Apple TV's "For All Mankind"

Sans Souci

Well-Known Member
I think it's still a soapy drama that I watch for the laughs. I am still watching it, though. In for a penny, in for a pound, I guess. I try to ignore highly improbable storylines and plot devices such as:

  • It's 1992 and people are having wedding ceremonies on space ships. Why is nobody floating around? I am assuming in that episode it was meant to be centrifugal force that provides the gravity or something, but it still didn't make sense.

  • An astronaut who was active in Apollo-era missions is manning a NASA disruptor's private enterprise space ship on a mission to Mars in 1994.

  • OMG, don't get me started about Tracy and Gordo running around in duct tape on the moon to prevent a nuclear meltdown at Jamestown while the Soviet cosmonauts are inside Jamestown shooting stuff up, causing rapid decompression.

  • Margo Mason having some sort of situationship with her Soviet counterpart for decades while providing him with NASA secrets, under the guise of "furthering space exploration and peace." OK, girl!

  • Karen having an affair with Tracy and Gordo's son who just graduated HS. Come on. Then he obsesses about her for the next 10 + years. Come on X2.

It is entertaining for sure, but even if you take out the technical impossibilities, the story arcs would not be out of place in a daytime soap. I think it's so bad, it's good. I would almost call it "space camp."
 

Screamface

Well-Known Member
I think it's still a soapy drama that I watch for the laughs. I am still watching it, though. In for a penny, in for a pound, I guess. I try to ignore highly improbable storylines and plot devices such as:

  • It's 1992 and people are having wedding ceremonies on space ships. Why is nobody floating around? I am assuming in that episode it was meant to be centrifugal force that provides the gravity or something, but it still didn't make sense.

  • An astronaut who was active in Apollo-era missions is manning a NASA disruptor's private enterprise space ship on a mission to Mars in 1994.

  • OMG, don't get me started about Tracy and Gordo running around in duct tape on the moon to prevent a nuclear meltdown at Jamestown while the Soviet cosmonauts are inside Jamestown shooting stuff up, causing rapid decompression.

  • Margo Mason having some sort of situationship with her Soviet counterpart for decades while providing him with NASA secrets, under the guise of "furthering space exploration and peace." OK, girl!

  • Karen having an affair with Tracy and Gordo's son who just graduated HS. Come on. Then he obsesses about her for the next 10 + years. Come on X2.

It is entertaining for sure, but even if you take out the technical impossibilities, the story arcs would not be out of place in a daytime soap. I think it's so bad, it's good. I would almost call it "space camp."

The space hotel literally has a giant centrifugal ring. I don't see how you understand what centrifugal forces is, can look at a space ring, look at curved sets, watch a plot about the ring spinning faster increasing the gravity and then, "how gravity there?"

Technological progress is bumped up in certain areas by decades or more by the space race never slowing down. NASA is self funded in this fictional universe.

Ed is 64 in 1994. The oldest Astronaught in our timeline is 77 years old. It's pushing it but Astronauts tend to range from late 30s to 50s for us. It's not such a giant leap, but in universe, it's also a PR device.

Tracy and Gordo's scene was beautiful. We've been given a lot of misrepresentations of what happens when people are in the vacuum of space in film. People don't explode instantly. They don't instantly freeze. You can survive a brief period of time. The idea of making a
A mechanical counterpressure suit out of duct tape could work for a brief period of time.

Everyone hates the Tracy and Gordo's son plot. The idea the guy has the hots for his dead friends super hot mom is fine. Her following through when in a moment of weakness is annoying but it happens. Him still pinning for her when she's 60 years old with a hot young wife is just Hollywood crap. Although they're handling it better in season 3 than I expected.

Overall I think you underestimate the technical impossibilities of the show.
 

Sans Souci

Well-Known Member
The space hotel literally has a giant centrifugal ring. I don't see how you understand what centrifugal forces is, can look at a space ring, look at curved sets, watch a plot about the ring spinning faster increasing the gravity and then, "how gravity there?"

Technological progress is bumped up in certain areas by decades or more by the space race never slowing down. NASA is self funded in this fictional universe.

Ed is 64 in 1994. The oldest Astronaught in our timeline is 77 years old. It's pushing it but Astronauts tend to range from late 30s to 50s for us. It's not such a giant leap, but in universe, it's also a PR device.

Tracy and Gordo's scene was beautiful. We've been given a lot of misrepresentations of what happens when people are in the vacuum of space in film. People don't explode instantly. They don't instantly freeze. You can survive a brief period of time. The idea of making a
A mechanical counterpressure suit out of duct tape could work for a brief period of time.

Everyone hates the Tracy and Gordo's son plot. The idea the guy has the hots for his dead friends super hot mom is fine. Her following through when in a moment of weakness is annoying but it happens. Him still pinning for her when she's 60 years old with a hot young wife is just Hollywood crap. Although they're handling it better in season 3 than I expected.

Overall I think you underestimate the technical impossibilities of the show.

I meant sensorially, how does that work? I don't feel like my post required a response that insinuated I am stupid. I posted a silly, snarky comment about a show I watch weekly. I obviously find some enjoyment in it, since I do watch it weekly.

I think the Tracy/Gordo storyline was too maudlin and there was just too much going on at once in that Jamestown scene. This is just my opinion.

I like the first season the best, thus far. I was intrigued by the alternate timeline where the Soviets land on the moon first, Ted Kennedy becomes president, ERA is ratified, etc. It's overall a show about interpersonal drama and I would have liked more sci-fi and fewer storylines. That's all. You don't have to agree with me, it's fine. But you don't have to mock me for what I feel are shortcomings of the show.
 

Screamface

Well-Known Member
I meant sensorially, how does that work? I don't feel like my post required a response that insinuated I am stupid. I posted a silly, snarky comment about a show I watch weekly. I obviously find some enjoyment in it, since I do watch it weekly.

I think the Tracy/Gordo storyline was too maudlin and there was just too much going on at once in that Jamestown scene. This is just my opinion.

I like the first season the best, thus far. I was intrigued by the alternate timeline where the Soviets land on the moon first, Ted Kennedy becomes president, ERA is ratified, etc. It's overall a show about interpersonal drama and I would have liked more sci-fi and fewer storylines. That's all. You don't have to agree with me, it's fine. But you don't have to mock me for what I feel are shortcomings of the show.
Any mocking is your own interpretation and not my intent.
 

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