Tensions with the Soviets escalate to heretofore unseen levels on For All Mankind Season 2 Episode 7, "Don't Be Cruel". From the sudden death of Tom Pain during the KAL 007 disaster to Dani essentially becoming a Russian prisoner and Ellen's rapid promotion to NASA head, there's a lot to take in this week. Which is...fine. I'm just not sure why For All Mankind forced us all to wait 2/3rds of the season for the plot to finally start happening? Your mileage may vary of course, but it's been obvious to me from jump - heck, from the season's promotional materials - that Season 2 was always going to be about militarizing the space program and what that says about both America specifically and humanity in general. Ellen, who's dealing with a serious case of survivor's guilt since she was supposed to be on that plane with Tom, grabs the reins of NASA with both hands, suddenly becoming a cheerleader not just for guns on the moon, but for an accelerated timeline for taking back the mining site the U. S. astronauts lost to the Soviets. This episode also doesn't really deal with the status of her relationship with Pam. It seems as though we're meant to assume there's no way they can be together now that Ellen's more firmly in the closet than ever, and the way Pam is kept firmly visible in the background as she discusses strategy with a man who basically ignored the AIDS crisis (assuming that still happens in this reality) is jarring as heck. The stealth MVP of "Don't Be Cruel" is far and away Margo Madison, who not only pushes back against General Bradford, but manages to use the relationship she's forged with Sergei to get a call through to the imprisoned astronauts in Star City. She also manages to tell him about the dangerous flaw in the original Buran shuttle design (the version she knows the Russians stole.) Wrenn Schmidt has always done a great job at portraying Margo as a woman with a distinct moral compass, and she does a great job here too. Of course, she's not going to let innocent people die in the name of slowing down the Soviet space program or making them pay for spying.
One of the best aspects of the past couple of episodes has been the unexpected camaraderie that's sprung up between the U. S. and Soviet space folks. At the end of the day they're still all scientists and pilots with the same interests and similar experiences - of course they're going to gravitate to being friends instead of enemies.
One of the best aspects of the past couple of episodes has been the unexpected camaraderie that's sprung up between the U. S. and Soviet space folks. At the end of the day they're still all scientists and pilots with the same interests and similar experiences - of course they're going to gravitate to being friends instead of enemies.