#but cutting out her parents and only having steven as a father or primarily showing him as being doting and loving of wg kind of feels like | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

dovebuffy92 · 3 years

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https://www.fanbolt.com/113723/for-all-mankind-season-2-review-cold-war-friendships/

For All Mankind Season 2, created by Ronald D Moore, reveals that man’s journey to the moon both turns the Cold War piping hot and brings people with disparate points of view together. The second season takes place a decade later, in the 1980s.

Ed Baldwin is now the chief of the Astronaut office; his wife Karen owns The Outpost bar, and they have an adopted seventeen-year-old daughter, Vietnamese American Kelly. Ellen Wilson is about to return home from a long stint as the commander of the Jamestown Base on the moon to become a NASA administrator. Tracy Stevens is a super-star astronaut who wears fancy dresses on talk shows while her ex-husband Gordo drinks away his depression. Molly Cobb is secretly flooded with radiation on the moon after an hour outside during a solar storm rescuing Dutch astronaut Wubbo Johannes Ockels. After being benched for a decade, Danielle Poole is itching to go back to space. All the astronauts struggle to find their place in this new decade.

The sexual affair between Karen Baldwin and Danny Stevens makes zero sense. Karen and Ed’s marriage has been struggling since their eleven-year-old son Shane died in 1974. The fact that Ed was not home when Shane died nearly led to their divorce. They stayed together to raise their Kelly. Kelly is a senior in high school applying to the Naval Academy at Annapolis because she wants to be like her father. Ed has been staying home all these years because of his guilt over being on the moon during Shane’s car accident. Kelly and Karen permit him to return to the moon after seeing how eaten up he has been staying home all these years. Karen can’t deal with her husband risking his life for the Pathfinder Mission. She sells the Outpost Bar to Sam, so all of her tethers to her everyday life are cut away.

So, it does make sense that Karen has an affair, but with a stranger, not Danny. First off, Danny was best friends with her son Shane. Karen raised both boys since Danny’s parents Tracey and Gordo, are active astronauts. In the 1970s, Tracey could no longer stay home with her son after school because she started training. So, Karen and Danny have more of a mother-son relationship than a friendship. Secondly, Karen hasn’t shown any romantic attraction to the twenty-so-year-old young Naval Academy cadet for most of the season. Danny works as a part-time waiter at the Outpost, and he is only a couple of years older than her daughter Kelly, and he must remind her of Shane. If Ronald D. Moore wanted one big push to implode the Baldwin’s marriage, then she should have had an affair with a customer at the bar or just broke down over Ed returning to space. Danny’s crush on Karen makes sense, but not her feelings for him. Danny and Kelly having sex even one time is genuinely bizarre.

This season of For All Mankind dove deeper into the Cold War, the Apollo-Soyuz mission is a perfect vehicle for that exploration. The Apollo-Soyuz mission is based on an actual historical 1975 event that marked the end of the space race when the two modules docked together, and the Soviets and Americans shook hands. In the fictional and actual world, the mission is designed to promote peace between the Soviet Union and the United States. Throughout the second season, Danielle desperately tries to make the mission happen. As a Black woman, Danielle feels both the responsibility and desire to command a mission since she sacrificed her career to help Gordo hide his mental breakdown.

The Apollo-Soyuz is primarily a ceremonial mission but is her only opportunity for command. Danielle bonds with the cosmonauts over beer, burgers, cheers for lost comrades, pride over their space programs, and Laika, the Soviet dog who died sacrificing for the people she loved. Even though these cosmonauts and astronauts are supposed to be enemies, their common humanity wins out. Danielle puts up with being locked up in Star City, USSR. The Soviet Union officials kept the astronauts as hostages after a Soviet jet shot down a South Korean commercial airplane full of American passengers, including the head of NASA, Thomas Paine. The Soviets keep the astronaut’s prisoners to stop the Americans from retaliating. Calm heads win out. A secret agent lets her out after discussing how the mission could change the world. Apollo and Soyuz are stuck rotating Earth’s orbit when the modules finally launch because, supposedly, the Soviets have some mechanical error. The two crews speak together through the radios.

