. Gordo tells Tracy's new husband Sam that he intends to win her back. Danielle and her colleague arrive in Star City. The new arrivals at Jamestown practice firing their rifles and flying the LSAM.
17	7	"Don't Be Cruel"	Dennie Gordon	Nichole Beattie	April 2, 2021 (2021-04-02)
Tensions rise between the United States and the USSR. Before boarding a flight to Korea with Thomas Paine, head of NASA, Ellen gets a call from the bar saying her father has had a heart attack. She rushes to the hospital but he is already in recovery. She tells him that she's thinking of leaving NASA and joining the family's business when she gets a call from the White House about a downed jetliner. The flight was revealed to be Korean Air Lines Flight 007, that was fired upon by a Soviet jet and destroyed, killing him and 268 other people. In the wake of this accident about which the Soviets reveal little information, Ellen is appointed acting director of NASA, putting extreme pressure on her. Margo warns Sergei of faulty technology used by the Soviets via a coded message. Kelly investigates her birth parents, and, on the Moon, Tracy and the others take back their mining site. Karen sells the Outpost to Tracy's new husband before kissing Danny and coming home to make love with Ed.
18	8	"And Here's to You"	Dennie Gordon	Ronald D. Moore	April 9, 2021 (2021-04-09)
The President asks Ellen to be the permanent head of NASA. She is conflicted as she tells Pam that she is more important to her. Pathfinder has missiles installed, and the Pathfinder crew perform weapons testing. Danny and Karen kiss again and make love, but she tells him it is over. Kelly finds her natural father and half-sister working in a restaurant, but does not reveal her identity. The Buran is discovered to have the same O-ring problem as the U.S. shuttles, and Margo and Sergei become closer. Aleida embarrasses Bill, who resigns and she apologizes by revealing her personal history to him. Gordo arrives on the moon and tells Tracy what really happened when Danielle broke her arm. Molly is privately diagnosed with incurable normal tension glaucoma as a result of radiation exposure during the proton storm, which will blind her. The U.S. Marines at the lunar mine detect two cosmonauts installing some equipment. In a tragic misunderstanding they kill one and badly wound the other.
19	9	"Triage"	Sergio Mimica-Gezzan	Bradley Thompson & David Weddle	April 16, 2021 (2021-04-16)
In retaliation for the killing of the cosmonaut, the Soviets launch Buran to the moon where it could threaten Jamestown base and any arriving spacecraft. In response, NASA launches the Pathfinder mission ahead of time, with instructions to "intercede" if necessary. Despite the tensions, the two vehicles for the Apollo-Soyuz mission are launched. Karen confesses her adultery to Ed, and says she wants them to have marriage counseling. Molly and Wayne argue about the experimental treatment she wants to get for her glaucoma. She eventually decides against the treatment. After realizing that she is an obstacle to Ellen's potential political career, Pam tells Ellen she is returning to her old girlfriend. Two cosmonauts visit Jamestown to see their injured comrade who is still unconscious. They retrieve their dead comrade's remains. The injured cosmonaut wakes up later and when told he is in Jamestown declares that he wishes to defect. Later, the Jamestown crew see a cosmonaut shoot a hole in one of their windows, causing severe depressurization and the death of one astronaut. Several armed cosmonauts enter Jamestown base.
20	10	"The Grey"	Sergio Mimica-Gezzan	Matt Wolpert & Ben Nedivi	April 23, 2021 (2021-04-23)
Amid rising tensions with the Soviets, the Apollo-Soyuz crews are told to repeatedly delay their docking, to Danielle's frustration. Houston is unaware that the Soviets have attacked Jamestown. Gordo and Tracy hide in the galley, and manage to send Houston a signal which Aleida notices. The U.S. Marines and the Soviets engage in a firefight, resulting in several deaths and the unseen damage to the nuclear reactor's cooling system. Houston, Gordo and Tracy plan to fix the reactor from outside, using temporary suits that they construct. Danielle disobeys Houston's order to abandon the Apollo-Soyuz mission, and the astronauts and cosmonauts finally greet each other. This public gesture of friendship defuses the nuclear tension on Earth. Meanwhile Pathfinder and Buran nearly launch missiles at each other in lunar orbit, but Ed decides to destroy the Sea Dragon supply ship instead. Tracy and Gordo save the reactor from melting down, but die from vacuum exposure. The Soviets leave Jamestown. On Earth, the Soviets are shown to be using Sergei to try to recruit Margo. In the final shot, it is 1995 and a space suited human is shown walking on the surface of Mars.

