For All Mankind (TV series)

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

For All Mankind
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 Edi Gathegi
Composer	Jeff Russo
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	3
No. of episodes	25 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Ronald D. Moore Matt Wolpert Ben Nedivi Maril Davis Seth Gordon Naren Shankar
Production locations	Los Angeles, California, US
Camera setup	Single-camera
Running time	48–76 minutes
Production companies	Tall Ship Productions Sony Pictures Television
Original release
Network	Apple TV+
Release	November 1, 2019 (2019-11-01) – present (present)

For All Mankind is an American science fiction drama 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 an ensemble cast including Joel Kinnaman, Michael Dorman, Sarah Jones, Shantel VanSanten, Jodi Balfour, and Wrenn Schmidt. Sonya Walger, Krys Marshall, Cynthy Wu, Casey W. Johnson and Coral Peña joined the main cast for the second season, while Edi Gathegi joined in the third. 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, which premiered on June 10, 2022.

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. Each subsequent season takes place ten years later, with season 2 taking place in the 1980s, and season 3 taking place in the 1990s.

Ronald D. Moore explained how history had been different in the series: "Sergei Korolev was the father of the Soviet space program; in our 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 "Ed" Baldwin, one of NASA's top astronauts, based on Apollo 10 commander Thomas P. Stafford.
• Michael Dorman as Gordon "Gordo" Stevens (seasons 1–2), an astronaut and Ed's best friend, based on Apollo 10's lunar module pilot Eugene Cernan.
• Sarah Jones as Tracy Stevens (seasons 1–2), Gordo's wife who later also becomes an astronaut as one of "Nixon's Women".
• Shantel VanSanten as Karen Baldwin, Ed's wife who later owns the "Outpost Tavern", a bar usually visited by NASA astronauts.
• Jodi Balfour as Ellen Wilson (née Waverly), an astronaut and member of "Nixon's Women" who becomes President of the United States after the 1992 Presidential Election.
• Wrenn Schmidt as Margo Madison, a NASA engineer who was mentored by Wernher von Braun, based on Frances Northcutt.
• Sonya Walger as Molly Cobb (seasons 2–3; recurring season 1), an astronaut and member of "Nixon's Women", based on Jerrie Cobb.
• Krys Marshall as Danielle Poole (season 2–present; recurring season 1), an astronaut and member of "Nixon's Women".
• Cynthy Wu as Kelly Baldwin (née Hanh Nguyen, before adoption) (season 2–present), a scientist and Ed's and Karen's adoptive daughter.
• Casey W. Johnson as Danny Stevens (season 2–present), an astronaut and Gordo's and Tracy's son.
  • Jason David and Mason Thames as young Danny Stevens (recurring season 1)
• Coral Peña as Aleida Rosales (season 2–present), an undocumented immigrant who is fascinated by space and later gets mentored by Margo.
  • Olivia Trujillo as young Aleida Rosales (recurring season 1)
• Edi Gathegi as Dev Ayesa (season 3), the founder of "Helios Aerospace", a private space company with the goal to reach Mars before NASA and the Soviet Union.