Meanwhile, the reasons for the delay become apparent, the American armed spacecraft Pathfinder and Soviet spacecraft Buran fly to the dark side of the moon, ready to launch missiles at each other if the other acts aggressively. The United States preps for a nuclear strike. Margo orders Danielle to land back on Earth, but she refuses. Instead, Apollo and Soyuz, against orders, conduct their mission of peace. They all shake each other’s hands after connecting the modules on national television. All of them are smiling in real celebration. Regan warms at the sights of the cosmonauts and astronauts shaking each other’s hands and calls for peace. Nuclear war is avoided. Moments of real friendship through collaboration can lead to understanding.

I would recommend For All Mankind Season 2 for lovers of alternative history and space program fans. The more extensive introduction of the Soviet Union this season explores the fundamental tensions of the cold war and the explosive “warm” space race that we narrowly avoided.

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spotlightsaga · 7 years

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Kevin Cage of @spotlightsaga reviews... GLOW (S01E04) The Dusty Spur Airdate: June 23, 2017 Ratings: @netflix original Score: 8.75/10 **********SPOILERS BELOW********** 'The Dusty Spur' is only the 4th episode out of 10 in S1... That's really not a whole lot of screen time for such a big cast of 'larger than life' personalities. I saw Kenny Herzog of 'Vulture' (that's right I call out names. This is GLOW, bitch. Step into the ring!), get a bit restless in his review of the episode. Kenny is calling for a bit more action, but I believe GLOW is exactly where it needs to be, doing exactly what it needs to be doing... Really exploring origin stories and holding up a magnifying lens to its characters in a careful and steady manner. Any true fan of wrestling knows that it's all about the build and you simply don't have wrestling without well rounded characters... And you don't have well rounded characters unless you give them as many dimensions as possible, not worthwhile characters anyway. Truly, these characters in GLOW are so electric, they're literally sparking with depth. I want to see GLOW explore that depth, because once we get to the main events, that's the only way it's ever really going to take it to the next level and really put the show over with fans. I remember JBL recalling a match he had with the late, GREAT Eddie Guerrero on a podcast a few years back. I can't quote him verbatim but he broke down the psychology and and anticipation needed to truly make 5-Star matches. At the time JBL was no rookie, but the main event scene on such a grand platform is obviously one that can easily rattle one's nerves. Eddie had some wise words and tidbits of much needed inspiring motivation at the time. He literally told JBL that they would tease the crowd a bit, give them a slow back and forth, go into a headlock and hold it for an unnecessarily long time. Basically, bore them to death. Now, GLOW is anything but boring, but surely Creator Liz Flahive & 'The Dusty Spur' writer, Sascha Rothschild, took a page out of Eddie's book. The crowd will never genuinely connect in the truly engrossing and all-encompassing way that it needs to if we don't know who these people are. There is no need to rush... It's not about the finish line or immediate gratification, it's about building anticipation with the audience so that the show resonates with them long after S1 is over... Just like Eddie Guerrero's grandiose, emotionally charged matches. I doubt there is fan out there that can recall an important match of Eddie's that doesn't have a few points that they can still remember like it was yesterday, making the hairs on the back of their neck stand up as they tell it... Not just triggering nostalgia, but triggering greatness. That's what Netflix's GLOW team is creating here, something that will stick with us forever... Leave us pissed off we have to wait a whole year between seasons. That's how you do it! To be fair to Kenny, he wasn't bashing the show, quite the opposite really. Although he does go on to say that 'The show is sacrificing a bit of humor for authenticity'. See, now they just can't win... As if I recall Vulture saying the very opposite about OITNB. Both of these comments just struck me the wrong way. I know everyone is eager for these women to get in the ring, but we got a little ways to go. I doubt anyone will have to wait to much longer as the experiment has to begin sooner than later. None of these women who the creative team of GLOW are reimagining in their brilliant dramatization have a story like WWE's Sami Zayn. They didn't tour almost 15 years working their asses off in the Indies, then hit a performance training center and introductory WWE promotion like NXT for three years, and then finally and triumphantly make it to the main stage. No, no... They were pushed right into the fire, but that doesn't mean we still don't need to get these episodes where we truly get to know these women. Just like in OITNB, GLOW does a fantastic job of juggling many different character arcs, subplots, and focused character work, all while moving the core narrative at a respectable speed. We got a flash of the exact vision that Sam (Marc Maron) has for his big main event. Obviously, Debbie (Betty Gilpin) is already there... She