Official Trailer
Rating: 7.7/10 | Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, War & Politics | Seasons: 5 | Episodes: 50 | Status: Returning Series
Starring: Toby Kebbell, Mireille Enos, Edi Gathegi, Cynthy Wu, Coral Peña
I just finished binging all five seasons of For All Mankind and honestly? It’s way better than I expected. I went in thinking it would be one of those prestige sci-fi shows that tries too hard to be important, but it actually pulls off something pretty special. It’s not perfect. Some seasons drag more than others. But the core idea is so good that it carries you through the whole thing.
The premise is simple: what if the Soviets beat us to the moon in 1969? That one change spirals into an alternate history where the space program never lost its funding or cultural relevance. Instead of winding down in the 1970s, NASA keeps going. The Cold War extends into space. We race to Mars. It’s a love letter to space exploration wrapped inside a political thriller.
Season 1
The first season is fantastic. It opens with that gut punch of Soviet cosmonauts landing on the moon first, and suddenly the whole American space program is in crisis mode. The stakes feel real because they are. We follow Margo Madison, Ed Baldwin, and Danielle Poole as they navigate this new reality where everything NASA does is being questioned.
The show finds its rhythm by balancing the personal and the political. You get the tense mission control scenes, but you also get the home lives of these astronauts and engineers. Their families are dealing with the pressure too. The marriages are strained. The kids are growing up in this weird Cold War atmosphere where space is suddenly the front line of geopolitics.
By the end of the season, you’re hooked. The character work is solid, the historical drama hits different, and there’s this real sense that anything could happen. Plus, Margo’s storyline sets up so much for what comes next.
Season 2
Season two jumps ahead to 1983 and the Cold War is HOT. The Department of Defense has basically taken over NASA at this point. There’s talk of arming astronauts. The missions to the moon are getting more militarized and dangerous. It’s tense and paranoid in all the right ways.
This is where the show starts playing with bigger ideas about what happens when you weaponize space. There’s a really solid episode where a dispute on the moon forces everyone to consider whether astronauts should even have guns up there. It sounds wild, but the show treats it seriously and it works.
That said, this season is a little uneven. Some of the subplots feel like filler. The pacing gets weird in the middle. But it builds to some genuinely thrilling moments, and Margo’s arc hits really hard by the end. This season also introduces some great new characters and expands the world beyond just the astronauts.
Season 3
Now we’re talking about Mars. Season three jumps into the 1990s and suddenly the whole show shifts focus to the Red Planet. This is my favorite season. The energy is different because everyone’s chasing something new instead of just repeating the same lunar race.
The Mars missions feel urgent and scary in a way the later lunar stuff didn’t always manage. People die. Plans fail. You get real consequences for failure. And the character dynamics shift because now you’ve got this diverse cast of people from different backgrounds all working toward this massive goal together.
Ed Baldwin and Danielle Poole are still the core characters, but this season really lets other people shine too. The show proves it’s not just a two-person story. There’s enough depth in the ensemble that you care about what happens to everyone involved. Even the side characters have arcs that matter.
Season 4
Season four jumps ahead to 2003 and Happy Valley, the settlement on Mars, is actually thriving. The Cold War is over. Russia and America are working together. It should feel like a victory lap, but instead the show gets kind of messy here.
Don’t get me wrong, there are good moments. The asteroid mining subplot is clever. Watching former enemies collaborate is interesting. But the season feels less focused than what came before. There are too many storylines competing for attention and not all of them land. Some character decisions feel forced just to create drama.
The season does set up some stuff that pays off later though. And there are still great individual episodes scattered throughout. It’s just the weakest stretch of the whole series. Things get a little too soapy when the show works better as political thriller meets space adventure.
Season 5
The final season jumps to the 2010s and Happy Valley is now a real city with thousands of people. The space race is kind of over because they’ve already won. So what’s left to fight for? That’s the question the show asks and it’s actually pretty thoughtful about it.
Season five feels like the show trying to figure out what comes after the conquest. It’s less about racing and more about building something sustainable. There are new challenges, new conflicts, but they’re different from what we’ve seen before. The show brings things back to the characters and their personal stakes.
It’s a solid ending to the series. Not every thread wraps up perfectly, but the show doesn’t pretend to have all the answers about space exploration or politics or any of it. That feels right. It feels earned. You finish the season and you understand why these characters care about what they’re doing.
Look, if you’re into space stuff or alternate history or just good character drama, you should watch this show. It’s not flawless and the middle seasons wobble a bit, but the overall run is really worth your time. Plus there are only fifty episodes total spread across five seasons, so it’s not like you’re committing to some massive time suck.
Have you watched it yet, or does this sound like something you’d actually sit down for?
Episode Guide
Season 1 (10 Episodes)
Episode 1: Red Moon (6.8/10)
NASA is in crisis as the Soviets land the first man on the moon in 1969, the beginning of an alternate history.
Episode 2: He Built the Saturn V (6.8/10)
Director von Braun opposes President Nixon's directive, with dire consequences.
Episode 3: Nixon's Women (7.3/10)
Deke must recruit female astronauts after Russia lands a woman on the moon.
Episode 4: Prime Crew (6.7/10)
A training accident spurs a national debate about women astronauts.
Episode 5: Into the Abyss (7.5/10)
Ed and the crew change Apollo 15's landing site after lunar ice is detected.
Episode 6: Home Again (6.8/10)
A launchpad accident leads to delayed missions and FBI background checks.
Episode 7: Hi Bob (7.2/10)
Ed, Gordo, and Danielle struggle with an extended Jamestown mission.
Episode 8: Rupture (7.2/10)
NASA preps a Jamestown relief mission, while Karen waits for news at the hospital.