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; guest season 3), 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 (seasons 1–2), a barkeeper and later a poet.
• 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 (seasons 1–2)
• Daniel Robbins as Hank Poppen (season 1)
• Dave Power as astronaut Frank Sedgewick (season 1; guest season 2), 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; guest season 3)
• 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 (seasons 1–2; guest season 3), a NASA engineer and Ellen's eventual husband.
• Dan Warner as Air Force General Arthur Weber (season 1), military liaison to NASA.
• Lenny Jacobson as Wayne Cobb (seasons 1–2; guest season 3), Molly's pot-smoking artist husband.
• Edwin Hodge as Clayton Poole (season 1), Danielle's first 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 (seasons 1–2), 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 Gary Piscotty (season 2), the pilot of Pathfinder.
• 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), a news anchor.
• Scott Michael Campbell as Alex Rossi (season 2), commander of Jamestown Moon Base in 1983.
• Kayla Blake as Dr. Kouri (season 2), doctor on Jamestown Moon Base in 1983.
• Ellen Wroe as Sally Ride (season 2)
• Alex Akpobome as Paul DeWeese (season 2)
• Daniel David Stewart as Nick Corrado (season 2; guest season 3), an astronaut on Jamestown Moon Base in 1983, later an astronaut for Helios.
• Connor Tillman as Vance Paulson (season 2), head of the Marine detachment at Jamestown.
• Zac Titus as Charles Bernitz (season 2; guest season 3), a "Moon Marine".
• Andre Boyer as Jason Wilhelm (season 2), a "Moon Marine".
• Chris Cortez as Steve Lopez (season 2), a "Moon Marine".
• Jeff Hephner as Sam Cleveland (season 2; guest season 3), Tracy's second husband.
• Piotr Adamczyk as Sergei Nikulov (seasons 2–3), initially a Soviet engineer on the Apollo–Soyuz team.
• Josh Duvendeck as Nathan Morrison (season 2), an astronaut on the Apollo-Soyuz mission.
• Alexander Sokovikov as Rolan Efimovitch Baranov (season 2; guest season 3), initially a Soviet cosmonaut and later astronaut.
• Sean Patrick Thomas as Corey Johnson (season 3), Danielle's second husband.
• Justice as Isaiah Johnson (season 3), Corey's son and Danielle's step-son.
• Sahana Srinivasan as Nuri Prabakar (season 3), Margo's new assistant.
• Lev Gorn as Grigory Kuznetsov (season 3), a Soviet cosmonaut on the Mars 94 mission.
• Vera Cherny as Lenara Catiche (season 3), the new director of the Soviet Space Organisation, Roscosmos.
• Ken Rudulph as Edward Kline (season 3)
• Jessica Tuck as Christine Francis (season 3), a news anchor.

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), one of "Nixon's Women".
• Brian Stepanek as Shorty Powers (season 1)
• Matt Battaglia as John Glenn (season 1)
• Stephen Oyoung as Harrison Liu (season 1), an astronaut.
• Mark Ivanir as Mikhail Mikhailovich Vasiliev (season 1), a Soviet cosmonaut.
• Bjørn Alexander as Wubbo Ockels (season 2)
• Garrett Reisman as himself (season 2), a shuttle pilot. Reisman also serves as a technical consultant on the show.
• Nikola Djuricko as Stepan Petrovich Alexseev (season 2), a cosmonaut on the Apollo–Soyuz mission.
• Alexander Babara as Radislav Semenovich Orlov (season 2), a cosmonaut on the Apollo-Soyuz mission.
• Dustin Seavey as Lee Atwater (season 2)
• Goran Ivanovski as Dr. Dimitri Mayakovsky (seasons 2–3), a Soviet cosmonaut on the Moon and Mars 94 mission.
• Madeline Bertani as Amber Stevens (season 3), the fiancée of Danny Stevens.
• Randy Oglesby as Governor Jim Bragg (season 3), a vice presidential candidate.
• Tony Curran as Clarke Halladay (season 3), a Scottish astronaut.
• Robert Bailey Jr. as Will Tyler (season 3), an astronaut on Sojourner.
• Heidi Sulzman as Sylvie Kaplan (season 3), an astronaut.
• Taylor Dearden as Sunny Hall (season 3), a conspiracy theorist who meets Jimmy Stevens.
• Pawel Szajda as Alexei Poletov (season 3), a Soviet cosmonaut on the Mars 94 mission.
• Nick Boraine as Lars Hagstrom (season 3), an astronaut for Helios.

Historical and real world figures in archive footage

• Tom Brokaw
• Frank Borman
• Scott Carpenter
• Jimmy Carter
• Bill Clinton
• Kurt Cobain
• Gordon Cooper
• Mikhail Gorbachev
• Gus Grissom
• Gary Hart
• Ted Kennedy
• Jeane Kirkpatrick
• Henry Kissinger
• Tom Lehrer
• John Lennon
• Jim Lovell
• Richard Nixon
• John Paul II
• Jonathan Pollard
• Ronald Reagan
• Wally Schirra
• Alan Shepard
• George Shultz
• Margaret Thatcher
• Donald Trump

