27th November, 2023: the introduction … !
It’s official: I’ve started this Monday.
Which you’ve possibly either;
- Worked out.
- Or got confused by!
Especially if you’re not reading this on a Monday!
At any rate … ?
I’m running on a lack of food, not enough exercise … and little sleep.
I’m going to try and deal with one of those: dinner’s cooking, as we speak.
Sausages, so you know!
Once that’s eaten?
I’ll be watching “The Bear Hug”, the next episode of For All Mankind.
I’ll have my review up, tomorrow.
28th November, 2023: “The Bear Hug”.
Episode 3 — “The Bear Hug” — opens in darkness.
Which slowly lifts, to show us a seriously scared Margo Madison (Wrenn Schmidt): who has been arrested during unrest in her adopted nation, the USSR.
She, and the other detainees?
Are to be made an example of: by forces attempting a coup against Mr Gorbachev.
Post credits?
We see news reports: telling us that a coup is under way in the Soviet Union, that Soviet hardliners lead by Fyodor Korzhenko (Dimitar Bakalov) are fighting those loyal to Mikhail Gorbachev.
These reports … ?
Are being closely followed at the Happy Valley base on Mars: especially by Svetlana Zakharova (Maria Mashkova), one of the lead Russian pilots.
She is deeply concerned for her family … and by the news that both the Soviet Space agency, and Star City, its base, are having a communications blackout.
Svetlana is not the only concerned member of Happy Valley’s crew.
Miles (Toby Kebbell) is deeply concerned at the lack of money in his bank account.
Concerned enough that having a word with Ilya (Dimiter Marinov), Happy Valley’s resident smuggler seems like a good idea.
Even when Miles — totally by accident — destroys the thermostat on Ilya’s illicit still.
Things … could go pear shaped …
~≈🌙≈~
Now … what did I make of this episode of For All Mankind: of “The Bear Hug”?
And did I see anything I know?
Let’s get that second point out of the way, shall we?
Yes: the coup that’s at the heart of this episode, the one that sees this world’s version of Gorbachev replaced by a hardline member of the KGB’s Second Directorate, sounded very familiar.
Very much like the real-world 1991 coup: the one that saw plotters try, unsuccessfully, to overthrow the then Soviet leader.
The connection seemed obvious: to me, anyway.
As did the inspiration for Dev Ayesa (Edi Gathegi), who returns in this episode.
Many speculated — when the character first appeared in season three — that he was based on Elon Musk, or Mark Zuckerberg, or Jeff Bezos.
I didn’t. I was convinced the character was based on Steve Jobs.
If that’s truly the case? Which I think it is.
Then “The Bear Hug” is showing us For All Mankind’s version of Jobs’ return to Apple in 1997.
I don’t know who would’ve been more nervous: the (fictional) board of Helios, or real world Apple staff.
If I’ve understood it, the stories doing the rounds about Jobs’ return to Apple said not to get into a lift with the guy if you wanted to keep your salary.
At any rate … ?
The one other thing that I noticed … ?
Was Ilya.
I’ve known men like Ilya!
Friendly, affable … and always able to get hold of stuff.
Perfectly legal stuff … at surprisingly reasonable prices.
Where from … ?
I was never going to ask: not when the Ilyas I knew were charging such reasonable prices for tobacco!
So, seeing the inter-planetary equivalent of a dodgy bloke in the pub carpark … ?
Does one thing.
Reminds me that humanity’s human: whether it’s on Earth, the Moon or Mars.
At any rate … ?
You’re possibly going to ask me one question, aren’t you?
Going to ask me if I enjoyed this episode?
Absolutely, I did.
It’s shown aspects of life — good, bad and mildly ironic — that we’ve come to expect: and done so in a dramatically satisfying way.
And … ?
In showing us the job Margo Madison (Wrenn Schmidt) has been offered … ?
Leaves a twist that will get resolved next week’s episode!
“The Bear Hug”★★★★
~≈🌙≈~
Frankly?
I’ll be watching “Wild Blue Yonder”, the next episode of the Doctor Who anniversary specials, on 2nd December of this year: and have my written and video reviews up on the 3rd.
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