Unforgettable outer space TV show: For All Mankind

What could have been different if the Soviet Union landed on the moon first? Apparently, a lot! 🛰️🌗

I recently binged For All Mankind and it quickly became one of my all-time favorite tv shows. The plot is basically an alternate history that starts at the moon landing and follows American astronauts/NASA engineers as the U.S. competes with Russia to colonize the moon. Sounds technical, but it’s quite a ride! There are so many amazing complicated characters, plus incredible action scenes that keep finding thrilling new ways to stress me out. I laughed, I cried, I discovered a song I couldn’t stop listening to on repeat! (Elvis’ “Don’t Be Cruel,” but specifically the 1974 cover by Billy Swan)

There are 5 whole seasons to love (with a sixth and final on the way!) and each new season jumps another decade in time, so I got reallyyy attached to the characters as we followed them through different stages of their lives. And the hairstyles!!

But the most impactful part of the show for me was the what-could-have-been of it all. It was fascinating to see how faster technological advancements in space travel might mean consequently slower advancements in, say, cars and personal computers. Meanwhile the timeline of the show doesn’t completely diverge from real US history (some presidents and national tragedies are the same, some aren’t), but enough is similar that it really makes me believe another way could have been possible—and still is. There’s an early episode that portrays a leap for gender equality that results in 5 seasons of a world with seemingly less misogyny. Let’s just say it was emotional!

Which reminds me: expect to be totally punched in the gut by how much of a non-crisis their climate is in! 😩

If you watch the show, lmk 1) which character breaks your heart the most, 2) which era of fashion is your fave, and 3) which if any space missions would you have accepted??