7 Years On, Apple TV’s Sci-fi Epic Delivers a Cliffhanger No Fan Is Ready to Accept

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Apple TV+ began as a streaming service in November 2019 with a small number of original shows. These included the Emmy Award-winning drama The Morning Show, comedies like Dickinson, and a reboot of the classic mystery series Ghostwriter. The show that’s been on Apple TV+ the longest is the sci-fi drama For All Mankind, which is now in its fifth season after a nearly two-year break. A sixth and final season is already planned for release next year.

Over its five seasons, For All Mankind has told a large, multi-year story. It began in the 1960s by imagining a different outcome to the space race – with the Soviet Union landing on the moon first – and has since expanded to include exploration of other planets. The show has captivated audiences with its compelling characters and a unique look at how a single historical change can ripple through time. While the series features a large cast, Admiral Ed Baldwin, played by Joel Kinnaman, has been a consistent and central figure. However, the most recent episode suggests that a major shift is coming, and fans may soon have to say goodbye to Ed Baldwin.

For All Mankind’s New Episode Ends With Ed Baldwin’s Life Unclear

Okay, let’s talk about the start of For All Mankind Season 5. Two things hit me right away: Ed Baldwin, at 81 years young, is still going strong, and… he’s battling stage 3 cancer. Honestly, Ed’s unbelievable survival has become a running joke among fans – we’ve all been half-expecting him to show up as a brain in a jar if the show got renewed for a sixth season! But this new season makes it clear he’s not actually immortal, even if he thinks he is. It’s a surprisingly grounded turn for a character who’s seemingly defied death time and time again.

The latest episode of For All Mankind picks up right after the dramatic season premiere, with Lee Jung-Gil facing extradition to Earth following his arrest for a murder on Mars. Ed strongly objects, believing Lee deserves a fair trial on Mars and fears he’ll be killed by North Koreans on Earth as revenge. Determined to help his friend, Ed devises a plan with a group of Martian settlers to spring Lee from custody and fly him to the LSJ base – a location with no extradition agreements – using the M-6, allowing him to remain on Mars and avoid imprisonment (despite likely being innocent).

The journey is perilous, forcing Ed to pilot a small aircraft to ensure Lee’s escape. As they try to evade the Mars Peacekeepers, things quickly worsen for Ed. During the flight, his cough intensifies, shockingly revealing he’s coughing up blood. Viewers will remember Dr. Mayakovsky warned him that flying again could be fatal, and it appears the doctor was right. After landing and Lee reaches the LSJ base, Ed is left alone with the hopper when Peacekeepers arrive, weapons drawn. They find him unconscious, and Peacekeeper Celia Boyd (Mireille Enos, previously Kinneman’s co-star in ‘The Killer’) immediately calls for help. The episode ends on this cliffhanger, strongly suggesting this may be Ed’s final flight.

Ed Baldwin’s End May Be Near

Throughout the five seasons of For All Mankind, Ed Baldwin has faced incredible challenges – from living in isolation on the moon to piloting the first Pathfinder shuttle, surviving for months on Mars, and even diverting an asteroid. He’s always seemed unstoppable. However, the latest episode makes it clear that even Ed’s remarkable string of successes couldn’t last forever.

Throughout its run, For All Mankind hasn’t hesitated to eliminate key characters, often giving them poignant and sometimes tragic farewells. The show has consistently foreshadowed these events, and its writing style isn’t about shocking twists. Instead, storylines are carefully built up over time – for example, Aleida Rosales’ eventual work on engines for Mars was hinted at as early as Season 1 with her fascination with fire.

Though Ed Baldwin has been a central figure throughout For All Mankind, the show has always focused on a larger story – as the title suggests. If the events of this episode unfold as they seem to, it would be a fitting end to Ed’s journey. He’d be helping a friend – someone from North Korea, connecting back to his past as a Korean War veteran – and would continue to support the mission to establish life on Mars. In just the first two episodes of Season 5, Ed has made it clear that his focus is now Mars, not Earth, and it appears he may even die there.

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2026-04-03 18:43