For All Mankind Review: Home Again (Season 1 Episode 6)
The personal and the professional clash throughout For All Mankind Season 1 Episode 6, “Home Again,” as it becomes clear that in the end, they are one and the same.
The explosion of the launch shuttle, taking out the maintenance crew and Eric Laden’s Gene Kranz, is certainly a surprise, the loss of life also leaving Ed, Gordo, and Danielle (at least for now) stranded at the moon base in a situation where the strain and stress of unforeseen consequences weighs heavily on those in the stars, and those at home.
The episode becomes a test of hard lessons for characters, as they each find the threshold of their work rubbing against their personal lives.
The long-distance relationships between Gordon, Tracy, Karen, and Ed start to find their breaking points. With Gordo and Tracy now separated, and Karen and Ed struggling to talk, the extreme level of long-distance they find themselves in becomes this impossible task of trying to keep a connection when their lives have become so different and now.
It’s especially apparent during the final scenes, with Ed’s thousand-yard stare. Ed, Gordo, and Danielle must be reaching a breaking point, stuck for so long in such a small, isolated quarters, where privacy and time alone is a thing of the past. The monotony of the work and little else is so easy to read on Joel Kinnaman’s face, showing that he may not return the same man he lifted off as.
The final moment, of Gordo hopping off and noticing red signal lights, brings up a fascinating possibility. The FBI are busy rooting out spies and security risks back at home, but what if Gordo, in need of something new, starts to befriend the Russians? The bases aren’t that far apart, in the grand scheme of things, and so a meeting between the two teams isn’t out of the realm of possibility.
Margo is tested in her own way with facing Wernher after so many years. The pain of a family friend and a father figure hiding something so harsh plays on her throughout the episode, Margo’s icy demeanor to Wernher both justified but also heartbreaking to watch, after seeing how close and integral both are to each other’s lives, especially on For All Mankind Season 1 Episode 1, “Red Moon.”
That the shuttle malfunctioned and ultimately ignites because of a political deal comes as a cynical, unfortunate truth. Margo’s realization that it may be her only way of career advancement because, as Wernher confirms to her, she does not play the game properly, is a hard step to make for Margo, a cynical move, too, but a necessary one when the reason for those dozen lost lives is buried away forever.
While she may have to break a few of her rules to get where she always wanted, Margo is immediately using her potential power to help foster new talent: Aleida, as she works through her homework. It’s a passing of the torch moment, much like Wernher and Margo at the start of the series, where the slide ruler and music being key are the same touchstones Margo wishes to impart.
The episode becomes a spotlight for Wrenn Schmidt, where Margo’s attempts to separate herself from her past and the resentment she holds becomes a burden on her. Colm Feore is the perfect scene partner to bring this out of Schmidt, and while the space aspect looms large around them, their intimate, personal story becomes the far more fascinating piece to explore.
The equal rights amendment coming down just as Ellen finds herself having to bury her true self is a reminder that while this alternate history is progressing in a more advanced fashion than our own, that world still struggles with acceptance during this period in time. It’s a continuation of For All Mankind Season 1 Episode 4, “Prime Crew,” where Ellen has to hide who she is in order to keep her place.
Larry and Ellen may find their stories under scrutiny, but they, along with the Stevens and Baldwin families, are all learning what the new normal is on For All Mankind Season 1 Episode 6, “Home Again.” The episode is a shining example of tying the personal into the grand stage of space exploration, and making both equally important through how it plays into the lives of those leading the charge forward.
Margo may realize that every system is corrupt, to use her own words, but it’s the people doing the best they can who make the difference despite that system.
Some stray thoughts on the episode:
- Deke naming himself for the next launch, and potentially becoming a crew member for the moon base, is a fun step for his character, after his past health issues keeping him from living his dream. Here’s to hoping he can finally step foot on the moon, as he always wanted.
- Karen has put up Wayne’s painting from For All Mankind Season 1 Episode 5, “Into the Abyss,” a sign that perhaps Karen is growing more accepting of others in her life.
What did you think of this episode of For All Mankind? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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For All Mankind airs Fridays on Apple TV+.
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Kevin Lever
Kevin Lever has been following television closely for most of his life, but in starting to cover it, he has grown a further appreciation. He strives to give the blockbusters their due, and give the lesser known shows a spotlight to find more fans.