We came to podcast “For All Mankind” — and “Star City,” too. Dan Moren and Jason Snell have the right stuff to watch Apple TV’s space dramas and break them down episode by episode. Dramatic things are always happening around vending machines, if you didn’t notice.Podcast art by Thom Zahler.
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It’s the end! Guess who’s coming back to Earth? Guess more times! Sergei’s loyalty to the Chief Designer is put to the test. Lyudmilla tries to get the upper hand on the (new) Chief Designer! Irina and Tania… appear! It’s a farewell to our Soviet comrades for now, but is there more to come? (We don’t know, but we sure hope so.)...
Everyone is sad in 1971. Belicova is sad about Sasha. The engineers are sad about the Chief Designer. Lyudmilla is sad about Petrovsky. Sergei is sad about his career prospects, but never about math. The Chief Designer is sad about certain people interrupting him from pulling beets. Irina is sad about a lot of stuff. And then, in the last moments… is that a flash of hope? Maybe, but it’s probably just gonna make people sad next week....
The aftermath of the discovery of the mole and the secret space launch is all over this episode. The Chief Designer and Lyudmilla finally have it out. Tania ponders her future, and Irina ponders it too. And there’s some serious drama at Mission Control and on the Venera probe headed to Venus....
This one’s a banger. The KGB has got the mole… or do they? What will happen to the Chief Designer’s risky mission to Venus? Is Lyudmilla out of control or does she have the upper hand? And Brezhnev makes a surprise appearance!...
The fallout of the lunar-mission accident is wide reaching. We learn how a Star City resident can be compromised by those diabolical Americans. Tania is concerned about her husband’s fidelity, but nobody believes her. A newly arrived scientist follows the sound of hammering to discover her unlikely destiny with the inner solar system. And as the tables may be turning on Lyudmilla, her young protegé Irina makes a discovery that could crack the case wide open—or put her in serious danger....
Time for another Soviet mission to the moon, but this one runs into some surprising trouble. Valya just wants to make Tania happy, but a trip to Moscow for a concert ends up complicating matters. And Irina discovers how awkward it is to meet some of her subjects in real life—but hey, you live in Star City, so it can’t be that much of a coincidence, can it?...
The “Star City” premiere continues with a surprise bear, a tour of western European capitals, the Chief Designer’s secret basement workshop, and a beautiful Soviet wedding. Also, we continue to spot connections to characters in “For All Mankind”… we think....
We dial back the clock to the 1960s and travel to the Soviet Union for the first episode of “Star City,” the new “For All Mankind” spin-off on Apple TV. Cold war cars, secretive Soviets, a frenemy in the surveillance typing pool, surprising Cosmonaut pranks, and the difficulty of memorizing your propaganda speech are all topics of conversation!...
The penultimate season reaches its conclusion! Who doesn’t make it? We were surprised. Does it all hold together? What characters were done dirty? What’s that glowing on the horizon? And what’s with that Soviet DOS prompt? We break it all down. And stay tuned, because our next episode(s) are all about the “For All Mankind” spin-off, “Star City,” which we like a lot!...
That escalated quickly! It’s time to discuss the action-packed penultimate episode of the penultimate season of “For All Makind.” The M-6’s desire to take back control of Happy Valley has some serious, violent consequences. Alex proves to be a whiz when it comes to duct tape. And meanwhile, on Titan, there’s some navigating, scanning, and maybe an amazing discovery or perhaps a catastrophic accident? It’s “For All Mankind,” it could really be either one....
Now we’re in the thick of it. Avery is forced to grapple with her family history as she prepares for some serious duty. Miles is forced into extreme action to protect Happy Valley long enough to get some help. Polivanov and Boyd decide to take a terrifying joy ride. Kelly really leans into the whole “Ed Baldwin’s daughter” thing. And it’s a bad day to be a Padres fan, but what else is new?...
Disasters in space are a “For All Mankind” tradition, so let’s see how everyone does getting to Titan. But also, Mars is a place where disasters can happen, so let’s see who is in the Corn Dome at 3 a.m. on a weeknight! Things are getting tense everywhere. Let’s break it all down....
