‘For All Mankind’ Recap: ‘Bent Bird’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 109 of ‘For All Mankind’.
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If there is one unfortunate constant in the universe, it would have to be that bad things come in bunches. Because it always seems as though, just when we’re starting to find our footing after having disaster come our way, that the universe is quick to kick us in the ribs and send another complex nightmare for us to handle and well, that’s a concept that translates to television quite smoothly. Because trouble can be produced easily on the small screen and when you take a moment and think about it, this storm of discomfort and disaster is precisely where the story is residing at the tail end of season one of For All Mankind. Because the destruction of Apollo 23 simply kicked off a sour streak in this series, one that has seen the characters go through utter hell and sadly, the hits just keep on coming in the next episode.
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For ‘Bent Bird’ finally sees Apollo 24 make it into space, only to have its engines fail before its insertion burn. Meaning that the rescue mission is now in need of rescue, which is embarrassing for NASA to say the least. Because they simply cannot catch a break when it comes to getting Ed off the moon, but thankfully, Tracy and Molly have a quick response plan to fix the problem aboard 24, one that should allow for the ship to get to Jamestown post haste. Which makes it seem as though disaster is no longer in the cards since there are heroes on the way. But a malfunction in the on-board computer after repairs are complete, kills Astronaut Liu and sends Apollo 24 careening into space. And to complicate matters further, 25 is left damaged and one of their own is floating in the void, forcing Gordo and Tracy to think fast in order to save the day.

But while there is some semblance of hope at the end of this segment of the story, since 25’s crew is headed back to Earth, the fate of Deke and Ellen is left hanging and this is perhaps NASA’s greatest challenge and disaster to date since there is a solid chance that what’s left of that crew might float off into deep space. But what’s truly impressive about this episode, is that it didn’t totally hammer the audience with an endless stream of darkness. For this particular tale also took the time to follow up with Karen and how she is holding up after losing her son and thankfully it seems as though she is starting to look at life differently after this tragedy, to the point where she began to wonder if the life she’s leading is genuinely fulfilling or not. And it was nice to see her try and make some sense of the chaos of the universe and do right by her son by trying to chart a course forward that honors him in the right way. Since there is no greater way to honor those we’ve lost, than by living life to the fullest.
   
Plus, this episode also took the time to finally address something that’s been brewing upon the moon. Because with Ed and the Russians both toying around with spying upon one another, it was only a matter of time before they crossed paths and had some of kind of interaction or confrontation, and that is precisely what happened in this tale. For Ed discovered that the Russians were using his lift to go down into the crater and after a brief but tense standoff on the surface of the moon, where it briefly seemed as though Ed might be harmed, he let the Cosmonaut seemingly go about his business without a care in the universe. Which was nothing more than a ruse. For Ed saw an opportunity to finally get the upper hand here and possibly get some answers, and as it turns out, Captain Baldwin sabotaged the Soviet Rover whilst the Cosmonaut was inside the crater. Forcing this rival to swing by Jamestown base to ask for immediate help, wherein Ed was able to knock him out by manipulating the oxygen, thereby giving him quite the prize; a Soviet prisoner. 

Which is quite the powerful way to end this tale, since Ed’s bold decision and the fate of Apollo 24 set the stage for a tense season finale. One that could continue to take us to some dark places if the Cosmonaut’s friends come looking for him, or if we come to learn that Deke and Ellen are dead or in rough shape. Plus, if nothing can be done about their current trajectory, they are indeed going where no one has gone before and well, this really was quite the wild episode when all is said and done. Because it simply featured one intense and harrowing moment after another. Leaving one to wonder if the series is going to end its first season on a sour note, one that hammers home the dangers of space travel, or if we are about to see America finally have its finest hour in the depths of space and the only way to know, is to bid farewell for now and dive right into the season one finale. Until next time.    

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