For All Mankind Review: Pathfinder (Season 2 Episode 4)

Joel Kinnaman’s Ed Baldwin has always been one of the series’ main protagonists, but For All Mankind Season 2 Episode 4, “Pathfinder,” proves why he’s often one of its most difficult to root for. 

True, we’ve seen him suffer – losing his son Shane last season was a blow not many men would have been able to recover from, and being stuck on the moon when it happened obviously made everything worse. His friendship with Gordo has always been rather charming, and their ability to be emotional with one another is a rare thing in male characters fro this time period.

But Ed is also a character who’s always had something of a difficult, even selfish streak — whether it was his internalized misogyny toward women joining the space program, his willingness to let Danielle cover-up for his breakdown, his need to constantly “handle” Gordo’s mistakes for him. 

And as the head of the astronaut office, Ed seems generally competent, but his obvious nepotism is — or at least should be –– worrisome to everyone.

He puts Gordo on a mission to the moon when it’s clear that he’s very far from ready for active duty. (He’s a drunk, wildly out of shape, and has been on the ground for a decad  And he seems to be totally okay with covering up the fact that his friend’s having panic attacks that could endanger other astronauts, too. 

But the worst move — and yes, I realize Karen told him it was okay, but is it really? — had to be Ed’s decision to put himself as the commander of NASA’s new experimental shuttle called Pathfinder that will one day take astronauts to Mars. (It has nuclear engines! It’s so cool!)

I mean, how full of yourself do you have to be? He hasn’t flown in how long? 

There’s a certain air about this that isn’t just selfish — it feels like a strange payback for the fact that Apollo 10 didn’t quite make it to the moon first. So, I guess if Ed couldn’t be first on the moon, he’ll… make history another way?

It’s not exactly sure how we’re meant to read Ed’s choices here, but they hardly seem noble, or in the best interests of the program. (And that goes double for his decisions about Gordo’s fitness, when it’s so clear his friend is struggling.)

But, for what it’s worth, Ed’s conversation with Danielle about race in the space program is something that For All Mankind has needed for a long time. In truth, it needs more of it — if only because it is very obvious that even nearly 15 years since a Black woman went into space, there still just aren’t many Black people in the program, and certainly not leading missions. 

Is that Ed’s fault? Not entirely, but he does bear some responsibility. After all, he was all too willing to let Dani cover for him in Jamestown, and has certainly reaped the benefits of that mission in the years since, while she still appears to be stuck in the same place.

And while his decision to allow her to command the joining lunar mission with the Soviets, well. He’s going back to space in the latest and greatest NASA shuttle. Dani’s going back in a ship she has to drag out of Smithsonian storage. 

Yes, there are valid in-story reasons for that: Not giving the Soviets valuable classified info on our shuttles and how they work, and recognizing that Dani is both very familiar with and very skilled at piloting Apollo crafts.

But somehow — even though she’s getting what she wanted — it still feels like they’re somehow holding her back. Or using her in some way. 

Maybe it’s both — everyone admits that part of the reason she’s a good pick for this specific mission is because she’s Black, and the Soviets like to use America’s problematic past when it comes to race against it. And, yet, it’s hard not to feel thrilled for Dani when she’s brushing the literal dust of the ship that will some day be hers. Even if she deserved better. 

Stray Thoughts and Observations

• Another entirely Earthbound episode. I can’t possibly be the only person who really needs this show about the space race to…I don’t know — get back into space? (I know, I know, Tracey is on her way. But still we only saw her preparing to launch.)
• That said, wow was it cool/great/emotional to see space shuttles again. 
• I hope we dig into Karen’s turn to drugs a bit more. She’s so calm while pushing Ed to return to space and that can’t be easy for her. (Unless she just wants a chance to have her house — and life — to herself again, which, you know I’d understand.)
• One of the things I do love about For All Mankind is that they really are not afraid to show us how the proverbial sausage gets made in terms of chasing funding, groveling to Congress, and all these distinctly not exciting, non-space activiies. And truly there are so many meetings! 
• John Lennon’s Concert for Peace was my favorite “this is not our universe” call out this week.

What did you think of this episode of For All Mankind? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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