For All Mankind (2019)

For All Mankind is an American science fiction drama television series created by Ronald D. Moore, Matt Wolpert, and Ben Nedivi and produced for the Apple TV streaming service. The series dramatizes an alternate history depicting "what would have happened if the global space race had never ended" after the Soviet Union succeeds in the first crewed Moon landing ahead of the United States. The title is inspired by the lunar plaque left on the Moon by the crew of Apollo 11, which reads, in part, "We Came in Peace for All Mankind".

The series stars an ensemble cast including Joel Kinnaman, Michael Dorman, Sarah Jones, Shantel VanSanten, Jodi Balfour, Wrenn Schmidt, Sonya Walger, and Krys Marshall. Cynthy Wu, Casey W. Johnson, and Coral Peña joined the main cast for the second season. Edi Gathegi joined in the third. Toby Kebbell, Tyner Rushing, Svetlana Efremova, and Daniel Stern joined in the fourth. Mireille Enos, Costa Ronin, Sean Kaufman, Ruby Cruz, and Ines Asserson joined in the fifth. The series features historical figures, played by actors or appearing through archival footage, including astronauts and NASA officials as well as American presidents and other politicians.

For All Mankind premiered on November 1, 2019. The show's second season was critically acclaimed and was nominated for the TCA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Drama. In 2023, the writers said that, from the beginning, they had discussed that their goal was that there would be "about seven seasons" and that the story will span "at least 70 years". In April 2024, the series was renewed for a fifth season, and it was announced that Star City, a spinoff series focusing on the Soviet space program, was in development, which premiered on May 29, 2026. The fifth season premiered on March 27, 2026. Prior to the fifth-season premiere, the series was renewed for a sixth and final season, set to premiere in 2027.

Premise

In an alternate timeline in 1969, Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov becomes the first human to land on the Moon. This outcome devastates morale at NASA but also catalyzes a U.S. effort to catch up. With the Soviet Union emphasizing equality by including a woman in subsequent landings, the United States is forced to match pace, equally training women and ethnic minorities (who were largely excluded from the initial decades of U.S. space exploration).

Pushed by higher competition, the Soviet and other blocs favor more competent leaders, modernizing earlier and on more rational ground. With sustained investments in technology, a broad, sustained, and global technological race takes place, with a wide range of dramatic civilian effects, such as early civil rights, electric vehicles, civilian fusion power, controlled CO2 production, and no climate crisis. Each subsequent season takes place about a decade later, with season two taking place in the 1980s, season three taking place in the 1990s, season four taking place in the 2000s, and season five taking place in the 2010s.

Ronald D. Moore explained how historical reality had been different from the series: "Sergei Korolev was the father of the Soviet space program; in our reality, he died during an operation in Moscow (in 1966) ... And after that point, their Moon program really never pulled together.... Our point of divergence was that Korolev lives, ... and he made their Moon landing happen."

Cast and characters

Joel Kinnaman as Edward "Ed" Baldwin (seasons 1–5), one of NASA's top astronauts, initially based on Apollo 10 commander Thomas P. Stafford

Michael Dorman as Gordon "Gordo" Stevens (seasons 1–2; guest season 5), an astronaut and Ed's best friend, based on Apollo 10's Lunar Module pilot Gene Cernan

Sarah Jones as Tracy Stevens (seasons 1–2), Gordo's wife who later also becomes an astronaut as one of "Nixon's Women"

Shantel VanSanten as Karen Baldwin (seasons 1–3; guest seasons 4–5), Ed's wife who later owns the Outpost Tavern and then becomes head of Helios Aerospace

Jodi Balfour as Ellen Wilson (née Waverly) (seasons 1–3; guest season 4), an astronaut and member of "Nixon's Women" who later becomes Administrator of NASA, a United States senator and President of the United States following the 1992 presidential election

Wrenn Schmidt as Margo Madison (seasons 1–5), a NASA engineer who was mentored by Wernher von Braun, inspired by Margaret Hamilton

Sonya Walger as Molly Cobb (seasons 2–3; recurring season 1), an astronaut and member of "Nixon's Women", based on Jerrie Cobb

