For All Mankind

I’ve started watching Apple TV+ to see what all of the excitement is about.

My first show was For All Mankind, an alt-history drama about the space race of the late 1960s and the people involved in it.

The first episode, Red Moon, sets the premise and introduces the major characters, montaging historical and fictional.

The drama itself is strong and recognizable.

Technological competition among nations. Overlooked women scientists. Struggling military families. Cross-border immigration.

The effects of watching, for me, were feelings of empathy and humility.

Presenting historical alternatives in a recognizable context leads one to think about possibilities for now and the future.

After just one episode I have two favorite characters already. Margo Madison, the young, rule-following Nasa scientist. And Wernher von Braun the old, rule-bending one.

The shots of the lunar surface during the moon landing scenes at the end of the episode are great.

The sound track is too. Jimmy Ruffin’s “What Becomes of the Broken Hearted” was well placed.

The show is set in the late 1960’s, so no Apple product shots. Yet.

Looking forward to the next episode!