However, now it seems that even the longest-lasting astronaut couldn’t withstand the space race. Indeed, Joel Kinnaman played his last episode in For All Mankind Season 5, Episode 3, titled “Home.” It comes as a shock for many viewers who watched how Ed Baldwin lived through being shot down by the enemy’s jet, surviving many other adventures, and finally dying on Mars. But this time, the astronaut didn’t die a heroic death, but retired into history in peace, making his fans both upset and deep in thought.
The price of saying goodbye
During an interview with Therese Lacson of Collider, Joel Kinnaman discussed his experience playing the role of Ed during what would be the final episodes for him.
According to Kinnaman, filming “Home” was probably the hardest thing he did throughout his acting career. “I was a total mess. I was crying every day,” he said. This was because he got to portray a man of the same age as his father, which forced him to face his mortality. What’s more, he had to say his final goodbyes to Karen and Alex, who, by the way, gave a great performance in that episode.
Those who watched For All Mankind since its beginning will remember all the excitement of seeing former co-stars on screen. Indeed, the episode contained many scenes set in the Korean War, allowing Kinnaman to work alongside Michael Dorman (playing Gordo Stevens) and Shantel VanSanten (as Karen). They made a “f—– cry fest,” as Kinnaman puts it.
This time, Kinnaman got to revisit some of the older scenes with Dorman, who was one of his closest friends on set since the first season. Moreover, the scene showed him as a young man filled with guilt, providing him with much-needed closure for “a Korea episode” that he had been asking for for three-and-a-half years.
If there is something that For All Mankind is known for apart from the storyline itself, it is definitely the makeup artists’ talent. While Kinnaman spent up to six hours in the chair starting at midnight every day to look like an 80-year-old astronaut, the process became easier this season.
“I found it easier to portray 80 than 70,” he said. He added that, in order to make Ed look more authentic, he should pay special attention to the slower outer exterior and raspier voice of a man who lived in a dry atmosphere for a long time. However, despite all the exterior changes, the mind and “f— you to the man” spirit remained the same as ever before.
With only the sixth season left for For All Mankind, one may start thinking about the fate of its main characters. Indeed, it’s natural to wonder whether they can come back or not. Especially considering that many have asked if we can expect another digital consciousness of Ed in the future.
Kinnaman was quick to reject such an option, saying that it would be completely uncharacteristic for the show. “It makes the goodbye mean more, too, when it actually is a goodbye,” he said. Despite all jokes about how he was looking for aliens in the show for several years, he understands that its creators value the patient realism of the series.
Thus, it looks like Ed Baldwin will forever remain the proud man of his era and a hero who never backed down from the establishment. As for Kinnaman, he is now going to play the role of a couch potato while watching the final season of For All Mankind.
For All Mankind is currently streaming on Apple TV+, with new episodes of Season 5 releasing weekly.
Credits to Therese Lacson at Collider for the original interview and insights.
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