The season’s second half starts with a gun to someone’s head and complete chaos in Mission Control. Dev and Aleida feel trapped, but Dev’s got some weird ideas about security. Our favorite new Space Marine reveals her amazing lineage. Boyd and Fred finally have that heart-to-heart. And who does Irinia really work for, and is it just herself? Let’s see how long we can all survive waiting to find out what happens next. Lock the doors....
After a brief prelude in a Soviet gulag just to remind us how scary Irinia is (she’s not locked in here with, you, comrade, you’re locked in here with her!), the story moves back to Mars. The reveal of the secret plan to create Automation has led to civil unrest. Miles, Alex, and Lilly are feeling the pressure. Aleida feels betrayed by Dev… again. We are a bit puzzled by what Dev’s plan is. But it looks like, at long last, the people of Mars really are ready to rise up. But… then what?...
It’s time for a new generation to take charge. Back on Earth, we meet a surprising new character with a deep “For All Mankind” lineage. On Mars, Dev gives Alex a pep talk that goes rapidly awry. Aleida deals with a serious Mars hangover. And when he discovers a nefarious plan that might change Mars forever, Alex puts his vending machine hacking skills to use....
Young Ed! Old Ed! Hi Bob! Bye Ed! There’s so much to ponder in this special episode of “For All Mankind,” including Lee on the lam, Boyd’s Mars dating advice, Dev bonding with Alex over motorcycle maintenance, memories of Shane, and some surprise cameos....
It was murder! On Mars! The discovery of a dead body last week leads to an inflammatory perp walk, a mysterious and unlogged cargo transfer, and an exciting car chase (but with hoppers). Also, there’s at least one more pasta night with the Baldwins. And maybe there’s life on Titan?...
Get on your Mars bike and get ready to do some cool jumps! “For All Mankind” is back, and the NASA Vending Machine is restocked! But season 5 brings Domino’s and Starbucks to Mars, so who knows what else might be in store on the red planet? This episode helps us get reaquainted with the show, recaps what’s been going on in the decade since last season, and starts to put all the pieces in place for whatever story is about to be laid out before us....
With season 4 of “For All Mankind” in the books, we got a chance to spend a little time asking co-creators and showrunners Ben Nedivi and Matt Wolpert about the show in general, season four in particular, where the show might go if it’s renewed for future seasons, and (of course) why there are so many vending machines....
We say goodbye to season four by detailing the exciting and eventful finale, in which the counter-countermeasures are foiled by counter-counter-countermeasures… or are they? The tension between the crew and the authorities on Mars reaches a breaking point! Frantic typing occurs—but without typos! And Jason gets some strong “Babylon 5” vibes—in the best way. Comrades, there’s been a Martian vending machine right behind you all along!...
Everything gets tense as we rush toward the season finale. How many Star Trek shows are there in this universe? Was that a modem sound? Would it be better if the KGB and CIA worked together? And what’s more American than eating a McDonald’s burger in a motel?...
Listeners, thanks for reminding us what happened to that one character we thought was dead, because he’s very much not dead and in this episode. The Henry Hill of space shucks off his robe and turns right to warn Aleida about the peril Margo may be in! Meanwhile, on Mars, it’s time to plan a heist! Kelly may be about to make history, but Ed is absolutely a Bad Grandpa. We talk through all the permutations as “For All Mankind” rockets on toward its season finale....
So many lines being crossed! Ed’s rebellion encourages a worker revolt just as Kelly and Alex arrive on Mars. Meanwhile, Margo gets a new assignment, Aleida’s news appearance goes viral. And Dev spills some sugar and shows his true colors. If you were wondering if this season was in the truest bananas spirit “For All Mankind,” did the last line not clinch it for you?...
It all comes to a head in St. Petersburg—er, Leningrad. Chekhov’s hotel accommodations are placed on the mantel. Margo is reminded who her employers are. And on mars, Ed continues to rebel. And what is an asteroid, if not a giant vending machine?...
It’s a gold rush in space! Okay, maybe an iridium rush, as everyone on Earth wants to grab Goldilocks, the $20 trillion asteroid. But things are more complicated than that, of course. Danielle is stuck in an episode of “Lost,” having flashbacks to dark times. Kelly and Aleida have to deal with a rash decision made by Dev. And is Ed Baldwin this season’s… villain?...
