For All Mankind’s Ed Baldwin Death Ends Apple TV’s Strongest Sci-Fi Era

In Season 5, Episode 3, “Home,” Ed dies on Mars after a battle with Stage 3 lung cancer. It’s a peaceful end for someone who often took risks with his life. His long-term exposure to radiation in space also contributed to his death, meaning he ultimately died doing what he loved. As he passes away, remembering his first space mission, it feels like a piece of the show, For All Mankind, is lost with him.

For All Mankind Confirms Karen and Gordo Are the Most Important Characters

The deaths of Gordo and Tracy in the Season 2 finale were particularly impactful, and a season later, Karen’s death in the Season 3 finale, alongside Molly Cobb, during the Johnson Space Center bombing, was equally shocking. While viewers understand characters won’t live forever in a show that spans decades, the sudden and violent nature of these deaths established that no character was safe. For All Mankind clearly remembers those it has lost; recent appearances by characters from the past demonstrate that it’s the lasting impact on the story, not just survival, that truly matters.