FEATUREpositive and negative effects. Social change, for one,
might have unfolded far more swiftly than it did in our
own timeline, and For All Mankind is especially good
at highlighting how this might have affected tensions
between the sexes. (It’s a pity, though, that it’s not so
imaginative with race just yet.)
As a result, Apple gives us a show that feels a bit like
a mishmash of Mad Men and Tom Hanks’ Apollo 13. In
the three available episodes, the history it tells isn’t
quite as ‘alternate’ as what we find in Amazon’s The Man
in the High Castle, but events suggest it may eventually
become a full-on sci-fi epic.
It’s a slow burn, but For All Mankind is consistently
remarkable mainly for focusing on the human side of
its plot even with the cosmos-spanning themes, to say
nothing of the way it brings 1969 to life with its quietly
stunning set and costume design.See
See is basically Apple TV+’s answer to Game of Thrones.
It takes place in a post-apocalyptic future where most
of humanity was wiped out by a virus that robbed
almost all the survivors of their sense of sight. The
ability to see is seen as witchcraft, which puts the
adopted children of a man named Baba Voss (Jason
Mamoa) at risk once he realizes they can see.
It’s a beautiful and action-packed show, although
you might struggle to believe that people still
ride horses or decorate themselves under such
circumstances. The combination of stunning sets and
a ludicrous premise invites comparisons to 1995’s
Waterworld, for better and for worse. It’s also aFEATURE
positiveandnegativeeffects.Socialchange,forone,
mighthaveunfoldedfarmoreswiftlythanitdidinour
owntimeline,andForAllMankindisespeciallygood
athighlightinghowthismighthaveaffectedtensions
betweenthesexes.(It’sapity,though,thatit’snotso
imaginativewithracejustyet.)
Asaresult,Applegivesusashowthatfeelsabitlike
amishmashofMadMenandTomHanks’Apollo 13 .In
thethreeavailableepisodes,thehistoryittellsisn’t
quiteas‘alternate’aswhatwefindinAmazon’sTheMan
intheHighCastle,buteventssuggestitmayeventually
becomeafull-onsci-fiepic.
It’saslowburn,butForAllMankindisconsistently
remarkablemainlyforfocusingonthehumansideof
itsplotevenwiththecosmos-spanningthemes,tosay
nothingofthewayitbrings 1969 tolifewithitsquietly
stunningsetandcostumedesign.See
SeeisbasicallyAppleTV+’sanswertoGameofThrones.
Ittakesplaceinapost-apocalypticfuturewheremost
ofhumanitywaswipedoutbyavirusthatrobbed
almostallthesurvivorsoftheirsenseofsight.The
abilitytoseeisseenaswitchcraft,whichputsthe
adoptedchildrenofamannamedBabaVoss(Jason
Mamoa)atriskonceherealizestheycansee.
It’sabeautifulandaction-packedshow,although
youmightstruggletobelievethatpeoplestill
ridehorsesordecoratethemselvesundersuch
circumstances.Thecombinationofstunningsetsand
aludicrouspremiseinvitescomparisonsto1995’s
Waterworld,forbetterandforworse.It’salsoa