Welcome Multiversity readers for the season one finale of Apple TV’s For All Mankind time to find out if Edward Baldwin will make it off of the moon. How is Karen during this time of loss? Is Apollo 24 going to be found? Let’s not waste more time and check on “A City Upon A Hill.”
1. Ed’s Quest For Clarity
When we last saw Edward Baldwin, he was on the moon, ignoring all communications from NASA and playing mind games with the cosmonaut he shares the moon with. As it turns out, he didn’t kill him as the previous episode hinted. He only took his oxygen to make him pass out. It’s an interesting interaction throughout the episode because there are few options for Ed once he’s kidnapped the cosmonaut since he’s the only person who would have done it. Despite being held captive, the cosmonaut is reasonably calm and manages to mess with Ed’s psyche about how his tactics are that of the “real” America by being ruthless and non-apologetic since it’s in the name of the country. As the episode progresses, Ed discovers that if he wants any chance of leaving the moon, he will need the cosmonaut’s help to get to Ellen and Deke.
2. Karen’s Independence
Karen Baldwin has been running through the gauntlet the last few episodes going through all the emotions while dealing with the loss of her only son. Now that we’ve reached the finale, there’s no doubt she will stop feeling sorry for herself and step up to do something outside her comfort zone. She starts by going to the bar her husband and all the other astronauts go to after training and long days. Apparently, there’s an unwritten rule for astronauts’ wives not being allowed to go. Karen is questioning everything she was previously involved with and finding out who she is. It’s refreshing for anyone who has been keeping up with her this season because now she’s more humble and even accepts criticism from Pam, the bartender, about how good it could look from the outside in. Had this been at the show’s beginning, she would have grinned and walked away to talk smack with her friends, but now she can stand the truth and be ready for Ed to come home finally.
3. Aleida’s World Comes Crashing Down
While most of the country is glued to what is happening in space, Aleida is trying to make sense of what is happening to her. In the previous episode, Aleida’s dad was deported after the CIA discovered he was using a social security number of a deceased man. The family member she was staying with was supposed to be able to keep her, but when she returned home from a visit to NASA, the apartment was ransacked. The only thing giving her hope is the possibility of staying with Margo, but even she is uncertain only because of how much her job demands. The finale doesn’t end on an excellent note for her, but there is still a sliver of hope that she can find some way to stay.
4. Even Stevens
Although Gordo and Tracy Stevens don’t get too much screen time in this episode, the couple does get a sweet moment for those paying attention. Once Tracy and Molly land and walk back into mission control, Gordo tears up with joy and gives her a golden set of wings representing her making it into space and back. It feels close to what the two have been going through with the trials of their marriage and respective NASA careers being put on the line. The two have worked tirelessly to get to a happy place, and it feels rewarding for the audience to see them get a chance to recognize that.
5. Ellen’s Evolution
This was the episode we’ve been waiting for Ellen. She has gone from quiet recruit to badass wife to the total commander of her flight crew. One member got lost after the misfire at the end of the last episode, and then it was just her and Deke Slayton. She figured out a game plan to get close to Ed on the moon and even managed to stitch up Deke as best she could with a life-threatening injury. However, her actual test of bravery was when she opened up to Deke about being in love with Pam and her fake relationship with Larry. It turns tense quickly because Deke, on the verge of death, decides to get offended by her personal choices and acts like she betrayed everything that NASA stood for. It’s a load of crap, and it’s tough to watch, but Ellen clenches her teeth and sticks to a plan that would save him and get Ed in one piece. She finally makes it to the moon and continues to carry on with her newfound strength to send Ed back home and take his place as the lone American on the moon.