Production

Development

According to Ronald D. Moore, the idea of the show came about during lunch with former NASA astronaut Garrett Reisman, when they discussed the possibility of an alternate history in which the Soviets reached the Moon before the Americans. On December 15, 2017, it was announced that Apple had given the production a one-season series order. The series was created by Ronald D. Moore, Matt Wolpert, and Ben Nedivi. Maril Davis serves as executive producer alongside Moore, Wolpert, and Nedivi. Production companies involved with the series include Sony Pictures Television and Tall Ship Productions. On October 5, 2018, it was announced that the series had been officially titled For All Mankind. The series was renewed for a second season in October 2019. On November 19, 2020, it was announced that the second season would premiere on February 19, 2021. On December 8, 2020, ahead of the second-season premiere, Apple TV+ renewed the series for a third season.

Casting

In August 2018, it was announced that Joel Kinnaman, Michael Dorman, Sarah Jones, Shantel VanSanten, and Wrenn Schmidt had been cast in main roles and that Eric Ladin, Arturo Del Puerto, and Rebecca Wisocky would appear in a recurring capacity. On October 5, 2018, it was reported that Jodi Balfour had been cast in a series regular role.

On November 19, 2020, Cynthy Wu, Coral Peña and Casey W. Johnson had been cast in main roles for the second season. Also, Krys Marshall and Sonya Walger were promoted to the main cast for the second season. On December 16, 2020, Michaela Conlin joined the cast in a supporting role for the second season.

In June 2021, it was reported that Edi Gathegi joined the season three cast as a series regular.

Filming

Principal photography for the series commenced in August 2018 in Los Angeles, California. In March 2019, The New York Times reported that filming had concluded. The filming for the second season began on December 24, 2019. On August 17, 2020, production on second season resumed after the COVID-19 halt, and the final two episodes were filmed. Filming for the third season began on February 25, 2021 and concluded in mid-September 2021.

Release

The first season of For All Mankind premiered on Apple TV+ on November 1, 2019, and ran for 10 episodes until December 20, 2019. Ahead of the first-season premiere, the streaming network renewed the show for a second season, which premiered on February 19, 2021, as announced in November 2020, and consisted of 10 more episodes, releasing weekly until April 23, 2021.

Marketing

On February 11, 2021, ahead of the season two premiere, Apple released an augmented reality iOS application on the App Store called For All Mankind: Time Capsule. The application walks users through the decade-long gap between seasons one and two, showing the relationship between astronauts Gordo and Tracy Stevens, and their son Danny Stevens. At the 73rd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, For All Mankind: Time Capsule won an award for Outstanding Innovation in Interactive Programming.

For season two, Apple released a podcast titled For All Mankind: The Official Podcast, produced in partnership with At Will Media, releasing every two weeks starting February 19, 2021. It is hosted by Krys Marshall, who plays Danielle Poole, and features behind-the-scenes looks and interviews with scientists, former astronauts, and the cast and crew of For All Mankind.

