S01.E07: Ziggurat

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

On the Eve of the flight, Louise learns of Shepard’s affair in Tijuana. Trudy watches Gordo crack a joke about women astronauts on television. Glenn awaits the humiliating moment when the world will finally learn he won’t be first. Tensions reach a breaking point when Shepard and Glenn are forced together in a pressure cooker of weather delays, marital discord, and a circus of reporters.

Dropping on Friday, November 13, 2020.

[Kktjones]

So I just finished watching the latest episode and I'm feeling very "meh" about this show. I was actually really excited when it was announced because I really like some of the actors, I love space shows and I really liked the book when I read it several years ago. For some reason this adaptation is just not doing it for me. I do think the actors playing John, Alan and Gordo are good - I just don't like the story they're telling. For instance, are we supposed to like any of the characters on the show? At this point I think the only one I like is maybe Annie Glenn. I'm not even invested enough in them to care if they succeed. I was sort of enjoying the Gordo/Trudy relationship until she decided to try and use him to get the woman astronaut program launched - and then he made his sexist remarks. Ugh. Anyway, I'm sure I'll watch the final episode, but I can't muster up the energy to care if they get a Season 2.

[pezgirl7]

I'm enjoying the show, but I agree that none of the characters are coming off as that great. But maybe that's the point? Flawed heroes and all that.

I'm glad that Alan's wife finally confronted him about his affairs. It was getting a bit ridiculous. We even saw him in a threesome this episode. I know he had affairs in real life, but the show makes it seem like he's a sex addict.

I felt bad for Trudy when Gordo made the female astronaut jokes on TV. He knew he messed up and tried to call her. I read that in real life, it was actually John Glenn who testified before congress basically saying it would be a bad idea for women to be included in the space program.

[hurrrz]

I am kinda annoyed with this show. They make it really hard to like any of these guys. I understand their egos were probably to the moon since it was such an elusive group for something nobody has ever done before (and it shows in regards to drinking, sleeping around and all that), but I'd think there had to be reedeming qualities in all of them. I also find the story telling to be slow and somewhat boring. I am still in it, because I find the topic itself interesting. 

[Arynm]

I don't know about redeeming qualities, they all ended up divorced barring a scant few, John Glenn and Alan Shepard included. I find them all deplorable, but they are still heroes. Never meet your heroes I guess.

[clack]

They are military test pilots. It takes a certain personality type to undertake such a dangerous job for such low pay -- the pilots were dying at a rate of one per week.

They were largely adrenaline junkies, drinkers, womanizers, egotists, high I.Q., mostly right-wing : those were the men drawn to the profession. Can those qualities be made sympathetic to a viewer? For me, yes. In this the show is successful.