‘For All Mankind’ Season 3 Ending, Explained: Is Karen Baldwin Dead Or Alive?

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The finale episode of “For All Mankind” Season 3, i.e., Episode 10, has one big moment after another, as a result of which there is less focus on the individual stories. In the previous episode, a North Korean cosmonaut came face-to-face with Danielle Poole and Commander Kuznetsov. The man held them at gunpoint as they struggled to communicate their intentions with him. North Korea launched their manned Mars mission in 1994, and they reached it in February, 1995. The man was the lone survivor of the ship. He tried to contact his country every day for support, but that remained unsuccessful. After spending several days alone on Mars, it started to affect him psychologically. He lost interest in living and kept the gun handy for days when he hated being alive. As he cried in misery, he noticed a rover coming to his base. He then pointed his gun at the American and the Russian and held them hostage. Meanwhile, everyone at Happy Valley base waited for Poole to arrive with the Kars system to prepare MSAM for launch.

Spoilers Ahead


Saving The Martian

Kelly was suffering from high blood pressure, and Doctor Mayakovsky informed Ed that she needed to be taken to Phoenix within a day if they wanted to save Kelly and her baby. Danielle Poole attempted to draw and explain their intent to the North Korean Commander, and Commander Kuznetsov took advantage of the situation and got hold of his gun. He was then brought to Happy Valley Base along with the Kurs system. The cosmonaut wanted them to return him to his base since he had a responsibility to his country, and he could not abandon it no matter what. Ed, who had learned a little Korean during his time at war, explained that he would now have to live at the Happy Valley Base. Meanwhile, JSC tried to figure out a way to bring Kelly safely to Phoenix. They needed to get rid of 1000 pounds to make the trip with the limited fuel. Upon hearing this, everyone at Happy Valley Base suggested that they stay back and wait for Sojourner 2 to come and rescue them, even if that meant that they had to wait for another year or more. Kelly refused to allow her colleagues to make the sacrifice for her, but she was left unheard. Aleida came up with the plan of launching Kelly into PMU to help her gain the extra velocity required to reach Phoenix. The MSAM would take her to a point in space, after which she would be separated from it and have to launch towards Phoenix.

It was a tough mission, but there was no alternative way. Kelly had been trained in PMU, and she agreed to do it for her baby. Ed took the responsibility of driving the MSAM. After carrying Kelly to the point of separation, he would be left with very little fuel to make a safe landing on Mars. Molly came to JSC to help Ed with the situation and advised him to keep his eyes on the horizon to make the perfect landing. The mission went according to plan, and Kelly managed to reach Phoenix safely, and Ed, too, made his way back to Mars with just a few scratches. Kelly successfully gave birth to her baby in Phoenix.


The Aftermath Of President Wilson’s Coming Out

The Republicans were insulted by President Wilson’s announcement. They wanted her to resign, or they would impeach her. Ellen was not ready to leave yet, so she decided to fight her case in the Senate. The Vice President expressed his disappointment in her and blamed her for attempting to destroy the party. Ellen believed that the party needed some destruction to function smoothly. She was now confident in herself and would not let fear determine her future. She later went to meet Pam as they tried to figure out what their future as a couple would be.


Margo Madison

Margo was informed by Ms. Catiche that the FBI was conducting an investigation into her. The Russians had reliable sources at the Justice Department. Margo was taken aback. She asked who was behind it, and she was informed that it was Aleida. Margo did not blame Aleida. She knew that perhaps she would have done the same if she was on the other side. Ms. Catiche offered to help Margo, knowing that she would be punished in prison for over forty years if they had enough evidence to prove her guilt. We never get to know whether or not Margo accepted her offer. Meanwhile, Sergei was transferred from Russia to Germany with the help of Margo’s connection in the US Security. He was on his way to the United States with his family. Sergei expressed his joy in getting to live in the United States with Margo, but she had a lot more to figure out before celebrating the news. As a result of a bombing in JSC, it was assumed that Margo had passed away. Her office was completely destroyed, but in the end, we get to know that she survived and lives in Moscow, Russia now.


Is Karen Baldwin Dead?

Karen was proposed to be the CEO of Helios Aerospace. She was not too sure if taking Dev Ayesa’s position at his own company would be fair, but at the same time, she wanted control and power. She knew that Dev was driven by dreams and emotions, and that a company could not simply survive on those alone. His plans for the future were not sustainable, and she did not wish for the company to fall apart because of his mistake. Dev was shocked to learn that Karen was considering the position. He was the one who had advised Karen to join the company. He gave her an office and a title, but now she planned to overthrow him and lead the company as well. Karen offered Dev to be a member of the board, but he rejected her offer. He instead attempted to take away his team with him, knowing that without manpower, it would be impossible to sustain Helios. But Karen reminded his followers that joining a new company would result in pay cuts and financial uncertainty, and Dev did not know how he could counter the problem. Unable to solve the issue, he left, knowing that he was a dreamer, but only dreaming was not enough to run a company.

For a long time, Jimmy knew that his conspiracy-believing friends were against NASA, but he did not know their intentions for it. When the media gathered outside JSC, they too stationed their van there and asked Jimmy to plug in a transceiver in the NASA support room. They wanted the audience to hear their voices and their beliefs about how NASA had been spewing lies. Jimmy went inside JSC, but he could not make himself do it. As he was returning to the van, he noticed that they had rifles loaded at the back. Jimmy was nervous, so he called Amber to inform her about the threat. His friends figured out that he could be a liability; therefore, they injured him and tied him down. Amber informed Karen about Jimmy’s warning. Karen left the building and called on Jimmy’s phone. She noticed a man rejecting the call. She went behind their van and saw that Jimmy was locked inside. She helped him out and asked him to escape. As he got out of the van, Karen noticed it had a bomb with a timer on it. She hurried to the security guard to inform him about the van, but the members spotted her doing so and ignited the bomb. The blast brought JSC to the ground, and many lost their lives. Aleida searched for Margo. She entered her office and saw that it was completely ruined. Margo was thought to be dead by everyone. Meanwhile, Karen was buried underneath layers of concrete. Jimmy helped in removing the concrete, but Karen had lost her life by then. Molly Cobb received a heroic farewell as she died saving the lives of others at JSC.

Meanwhile, on Mars, Danny was exiled from Happy Valley Base after he confessed that he was the reason behind the drill mishap. He lived in the North Korean base, but what remains scary is that there is a gun present on the spot. Knowing how Danny often loses control of his mind, having a gun might turn out to be a disaster. In the end, it can be concluded that fear or hatred that stems from belief without evidence can lead to dangerous situations, and the JSC bombing was an example of that. “For All Mankind” will definitely return for Season 4 since people need to be rescued and brought home from the Happy Valley Base and also to explain the mystery behind Margo’s escape.


See More: ‘For All Mankind’ Season 3, Episode 9: Recap And Ending, Explained: What Was President Wilson Controversy?


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Srijoni Rudra
Srijoni Rudra
Srijoni has worked as a film researcher on a government-sponsored project and is currently employed as a film studies teacher at a private institute. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Film Studies. Film History and feminist reading of cinema are her areas of interest.

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