Paul Levinson's Infinite Regress

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George Santayana had irrational faith in reason - I have irrational faith in TV.

Friday, December 1, 2023

For All Mankind 4.3-4.4: The Soviet Union in the 21st Century, on Earth and Mars

I decided to review episodes 4.3 and 4.4 of For All Mankind on Apple TV+ together, because they're so closely connected.

[Spoilers follow ... ]

So, at this point in the story, at least, Gorbachev didn't make it too far into the 21st century. He's been forcibly replaced in the Soviet Union by Korzhenko, a hardliner. So my hope that Putin would not come to power was fulfilled only by one fascist leader replaced by another, or a Putin coming to power with just a different name.

And Korzhenko has much more power than Putin, since the Soviet Union was much more powerful than Russia is today and has been in the 21st century. So powerful, and so essential to humans in space -- after all, they did beat the U.S. to the Moon in 1969 -- that they pressure the U.S. into agreeing to return Svetlana to Earth, after she badly hurts Vasily in an argument they have about the Soviet Union that turns physical (Svetlana supports Gorbachev, and Vasily supports Korzhenko). Ed ends up losing a budding and strong romantic interest, whose only protection against the KGB on Earth is that she's going to India, where'll she'll stand trial. That's not too far at all from the Soviet Union. Ed knows that, and exchanges some angry words with Danielle about this, and President Al Gore doesn't look too good in this either, agreeing to send Svetlana to India, literally in the backyard of the Soviet Union.

Meanwhile, Margo gets a taste of how brutal the Soviet Union under Korzhenko has become. The guy in charge of the team that built the device which failed and caused the fatal accident in the asteroid mission back in the first episode of this season admits his error to Irina Morozova, after Margo explains to Irina exactly what happened. And Irina (of course) turns him over to the KGB. She saved Margo from likely death in episode 4.3, and tells Margo in 4.4 how she (Margo) will be part of the Soviet Union's plans to go out into the cosmos far beyond Mars, but Irina has a heart of ice and a morality that harkens back to Stalin.

All in all the fourth season of For All Mankind is firing on all cylinders at this point, in its alternate history and action and intrigue on Mars. I'll see you back here soon with my next review.

PS: I was hoping when Miles fell into that crevice on Mars that he'd discover some Martian civilization, or at least the ruins of one. But I guess that's too much to hope for, even in an alternate history.

Chuck Todd and Paul Levinson talk Alternate History, including For All Mankind