“For All Mankind” forges a different future… or does it?
“For All Mankind” season 5 is streaming on Apple TV+, and the alternate history science-fiction journey has advanced far into a timeline that mostly doesn’t resemble ours. At the same time, star Ruby Cruz, who joined this season as Lily Dale, daughter of Miles Dale, sees correlations to our timeline all over the place. The fifth season explores the dynamic between the now thriving Happy Valley colony on Mars and Earth. The tensions run high and create an interesting window into some of the issues in the current political landscape we actually inhabit. The show started diverging from our history during the 1960s space race, but many familiar events take place, albeit in a slightly divergent manner.
Ruby Cruz’s personal and political connection to Lily
As “For All Mankind” continues on Apple TV+, THS spoke with Ruby Cruz about how her character has evolved this season. Lily has come into focus as an individual who wants to ‘show up’ for change as the Mars colony continues its ongoing strained relationship with Earth. For Ruby, the parallel for young people on our Earth today is obvious. She, too, had moments in her own life where she reckoned with the larger political events around her, and considered her part in them, or her ability to stand and be counted when it comes to causes she cares about.
It’s easy to forget that science fiction has always been designed to hold up a mirror to our current day, no matter how high-concept or far-fetched it may seem on the surface. “For All Mankind” absolutely approaches some of the universal topics of society, but one can’t ignore how prescient they are today. For her part, Ruby wants to highlight them, particularly for young people who may be attracted to characters such as her own, relating to her story.
What’s next on “For All Mankind”
The series has been renewed for a sixth and final season on Apple TV+, taking the story into its timelines 2020s, with a spinoff series titled “Star City” premiering in 2026.
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