To MARS!

It’s great seeing how the world is diverging from our own, with another Great Space Race to MARS! This time, not just the US and USSR, but also the private sector (Helios) getting involved, which just manages to make everything more complicated.

And even with some things so far ahead… it’s still the (fictional) 90s. US/USSR tensions are still high. There are still plenty of hidden secrets just waiting to come out at the right moment.

As we jump another decade forward, our original cast (those that have survived at least) are getting older, but still perfectly capable of causing all sorts of chaos. We have a few new faces as well, but I’ll admit, less than I expected. There’s no way that’s sustainable…

Overall, another wonderful season. Man the reviews for this one makes it look worse than it is. It’s a show about the space race… but not just about space. It’s also a show about the people going to space, and some people miss that.

Quite enjoyed it. Looking forward to season 4!

Episode by episode mini-reviews (potential spoilers! especially from latter episodes for earlier ones).

1. Polaris

And we’re back! With full on hotels in space.

Plus… apparently an offscreen divorce. And it wasn’t even because of that weird cheating scene last season.

Only to be reunited at a SPACE WEDDING.

What could possibly go wrong?

This feels wrong. Like everything going wrong and getting fixed in a TV sort of reason rather than feeling at all realistic.

I still have hope.

2. Game Changer

Danny and Karen remains really weird.

Time and politics march on. Ellen running for president. That’ll be interesting.

Margo is finally done with Molly. I don’t even disagree with her, but it’s certainly a change in NASA a long time coming.

Aleida made it to the moon! Good for her.

Karen going to bat for Ed though. That’s a neat twist.

A solid step forward.

3. All In

Oh Margo. So many years…

It’s fun (and insane) to see the building three way race this time. Some switch their allegiances and some show their loyalty (for better and I expect for worse). Looking forward to that.

Danny… that one I’m looking forward to.

Time skip!

4. Happy Valley

It’s interesting especially seeing the younger ones about to go to Mars. Knowing how long they’ll be away from their families.

Man the tension in those last few minutes.

5. Seven Minutes of Terror

Circumstances have changed.

They always do.

Ed doing what he does–solving problems without any input from back on Earth. Bet Dev is regretting that choice now. So … what does that mean for their mission? Who’s calling the shots?

Seeing Wayne Cobb again was a delightful surprise. If weird as always.

And again. The ending. Oh the endings in this show.

The whole Danny thing. Just. Why.

At the ending, I don’t know how I’d act in something like this. But Ed shouldn't have tried. Danielle should have let him. And Ed was right to abort the attempt. Even if it's cruel for him to have to do that twice...

And then the very last scene.

Oh this show.

6. New Eden

Oh. They broke Sojourner. Bummer.

It was stupid to push that.

Danny shouldn’t be there. Heck, Ed shouldn’t be there.

… just didn’t tell people you were gay.

They… didn’t have the broadcast on a delay?

Add that to the Russians. No apparent sense of gratitude; at least not the commander. Oy it’s frustrating.

And of course… Danny one step worse. Man.

I’m wondering if maybe it was a mistake to bring Danny up here.

Danny shouldn’t be there. What could possibly go wrong?

Kelly and Alexei. What could possibly go wrong?

And of course… a party on Mars. What could possibly go wrong?

The aptly named first Thanksgiving on Mars.

7. Bring it Down

The White House falling apart.

Danny falling apart. Why the *hell* is Danny not already locked up?

Kelly and Alexi are falling apart.

Once Aleida gets to Margo…

NASA falling apart.

Jimmy… about to fall things apart.

Oh this show.

Also:

Ellen: Hi.
Pam: Hi.
Ellen: Can I come in?

Can she … just do that?

8. The Sands of Ares

Larry Wilson: Where have you been? You left town without telling anyone. No one had any idea where the hell you were.
Ellen Waverly: The Secret Service knew.
Larry Wilson: You mind telling me?
Ellen Waverly: I went to see Pam.
Larry Wilson: Are you out of your mind?
Ellen Waverly: Close to it.

Well.

Also… rescue on Mars. And the only other person who knew what happened … died in the landslide. Oh Danny.

You know, I thought if I… if I lived the life that I took from him… the life he was meant to live, that it somehow might make up for what I did.

Well… I didn’t quite expect to feel that for Danny this show.

And then… that cliffhanger. IUDs were invented in the 60s. There's no way they wouldn't have given every woman on those crews birth control, just in case.

Oy that’s going to complicate things. As if this show needed more of that.

9. Coming Home

America’s favorite baby Martian.

Delightful.

The First Family troubles are a bit… not Mars. But it’s interesting seeing another world. Oh what a change that might be.

Aleida and her all but the red string conspiracy board? She finally made the connection.

And then… footprints.

10. Stranger in a Strange Land

The first man on Mars.

Man that’s a bonkers twist.

Also

Selfish pricks change the world.

Oh there’s a lot of world changing going on.

The whole MSAM second stage thing? Reminds me a lot of the end of the Martian. Intentional I expect. It was bonkers then too.

Danny remains an idiot. Not the time. Not the place.

And of course as Mars comes together… Margo’s world falls apart. Oy that one.