For All Mankind 2.9: Relationships

Well, it was a night for all kinds of profound changes in relationships in For All Mankind 2.9, in addition to some of what happened on the Moon.

Here are the changes:: Karen told Ed that she slept with someone last week, but didn't tell him who (my take: she shouldn't have told him about last week at all, especially when he was on the verge of blasting off on a new mission).  Ed couldn't quite blast off, though, with a woman he later meets at a bar (apologies for the pun -- I was sorry to see that happen, though).  Molly and Wayne almost break up over Molly's insistence on going to Mexico for a quack treatment for her glaucoma, but she comes to her senses and she and Wayne hug and are staying together (good!).  Tracy and Gordo are back in bunk together on the Moon (yes!) (more about the Moon in paragraph after next).  And Ellen and Pam break up, more specifically Pam leaves so as not to get in the way of Ellen maybe being elected President someday, and, that great alternate reality flourish deserves a paragraph of its own.

Lee Atwater, a real historical political operator/genius (depending on how you look at it), who in our reality helped Reagan win twice and George H. W. Bush win the Presidency once, thinks Ellen should run for Congress and eventually President!  Other than Atwater being a Republican, I think that's a great path For All Mankind to follow in subsequent seasons, and I very much look forward to that.

But back to the Moon, for now, in this alternate 1983 history: Of course the Soviets were bound to attack on the Moon, even as they went ahead with Apollo-Soyez, because they had to take some revenge for last week.  But it was tough to see, especially after Danielle earlier quoted from Star Trek.  The U. S. and the Soviets at war is a poor path to a United Federation.

And I'll be back here next week with thoughts on the season finale.

See also For All Mankind, Season 1 and Episode 2.1: Alternate Space Race Reality ... For All Mankind 2.2: The Peanut Butter Sandwich ... For All Mankind 2.3: "Guns to the Moon" ... For All Mankind 2.4: Close to Reality ... For All Mankind 2.5: Johnny and the Wrath of Kahn ... For All Mankind 2.6: Couplings ... For All Mankind 2.7: Alternate History Surges ... For All Mankind 2.8: Really Lost in Translation

*** Note added 27 October 2023:  Check out my review of Jack Dann's new book, The Fiction Writer's Guide to Alternate History