For All Mankind Season 5: Keeping up a 6-Year Winning Streak
penning the scripts for a cohesive, emotionally-rewarding season, that’s ultimately paid off in a phenomenal final installment. So, while I expect that trend to continue in season 5, there is always the risk that For All Mankind is about to drop its first dud in this respect. I really hope that doesn’t happen, as there are already enough sci-fi shows that fall at the final hurdle. We don’t need another.
What makes For All Mankind’s finales so fantastic is the emotional weight they carry. The show’s generational premise means the audience is with the characters for far longer than in a lot of other shows. So, when they die, it hits extra hard. Even characters that haven’t been on the show for long feel so tightly woven into the show’s timeline, their loss still feels like a significant event. While this isn’t the only element of a superlative season finale, as proven by season 4’s deathless climax, it has proven to be a central twist.
Set in 2012, season 5 will take place decades after the events of the show’s alternate 1969 that saw the Soviets win the Space Race in season 1. So, very few members of the original characters remain, and those that are still around are pretty old by the time of season 5. It wouldn’t be within the show’s formula to just let these characters die peacefully in their sleep, so I think the upcoming finale has something devastating in mind.
With Joel Kinnaman still playing Ed Baldwin in season 5, it stands to reason that the octogenarian Mars legend is set for an emotional exit. Some kind of sacrifice to save his family or the planet he loves would be a fitting end for Kinnaman’s character, and a brilliant way to conclude Ed’s story. I’m not saying I’d like to see him die, but he has to go sometime. I’ll be very surprised if he survives the events of season 5, especially after For All Mankind’s sizeable time jump that traditionally ends each run of episodes.
For All Mankind season 5 premieres on Apple TV on March 27, 2026.
