For All Mankind season five

Ever since it posed the question in its first season of what could happen if the USSR landed on the moon first, Apple TV+’s sci-fi drama For All Mankind has chronicled an alternate history where space travel has been at the forefront of technology and geopolitics for decades. The fifth season picks up in 2013, where the Happy Valley colony on Mars has become a thriving community and central hub for future missions. However, as governments and corporations on Earth vie for control, tensions rise amongst the colonists that threaten to turn into full rebellion. Like all good sci-fi, the latest entry in this show offers a thoughtful examination of humanity within an exceptionally well-realised setting. However, its multiple plot threads and slow-burn approach can make for some sluggish viewing.

After a brief montage that catches viewers up with what happened in the years since the end of the last season, the show picks up with Ed Baldwin (Joel Kinnaman), who’s been confined to house arrest, living on the colony with his daughter, Kelly (Cynthia Wu), and her newly graduated son, Alex (Sean Kaufman). While slogans like “Free Mars” graffitied on walls already show signs of unrest, the discovery of a body further fans the flames. Wrenn Schmidt returns as Margo, who’s become incarcerated in a federal prison, and Mireille Enos is a new addition to the cast as Celia, a Peacekeeper sent to police the colony.

Each plotline taps into themes of corruption, corporate greed, family, and freedom, all set within a highly detailed environment that feels lived in. Both returning and new faces give strong performances that feel very natural, even if some of the prosthetics can be distracting. The show does a great job immersing viewers within the world it’s created, but its ambitious scope also works to its detriment. The episodes spend a lot of time meandering between each of its many characters, inching each plotline along at a glacial pace. A handful of peculiar song choices likewise lead to some tonal clashes.

For those who have already been captivated by the meticulous world-building and intricate character drama, For All Mankind‘s fifth season continues to deliver on more of what it does best. However, its overstuffed plotlines and lack of urgency won’t win over new viewers.