For All Mankind's very premise requires a great deal of patience, and the season 5 premiere is no different. Thankfully, the Apple TV show never disappoints when it comes to paying off its slow-burning storylines. So, although "First Light" isn't a high-octane affair in any sense, For All Mankind's reputation puts me at ease when it comes to what the rest of season 5 has in store.
Set in 2012, the new batch of episodes is just over a decade from catching up with the present day. However, with a fully-functional human society on Mars, complete with capitalist conveniences like a Domino's Pizza franchise, For All Mankind's new era is the latest glimpse of a vastly different timeline that diverged from our own following the Russians' 1969 Space Race victory. And yet, the show's alternate future is strangely recognizable.
FULL SPOILERS for For All Mankind season 5, Episode 1, "First Light."
"First Light" does a great job of continuing For All Mankind's tasteful alt-timeline predictions
For All Mankind has spiralled gradually off into a different version of events since 1969, resulting in what has very slowly become a grounded spin on the way most other sci-fi shows explain humanity's journey to the stars. I'm sure it must have been very tempting to hurry this journey along at times, but even after the time jumps that have permeated the series so far, everything still seems jarringly recognizable somehow.
Season 5 has once more demonstrated this impressive level of restraint in the premiere. Living on Mars is still portrayed as though it's the most normal thing in the universe, as proven by the fact that things like how the subplot of immigrants illegally making their way to the Red Planet in search of work feels equally pedestrian. Giving Mars a governor is another great example of how the show makes you say something like: "Oh, yeah. Of course Mars needs a governor," without batting an eye. Truly masterful stuff.
Ed's cancer twist sets up a grim and unexpected ending for Joel Kinnaman's character
Ed Baldwin is in his 80s by the time of For All Mankind season 5, which begged the question of how actively involved he was going to be, and how his almost inevitable exit was going to be orchestrated. "First Light" answers both: Very, and probably via a cancer diagnosis. As one of the proudest Martian citizens, Ed seems hellbent on making sure his new home is left in a position of strength before he passes on. It's primed to be an emotional ending for one of the show's last remaining original characters and biggest heroes, but it's so surprising that I kind of love how I never saw it coming.
Props have to go to Kinnaman for how convincingly he moves and speaks as a man decades older than his actual age. The next generation(s) of Baldwins also come to the forefront far more this time around, especially Alex (Sean Kaufman). With the Red Planet being the only real home Ed's grandson has ever known, he seems very torn when it comes to his desire to go back to Earth and stay with his mother and grandfather. It'll be an interesting subplot to keep an eye on.
I love how For All Mankind season 5's premiere adds yet another genre label to the show
Billed primarily as a sci-fi show, For All Mankind is also an alt-history drama, a space opera, and a political thriller. "First Light" adds yet another wrinkle to the show's genre-bending formula with the first-ever homicide case on Mars. It's a huge moment within the show itself, but it's also important from a storytelling perspective.
While the episode's final moments name the prime suspect in the case, I'd be very surprised if more names didn't start to enter the conversation when it came to who killed the unfortunate soul on Mars' surface. As such, the show has kick-started a murder mystery storyline, which isn't something the Apple TV project has attempted before. Just like almost every other arc in For All Mankind's season 5 premiere, only the initial seed has been planted for this, but I'm sure the current run will make the wait worthwhile.
Episode Rating: B
For All Mankind season 5 is streaming now on Apple TV. Catch a new episode every Friday until the finale on May 22, 2026.