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)
3	10		June 10, 2022 (2022-06-10)	August 12, 2022 (2022-08-12)

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 friends after the landing, Apollo 10 astronaut Edward Baldwin admits to a reporter, while drunk, that he thinks NASA could have done more to put an American on the Moon first. Baldwin is reassigned by NASA director 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. As the Apollo 12 mission launches, the Soviet Union lands the first woman on the Moon, 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 landing prompts intense public pressure. 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), the last two of the Mercury 13 Molly Cobb and Patty Doyle, a black woman named Danielle Poole who works as a NASA computer, and the reserved 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. The candidates then practice piloting for simulated moon landing with the Lunar Landing Training Vehicle. While driving out of the city, Gordo spots smoke and returns to the NASA base, where Tracy meets him and reveals that Patty Doyle has died in a crash.
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 has 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 accelerate their own plans. It is mentioned that the presidential election is approaching and Ted Kennedy is the front runner for the Democratic nomination. 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 smoothly at the launch.
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 be 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 with no results, Molly volunteers to rappel down into the crater. She finds ice, and they 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. After initially tense interactions, 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 turns its focus to Ellen and Larry's private life. Margo finds evidence that political factors indirectly caused the Apollo 23 disaster and blackmails NASA into making her a Flight Director. Richard Nixon is pardoned for the Watergate scandal by President 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. Gordo begins to develop mental health problems from the prolonged isolation. 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 gay 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 until she returns home. However, Shane does not want to miss a basketball game that evening. He sneaks out of the house and is hit by a car on the way.
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 both of them grounded by officials. Shane Baldwin's accident leaves him brain dead. Karen frantically holds out hope, but after accepting that Shane is beyond saving, 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 condolence message, confusing him, until Karen reveals that Shane is dead. Ed destroys the Soviet camera. Aleida is given a scholarship for a math and physics program, 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 the Moon. Apollo 25 (with Dennis, Tracy, and Molly) quickly launches to fix Apollo 24, but just after the repairs are finished, Apollo 24's engines ignite prematurely and burn Harrison Liu to death while leaving Molly adrift. On Apollo 24, Ellen is knocked out and Deke's status is unknown as he was tethered outside 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 U.S. 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 depressurizes the airlock after the cosmonaut removes his space suit.
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 his captive. NASA attempts to regain contact with Apollo 24. Ellen wakes up and tends to Deke, who has suffered a stab wound. They 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 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. The capsule soars too high above the craft but Ellen lunges toward it, capturing it. Deke dies from his injuries as the rescue mission is completed. In a post-credits scene in 1983, Ed and Karen discuss live coverage from the South Pacific Ocean showing the 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. Ronald Reagan is president, having won the 1976 presidential election and been re-elected in 1980. 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 financier Sam Cleveland on live TV, 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. While most make it to safety, Molly and colleague Wubbo Ockels are still on the lunar surface. Molly finds shelter in a lava tube but sees Wubbo has crashed his rover nearby. She leaves the safety of the 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 has sustained a large 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 hero’s welcome awaits but Molly is affected by her exposure to the harmful radiation. Ellen begins a new post as Deputy NASA Administrator and tries to resist calls to cut funding to the Mars program while Margo plans a joint Apollo-Soyuz mission between the US and Soviet Union which could de-escalate tensions yet possibly compromise classified NASA technology. Meanwhile, Kelly looks at college brochures for Annapolis and quizzes Tracy and Gordo's eldest son Danny, 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 like 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 plan to 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 after almost a decade 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. Aleida refuses to accept, 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. They argue, and Danielle realizes that she is missing out on opportunities as a token hire. She 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 the Apollo–Soyuz rendezvous mission. Gordo experiences anxiety about his upcoming mission, and has a panic attack when a helmet is sealed on his spacesuit during fitting. 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. After risky 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 distress 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 Margo and NASA Administrator Thomas Paine’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, vent noise, cigarette cravings, and the monotony drive Tracy to 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 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. This leads to them having sex. Gordo battles to overcome his claustrophobia and poor fitness. A mission launches to Jamestown with firearms.
16	6	"Best-Laid Plans"	Meera Menon	Joe Menosky	March 26, 2021 (2021-03-26)
The Soviet crew arrive in the USA for the Apollo-Soyuz mission, 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 at Star City in the Soviet Union. 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 US and Soviet Union. Before boarding a flight to Korea with Thomas Paine, 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 Paine and 268 other people. In the wake of this accident about which the Soviets reveal little information, Ellen is appointed acting director of NASA. 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 a one-time fling. Kelly finds her biological father and half-sister working in a restaurant, but does not reveal her identity. 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 earlier solar storm, which will blind her. The U.S. Marines at the lunar mine detect two cosmonauts installing some equipment. In a 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 promising 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 cosmonauts engage in a firefight, resulting in several deaths and unseen damage to the Jamestown nuclear reactor's cooling system. Houston, Gordo and Tracy hatch a plan to fix the reactor from outside, using temporary suits that they construct from duct tape. 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 human is shown walking on the surface of Mars.

