For All Mankind Alternate Timeline Explained 1992-2002

The Apple TV+ series For All Mankind operates under the assumption that a sustained space race could have moved technological advancements along at a much faster pace than we experienced in our timeline. In the show’s version of events, the Soviet Union’s space program held onto its lead and landed on the moon first, setting up a series of ripple effects. This video covers Season 3 which occurred in 1992 in the show’s timeline and the time skip before Season 4 which begins in 2003.

For All Mankind’s Alternate History images a timeline where things have improved in many ways. Space exploration has continued uninterrupted and because the Soviet Union didn’t collapse, competition drives innovation. By the early 90s missions to Mars were in the planning stages. Nuclear Fusion has become a source of abundant clean energy by the late 80s and the shift from Fossil Fuels has led to a reversal for Global Warming and less armed conflict in the Middle East.

A lot happened in the 8 years between For All Mankind's Season 3 and Season 4. We break down the opening montage from the fourth season's premiere and the shorts that make up the video timeline "Leap Into a New Millennium:1996-2001" on the Apple TV+ watch page. Explore all of the alternate history news events that have transpired between seasons.

In For All Mankind’s timeline, NASA is able to patent its innovations and reinvest their profits in their own programs. This gives it the autonomy to innovate and continue to push the limits without asking for funding through Congress. This has an effect on consumer technology which has also developed much faster than it has in the real world. Electric Vehicles, mobile phones, laptops, LEDs, and many other innovations show up years early in the show’s alternate timeline.

Chapter Timestamps:
0:00 1992 The Beginning of Season 3
3:02 1992 & 1993 The Race to Mars
4:38 1995 Happy Valley
12:43 1996 The Beginning of the Season 4 Newsreel
15:27 1997 Helios Shifts Focus
20:19 1998 JSC Bombing Trial
21:33 1999 Helios’ New Engine
26:41 2000 Presidential Election
29:33 2001 & 2002 Soviet Economic Boom

#ForAllMakind #AppleTV #AlternateHistory

[PetePeppers]

We made it to the 21st century. Soon we'll be comparing the alternate timeline to current events. It's interesting to see how the nostalgia effect lessens in each one of these that I do. We're getting into things I remember living through. Let me know what your favorite changes have been and how you see things playing out in the alternate history.

[RW]

I just want to add that Y2K was a real problem, but we put effort into fixing it.

The lesson is not "it was nothing, and we over reacted" its "it was challenge, and we treated it appropriately " .


Any parells between that and any current events?

[ClabberHead]

Y2K was not a big deal in our timeline because people worked for 2 years to avert the problem. They did a great job, and now it seems like it was no big deal.

[plo]

This show is probably going to either end with the Vulcans making first contact or Mars breaking with Earth and the formation of the first Belters. I would probably guess the latter.

[ratmdex]

Literally one of the best series ever made. I've need felt so emotionally investing in a show in years. You can CLEARLY see the amount of money they have put in this show. I've never seen a single bad cgi moment and the story is great. This is one of those shows we will look back on and talk about for years to come.

[hippolife]

You can see how the lack of (real) competition makes a system non-optimized, and reaching a better state for it slow, with space exploration. In the TV series "For All Mankind", the competition in the space industry is real, and this has led the system to improve very quickly, continuously reaching new goals (The Moon, then a base on it, then Mars, and a base on this, and now the Asteroid).

[simsportif]

The role of ESA in this series is criminally underdeveloped. It had many plans up until Ariane basically became the world's most profitable satellite launcher (until spaceX arrived) and ESA just decided to shelve it all in our timeline. In such a setting it feels weird to have the ESA play a third tier, barely existing role while north korea of all nations gets a spotlight.

[nate]

Fun fact. The company in the shorts that designed the successor to Concorde is a real company. Boom Supersonic. However their plane is still on the drawing board.

[octoberboiy]

Thanks for the explanation of that montage. I was very confused with parts of it. But man that timeline is 25-30 ahead technologically and socially than ours.

[Andy_Babb]

I absolutely love how, despite all the changes in the timeline, so many things still happen, albeit through different situations and events. It seems like the show is largely about how no matter what happens humans always go through the same cycles, or something along those lines.

[ebethbarr]

I freaking love these videos, Pete! Thanks for introducing me to FAM, I’m so pumped for this season and i always look forward to your recap videos 😁😁

[PeterHamiltonz]

Y2K wasn't a big deal IRL BECAUSE of a lot of hard work. Otherwise it would have been an absolute mess.

[TheTechyDan]

17:17 Just as an addition, the ESA map for 1997 is near identical to the one in our timeline, save for the addition of Portugal, which hadn't joined until 2000, likely due to a far smaller space industry in our timeline, and Luxemborg, which may or may not be on the map

[TheTechyDan]

21:26 There's also a third name on that poster, which I believe is Don Cheadle, likely playing Dev Ayesa, and it's a nod to the similarly timed movie in our timeline, Mission to Mars, which also has a similar poster design

[rockelino]

This is exactly the video I was waiting for prior to watching Season-4. Thanks for the awesomeness as always Pete. I can't watch any episodes until AFTER you release your respective "FAMK S4 Episode-#" explained videos

[WellBattle]

Sad to see so few people watch this show (even when using alternate ways to watch than Apple TV).

[nickmcgookin]

When I saw that ballet playing at the end I was like oh s*** stay inside b****

[Rmlohner]

It's a bit weird that we get zero indication of what happened to Larry Wilson after Ellen's coming out. No matter how much popular support and political success came from it, the fact remains that he's now been exposed for perjury to Congress, which feels like a very unfair place to leave his story.

[avatarmikephantom]

My guess is that JFK Jr is still a NY senator, and serves in the 2000s from the state.

I’m willing to bet he’s going to become president in 2008 or 2012. Which is a perfect reason to keep him alive.

Btw, I’m writing a novel on a fictional JFK Jr presidency, so seeing this made me so happy that I wasn’t the only one to keep him alive in a better future.

[movieloverfan]

Thank you for doing these timeline divergence videos. Really helps me understand the show better.