I have another wild theory now for the season (I like my baseless wild speculation on all this) that the Soviets won't be first, and that will be the blow to Soviet prestige that brings down the Union.
That's a solid prediction. Now that we're clearly pivoting away from the thesis that a US-Soviet rivalry is necessary to continue up-tempo space development, it's time to jettison the authoritarians. And having Ellen deliver the "Tear down this wall" speech seems like the kind of thing the show would love to do.
As a counterpoint, they've done some legwork to make the whole edifice appear more stable. Maybe they'll try to depict a less disruptive transition.
That's a solid prediction. Now that we're clearly pivoting away from the thesis that a US-Soviet rivalry is necessary to continue up-tempo space development, it's time to jettison the authoritarians. And having Ellen deliver the "Tear down this wall" speech seems like the kind of thing the show would love to do.
As a counterpoint, they've done some legwork to make the whole edifice appear more stable. Maybe they'll try to depict a less disruptive transition.
Could be a situation where the Soviet Union shrinks, but still hangs on. Russia + some of the Stans sort of deal. Would allow for a unified Germany + possibly expanded EU to step in through the next time gap (if we get a season 4) and become the "friendly other" for the US with China being the "unfriendly other".
Could be a situation where the Soviet Union shrinks, but still hangs on. Russia + some of the Stans sort of deal. Would allow for a unified Germany + possibly expanded EU to step in through the next time gap (if we get a season 4) and become the "friendly other" for the US with China being the "unfriendly other".
The soviet union loses central europe but keeps its core. The union itself survives
China being the USA's opponent is, in my opinion, stupid. This comes from the current worldview. Nineties China does not have the capacity to do this. A multipolar space race is more interesting and unique. With the USA, Brazil, Europe, Iran, Japan, China and Israel "fighting" for the solar system. Obviously nations have different scales of strength.
Could be a situation where the Soviet Union shrinks, but still hangs on. Russia + some of the Stans sort of deal. Would allow for a unified Germany + possibly expanded EU to step in through the next time gap (if we get a season 4) and become the "friendly other" for the US with China being the "unfriendly other".
Sounds reasonable as for possibilities as otherwise Europe remaining divided into the 21st century would be a definite drawback for this timeline compared to ours. Then again maybe they will keep the Soviet Union around for one more season for the 2001 and 2010 movie/book references. Also a happy note for those who missed it but the show was renewed for season 4 before this season began.
So because the European rocket as shown as being the same scale as the 'Russian' rocket (not USSR for some reason) does that mean the European Space Agency has the same capability as the Soviets eg a Moonbase?
I'm presuming China has landed a man on the Moon per that scale
I don't know what the sputnik symbol means for Japan?
Brazil, Iran, India and Israel have Space Station capability (I'm presuming on the smaller side of things)
Turkey(?) and the other nation I can't make out in the picture has satellite capability.
One thing I like about how dumb Margo is being in this season is that it doesn't feel unnatural? Like so many other shows have smart people grab the idiot ball for the sake of the plot, whereas the stupid things she's done this season feel like a natural extension of what has happened in the past. Like of course she thinks Ellen doesn't count as an astronaut anymore because she's very good at not looking outside of her specific focus. Of course, she straight up told the PRESIDENT to ignore politics and use emergency powers to nationalize Helios (a pro-business Republican President no less).
Margo is incredibly intelligent when it comes to science and math and space but she's also very good at isolating people (Molly, Ed) and has trouble understanding the bigger picture outside of her narrow focus so all her mistakes feel natural instead of clear hand of the author.
I guess the one (maybe) exception is her giving the Soviets the nuclear engine design because she doesn't want her boo to die. But even her illicit romance doesn't come off as forced either (it's shown repeatedly that Margo doesn't really have a life outside of NASA - even her major social connections like Aleida and the peanut guy are similarly obsessed space people).
One thing I like about how dumb Margo is being in this season is that it doesn't feel unnatural? Like so many other shows have smart people grab the idiot ball for the sake of the plot, whereas the stupid things she's done this season feel like a natural extension of what has happened in the past. Like of course she thinks Ellen doesn't count as an astronaut anymore because she's very good at not looking outside of her specific focus. Of course, she straight up told the PRESIDENT to ignore politics and use emergency powers to nationalize Helios (a pro-business Republican President no less).
Margo is incredibly intelligent when it comes to science and math and space but she's also very good at isolating people (Molly, Ed) and has trouble understanding the bigger picture outside of her narrow focus so all her mistakes feel natural instead of clear hand of the author.
I guess the one (maybe) exception is her giving the Soviets the nuclear engine design because she doesn't want her boo to die. But even her illicit romance doesn't come off as forced either (it's shown repeatedly that Margo doesn't really have a life outside of NASA - even her major social connections like Aleida and the peanut guy are similarly obsessed space people).
(No spoilers for this week, so I'm transmitting in the clear)
On Margo's character, I think you're onto something, but I wanted to point out that the show has built that last decision (giving up the nuclear engine) in from season 1, and it goes beyond her personal connection to Sergei or her social life with space nerds.
In season 1 we see her willing to sever one of the only personal relationships she has- probably her most important and meaningful one- because she learns of Von Braun's willingness to sacrifice human lives to get ahead in space research. (And Von Braun's about as big an obsessed space dude as you can get.)
Then in season 2, without any meaningful connection to anyone whose life is threatened, she decides to act completely counter to her professional interest and the clear interests of her country to save human lives by telling a relative stranger about the space shuttle flaw.
I would argue there are even more complex examples of her weighing lives when the calculations aren't as cut-and-dry: the orbital rescue mission in season 1; and various aspects of the Jamestown invasion in season 2. When there are options for no one to die, she endorses those. When zero no-death options are available, she always reaches for the option with the lower number.
It makes sense that last week the KGB would threaten Sergei, but I think if they'd just picked a random bellboy at the hotel to torture they would've had a reasonable chance of getting Margo to comply. She cares about lives. It's not coldly rational, and it's also not about personal connection. The show hasn't exactly told us precisely where she picked up this trait, but I would argue it doesn't really need to. It's deep, formative psychology, and wherever it comes from, the show has applied it consistently in Margo's case.
also it is interesting the way domestic energy politics are headed. It seems like the GOP is going to be the party of clean energy, while the Dems will be the party of coal and oil. Coal miners were staunch Democrats before 2000, so this may lead to a more populist Democratic Party and a more liberal GOP.
Called Ayesa being a piece of crap and someone needing a rescue. Didn't think they'd go so far as to seize complete control of the Phoenix to ensure their landing. The whole workplace democracy seems like a good way into manipulating everybody into seeing things his way while spreading the guilt and lessen the personal responsibility for shitty actions. Also gotta feel for those NASA astronauts. Getting crushed then exposed to vacuum can not be a pleasant way to go.
Sojourner 1 did look quite pretty with its sails. Gotta wonder how practical it is though. I'm going to guess that the Phoenix is now going to need to rescue the NASA and Soviet crews and the whole shebang will become one big international venture all the while Ayesa continues to threaten the crew to be first
