GoKawiilSeason five of “For All Mankind” lands on Apple TV this Friday. The new episodes are must-watch TV for fans of early seasons of the sci-fi series.
The show goes from weird to gut-wrenchingly emotional to outright cinematic and suspenseful over the course of the first eight episodes. As a viewer, I can’t wait to see where this season’s finale takes us in this alt-history timeline’s future.
After six years and five seasons, however, the challenge for “For All Mankind” is very clear.
What makes “For All Mankind” work after five seasons
First, there’s the premise for “For All Mankind” season five, per Apple:
Season five of “For All Mankind” picks up in the years since the Goldilocks asteroid heist. Happy Valley has grown into a thriving colony with thousands of residents and a base for new missions that will take us even further into the solar system. But with the nations of Earth now demanding law and order on the Red Planet, friction continues to build between the people who live on Mars and their former home.
Obviously, the plot is much less grounded in reality by season five. Still, the show continues to work after six years by applying a sci-fi filter to modern life challenges. This keeps it relatable and recognizable.
Broadly speaking, the season draws parallels to a space-age American Revolution.
It challenges the idea of legacy, the meaning of family (from different angles), and reminds us that no one’s hands are clean in war — regardless of intention.
The show continues to tell the story of a set of characters, parts of a decade at a time. Then it makes major time jumps between seasons to advance the “what if” element of storytelling.
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