'For All Mankind' Season 1 Episode 5: Karen and Wayne's unlikely friendship is the best thing to happen to both of them
Friendships are often forged when strangers are thrown into a historic moment together. However, in 'For All Mankind' Season 1 Episode 5 'Into the Abyss', a very surprising friendship forms between people caught on the sidelines of history.
Karen Baldwin (Shantel VanSanten) and Wayne Cobb (Lenny Jacobson) don't exactly have a lot in common, but in Episode 5 they are brought together by the fact that their respective spouses, Edward Baldwin (Joel Kinnaman) and Molly Cobb (Sonya Walger), are on a risky mission to the Moon together.
Karen isn't exactly the most likable person and, in fact, we've been pretty annoyed by her behavior in the season so far. She's prejudiced, more than a little sexist, and so tightly wound, its a miracle she hasn't had a psychotic break yet.
Wayne is Karen's polar opposite, which is why it's so surprising that they are becoming closer. He's an emotional man, a hippie and an artist with a very open, if anxious, mind. And, unlike Karen, he doesn't believe in holding on to his fears and letting them eat him up from the inside.
Ultimately, both Karen and Wayne have a lot they could learn from each other. Karen helps calm Wayne down when his anxiety gets the better of him, and Wayne for his part helps Karen open up and let go of all the tension she's holding within. In the process, they might just end up growing as individuals, even if only a little.
Considering the show skips two years and multiple missions forward in the last scene of the episode, Karen and Wayne are most probably going to have a much better relationship the next time we catch up with them, though right now they're still just beginning to understand each other properly.
Whether they become bitter enemies or the best of friends is something we'll just have to wait and see.
'For All Mankind' Season 1 Episode 6 'Home Again' will arrive on Apple TV+ on November 22.