'For All Mankind' Episode 8 reveals how close the Soviets have gotten to the US mining site, but Kennedy wants no conflict
Spoilers ahead for 'For All Mankind' episode 8...
Is Soviet sabotage really underway on the moon? 'For All Mankind' episode 8 titled 'Rupture' sees Edward Baldwin (Joel Kinnaman) find surveillance equipment placed in their mining site, camouflaged among the rocks. Edward, who is currently stranded on the surface of the moon alone, finds this equipment by chance when he drops something and bends down to try and pick it up. He goes closer and sees a machine that he has never seen before. Of course, Edward informs Houston as soon as he returns to the base.
What he doesn't expect is to find himself being restrained on orders from the president. It all started with Gordo Stevens (Michael Dorman), who found red lights blinking in the distance when he was on one of his long walks on the surface of the moon. When Edward had gone on a walk himself to check if Gordo's claims were true, they found nothing. Later, however, Edward, Danielle Poole (Krys Marshall), and Gordo find out that the radio waves are being tracked and so is all the communication that took place between James Town base and Houston.
We also saw the trail marks left behind by the Soviet cosmonaut's vehicle near the US mining site, where the US astronaut Molly Cobb (Sonya Walger) had found proof of water in the form of ice. The US is under the presumption that their discovery gives them sole right over the land where they found water, but the Russians do not agree. In episode 8, things get worse because when Edward has now found the surveillance equipment at the site itself. Despite the increasing security breach, however, the US president Teddy Kennedy is not ready to make this a conflict. He has, in fact, directed that there be no incident that can potentially cause international discord for the US, especially considering how deeply embroiled in scandal Kennedy's administration is at the moment.
So the NASA administrator tries to follow his orders, but the Military Commander who is running point on checking how much damage the surveillance cost to the US feels that it is necessary to stop the Soviets from going any further. Edward agrees with the Commander, however, for now, he doesn't do anything drastic. He sets up surveillance too and waits for orders.
Even when he believes that the Soviets used his son to distract him from doing his job, all he did was break the surveillance equipment into pieces. There is a savage frustration that leads Edward to lose his temper here, but that is understandable. If the Soviets on Zvezda continue to surveil and encroach on the mining site, the US may not be accommodating as it is now and that will take us closer to an international conflict over ownership of land on the moon.
The next episode of 'For All Mankind' can be streamed on Friday on Apple TV+.