The Right Stuff Review: Advent (Season 1 Episode 4)
The holidays shift the spotlight from the space race to the home lives of the Mercury 7 on The Right Stuff Season 1, Episode 4, “Advent.”
With most scenes away from Cape Canaveral, traditional Christmas music replacing the usual early rock n’ roll, and few fewer arguments between characters than any earlier episode, this installment of The Right Stuff feels at least a little different.
The slower pace of this adaptation in comparison with other films and shows in its genre has already been noted. Here the drumbeat of pressure is lessened still more, though it by no means disappears, especially in light of major progress by the Russians.
What the astronauts do get is a chance to refocus on their families and personal lives as they take time away from both training and the barrage of press coverage. That doesn’t necessarily mean anyone gets a chance to relax.
John Glenn spends most of his holiday trying to woo then-presidential candidate Kennedy to match Nixon’s support for NASA. Given that the space center in Cape Canaveral is now named for JFK, it’s a plot even those who don’t know this history can predict the result of.
Still, it’s an uphill and initially unsuccessful battle for Glenn, the only Democrat of the Mercury 7. This also offers Annie Glenn another chance to stand out, dissuading her husband from initial thoughts of pressure to side with Nixon instead.
As John acts most often as the moral core of the show, we’ve always seen him dedicated and professional. The domestic chaos of his home life is a welcome addition to this profile. It’s the closest we see him to being wrong-footed.
His scenes are also the closest we get to those of picture-perfect happy families. Alan Shepard’s headstrong personality clashes with that of his father, set as something of antagonist for his dismissive attitude toward the space program.
At the same time, he and Louise (Shannon Lucio) take in Louise’s niece following his sister-in-law’s death. A decision to rename the girl because her name is much like their own daughter’s adds to an awkward tone in many of these scenes.
Eventually, though, there’s a lovely payoff. The girl requests to be named for Alan himself, eventually settling on “Alice” instead. Flawed as he is as a husband, Alan is a dedicated and loving father. This side of him further softens the hard edges of his general attitude.
There’s a different type of poignancy for the scenes between Gordon and Trudy Cooper. The first direct confrontation we see about his past infidelity leads to the biggest step they’ve taken in trying to truly repair their fractured romance.
It’s a romantic scene on screen but a bittersweet one in context. In real life, the Coopers’ marriage will only last about another decade. Still, we finally see Gordon working toward real change and this moment feels earned for however long it will last.
The few scenes back at base give us a better look at Deke Slayton (Micah Stock) who has not yet gotten the same screen time as Glenn, Shepard, and Cooper, as well as scientist Chris Kraft (Eric Ladin). They also reflect on some of NASA’s most questionable choices.
That a former Nazi, however brilliant, is hired—and that so many see this as an acceptable measure to take—reflects the fervor and desperation of the space race with pointed accuracy. That the man gets under both Kraft’s skin and ours reflects the weight for all involved.
Deke reassuring Chris is especially nice to see in a sea of combative interactions, but the stakes are more sobering than ever. Seeing these choices made when the Russians will ultimately get a man into space first is a bit like watching those marriages that will eventually end.
We can relate to every flawed character, but not to every decision made in the pursuit of victory. Still, The Right Stuff manages to make this knowledge engaging, both in the moments where we’re eager to learn more and those when it’s hard to look away.
What did you think of this episode of The Right Stuff? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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The Right Stuff streams Fridays on Disney+/
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Caitlin Wyneken
Caitlin is an elder millennial with an only slightly unhealthy dedication to a random selection of TV shows, from PBS Masterpiece dramas to some of the less popular series on popular networks. Outside of screen time, she's dedicated to the public sector and worthy nonprofits, working to make a difference in the world outside of media.