NASA Vending Machine
Hosted by Dan Moren and Jason Snell
We came to podcast “For All Mankind” — and “Star City,” too. Dan Moren and Jason Snell have the right stuff to watch Apple TV’s space dramas and break them down episode by episode. Dramatic things are always happening around vending machines, if you didn’t notice.
Podcast art by Thom Zahler.
45 “Dark Forest” (Star City S1E4)
The fallout of the lunar-mission accident is wide reaching. We learn how a Star City resident can be compromised by those diabolical Americans. Tania is concerned about her husband’s fidelity, but nobody believes her. A newly arrived scientist follows the sound of hammering to discover her unlikely destiny with the inner solar system. And as the tables may be turning on Lyudmilla, her young protegé Irina makes a discovery that could crack the case wide open—or put her in serious danger.
Previous Episodes
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June 4, 202644 “Bad Dancer” (Star City S1E3)
Time for another Soviet mission to the moon, but this one runs into some surprising trouble. Valya just wants to make Tania happy, but a trip to Moscow for a concert ends up complicating matters. And Irina discovers how awkward it is to meet some of her subjects in real life—but hey, you live in Star City, so it can’t be that much of a coincidence, can it?
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May 28, 2026
43 “A Bear on a Chain” (Star City S1E2)
The “Star City” premiere continues with a surprise bear, a tour of western European capitals, the Chief Designer’s secret basement workshop, and a beautiful Soviet wedding. Also, we continue to spot connections to characters in “For All Mankind”… we think.
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May 28, 2026
42 “The Eyes” (Star City S1E1)
We dial back the clock to the 1960s and travel to the Soviet Union for the first episode of “Star City,” the new “For All Mankind” spin-off on Apple TV. Cold war cars, secretive Soviets, a frenemy in the surveillance typing pool, surprising Cosmonaut pranks, and the difficulty of memorizing your propaganda speech are all topics of conversation!
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May 28, 202641 “This Land Is Our Land” (S5E10)
The penultimate season reaches its conclusion! Who doesn’t make it? We were surprised. Does it all hold together? What characters were done dirty? What’s that glowing on the horizon? And what’s with that Soviet DOS prompt? We break it all down. And stay tuned, because our next episode(s) are all about the “For All Mankind” spin-off, “Star City,” which we like a lot!
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May 21, 2026
40 “Sons and Daughters” (S5E9)
That escalated quickly! It’s time to discuss the action-packed penultimate episode of the penultimate season of “For All Makind.” The M-6’s desire to take back control of Happy Valley has some serious, violent consequences. Alex proves to be a whiz when it comes to duct tape. And meanwhile, on Titan, there’s some navigating, scanning, and maybe an amazing discovery or perhaps a catastrophic accident? It’s “For All Mankind,” it could really be either one.
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May 14, 2026
39 “Brave New World” (S5E8)
Now we’re in the thick of it. Avery is forced to grapple with her family history as she prepares for some serious duty. Miles is forced into extreme action to protect Happy Valley long enough to get some help. Polivanov and Boyd decide to take a terrifying joy ride. Kelly really leans into the whole “Ed Baldwin’s daughter” thing. And it’s a bad day to be a Padres fan, but what else is new?
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May 7, 2026
38 “Sirens of Titan” (S5E7)
Disasters in space are a “For All Mankind” tradition, so let’s see how everyone does getting to Titan. But also, Mars is a place where disasters can happen, so let’s see who is in the Corn Dome at 3 a.m. on a weeknight! Things are getting tense everywhere. Let’s break it all down.
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April 30, 2026
37 “No Sudden Moves” (S5E6)
The season’s second half starts with a gun to someone’s head and complete chaos in Mission Control. Dev and Aleida feel trapped, but Dev’s got some weird ideas about security. Our favorite new Space Marine reveals her amazing lineage. Boyd and Fred finally have that heart-to-heart. And who does Irinia really work for, and is it just herself? Let’s see how long we can all survive waiting to find out what happens next. Lock the doors.
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April 23, 2026
36 “Svoboda” (S5E5)
After a brief prelude in a Soviet gulag just to remind us how scary Irinia is (she’s not locked in here with, you, comrade, you’re locked in here with her!), the story moves back to Mars. The reveal of the secret plan to create Automation has led to civil unrest. Miles, Alex, and Lilly are feeling the pressure. Aleida feels betrayed by Dev… again. We are a bit puzzled by what Dev’s plan is. But it looks like, at long last, the people of Mars really are ready to rise up. But… then what?
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April 16, 2026
35 “Open Source” (S5E4)
It’s time for a new generation to take charge. Back on Earth, we meet a surprising new character with a deep “For All Mankind” lineage. On Mars, Dev gives Alex a pep talk that goes rapidly awry. Aleida deals with a serious Mars hangover. And when he discovers a nefarious plan that might change Mars forever, Alex puts his vending machine hacking skills to use.