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When Apple TV+ launched in 2019, one show stood above the other original seven programs. Created by Ronald D. Moore and some less famous people, For All Mankind begins with a simple proposition: what would the world be like had the Soviet Union landed on the moon before the United States? The answer turned out to be that instead of pink slips arriving shortly after Neil Armstrong's step, the USA decides to push the envelope in space. The Ruskies think they own the moon? We'll build a moonbase! Oh, their building a moonbase of their own? We'll make ours bigger! Well, now it's the Eighties. Guess how are relationship with the USSR was going? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzmrmjlESjQ 10 episodes, debuting weekly starting February 19th. Already renewed for season 3.
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Feb 10, 2021 07:15
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| # ? Apr 23, 2024 18:04 |
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I'm really looking forward to the new season. I was hoping after the season finale we'd see some of NASA's moonshot prototypes/projects show up after the Sea Dragon launch. Looks like no X-29's yet, just plain jane F-5's, guess Jamestown needed a gold plated toilet. Oh, woops, the X-29's first flight was in December 1984, so here's hoping it'll show up, it has the perfect retro-future look for the 1980's.
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Feb 11, 2021 02:51
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Edward Mass posted:When Apple TV+ launched in 2019, one show stood above the other original seven programs. Yes. Servant. This was good too though.
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Feb 11, 2021 07:18
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Open Source Idiom posted:Yes. Servant. Servant debuted four weeks after launch 
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Feb 11, 2021 07:51
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I’m looking forward to this season and I like the thread title
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Feb 13, 2021 02:53
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1Sq1Nr58hM
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Feb 13, 2021 03:47
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First episode is up, and it’s pretty great IMO. Some of the random alt history stuff just feels excessive, though...is there going to be some consequence to John Lennon still being alive?
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Feb 19, 2021 10:23
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mr. unhsib posted:First episode is up, and it’s pretty great IMO. Some of the random alt history stuff just feels excessive, though...is there going to be some consequence to John Lennon still being alive? It feels superfluous. I want them to show key turning points that explain why this universe is different from ours, not Oscars, a Pop star being alive. Edit: just realised apple are still doing the one episode per week thing, what a pita. wooger fucked around with this message at 00:26 on Feb 20, 2021 |
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Feb 19, 2021 23:45
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how.....dare they?
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Feb 20, 2021 02:19
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Random and minor...Are they using an alternate worm logo because it’s alt history or some other reason? Also kind of neat I didn’t expect Reagan to be in four years earlier. I guess that means Carter was never around.
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Feb 20, 2021 04:55
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Wow, I tried searching for a thread, but nothing showed up. Anyway. I hope they have some sort of conclusion or flashback that shows what was up with the end of last season. That Russian guy is trapped in the airlock, and then skip forward 10 years?
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Feb 20, 2021 05:57
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Cojawfee posted:Wow, I tried searching for a thread, but nothing showed up. Anyway. I hope they have some sort of conclusion or flashback that shows what was up with the end of last season. That Russian guy is trapped in the airlock, and then skip forward 10 years? Uh...you may have missed some episodes at the end of season 1...
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Feb 20, 2021 06:03
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Hed posted:Random and minor...Are they using an alternate worm logo because it’s alt history or some other reason? They mentioned who Reagan defeated in 1980 in the opening montage but I didn't catch it.
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Feb 20, 2021 06:04
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mr. unhsib posted:Uh...you may have missed some episodes at the end of season 1... Maybe I just blanked out and completely forgot what happened between that and the giant rocket launching at the end.
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Feb 20, 2021 06:16
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Is the “D-Mail” thing just Ron Moore being cute and throwing in another alt-history thing or did they actually call it that for a while
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Feb 20, 2021 07:46
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Hed posted:Random and minor...Are they using an alternate worm logo because it’s alt history or some other reason? Going from Season 1 and the opener, Nixon loses to Ted Kennedy and doesn't get re-elected in 72 so no resigning for Watergate, no Ford to take over or Carter in 76. Kennedy loses to Reagan in 76, which I didn't think was that much of a surprise with how much they lampshaded Teddy's problems. I tried listening for who Reagan defeats in 1980 but they hide it under the music, just got Senator Rubberman which is absolutely what I'm going to think it is now.