Reception

Critical reception for For All Mankind

Season		Rotten Tomatoes	Metacritic
	1	73% (52 reviews)	65 (22 reviews)
	2	100% (20 reviews)	75 (7 reviews)

Season 1

The first season of For All Mankind received generally positive reviews. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 73% approval rating with an average rating of 6.91/10, based on 52 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Though it shoots for the moon and falls somewhere in orbit, For All Mankind's impressive vision of history has the potential for real liftoff if it leans into the things that set it apart instead of settling for more of the same." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 65 out of 100 based on 22 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Season 2

On Rotten Tomatoes, the second season has a "Certified Fresh" 100% approval rating with an average rating of 7.49/10, based on 20 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "For All Mankind's sophomore flight isn't without its hiccups, but compelling character work and a renewed sense of wonder make for thrilling viewing." On Metacritic, it has a weighted score of 75 out of 100 based on 7 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Accolades

Year	Award	Category	Nominee(s)	Result	Ref.
2019	IGN Awards	Best New TV Series	For All Mankind	Nominated
2021	Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards	Outstanding Innovation in Interactive Programming		Won
	TCA Awards	Outstanding Achievement in Drama		Nominated
	Saturn Awards	Best Fantasy Television Series		Won
2022	Critics' Choice Television Awards	Best Drama Series		Nominated
	Golden Reel Awards	Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Series 1 Hour – Comedy or Drama – Dialogue and ADR	Vince Balunas (for "And Here's to You")	Nominated
	Producers Guild of America Awards	OGA Innovation Award	For All Mankind: Time Capsule	Won

Soundtrack

Season 1

Apple Music Playlist

• "For All Mankind Main Title" by Jeff Russo
• "Put a Lid on It" by Squirrel Nut Zippers
• "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" by Jimmy Ruffin
• "Shotgun" by Junior Walker & The All Stars
• "Guilty" by Herb Johnson
• "It's Your Thing" by The Isley Brothers
• "Street Fighting Man (Remastered)" by The Rolling Stones
• "Kiss My Tears Away" by The Fabulous Terrifics
• "I Didn't See You Standing There" by Dick Flood & The Pathfinders
• "Ring-A-Ding-Ding" by Frank Sinatra
• "Wernher Von Braun" by Tom Lehrer
• "Funk #49" by James Gang
• "You Can't Catch Me" by Chuck Berry
• "Come On In" by The Association
• "As Good as You've Been to This World" by Janis Joplin
• "The Strength and the Power of Your Love" by Abigail Dibble
• "Jumpin' Jack Flash" by Ananda Shankar
• "My Old Boy" by Pulse
• "You Can't Catch Me" by The Rolling Stones
• "In so Many Ways" by Birdlegs & Pauline
• "Slumberland Blues" by Pugsley Munion
• "Morning Dew" by Grateful Dead
• "A Call for All Demons" by Sun Ra & His Myth Science Arkestra
• "The World Song" by Petula Clark
• "American Woman" by The Guess Who
• "Moonage Daydream" by David Bowie
• "You Keep Hanging up on My Mind" by Wendy & Bonnie
• "A Kiss to Build a Dream On (Single)" by Louis Armstrong
• "Remember Me" by Herb Johnson
• "I Just Want To Celebrate" by Rare Earth
• "One for My Baby (And One More for the Road)" by Frank Sinatra
• "I Knew Her Well" by Sandy Harless
• "Drift Away" by Dobie Gray
• "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" by Frank Sinatra
• "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" by Dawn
• "A Horse With No Name" by America
• "Afrikaan Beat" by Bert Kaempfert and His Orchestra
• "Xmas Commercial Blues (feat. Al Johnson & Soul-Jers)" by Nancy Lee
• "Someday Never Comes" by Creedence Clearwater Revival
• "Howlin' at the Moon (Single Version)" by Hank Williams
• "Mr. Santa Claus (Santa Claus Helping Hand)" by Richard Marks
• "Mi Margarita" by Francisco Cendejas
• "Dream Lover" by Bobby Darin
• "My Way" by Frank Sinatra
• "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" by Elvis Presley
• "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears

