The Right Stuff Review: Flight (Season 1 Episode 8)

I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating for this finale: perhaps The Right Stuff’s greatest strength, at least in terms of pure entertainment value, is its ability to make you very nearly forget that you already know this story, and how it will turn out.

The pacing of this adaptation has been thoughtful and thorough from the start, reaching an emotional and dramatic peak just before the scrubbed launch attempt in the penultimate episode. Now, with the event finally at hand, the minutes before and during take place in real time.

Take the very real story of Sheppard needing to urinate with minutes to spare, and, at risk of scrubbing all NASA’s work, being told “just go in the suit.” It’s as absurdly comedic as it sounds, but its also genuinely tense. Above all, it’s a moment of human levity when its needed most.

Still, it’s not the moment we’ve waited eight episodes for. This has always been an arc meant to culminate with the launch, and that weight is tangible through the first half of the episode.

So much of what we’ve seen in acting, writing, cinematography, and score comes together to meet those high expectations. The infamous final ten seconds, scanning every tense and hopeful face and finally ending with Sheppard himself, are the most powerful of the season.

Other standout moments include Sheppard and Glenn finally setting aside their differences when it counts most and the lingering, nail-biting silence of waiting for Alan to respond after he re-enters the atmosphere.

It’s the most cinematic the show has felt, offering that satisfying feeling of a finale. Except that this isn’t really an ending at all. When Al lands, when the celebrations are done, there’s still half an episode left.

There have been hints that the creators of this show are looking to tell stories beyond that of the Mercury 7 and the first launch. The remainder of this episode confirms these, leading into the history to come.

The most obvious event to cover is John Glenn making it to the moon, here seen largely as a pipe dream even by NASA’s experts. It’s Glenn himself who fuels the determination to make it a reality, reflecting the real man’s most admired qualities.

But there are somber stories to tell, too. The last scene of Sheppard, after all he’s achieved, is him collapsing at home, soon to be grounded by his inner ear condition. Gordon Cooper sees what will prove the final nails in the coffin for his marriage.

More seasons of The Right Stuff would also have to include tragedies that were feared but avoided in this one, including the deaths of Gus Grissom and two other astronauts in a test launch accident. That bittersweet tone will hold over every future success.

The last scene of a finale carries its own significance. It’s a pleasant surprise to see showrunners not opt for any member of the Mercury 7, but for Trudy Cooper getting into a plane to teach one of her daughters the controls, the two flying off into the sunset.

It will take several seasons to tell every story that deserves to be told, both the epic ones of triumph and tragedy, and the necessarily truthful ones of how long it took to recruit anyone other than white men for NASA’s achievements. The Right Stuff can and should stretch beyond any previous adaptation.

As a whole, and especially with its final act, everyone involved with season one makes a strong cause to continue this work. The dedication to a full and honest story is key to making education as important as entertainment and to narrating history as it deserves to be told.

 

What did you think of this episode of The Right Stuff? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Critic Rating:

User Rating:

 

The Right Stuff streams Fridays on Disney+

 Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram!

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!

Watch the Trailer for Disney+’s ‘The Right Stuff’