Apple TV’s 4-Part Sci-Fi Series Is the Perfect Weekend Binge Before Its Return

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Edi Gathegi as Dev Ayesa giving a speech in For All Mankind

Published Mar 22, 2026, 6:18 AM EDT

Julio is a Senior Author for Collider. He studied History and International Relations at university, but found his calling in cultural journalism. When he isn't writing, Julio also teaches English at a nearby school. He has lived in São Paulo most of his life, where he covers CCXP and other big events. Having loved movies, music, and TV from an early age, he prides himself in knowing every minute detail about the things he loves. When he is older, he dreams of owning a movie theater in a small countryside town.

One of the best sci-fi series on TV is about to make its triumphant return this week, and, if you haven't watched it yet, now's the time. For All Mankind Season 5 premieres March 27 on Apple TV, and you've probably heard at least one person mention it, because it really is that good. Co-created by TV veteran Ronald D. Moore (whose work you definitely know from either Battlestar Galactica or Outlander), the series has four 10-episode seasons and a premise that's both incredibly simple and wildly imaginative — and with plenty of character drama to keep anyone hooked, too — making it the perfect weekend binge before its return.

What Is 'For All Mankind' About?

For All Mankind is set in the context of the space race, but with a historical twist: the Soviets beat the U.S. to the Moon by nearly a full month. Instead of Neil Armstrong and his "one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind" line, the world is stunned as Russian cosmonaut Alexei Leonov takes the first human steps on the Moon in honor of "the Marxist-Leninist way of life." This change gives For All Mankind a whole alternate history where the space race never ends, and the Cold War goes on for much longer than our timeline.

The Soviet triumph has devastating effects on U.S. morale. Once primed to reach the Moon on its own terms, NASA is suddenly under pressure not only to catch up, but also to find ways to overtake the Russians, while the government is forced to rethink its priorities and deal with the political fallout of all the "firsts" they missed in space, both before and after the Moon landing. On the Soviet side, their accomplishment brings renewed momentum and helps them expand their global influence, something the U.S. simply can't allow.

What makes For All Mankind particularly compelling, however, is how it continuously expands this premise over its seasons. As the decades pass, new players enter the space race arena, including other nations and even private companies eager to capitalize on space exploration. This gradual shift from a two-superpower rivalry to a more complex, multi-actor landscape mirrors real-world developments, so, as different as the sci-fi series' own timeline may be, there's still a grounding element to all the "what-ifs" it asks.

Each Season of ‘For All Mankind’ Takes Place in a Different Decade

One of For All Mankind's most distinctive features is the time jumps between seasons. Each season takes place in a different decade, starting in the 1970s and reaching the 2010s in the upcoming Season 5. Right at the start of each season, a small montage takes the audience through what happened between seasons, updating everyone concerning technological discoveries, geopolitical developments, and any cultural changes, as well as how all that influences everyday life.

The continued investment in the space race means that For All Mankind's timeline has its own distinctive look and feel, too. With NASA having to get creative in order to expand its presence in space, new technology is constantly being discovered and developed, from nuclear-powered rockets and spacecraft to electric engines. The need for improvements in communication between Earth and space also leads to a completely different telecommunications landscape, with smaller screens showing up much earlier than in our world.

Because of all that, the decades may look different from reality. Personal computers are all around in the 1990s, but, although politics and technology develop differently in that world, each decade's cultural landmarks are still there, with countless references to music, television, and overall pop culture. It’s all just different enough to provide an interesting outlook on how different life could have been if space had remained a priority. Now, the series' version of the 2010s in Season 5 will probably look unique, too.

‘For All Mankind’ Grounds Its Epic Sci-Fi in Character-Driven Storylines

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If your thing is story instead of history, though, For All Mankind is still well worth watching. For all its high-concept premise and alternate history setting, what ultimately defines the sci-fi series is its characters and their journeys. All the historical events are experienced by astronauts, NASA administrators, government officials, and, of course, all their families, establishing the human cost of it all as even more important than any financial or political gain. Going to space isn't that simple and takes a heavy toll on the personal lives of many characters.

While some of the characters are actual historical figures, others are fictional characters inspired by historical counterparts, like astronaut Ed Baldwin (Joel Kinnaman) and NASA engineer Margo Madison (Wrenn Schmidt). There's also an incredible cast of original characters that grounds all the epic achievements in deeply personal stories. For all their achievements, Ed and Margo are still as human as anyone and struggle with many of the same issues as any potential viewer, including personal insecurities, family issues, and professional obstacles.

With each passing season, For All Mankind also updates its roster with new characters that fit the zeitgeist of that decade, bringing in fresh dynamics and dilemmas to the story. This goes a long way in giving the audience a sense of how time passes in that universe, establishing a rotation that most of us also experience in real life — people come and go in many ways, and that's also true for heroes like Ed. All of those choices put For All Mankind among the best sci-fi series on TV right now, making it mandatory viewing for anyone who appreciates the medium.

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