Review: For All Mankind, "The Sands of Ares" | Season 3, Episode 8
The aftermath of last week's tragedy is compelling if you can forget why it happened
Let’s get this out of the way: what this week’s episode of For All Mankind asked me to do was not possible.
I’m not sure that will be true for everyone, and I frankly hope it won’t be. Taken out of context, “The Sands of Ares” is For All Mankind in its comfort zone, as the astronauts on Mars and their teams back in Houston confront the aftermath of the landslide caused by Helios and the Soviets’ drilling operation. No one is concerned about the implications for Mars habitation: the NASA team on Mars jumps into action to search for survivors, Helios and the Soviets head to Houston to help NASA coordinate the rescue efforts, and Karen heads to Danny’s house to help Amber and Jimmy through a situation she knows all too well. The resulting efforts bring tragedy and triumph in equal measure, with more dead astronauts and more question marks about the future of this mission and the forced collaboration that brings these astronauts together even as some work to forward th…