Season 3 (2022)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date
21	1	"Polaris"	Sarah Boyd	Matt Wolpert & Ben Nedivi	June 10, 2022 (2022-06-10)
It is now 1992. Karen and Ed have divorced, and Karen is launching an orbital space hotel, Polaris, with Sam Cleveland. Ed and Danielle are attending Danny's wedding on Polaris with their new spouses. Meanwhile, Ellen (now a Senator) is running for the presidency as the Republican nominee against Bill Clinton and the space race continues, this time to Mars. Molly, now completely blind, is in charge of the astronaut program and must choose between Ed or Danielle to lead the Mars expedition. Margo is head of NASA and she and Sergei secretly help each other with their respective space programs. Unbeknownst to Margo however, Sergei is under orders from his Soviet superiors to extract information. Aleida is working on new rocket engines for the Mars mission, and is notified by Margo that she will go to the moon to oversee its development. Space junk from a failed North Korean rocket damages the thrusters on Polaris, causing its spin to accelerate and eventually tear the hotel apart. Ed is injured in the ensuing evacuation attempt and Sam is killed, but Danny manages to save Polaris after performing a space walk to shut off the damaged thruster.
22	2	"Game Changer"	Sarah Boyd	David Weddle & Bradley Thompson	June 17, 2022 (2022-06-17)
Karen sells Polaris to Dev Ayesa, the founder of Helios Aerospace, which wants to use it in their own commercial Mars mission. At NASA, Molly offers their first manned Mars mission to Ed, with Danielle as backup commander. As Karen packs her things at Polaris, Danny Stevens comes to see her and admits that he still loves her. Molly's choice of Ed enrages Margo, who fires Molly on the spot and appoints Danielle instead. Ed angers Danielle by implying she only got the job because of her race and gender. Karen goes to Helios to convince Dev that Ed should lead their mission. Dev agrees and also offers Karen a job, which she accepts. Ellen announces Governor Jim Bragg, an anti-science evangelical governor as her presidential running mate. Dev blindsides NASA by announcing live on TV that Helios will repurpose Polaris as Phoenix to be the first to reach Mars. Dev formally announces Ed as the Phoenix mission commander.
23	3	"All In"	Wendey Stanzler	Nichole Beattie	June 24, 2022 (2022-06-24)
Kelly returns from Antarctica and asks Danielle for the biologist's position on NASA's crew, and she agrees. Karen offers Aleida a job at Helios, but she declines and becomes NASA's flight director. Bill Strausser joins Helios as flight director. Danny goes drinking and is arrested, causing Danielle to remove him from the mission, but Ed calls and gives him a position on Phoenix before Danny is forced to admit his troubles to his wife Amber. Sergei gets closer to Margo, but is forced to ask her for NASA's nuclear engine design as the Soviet design doesn't work. She refuses, but KGB agents blackmail her and threaten to kill Sergei. Two years later, Ellen is President of the United States and all three missions have left for Mars— Sojourner 1 from Jamestown, Phoenix from Earth orbit, and the Soviet Mars-94 from Baikonur.
24	4	"Happy Valley"	Wendey Stanzler	Joe Menosky	July 1, 2022 (2022-07-01)
In deep space, all three spacecraft are headed toward Mars, with Phoenix far ahead. Sojourner 1 overtakes them by deploying solar sails. On Earth, Dev is furious and insists first place is the only thing that matters, pressuring his staff to find a way for Phoenix to make it to Mars first. Ellen visits NASA. During her visit, the Soviets perform a dangerous burn to reclaim the lead that causes their nuclear engines to go into meltdown. Ed insists on helping but is overruled by Dev, who locks the crew out of the ship's controls, forcing NASA to mount a rescue. During the rendezvous, a Mars-94 fuel tank bursts, propelling it toward Sojourner. Two astronauts and one cosmonaut are killed as Sojourner attempts to pull away.
25	5	"Seven Minutes of Terror"	Andrew Stanton	Sabrina Almeida	July 8, 2022 (2022-07-08)
The Sojourner and Mars-94 crews launch their dead comrades into space. Sergei has been tortured in a KGB prison, but Margo gets him to Houston in return for giving the Russians some of Sojourner's mission resources. Phoenix removes Helios's flight control lock, angering Dev. Karen resigns from Helios in disgust at their refusal to aid Mars-94. Aleida discovers the Russian engines are copies of the American engines. Kelly and cosmonaut Alexei Poletov kiss. Phoenix arrives at Mars followed by Sojourner. Phoenix attempts to land but Ed aborts the landing due to poor visibility. Danielle successfully lands Sojourner on Mars. Danielle and the Soviet commander, Kuznetsov, wrestle each other to be first on Mars and appear to fall on the Mars surface together simultaneously.
26	6	"New Eden"	Unknown	Unknown	July 15, 2022 (2022-07-15)

