25th August, 2026.“Brave New World”.The Introduction.
OK, it’s now officially Tuesday.
And … ? The BBC’s weather page for my area is telling that’s going to be a thunderstorm early tomorrow morning.
I hope so!
We’ve had some sixty days of drought, hosepipe bans and the sort of relentless sunny weather one usually associates with idealised versions of 50’s America.
Rain would be welcome … !
~≈🪐≈~
At any rate, it’s Tuesday.
Giving the time I’m writing this?
That means I’m got some music on in the background, I’m assembling some videos in the background, and am excitingly cooking dinner.
Burger and home made chips, if you’re curious.
And … ?
And I’m listening to the sound of my tumble dryer, drying my pants.
Yes: I should put them on the washing line in the garden … but don’t have a garden!
With all that said … ?
I really need to watch TV!
Yes: that’s right.
I’ve got another episode of For All Mankind lined up: “Brave New World”.
I’ll have this review finished and up by Thursday … if the excitement hasn’t killed me …
Part One.The Summary.
Episode 8 — “Brave New World” — opens with news reports, showing us that Kelly Baldwin (Cynthy Wu) and her team have landed on Titan, and are getting ready to go exploring.
The scene then shifts: to show us Ilya the Barman telling Martian leader, Miles Dale (Tony Kebbell), that someone wishes to talk.
A someone that turns out to be Irina Morozova and Governor Leonid Polivanov (Svetlana Efremova and Costa Ronin), who have news for Miles.
One … ?
Good news: the USSR is expecting a change in leadership: if Mars can hold on until after this, the Martians will be in a far better negotiating position.
Two … ?
The bad news … ?
The M-6 nations that govern Mars are sending an invasion force …
~≈🪐≈~
26th August 2026.Part Two.Thoughts.
So … what did I see in this episode … ?
What on Earth — or Mars — can I tell you … ?
I’ve said it before, and will no doubt say it again: this series of For All Mankind has been good at human drama, better at political drama …
And very good at sheer tension: human, political or otherwise.
“Brave New World” in particular is very good at dramatic tension.
Starting with a scene that sees Miles telling a sceptical Aleida about the information he’s received, Aleida telling him she’s sceptical …
Only for her team at MOCC to spot the in-coming ship-load of marines that’s heading for the asteroid that’s the source of Mars’ wealth.
There’s equally tense scenes, latter in the episode.
Celia (Mireille Enos) and Leonid are piloting several barrels of explosives to Kuznetsov Station, the asteroid mine’s port: when they have to restart the engine of their ship in mid-flight, without crashing, and without exploding the bombs.
Later in the episode, a pair of the invading marines — Avery and Marcus (Ines Asserson and Barrett Carnahan) — have to flee the station, before the bombs go off.
Those two scenes genuinely had me on the edge of my seat!
If you’re going to ask me about tense episodes of For All Mankind, I will point you at “Brave New World”.
~≈🪐≈~
Part Three.Terrorists.
There’s other areas to cover.
You’ve noticed I’ve mentioned explosives, haven’t you?
Towards the start of the episode, and at a meeting of the provisional council running Happy Valley, Miles has to deliver the bad news: that the M-6 nations are launching a sneak attack, and that the council has to do something.
Their decision?
Is to blow the landing pads at Kuznetsov Station: to prevent the M-6 nations seizing control of the vital iridium.
The only explosives that they can make, are from the only ingredients available.
Are, mainly, from ammonium nitrate and hydrazine.
Are, in other words, extremely sensitive fertiliser bombs: stuff used — in the real world — used by the likes of the Provisional IRA.
My overwhelming memory of this episode, though.
Is not of a council plotting to make improvised explosives … but of a final shot of the staff of Mission Control: looking saddened by the subsequent deaths of enemy troops …
Saddened … and guilt ridden, as well.
It’s nicely shot, and acted: as is the panicked warning sent by Celia, in the minutes before the explosion.
But there’s something that bothered me about the scenes.
I grew up during the Troubles: the period in British history when Northern Ireland was quite literally a war zone.
I’m not, thankfully, in the Province, itself: I’m in south-east England: in a part of the south east with no army barracks, no government facilities, that would attract attention of paramilitaries.
Paramilitaries would — depending on the campaign — give phone warnings to relevant authorities.
That’s the issue that troubles me.
Is that, beyond the panicked, improvised, warning given by Celia?
No formal warnings were given by either side, to the other.
Yes: I know.
This is fictional military action, in a fictional setting, that is not obliged to base itself on real world military actions.
None the less, seeing fictional fighters not giving a warning, not do something real world paramilitaries did, is something I feel uncomfortable about.
~≈🪐≈~
27th August 2026.Part Four.A Death in the Family.
There’s a death in the family: right at the end of the episode.
At the climax of “Brave New World”, we see a pair of Marines — Avery Jarrett and Manuel Ruiz (Keith Miller) — desperately fleeing Kuznetsov Station, when they realise the place has been mined.
Fleeing by dragging themselves along a cable tethered to lord knows what: only for Ruiz, in the lead, to be killed by shrapnel from the explosion.
Normally … ?
I would expect a soldier to not have hysterics at seeing a colleague killed in front of them.
I’d expect that squaddie to sit on their trauma until they get back to base, do the needed paperwork and reporting … then have hysterics, and seek whatever treatment is needed and available.
At least, that’s what I’d expect of an experienced soldier: I’d expect them to be able to cope until they can safely vent their shock and grief.
But we forget: even though Avery has done well in training, even though she’s a Corporal?
She young, inexperienced … and just seen a comrade killed in front of her for the first time.
The fact the episode ends with her screams … ?
Makes for a traumatic finish*.
~≈🪐≈~
Part Four.Finally.
So, with all that said …?
What did I make of episode eight, of “Brave New World”?
My gods, but that was good!
I’ve said several times that an on-form, For All Mankind can do dramatic tension like no other series.
“Svoboda” springs to mind, here, as does “No Sudden Moves”: and the series one episode, “Into The Abyss”.
But “Brave New World”?
“Brave New World” is one of the most tense episodes of For All Mankind I’ve seen: certainly in this fifth series.
Frankly?
I’m impressed with it: I’ll one looking forward to the next episode, “Sons and Daughters”: in the hope episode nine can keep up the pace!
“Brave New World” is one hell of an episode.
“Brave New World”★★★★⁺
~≈🪐≈~
Part Five.The Last Word.
After that much wittering about?
After all that wittering about, that’s where I’m going to be leaving things: having watched the most tense episode of the series to date.
When I watch “Sons and Daughters”, next Tuesday, I’ll hopefully see an episode that’s just as tension, just as dark …
Whilst worrying it’s going to be as cheesy as the Australian soap it shares its name with!
In the meantime?
Feel free to subscribe to my YouTube channel, feel free to tip, feel free to try the Daily Teasers …
And if you’ve enjoyed what I’m doing … ?
Come back, next week.
I’ll see you then.
* “You’re 18 years old, and you’re wearing somebody’s brains around on your shirt because they’ve got their heads blown off right next to you … and that’s not supposed to affect you?” That’s from the Destruction mix of Paul Hardcastle’s 19, and has stayed with me for years. It seems very relevant …
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