Krys Marshall as Danielle Poole (seasons 2–4; recurring season 1; guest season 5), an astronaut and member of "Nixon's Women"

Cynthy Wu as Kelly Baldwin (née Hanh Nguyen, before adoption) (seasons 2–5), a scientist and Ed and Karen's adopted daughter

Casey W. Johnson as Danny Stevens (seasons 2–3; guest season 4), an astronaut and Gordo and Tracy's son

Jason David and Mason Thames as young Danny Stevens (recurring season 1)

Coral Peña as Aleida Rosales (season 2–present), an undocumented immigrant who is fascinated by space and later gets mentored by Margo before becoming a NASA engineer herself

Olivia Trujillo as young Aleida Rosales (recurring season 1)

Edi Gathegi as Dev Ayesa (season 3–present), the founder of Helios Aerospace, a private space company with the goal to reach Mars before NASA and the Soviet Union

Toby Kebbell as Miles Dale (season 4–present), a former offshore oil platform worker who pursues a new job opportunity on Mars

Tyner Rushing as Samantha Massey (season 4), a space worker on the Mars colony

Svetlana Efremova as Irina Morozova (season 4; recurring season 5), a high-ranking Soviet official

Daniel Stern as Eli Hobson (season 4), the NASA administrator

Mireille Enos as Celia Boyd (season 5), a member of the Peacekeeper Security Force on Mars

Costa Ronin as Leonid "Lenya" Polivanov (season 5), a Soviet politician and former cosmonaut, and governor of Mars

Sean Kaufman as Alex Poletov Baldwin (season 5), son of Kelly Baldwin and Ed's grandson

Ezrah Lin as young Alex Poletov (recurring season 4)

Ruby Cruz as Lily Dale (season 5), the youngest daughter of Miles and Amanda Dale

Piper Rubio as young Lily Dale (recurring season 4)

Ines Asserson as Avery "A.J." Jarrett (née Stevens) (season 5), a U.S. Marine training for a space mission and the daughter of Danny and Amber Stevens

Delaney Claire Evans (guest season 3), Parker Reese Evans (guest season 3) and Ellie Grace Pomeroy (guest season 4) as young Avery Stevens

Episodes

Season 1 (2019)

Season 2 (2021)

Season 3 (2022)

Season 4 (2023–24)

Season 5 (2026)

Production

Development

According to Ronald D. Moore, the idea of the show came about during lunch with former NASA astronaut Garrett Reisman, when they discussed the possibility of an alternate history in which the Soviets reached the Moon before the Americans. In December 2017, it was announced that Apple had given the production a one-season series order. The series was created by Ronald D. Moore, Matt Wolpert, and Ben Nedivi. Maril Davis serves as executive producer alongside Moore, Wolpert, and Nedivi. Production companies involved with the series include Sony Pictures Television and Tall Ship Productions. In October 2018, it was announced that the series had been officially titled For All Mankind. The series was renewed for a second season in October 2019. In November 2020, it was announced that the second season would premiere in February 2021. In December 2020, ahead of the second-season premiere, Apple TV+ renewed the series for a third season. In July 2022, Apple TV+ renewed the series for a fourth season. In April 2024, the series was renewed for a fifth season. In March 2026, the series was renewed for a sixth and final season.

Casting

In August 2018, it was announced that Joel Kinnaman, Michael Dorman, Sarah Jones, Shantel VanSanten, and Wrenn Schmidt had been cast in main roles and that Eric Ladin, Arturo Del Puerto, and Rebecca Wisocky would appear in a recurring capacity. In October 2018, it was reported that Jodi Balfour had been cast in a series regular role.

In November 2020, Cynthy Wu, Coral Peña and Casey W. Johnson had been cast in main roles for the second season. Also, Krys Marshall and Sonya Walger were promoted to the main cast for the second season. In December 2020, Michaela Conlin joined the cast in a supporting role for the second season. In June 2021, it was reported that Edi Gathegi joined the season three cast as a series regular. For the fourth season, Daniel Stern, Toby Kebbell, Tyner Rushing and Svetlana Efremova were cast as series regulars. In July 2024, Mireille Enos and Costa Ronin were cast in series regular roles for the fifth season.