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Feb 20, 2021 15:14
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OldSenileGuy posted:Is the “D-Mail” thing just Ron Moore being cute and throwing in another alt-history thing or did they actually call it that for a while I can't find any reference to it, so I guess it's like 'frack' instead of 'gently caress' in battlestar galactica.
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Feb 20, 2021 15:19
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Skyfire posted:Going from Season 1 and the opener, Nixon loses to Ted Kennedy and doesn't get re-elected in 72 so no resigning for Watergate, no Ford to take over or Carter in 76. Kennedy loses to Reagan in 76, which I didn't think was that much of a surprise with how much they lampshaded Teddy's problems. I tried listening for who Reagan defeats in 1980 but they hide it under the music, just got Senator Rubberman which is absolutely what I'm going to think it is now. Oh yeah I forgot about Nixon losing re-election since it wasn’t even close in real life. Senator Rubberman is hilarious.
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Feb 20, 2021 15:39
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mr. unhsib posted:First episode is up, and it’s pretty great IMO. Some of the random alt history stuff just feels excessive, though...is there going to be some consequence to John Lennon still being alive? From a friend looking over interviews and online support materials, he's gonna be a peace activist arguing against the cold war stuff. Also from said materials, an in-universe book review: 
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Feb 20, 2021 17:40
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I have absolutely zero problems being pandered to by alt-history infodumps. I'll drink in every detail. N3! All the orbiter names! So far my only quibble is with proton radiation, and that's because it wasn't one of the four kinds I learned about.
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Feb 20, 2021 19:05
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Madurai posted:I have absolutely zero problems being pandered to by alt-history infodumps. I'll drink in every detail. N3! All the orbiter names! So far my only quibble is with proton radiation, and that's because it wasn't one of the four kinds I learned about. The only references I find when searching for proton radiation refer to proton therapy, where an accelerated beam of protons is used for cancer treatment. Never heard of the radiation myself, and I have a Physics degree.
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Feb 20, 2021 19:16
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Radiation chat: The solar wind, and the emission depicted in the episode, is mostly high-energy protons (and electrons), and is most definitely ionizing radiation and what happens on screen is definitely dangerous to man and machine. I'm going to venture a guess that radiation classification / nomenclature is historically based more on what terrestrial science found and also what's harmful, there's not a lot of processes around on Earth that emits fast protons naturally. It would kind of fit in-universe that NASA would be talking about "proton radiation" since there's so much more activity in space compared to the current situation. I'm not sure if the show specified even on any instruments, and I can't be bothered to calculate this by myself  , but I wonder exactly how energetic protons we're talking about given that they made the dust ripple like that.Another, very minor alt-history thing I wondered about The ESA tag had (I'm fairly sure) a Finnish flag, and in the real world Finland (sitting right next to Russia) only joined the ESA fully in 1995. I'm mildly curious if this was a production goof, or an actual bit of alt-history, because it'd mean Europe's situation looks pretty different in the show universe.
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Feb 20, 2021 20:48
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Rappaport posted:Another, very minor alt-history thing I wondered about The ESA tag had (I'm fairly sure) a Finnish flag, and in the real world Finland (sitting right next to Russia) only joined the ESA fully in 1995. I'm mildly curious if this was a production goof, or an actual bit of alt-history, because it'd mean Europe's situation looks pretty different in the show universe. You're right, here it is:  Here's what I was talking about with the "new worm logo" (at the top of the screen):  Compared to this:  Minor but kind of interesting because the guy who is credited with the unspoilered one in our timeline died this week. edit: More minor alt-history wank from the opening scene but I'm guessing this bit means Operation Eagle Claw was a success? I'm not familiar enough with the Carter-directed raid to know if these details jive with what was attempted to rescue the Americans held in Tehran.  Hed fucked around with this message at 21:27 on Feb 20, 2021 |
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Feb 20, 2021 21:22
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Killer robot posted:From a friend looking over interviews and online support materials, he's gonna be a peace activist arguing against the cold war stuff. Sounds like a garbage book. Maybe for his next one he can write about a failed casino developer becoming President. 
