For All Mankind — Series 5 Episode 10 — “This Land Is Our Land” — A Review

8th September, 2026.

“This Land Is Our Land”.

The Introduction.

It’s got to be said, there’s a certain amount of irony to when I’ve started this post.

Yes: it’s Star Trek Day: as mentioned in today’s Daily Teaser.

The irony?

Is simply in the one fact: that I’m going to be watching “This Land Is Our Land”, the tenth and last episode of For All Mankind’s fifth season, tonight.

And will start watching the fourth season of  Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, next week: at the earliest.

So, yeah … 

Irony … 

~≈🚀≈~

Irony, aside … ?

Irony, aside, it’s a Tuesday evening: so I’ll be having dinner, then watching “This Land Is Our Land”.

And … ?

Letting you know what I thought, by Saturday.

I can only hope, right now, it’s worth the wait!

~≈🚀≈~

9th September, 2026.

Part One.

The Summary.

Episode 10 — “This Land Is Our Land” — opens with scenes of confusion: as the people of Happy Valley try to organise their homes in the face of an M-6 invasion: as the colony’s leader, Miles Dale (Tony Kebbell) sends out a Desperate message telling people where to go.

At his shoulder is Governor Leonid Polivanov (Costa Ronin): along side the rest of the Council that govern the base.

The group knows it will have to take drastic action: by taking out the M-6 forces in their improvised command centre.

They can only do that by flooding the place with extra oxygen, then setting it alight.

If they can find the place.

To do that?   The group needs some one who’s feeling quick, brave … and remarkably like a volunteer.

Governor Polivanov … is just the man … 

~≈🚀≈~

After the titles roll, the scene changes: to show us the Away One mission — Kelly, Walt and Elena (Cynthy Wu, Christopher Denham and Kristina Klebe) — are very aware they have good news, and bad news.

The good news?

Is that yes: there is life on Titan, and they have a sample to take home.

The bad news?

All three of them will have to walk to where they will be picked up by the ship that will take them home, as the vehicle that’s got them here is no longer Working.

The really bad news … ?

The three of them will have to walk … despite the fact there’s only enough oxygen for two … 

~≈🚀≈~

Part Two.

About The Episode.

Now … what did I make of both “This Land Is Our Land”: and the series it’s the climax to?

Let’s start with the episode, shall we?

I mentioned how earlier episodes were tense: very tense in some cases.

“Brave New World”, in particular.

“This Land Is Our Land”?

Carries on that tradition.

The opening scene, for example,  shows us that the apparent defection of Governor Polivanov is a ruse: to get the Leonid into the M-6 command post, so it can be found and destroyed … then shows us what happens when the Governor tries to get out of post with an angry Ilya in tow!

Edge of the seat?

Oh, yes.

Then … ?

There’s the button … 

I’ve told you how Leonid has sneaked his way in to the M-6 command point: and how Leonid’s attempt’s to escape had me glued to my seat, with my eyes glued to the screen.

So did the immediate consequences.

Miles asks the relevant controller, Tim (James Michael McHale), to hit the button, the button that will set off a spark that will ignite the command post’s air, and kill every one in it.

Tim … ?   Refuses the order, as he doesn’t deaths on his conscience.

So Miles, after some hesitation … ?

Miles does the deed.

Yes: edge of the seat.

Very edge of the seat.

Then there’s Titan.

We see Kelly, Walt and Elena buoyed by the fact they’re finally discovered life … but deflated by one simple fact: getting the evidence home meant walking to the pickup point.

The tension?

Comes from a little thing: the pause, before the team realise that only two of them are going home … 

~≈🚀≈~

11th September, 2026.

Part Three.

A Quote.

There’s something I think I should mention: a quote.

I’ve only been including them in my Daily Teaser quizzes for a decade, after all.

It’s a relatively simple one, something Irina tells Miles, early in the cold open:

“War is simply politics by other means.”

It’s an old sentiment, one that dates back to Carl von Clausewitz:

“War is the continuation of policy with other means.”

It’s an icy little phrase, isn’t it?

And one I’ve heard, before: usually attributed to the likes of Josef Stalin, or Mao Zedong.

The reason I mention it?

Was simply this: it was a phrase, a sentiment, I recognised, saw applied to the situation … and learnt a little about, when I looked it up.

~≈🚀≈~

Part Four.

Thoughts.

So … what did I make of this episode: of “This Land Is Our Land”?

There are times when a series finale is something of a a let down.

“Fire from the Gods”, for example, the last episode of The Man in the High Castle.

Was distinctly underwhelming.

As was “The Real Monsters”, the last episode of Alien: Earth: as wonderful as most of the series was, as nasty as the Adrian Edmondson character was, the final episode of Alien: Earth, series one … 

Fell distinctly flat.

By contrast, “This Land Is Our Land” is fantastic: from the cold opening, it pulled me into the story it was telling, told us of Kelly Baldwin’s sad end, showed us Alex’s coming of age … and showed us, at the end of the episode, shows us Miles being formally named as Happy Valley’s leader.

“This Land Is Our Land” may not be a superb episode, or a great series finale.

But it’s a very well made episode: and fills the role of finale, very well.

“This Land Is Our Land”

★★★☆

~≈🚀≈~

Part Five.

About the Series.

With that said … ?

What did I make of series five, as a whole?

What can I tell you … ?

I suspect there’s not a lot I can to what I’ve already said.

But … ?

For I should mention is that word, tense.

Tense.

My lord, but series five has been tense.

All the way from Ed Baldwin’s cancer diagnoses in early episode, all the way to the final battle, and hand delivered cease fire orders in the last minutes of the last.

Series five of For All Mankind has been a dramatic thing to watch: and leaves me looking forward to season six, the last one.

Roll on its release in 2027.

Episode 1    “First Light”    ★★★☆

Episode 2    “The Hard Six”    ★★★☆

Episode 3    “Home”    ★★★★

Episode 4    “Open Source”    ★★☆☆

Episode 5    “Svoboda”    ★★★☆

Episode 6    “No Sudden Moves”    ★★★★

Episode 7    “The Sirens of Titan”    ★★★★

Episode 8    “Brave New World”    ★★★★⁺

Episode 9    “Sons and Daughters”    ★★★☆

Episode 10    “This Land Is Our Land”    ★★★☆

~≈🚀≈~

Part Six.

And Finally.

That … ?

Is when I’m going to leave things for now.

I’m going to be reviewing the fourth season of Star Trek: Strange News Worlds, in the not too distant future: the puppet episode looks totally daft!

You, and I, have something to look forward to!

I’ll probably try and catch a movie, at some point: there’s a few doing the rounds I’d like see.

So … ?

I’m going to close this post, the same way I always do.

I’ll thank you for reading this.

I’m ask you to subscribe to my YouTube channel: you’ll see new content when I post it.

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And if you’ve enjoyed what I’m doing … ?

Come back, next time.

We’ll both find out what I’m doing … !