Kaka

One of the few episodes that is more suspenseful on Earth than in space. This is mainly due to three different relationships that go through turning points and stress tests. The ending is amazing.

Finally something is happening in space. After all the sometimes unpleasantly slow parts, the eighth episode has some serious momentum. On Earth, the only interesting storyline at the moment is with Karen, the rest are basically just sidekicks, and if they weren't there, it would have little effect on the story.

An interesting reconstruction of KAL007. A solid political plot and excellently restored original footage, which, with the use of great visual effects, also serves superbly as a means of telling a contemporary – alternative – story. Perhaps the only thing that doesn’t quite work is the outline of Russian ideology and cold-bloodedness like in Chernobyl; it lacks that chilling tension and danger, but For All Mankind doesn’t take itself so seriously, so it’s bearable. Hopefully, the pace is slowly picking up and the finale could propel this back to the stars.

A funny interaction between the US and Russian astronauts (cosmonauts), with all the strange ways, opinions and ideologies that abound in Mother Russia. In this case, at least, they hit the mark. The rest is basically an endless dissection of relationships, meetings and break-ups, and thus a search for oneself. There’s hardly any space.

Nothing of substance happens and what happens has little to do with the main plot lines. A pointless escapade in Jamestown, Gordo looking for himself and lesbianism. I could have done without all of it. I want more adventures on the Moon, or a spaceshipt sent to Mars.

The preparation of the Pathfinder project is quite tedious and will probably be a highlight of later episodes. Meanwhile, not much is happening on Earth. So, in addition the routine exchange of opinions, the only thing worth noting is the racism issue. So far, we can forget about the level of the first season.

The same problem as in the previous episode. Too much room is given to the characters on Earth and dealing with their traumas and problems, while space is kept to a bare minimum, or at most, it’s talked about and perhaps prepared for future episodes. The crown jewel is the calling up of retired astronauts out of the blue for lunar missions. Physical fitness? Mental fitness? They don’t bother with that yet. In the third episode, NASA looks like a bunch of mates, who are spotting missions as they please. It's losing a semblance of realism.

Old sore spots, current sore spots, possible future sore spots and where the hell is the space conquest?

A similarly awkward opening as the first season. It is not clear and defined whether it will be a relationship drama or space conquest. Whether it will be taken seriously, or whether it will smile through its fingers at the viewer. The first episode of the second season takes on a clear outline towards the end, when an impressively crafted solar storm arrives.

Growing up the English way. No big stars, no dynamics, but there’s a brother-sister line. At times quite bold and open, at others just a "childish" teen conversational drama supplemented by minimalist production design and economical direction. As a portrayal of adolescent experimentation in all its naivety, fragility and innocence, it’s OK.