Original Soundtrack

No.	Title	Length
1.	"For All Mankind Main Title"	1:20
2.	"For All Jazz-Kind"	4:02
3.	"Race to the Moon (Piano Suite)"	6:11
4.	"Moon"	0:39
5.	"Heading for the Landing"	2:39
6.	"Heroes"	2:24
7.	"Hurry to Watch"	1:30
8.	"Karen and Ed"	1:26
9.	"Water, Pt. 1"	2:32
10.	"Moon Miss America"	3:42
11.	"Lower Molly"	3:08
12.	"Water, Pt. 2"	7:41
13.	"Questioned on Tape"	2:30
14.	"Ants"	3:08
15.	"Armed Booster / Another Ship"	10:43
16.	"Lonely Research"	3:01
17.	"Ellen and Deke In Trouble"	3:02
18.	"Career Over / No Russians"	1:49
19.	"Landing"	4:01
20.	"Smoke"	2:29
21.	"Von Braun"	2:19
22.	"Flight Director"	1:30
23.	"Lit Match"	1:39
24.	"Command Module Cobb"	1:02
25.	"Tribunal"	3:28
26.	"Woman on the Moon"	3:04

Season 2

Apple Music Playlist

• "Well Well Well" by John Lennon
• "Middle of the Road" by Pretenders
• "All You Need Is Love" by The Beatles
• "Back In Black" by AC/DC
• "Roll With the Changes" by REO Speedwagon
• "I Fought the Law" by the Clash
• "Don't Be Cruel" by Billy Swan
• "The Unforgiven" by Goldberg
• "7-11" by Ramones
• "My City Was Gone" by Pretenders
• "Retrospect" by Sun Ra and His Arkestra
• "Warm Tenor" by Max Raffeng and his Sextet
• "Requiem Mass in D Minor, K. 626: I. Introitus, Requiem Aeternam" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
• "Ticket for the Sky" by Blitz Girls
• "Workin' for a Livin'" by Huey Lewis & The News
• "Don't Be Cruel" by Elvis Presley
• "Shake Some Action" by Flamin' Groovies
• "Lonely Hearts Lover" by Gina Samuels
• "The Weight" by the Band
• "I've Got You Under My Skin" by Frank Sinatra
• "Feels Like Heaven" by Inger Lise
• "I'm a Ramblin' Man" by Waylon Jennings
• "Working for the Weekend" by Loverboy
• "True" by Spandau Ballet
• "Downtown Sundown" by Thin Lizzy
• "Walkin' In Lonely" by Steve Knox
• "Whip It" by Devo
• "Time Has Come Today" by Ramones
• "Eye In the Sky" by The Alan Parsons Project
• "Snakeskin Seduction" by Ellis Naylor & Jeff Wells
• "A Message to You Rudy (feat. Rico)" by The Specials
• "Girl U Want" by Devo
• "Change of Heart" by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
• "Rockit" by Herbie Hancock
• "Three Little Birds" by Bob Marley & The Wailers
• "Come as You Are" by Nirvana

Original Soundtrack

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Sunrise Transition"	4:23
2.	"Save Wubbo"	6:59
3.	"Molly and Ellen Leave Jamestown"	2:35
4.	"Shane's Old Room"	1:51
5.	"Baldwin Fight Aftermath"	4:48
6.	"Visiting the Ships"	2:01
7.	"The Donut Run"	3:29
8.	"Margot Jazz Trio Part Deux"	3:26
9.	"First Shot On the Moon"	3:39
10.	"Kelly Was a Heart Transplant"	2:37
11.	"Ed Rocks the Sim"	1:36
12.	"News of the Attack"	4:26
13.	"Dani and the Engineer"	6:43
14.	"Molly's Flight"	1:36
15.	"Tracy and Gordo landing"	2:21
16.	"Reaching For the Case"	4:54
17.	"Russians!"	5:07
18.	"Sea Dragon"	4:17
19.	"Here We Go"	1:51
20.	"Jamestown"	5:56
21.	"The Run"	5:11

External links

• For All Mankind – official site
• For All Mankind at IMDb