may have her own drama, but she knows who she is and can naturally step into any part she's given anyway. It's Ruth who is still struggling with her 'would-be' personas. She comes up with a few ideas and pitches them to Sam but she's shot down. Sam even goes as far as to suggest that her gimmick's fate isn't even necessarily in her own hands... And can you blame him? Obviously there's something inside Ruth that's worth tapping into, but it feels like no one, especially Ruth, knows where to even start. Maybe Sheila the She Wolf (Gayle Rankin) can give Ruth a helping paw. Their pairing is so odd, but the fact that these two have ended up in the same room together makes for both great comedy and one of the most awkwardly dramatic scenes in the entire episode. Sheila has big issues with sharing living space with another human being... No, this isn't because Sheila identifies as a wolf, it's much deeper than that. Clearly, Sheila has worked hard to not only accurately express how she feels on the inside, but to keep any possible vulnerability that may open her up for ridicule swept under the rug. Ruth acknowledging that Sheila was sleeping with a wig on was probably the straw that broke the camels back, but as we've mentioned before... Ruth may not know who she is quite yet, but her passion and aspirations help define her while she embarks on her own existential quest. It's a bit like Ruth is a cockroach... It's going to take more than a couple of traps and putting roadkill in her bed to get rid of her. Ruth is just about awkward in everything she does, and that includes opening to Sheila and attempting to find common ground. I loved that Ruth was absolutely terrible at doing so, but just the fact that she was making an effort was met with respect from Sheila. These women are all making the most of their scenes and I hope that this becomes a huge launching pad for talented women like Rankin who have never been given this type of platform before. Another big shout out to our girl Tammé (Kia Stevens aka Awesome Kong/Kharma). Everything she's been handed in this series so far has been elevated to another level by her clear vision of her character and obvious professionalism. I think a lot of people are ready to easily dismiss wrestlers as jokes when it comes to the acting world but we continue to see many who have not just succeeded, but exploded into both 'Main Stream Blockbusters' & respected dives into nuanced character work. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson immediately comes to mind. Sure he can carry a big film, but look at the incredible depth he provides his Spencer character on HBO's 'Ballers'. I honestly believe that Kia Stevens has what it takes to not just create a splash in Hollywood, but to inspire real, honest to God respect from fans, critics, and her fellow peers in the industry alike. Tammé is having some issues with her 'Welfare Queen' persona. It's an obvious insulting stereotype when looked at through a certain lens. She's literally wrestling with the fact that she's worked hard in life to give her children a chance to be greater than any stereotype society associates with people of color, especially in the 80s. But with the help of Cherry's husband, Keith (Bashir Salahuddin), and his very simple remark that he finds Marc 'to be more sexist than racist' paired with watching an old shlock film of Marc's that has an oddly timed video dating cut right near the end of the film, Tammé appears to be coming to terms with the character. She's learning how to separate pointless stereotypes with the benefits of 'kitsch' and championing irony in the stereotype's context... And in pro-wrestling, both men's and women's wrestling, that's something that's extremely important. It would be disrespectful for me to end this review without noting that our man, former WWE Superstar Brodus Clay aka TNA hired gun Tyrus (George Murdoch) makes an appearance as Carmen's sympathetic brother who appears at their training camp with their legendary wrestling father, Goliath Jackson (Winston James Francis). They are there strictly to retrieve Carmen after they quickly realize that the giant pile of pillows and shoes in Carmen's old bed are not actually Carmen. Goliath and Carmen's two brothers are primarily used as a reminder to the audience that no one, not even the parent and member of a wrestling dynasty family, believes that these women will be taken seriously on any level. Carmen is one of those characters on GLOW that I tend to perk up for. Her lovable giant and adorable 'Machu Picchu' persona aren't exactly cutting edge material here (not quite yet, anyway), but actress Britney Young is proving that she can hang with best of them. Her scenes with her new roomie Rhonda aka Brittanica (real life singer-songwriter Kate Nash) give off a bit of 'explorative' vibe, possibly lesbian or it could be as simple as the differences in body image as Carmen is so quick to point out. Whatever direction they go with these two is ok with me, the pairing up of all the characters in the hotel is doing nothing but helping the spotlight shine on each and every character just a little bit more... And trust me, to all those pining for action, you'll appreciate all this character work they're doing now when these women finally step in the ring and start doing what they all came here to do... Wrestle!

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