Wednesday 14 April 2021

For All Mankind — Series 2 Episode 2 — The Bleeding Edge — A Review

13th April, 2021.


This is a hell of a time to worry about it … but does anyone know if I’ve got a clean shirt?

No, forget I asked!

Right at the moment?   It’s a Tuesday night: a Tuesday night where I’ve seen another episode of For All Mankind.

A Tuesday where I’ve started this post: aware I’m going to finish it, tomorrow night.

I need an early night: as I have a doctor’s appointment, first thing in the morning.

An, at Two in the afternoon … ?

I’ve an interview: via Zoom.

Which will possibly go well … assuming my clean shirts still fit!

~≈👔≈~

14th April, 2021.

JUST so you know … ?   The shirt fit: although I don’t know if the interview went well … 

Let’s just say — for now — there’s mismatching start dates.

At any rate … ?

Let me tell you about last night’s TV show … 

~≈🚀≈~


Episode 2 — The Bleeding Edge — opens in the immediate aftermath of episode one: and shows us Molly Cobb (Sonya Walger) being checked over by Jamestown’s medics, and being debriefed by station commander, Ellen Wilson (Jodi Balfour).

And lying: about exactly how much radiation she took in the storm.

Ellen … ?   Wants to make sure, though: moving her return to Earth a day forward, and taking Molly — and Wubbo, the crewman Molly rescued — home with her.

Back on Earth … ?

Back on Earth, the Cold War is warming up.

With Ellen turning in a final report from the Moon, to a concerned Margo, Ed and General Bradford (Wrenn Schmidt, Joel Kinnaman, John Marshall Jones.)

Ellen makes no secret of her ambition to see her bosses launch a Mars mission: nor of Jamestown’s need for more plutonium.

Margo’s got problems of her own: with her boss, Thomas Paine (Dan Donohue), wanting to have a big happy handshake in space … and potentially handing the Soviet Union a lot more technology than she’s capable of handing over.

Just General Bradford is reluctant to hand her plutonium.

Later, at the Outpost?

We see Ed meeting with Gordo, and Danielle (Michael Dorman and Krys Marshall.)

Danielle … ?   After the death of her husband, Danielle has realised there’s nothing holding her back.

She wants to go back to Jamestown.

Ed’s happy … 

Gordo … ?

Has a crisis … 

~≈🚀≈~

What did I make of this episode?

I have to say, For All Mankind is … 

Something I’m always impressed by is world-building.

World-building: the ability of fiction to build not just convincing characters, but a convincing setting.

Terry Pratchett did it, I think.

Several fantasy games have.

Watchmen certainly did.

So does For All Mankind.

I can even point to one phrase in this episode that some it up for me.

When Ed, Gordo and Danielle meet?

There’s that one magic phrase that gets used: that shows us these three have a history, together.

“Hi, Bob.”

If you didn’t know, it refers to episode seven* of For All Mankind’s first series: when the three were trapped on Jamestown.

It’s those little things that keep me hooked: as well as the big ones … 

The personal issues, as well as the big picture.

Frankly?   I’m going to watching episode 3, on Tuesday.

I want to see more of those little things … 






*        That latter goes to my video review of the episode.

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