Episode 9: Bent Bird (7.4/10)
A crisis in space puts the Apollo 24 and 25 crews in peril.
Episode 10: A City Upon a Hill (7.3/10)
Ed handles a trespasser. Ellen and Deke chart a new course without Mission Control.
Season 2 (10 Episodes)
Episode 1: Every Little Thing (7.4/10)
Nearly a decade later, technology and lunar exploration have taken huge strides—but a solar storm threatens the astronauts on Jamestown.
Episode 2: The Bleeding Edge (6.8/10)
Margo must lead a seemingly impossible mission. Danielle wants to return to the moon. Gordo grapples with life on Earth.
Episode 3: Rules of Engagement (7.1/10)
A dispute on the moon prompts NASA officials to consider arming astronauts. Ed’s past comes back to haunt him.
Episode 4: Pathfinder (6.8/10)
With a little help from Molly, Ed plans a career change—as his old Jamestown crewmates Gordo and Danielle struggle.
Episode 5: The Weight (6.6/10)
Ed's reckless behavior at NASA shakes the foundation of the Baldwin family. Tracy attempts to readapt to life in space.
Episode 6: Best-Laid Plans (6.6/10)
American astronauts and NASA leadership prepare for a new mission with unlikely partners. Ellen gets in touch with an old friend.
Episode 7: Don't Be Cruel (6.5/10)
Ellen is challenged by her new role. Margo’s allegiances are put to the test. Karen explores new opportunities—personally and professionally.
Episode 8: And Here's to You (6.9/10)
Gordo returns to space. Molly faces an upsetting new reality. Aleida confronts her first major hurdle at work.
Episode 9: Triage (7.2/10)
The rivalry between American astronauts and Soviet cosmonauts intensifies as last-minute changes impact the Pathfinder mission plan.
Episode 10: The Grey (8/10)
Tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union reach an all-time high on the moon, throwing multiple missions into jeopardy.
Season 3 (10 Episodes)
Episode 1: Polaris (7.2/10)
Nearly 10 years have passed. Danielle and Ed attend a celebration, where things take a terrifying turn.
Episode 2: Game Changer (6.7/10)
A commercial spaceflight company makes an announcement. The choice over who'll command the Mars mission leads to a shift in personnel.
Episode 3: All In (6.7/10)
As NASA scrambles to prepare for the launch to Mars, Margo is confronted with a harsh personal reality.
Episode 4: Happy Valley (7.5/10)
A surprise maneuver during the journey to Mars provokes desperate measures.
Episode 5: Seven Minutes of Terror (7.3/10)
The race to land first on Mars brings together unexpected allies.
Episode 6: New Eden (5.8/10)
The astronauts move quickly to build Martian bases.
Episode 7: Bring It Down (6.5/10)
A joint mission brings about conflict between crew members.
Episode 8: The Sands of Ares (6.5/10)
After a sudden crisis, the Martian crews pull together.
Episode 9: Coming Home (6.8/10)
Plans to leave Mars are complicated by an unforeseen issue.
Episode 10: Stranger in a Strange Land (7.7/10)
The Martian crew debates how to save the life of one of their own.
Season 4 (10 Episodes)
Episode 1: Glasnost (7.1/10)
Eight years later, a new mission begins: Capture an asteroid. Aleida and Danielle are still haunted by events from the past.
Episode 2: Have a Nice Sol (6.8/10)
New Helios employees arrive on Mars as NASA undergoes major changes.
Episode 3: The Bear Hug (7.2/10)
Miles tries to make ends meet. Margo finds herself pulled into a dangerous situation.
Episode 4: House Divided (6.8/10)
An accident on Mars strains relationships, while Miles embarks on a risky venture.
Episode 5: Goldilocks (6.6/10)
A discovery sends teams across Earth and Mars scrambling for answers.
Episode 6: Leningrad (7.1/10)
Unlikely partnerships are formed at a high-stakes international conference.
Episode 7: Crossing the Line (7.3/10)
A group on Mars takes drastic measures. Margo grapples with a new assignment.
Episode 8: Legacy (6.9/10)
Plans are made with interplanetary ramifications. Ed begins working with an unexpected partner.
Episode 9: Brazil (7.3/10)
Things start to go awry just as an important mission approaches a critical juncture.
Episode 10: Perestroika (8.1/10)
Tensions on Earth and Mars come to a head.
Season 5 (10 Episodes)
Episode 1: First Light (7.4/10)
Nine years after the Goldilocks asteroid heist, Happy Valley has grown into a thriving colony. But an unsettling discovery threatens their peace.
Episode 2: The Hard Six (7.2/10)
Ed rallies Happy Valley's residents in support of one of their own. Kelly refuses to back down from an opportunity.
Episode 3: Home (7.4/10)
The consequences of Ed's actions begin to play out. Aleida finds an unexpected solution to her problem.
Episode 4: Open Source (7.5/10)
Alex takes Ed's advice and finds a new project to focus on: a job at Helios.
Episode 5: Svoboda (8/10)
Chaos erupts on Mars following a shocking revelation.
Episode 6: No Sudden Moves (7.4/10)
A desperate group of Marsies tries to rectify a dangerous situation.
Episode 7: The Sirens of Titan (6.9/10)
A fatal miscalculation puts the Titan mission in jeopardy. Dev makes a drastic decision.
Episode 8: Brave New World (6.7/10)
The Titan crew weighs a risky move, while Mars struggles to keep up morale.
Episode 9: Sons and Daughters
The Marsies formulate a plan. Kelly faces a major setback.
Episode 10: This Land Is Our Land
Where to Watch
Stream on: Apple TV, Apple TV Amazon Channel, Foxtel Now, WOW, Sky Go, Wow Fiction Amazon Channel, HBO Max Amazon Channel