Production

Development

First season promotional poster

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, it was renewed 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. The third season premiered on June 10, 2022.

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	74% (54 reviews)	65 (22 reviews)
	2	100% (23 reviews)	75 (7 reviews)
	3	100% (27 reviews)	84 (15 reviews)

Season 1

The first season of For All Mankind received generally positive reviews. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 74% approval rating with an average rating of 7/10, based on 54 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 an 100% approval rating with an average rating of 7.5/10, based on 22 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".

Season 3

On Rotten Tomatoes, the third season has an 100% approval rating with an average rating of 8.3/10, based on 27 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "For All Mankind's third season goes as far as Mars while maintaining a homey focus on its original ensemble, delivering another epic adventure with an intimate focus." On Metacritic, it has a weighted score of 84 out of 100 based on 15 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".

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
	Hugo Award	Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form)	Matt Wolpert, Ben Nedivi and Sergio Mimica-Gezzan (for "The Grey")	Pending
	Producers Guild of America Awards	OGA Innovation Award	For All Mankind: Time Capsule	Won

Music

Season 1 Original Soundtrack

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

Season 2 Original Soundtrack

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

Season 3 Original Soundtrack

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"What We Can Build"	Jeff Russo & Paul Doucette	3:17
2.	"Extra Gravity"	Jeff Russo & Paul Doucette	3:28
3.	"Thrusters Firing"	Jeff Russo & Paul Doucette	1:50
4.	"Back in the Race"	Jeff Russo & Paul Doucette	2:42
5.	"Margo ad Sergei"	Jeff Russo & Paul Doucette	4:34
6.	"Turning"	Jeff Russo & Paul Doucette	3:40
7.	"Ellen's Return"	Jeff Russo & Paul Doucette	2:05
8.	"Spaghetti Martian"	Jeff Russo & Paul Doucette	3:22
9.	"Messages"	Jeff Russo & Paul Doucette	3:09
10.	"Stranded"	Jeff Russo & Paul Doucette	2:22
11.	"Drilling"	Jeff Russo & Paul Doucette	2:48
12.	"Aleida's Wall"	Jeff Russo & Paul Doucette	2:55
13.	"Approaching Probe"	Jeff Russo & Paul Doucette	2:15
14.	"Mars"	Jeff Russo & Paul Doucette	2:10
15.	"Libra"	Jeff Russo & Paul Doucette	4:34
16.	"Wreckage"	Jeff Russo & Paul Doucette	3:33

External links

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