For All Mankind Officially Gives Ed Baldwin One Final Heroic Moment

Warning! This article contains MAJOR SPOILERS for For All Mankind, season 5, episode 2.For All Mankind has given one of the most important and enduring characters since the series began yet another hero moment, but this one hits a lot harder than what came before. In 2019, For All Mankind landed on Apple TV, delivering a thought-provoking alternate history story that revolved around one single distinction; the Russians landed on the Moon before the US.

Despite the slight change to history, this ambitious sci-fi series creates a plausible story that sees NASA and the US government work significantly harder to hit the next milestone ahead of their rivals, which ultimately leads to a great deal more creativity and a faster timeline to explore the planets inside the solar system.

And through it all, Ed Baldwin has been a central figure, helping to reach those goals. But, in For All Mankind season 5, episode 2, Ed pulls off his most dangerous and heroic maneuver yet, despite his advanced age and the fact that he is currently suffering with a terminal illness.

Ed Baldwin Gives His Life To Save Lee Jung-Gil In For All Mankind Season 5

Ed Baldwin is part of the SDM, an alliance that appears to be trying to protect the rights and freedoms of the working-class people on Mars. However, with interference from Earth-side governments, many of the people on Mars find themselves at the mercy of the Peacekeepers.

This is what happens to Lee Jung-Gil, the first man to land on Mars, who is now being accused of having killed a man on the Red Planet. Despite the facts not adding up, Lee is being unfairly deported from Mars, and his government will likely kill him without giving him a fair trial. But Ed and the rest of the SDM made a plan to break Lee out of the detainment, and then place him on another base on Mars that will not extradite him.

Ed plays a central role in this plan, flying Lee away from their base and bringing him safely to the other site. However, Ed’s illness means that even this short hop puts enough strain on his body to kill him, and as the episode ends, we see Ed in a terrible state, having either already died, or being about to die.

Ed Baldwin Has Been The Leading Man Since For All Mankind Began

Ed Baldwin, as played by Joel Kinnaman, has been the leading man of For All Mankind since the series began. He had the opportunity to be the first man on the Moon, but due to the risks associated with landing at that time, he chose to abort the mission. Then, years later, Ed had a chance to land on Mars before NASA or the Russians, but he again aborted the mission due to low visibility.

However, Ed was central to the missions to inhabit both the Moon and Mars, taking part in the earliest missions to live and work beyond the Earth. And now, he has reached the end of that epic hero story, once again putting himself on the line to help others, and clear the way for people after him to succeed where he laid a foundation.

Who Will Fill The Void Left By Ed Baldwin?

Without Ed, there is going to be a significant void left behind that needs to be filled before For All Mankind can move forward. Characters like Miles Dale and Dev Ayesa are interesting central figures, but due to their complex moralities, it doesn’t make much sense to make them the new hero of the story.

However, the Baldwin line has some strong candidates for who could be the heart of the show going forward. Kelly Baldwin has the same adventurous spirit as her father, and considering her mission to find life on Titan, she will likely be central to the story this season and beyond.

Alex Baldwin, Kelly’s son and Ed’s grandson, remains on the Mars base, and his story seems to make the most sense for positioning him as the new hero of the show. Whatever happens next, For All Mankind needs to address Ed’s fate properly and then clearly establish who will fill the gap left by Ed Baldwin.

Release Date

November 1, 2019

Network

Apple TV

Showrunner

Ronald D. Moore

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