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Feb 21, 2021 01:43
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I seriously fuckin love this show. Is the fundamental premise that the world would've been better off with a stronger soviet union? You've got the vastly accelerated integration of women and other minorities into NASA leadership -- due to congressional fears of the propagandistic success of (our actual universe's) USSR's progressiveness, plus taking the von Braun / Operation Paperclip problem seriously, and now we have apparently have widespread adoption of electric cars in the 80s. I mean, my own personal opinion is that the world absolutely would've been better off with a stronger soviet union, but I'm probably insane to think that an Apple+ television program agrees with me, right?
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Feb 21, 2021 05:50
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Zoracle Zed posted:I seriously fuckin love this show. Probably less the USSR specifically and more a general meditation on the boons and ills that come from conflict, especially theoretically existential conflict. The preview certainly makes it look like the huge positives that have come out of the continued and escalated Space Race are going to be strongly counterweighted by the possibility to full blown interstellar nuclear war when the two sides start to militarize their exploration programs. Basically another run around the old "WWII killed millions, but it also advanced technology and got women to work in factories, so who can say if it was good or bad?" dog track. Just with a less stupid premise than that.
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Feb 21, 2021 07:10
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yeah, that's a great point. like the show could either (naively) believe that the risk of nuclear holocaust has been completely sublimated into the space race, or that's a high stakes ace card they're holding up their sleeve. basically I have no idea what ideologically they're going for and am just having a good time watching it, and it could swerve either way.
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Feb 21, 2021 07:35
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If this is a more competent Soviet Union, do you think we'll get more Venus missions. I assume they'd probably be more successful with their landers this time.
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Feb 21, 2021 07:49
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Zoracle Zed posted:yeah, that's a great point. like the show could either (naively) believe that the risk of nuclear holocaust has been completely sublimated into the space race, or that's a high stakes ace card they're holding up their sleeve. basically I have no idea what ideologically they're going for and am just having a good time watching it, and it could swerve either way. Regarding the coldness of the war, in the latest episode I actually laughed out loud a little during the scene where they go to DEFCON 3, in the span of about 90 seconds the general completely explains the logic and the reality behind MAD, which was fantastic! But another take-away from that scene seemed to be that the war could go hot at any moment, both sides have made it harder with vast spy satellite networks etc., but that could just mean anti-satellite weapons races on top of missile gap races, etc. I take this to mean that the Cold War itself is very much a Thing, it's just taking on a different form, with the proxy wars in space rather than in the Third World.
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Feb 21, 2021 08:38
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I started season 1 of this show a month or so back and really struggled with the pacing on the first couple of episodes, but then something about the show seemed to click for me and I ended up watching all of season 1 in the last couple of days and just caught up on the first episode of season 2. It's tremendously fun stuff, even if they can lay it on a bit thick at times, and I gotta say an alternate reality where the world kept on exploring space makes me happy. Looks like in this reality poor Jimmy Carter didn't even get a single term though 
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Feb 21, 2021 08:59
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Jerusalem posted:I started season 1 of this show a month or so back and really struggled with the pacing on the first couple of episodes, but then something about the show seemed to click for me and I ended up watching all of season 1 in the last couple of days and just caught up on the first episode of season 2. It's tremendously fun stuff, even if they can lay it on a bit thick at times, and I gotta say an alternate reality where the world kept on exploring space makes me happy. And Reagan got to have a successful Operation Eagle Claw as insult to injury. At least he gets to keep the peanut farm! I'm almost expecting the final season to be set in the 2020s & end in WWIII and it turns out this is RDM's secret Star Trek prequel this whole time.
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Feb 21, 2021 11:12
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Jerusalem posted:I started season 1 of this show a month or so back and really struggled with the pacing on the first couple of episodes, but then something about the show seemed to click for me and I ended up watching all of season 1 in the last couple of days and just caught up on the first episode of season 2. It's tremendously fun stuff, even if they can lay it on a bit thick at times, and I gotta say an alternate reality where the world kept on exploring space makes me happy. Yeah, I agree it took a few episodes to get there, but by the end I really loved it, and the first episode of season 2 was fantastic. The whole rescue scene at the end is the most tense poo poo I’ve seen on a show in a while. Just super well-directed and shot.