Filming

Principal photography for the series commenced in August 2018 in Los Angeles, California. In March 2019, The New York Times reported that filming had concluded. The filming for the second season began in December 2019. In August 2020, production on second season resumed after the COVID-19 halt, and the final two episodes were filmed. Filming for the third season began in February 2021, and concluded in mid-September 2021. Filming for the fourth season began in August 2022 and had concluded by January 2023. Filming for the fifth season began in July 2024. Filming for the sixth and final season concluded in August 2026.

Music

All tracks written by Jeff Russo. The third- and fourth-season tracks were co-written by Paul Doucette.

Season 1 original soundtrack

Season 2 original soundtrack

Season 3 original soundtrack

Season 4 original soundtrack

Release

The first season of For All Mankind premiered on Apple TV+ on November 1, 2019, and consisted of 10 episodes, released weekly until December 20, 2019. The second season premiered on February 19, 2021, and consisted of 10 episodes, released weekly until April 23, 2021. The third season premiered on June 10, 2022, and consisted of 10 episodes, released weekly until August 12, 2022. The fourth season premiered on November 10, 2023, and consisted of 10 episodes, released weekly until January 12, 2024. In January 2026, it was announced the fifth season would premiere on March 27, 2026, and consist of 10 episodes, releasing weekly until May 29, 2026.

Marketing

On February 11, 2021, ahead of the season two premiere, Apple released an augmented reality iOS application on the App Store called For All Mankind: Time Capsule. The application walks users through the decade-long gap between seasons one and two, showing the relationship between astronauts Gordo and Tracy Stevens, and their son Danny Stevens. At the 73rd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, For All Mankind: Time Capsule won an award for Outstanding Innovation in Interactive Programming.

For season two, Apple released a podcast titled For All Mankind: The Official Podcast, produced in partnership with At Will Media, released every two weeks starting February 19, 2021. It is hosted by Krys Marshall, who plays Danielle Poole, and features behind-the-scenes looks and interviews with scientists, former astronauts, and the cast and crew of For All Mankind.

For season three, Apple released a companion video series titled The Science behind For All Mankind for corresponding episodes from season 3. It is hosted by Wrenn Schmidt, who plays Margo Madison, and has her explain and break down the scientific topics shown on the series.

Home media

Seasons 1 and 2 received Region 2 DVD and Blu-ray releases in late 2022. In November 2023, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released season 1 on Region 1 DVD and Blu-ray. Season 2 was released on Region 1 DVD and Blu-ray in March 2026.

Reception

Critical response

The first season of For All Mankind received generally positive reviews. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 75% approval rating based on 56 reviews with an average rating of 7/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Though it shoots for the Moon and falls somewhere in orbit, For All Mankind's impressive vision of history has the potential for real liftoff if it leans into the things that set it apart instead of settling for more of the same." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 65 out of 100 based on 22 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

The second season has a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 27 reviews with an average rating of 7.6/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "For All Mankind's sophomore flight isn't without its hiccups, but compelling character work and a renewed sense of wonder make for thrilling viewing." On Metacritic, it has a weighted score of 75 out of 100 based on 7 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

The third season has a 94% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 36 reviews with an average rating of 7.9/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "For All Mankind's third season goes as far as Mars while maintaining a homey focus on its original ensemble, delivering another epic adventure with an intimate focus." On Metacritic, it has a weighted score of 84 out of 100 based on 15 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".

The fourth season has a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 28 reviews with an average rating of 8.2/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Houston, there's no problem here – For All Mankind's fourth season hones in on what the series does best and forges ahead with a thought-provoking revisionist history." On Metacritic, it has a weighted score of 83 out of 100 based on 11 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".

The fifth season has a 90% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 21 reviews with an average rating of 7.2/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "With smart storytelling, high ambition, and enough tension to keep viewers glued to their screen, For All Mankind remains one of television's most compelling sci-fi sagas." On Metacritic, it has a weighted score of 83 out of 100 based on 9 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".

Accolades

Spin-off

In April 2024, a spin-off series centering on the Soviet space program titled Star City was announced to be in development. It premiered on Apple TV on May 29, 2026.

Notes

References

External links

Official website

For All Mankind at IMDb