For All Mankind — Series 2 Episode 4 — Pathfinder — A Review

27th April, 2021.

*Spoilers*

Right … it’s a Tuesday night: and frankly?

I’m off to bed, in a bit.

Mostly because I want an early night: and want to read a book.

I’ve been reading The Nomad of the Time Streams, recently, and want to get another chapter, done.

So?

I’m starting my review of the fourth episode of For All Mankind, Pathfinder, now.

And will be finishing it off, tomorrow.

I’ll see you then.

~≈🛰≈~

28th April, 2021.

Right … it’s a day later: and I’ll pick up from where I left off by telling you about:

Episode 4 — Pathfinder — opens with Karen (Shantel VanSanten) cooking breakfast for Ed (Joel Kinnaman): reminding him that — with their daughter heading to college — he needs to get back into space.

And the first flight of the new Pathfinder shuttle would be the perfect opportunity to do so … 

Meanwhile … ?

Gordo (Michael Dorman) is having his initial testing with the new generation of space suits, finding his very claustrophobic: and having a mild panic attack, once the helmet’s put on.

Something he only feels comfortable telling Ed and Danielle (Krys Marshall) when the three met at The Outpost*.

Something that gets Danielle … thinking: especially as she’s seeing her late husband’s sister in the morning.

Meanwhile?   Ellen is in a meeting with Tom Paine: keen to guarantee funding for a potential Mars meeting, she finds Tom is more sympathetic than she imagines.

The following morning … ?

The following morning sees Danielle challenge Ed to name her the first African American woman to command a NASA mission.

Something he can only do at his last meeting: the meeting about Tom’s publicity-gathering Russian meeting … 

~≈🛰≈~

Now … 

What did I make of Pathfinder: is it good, bad or indifferent?

Personally?   I don’t know: but I think it’s on an artistic par with the first three episodes.

Pathfinder is a quieter episode, I think: it’s focusing on the political manoeuvring, and character, rather than action.

I think the latter will turn up in the next episode: given the big climactic ending.

Frankly?   Ed being ejected from his jet, at blah thousand feet, and heading for a soaking?

Is not going to be an ending I’ll forget in a hurry.

Either way?

I’m going to be watching episode five next Tuesday.

Frankly, I want to see Ed get out of the soup!

*        For those who don’t know … ?   The Outpost is owned by Ed’s wife, Karen: and is the regulars bar. It’s the equivalent to the Queen Vic or the Rover’s Return, in EastEnders or Coronation Street.