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Feb 21, 2021 12:08
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Zoracle Zed posted:I seriously fuckin love this show. I think there’s a lot of merit to having a big “enemy” you can agree on and get behind defeating. Kind of like how college football is better when The U or <insert evil team> is good. It makes for better storylines to be sure, but there are plenty of takes out there that without the Soviet bear to fight against America is just kind of rudderless, and I’m sympathetic to that point of view. I know we haven’t even reached the time when IRL the USSR crumbled but it’s part keeping them a huge threat on more than just existential / MAD front and forcing us to compete on space where after we landed on the moon we just kinda went “meh” and let Skylab be our last extremely ambitious project.
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Feb 21, 2021 15:17
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The show page has some videos up of news reports of the alternate history. I didn’t find the ones I watched specially interesting but maybe there are some good nuggets in there? I guess Sea Dragon was how they launched the upgraded moon base.
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Feb 21, 2021 15:53
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I know this season takes place 10 years later, but having recently binged the first season it was surprising to see how almost every single character smoked in the first season, and almost no one did in this episode.
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Feb 21, 2021 20:02
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I absolutely love the fact that they are up to almost 40 Apollo missions, and there are so many concurrent space missions they can barely keep track.  Contrast with my childhood, where we only ever had one mission at a time.
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Feb 23, 2021 02:30
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I love that one of the space shuttles is named "Kon Tiki". It fits the ship naming scheme but I can't help but imagine it's decorated like a luau.
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Feb 23, 2021 02:46
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Just finished the new episode. I think my favorite thing was, however briefly, seeing a fully-operational Skylab with a shuttle docked to it. I think that hit me more than stuff like the Jamestown base, because a Skylab/shuttle overlap is one of those things that actually almost did happen, and as a kid I have vivid memories of seeing the NASA art from the late 70s of a shuttle docking with Skylab, so seeing that really was like seeing something come to life that I felt like I was promised but never got. On the other hand, there is one aspect of this episode that did bother me, at least a bit, considering the premise of the show. The big solar flare here never actually happened in reality, right? So I feel like that somewhat takes away from the fact that this new timeline is entirely supposed to be caused by Korolev not dying, because his death obviously has no impact on solar flares If anyone feels like they need something else to go along with this show, I would highly recommend Stephen Baxter's novel Voyage. The premise is that JFK wasn't killed in 1963, so is able to rally the nation to go to Mars after Apollo 11. It's not quite as wild as what's shown here but there's still stuff there like a lunar-orbiting space station and nuclear Apollo that I think fans of FAM would enjoy. Also some plot similarities dealing with the fallout of one of the main NASA engineers being a Nazi war criminal, the effects of a radiation disaster in space, a different political career for Ted Kennedy, the early entry of women into the astronaut corps. Baxter's Moonseed and Titan are also good but far more depressing, and I think Voyage is really close in spirit to FAM. Rappaport posted:Regarding the coldness of the war, in the latest episode I actually laughed out loud a little during the scene where they go to DEFCON 3, in the span of about 90 seconds the general completely explains the logic and the reality behind MAD, which was fantastic! But another take-away from that scene seemed to be that the war could go hot at any moment, both sides have made it harder with vast spy satellite networks etc., but that could just mean anti-satellite weapons races on top of missile gap races, etc. I take this to mean that the Cold War itself is very much a Thing, it's just taking on a different form, with the proxy wars in space rather than in the Third World. On the other hand, this is also a setting where some of the major tensions of the later Cold War aren't present, like Vietnam ending early and the Soviets not being in Afghanistan (and maybe a few others I missed from the opening montage)
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Feb 24, 2021 16:55
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The loss of IRL skylab was really lovely since we had no way to boost it into a higher orbit. It's annoying that the us space program falls behind every time there is a switch between methods of launching humans because it's easy for someone to say "why are we focusing on this new thing when the old thing still works?" Then the old thing is cancelled because it is too old but the new thing isn't ready and then the same people are all pikachu face.
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Feb 24, 2021 17:31
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Cojawfee posted:The loss of IRL skylab was really lovely since we had no way to boost it into a higher orbit. It's annoying that the us space program falls behind every time there is a switch between methods of launching humans because it's easy for someone to say "why are we focusing on this new thing when the old thing still works?" Then the old thing is cancelled because it is too old but the new thing isn't ready and then the same people are all pikachu face. On the other hand, in the real world, the Soviets and then Russians have been launching the same basic Soyuz capsule since the 60s, because it still works just fine and why change what works? Silly Americans.
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Feb 24, 2021 18:23
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Tater Love 