For All Mankind took us ahead in time again. We picked up where the leap forward at the end of Season 3 took us.
The leap forwards are never surprising. This is a show that almost resets itself each season. There isn’t the need to immediately answer questions from the previous season, and there’s a chance to see what could have been with space exploration.
This season brought more from the private space operations. It also took us to Mars more, seeing the development of life up there over the decade or so that the show jumped ahead.
When is For All Mankind Season 4 set?
The show jumps us to 2003. It’s eight years after the race for Mars, which saw Ed and Dani up against each other but on friendly terms. They remained on friendly terms up until this season. We did wonder at one point if the two would find their way back to a friendship, and it looks like they did.
The series gives us a look at Ed in his aging years. And he knows that he’s getting old. Yet, he is still focused on living on Mars. He wants to see the place grow, despite his daughter and grandson being on Earth and waiting for him to return. It turned out that he was scared of going to Earth and ending up in a nursing home. At least on Mars, he was needed.
The downside of the time jumps now is that a lot of actors need to be aged up. It’s no longer looking as convincing as it did back in Season 3. The next time jump is going to be interesting.
At the end of For All Mankind Season 4, we get the usual time jump to show us where the show will be next. Season 5, if it happens, looks to be set in 2012. We’re getting closer to the current time.
For All Mankind is available to stream on Apple TV+.