Is [SPOILER] dead in For All Mankind season 5 episode 2?

Warning: Major spoilers ahead for For All Mankind season 5 episode 2.

From the very beginning of the show, Joel Kinnaman's Ed Baldwin has been a crucial part of For All Mankind - but his life hangs in the balance at the end of season 5 episode 2.

The latest episode of the alt-history space epic sees Ed and the rest of the Sons & Daughters of Mars plan on a jailbreak, in an attempt to free Lee Jung-Gil (CS Lee) after he was named as a suspect in the murder from last week.

Meanwhile, episode 1 revealed that Ed is suffering from serious health problems, with his doctors telling him, in no uncertain terms, he cannot fly. So what does he do? Hops behind the controls of a hopper amid the rescue plan.

The final scenes of the episode see Ed pass out behind the controls, with his fate left uncertain. So where do we go from here?

Is Ed Baldwin dead in For All Mankind season 5?

Of course, Ed's fate has purposely been left up in the air, so we can only speculate for now. It's notable that a medic was called, which would suggest Celia Boyd (Mireille Enos) found a pulse and that Ed is still alive. But will they get there in time?

It stands to reason that 80-year-old Ed won't last forever, especially considering his illness and the way he continually disobeys his doctor's orders.

It's also interesting that, this season, For All Mankind has placed particular emphasis on the next generation, including Sean Kaufman's Alex and Ruby Cruz's Lily. Presumably, the pair of them will have greater importance as this season progresses, and into season 6.

What would be the ramifications of Ed Baldwin's death in For All Mankind?

For some fans, Ed's death would be a long time coming! But the consequences in the For All Mankind universe would still be huge.

Ed has been the anchoring character in the show since its very first episodes. While each season jumps forward in time, meaning there have been plenty of changes and recasts, Ed has been the figure grounding the entire series. Without him, the show will have to rely on its newer characters – and perhaps this is the reason for the focus on the younger generation.

In the show, the inhabitants of Mars would surely be shaken by Ed's death. He's been a prominent leader in the community and has seen the Happy Valley colony from its very beginnings and is incredibly well ingratiated in the community. The community would be losing a strong leader if Ed dies – and surely Kelly (Cynthy Wu) and Alex would be forced to step up in some capacity.

However, even if Ed does die, he could return in flashbacks. He could even feature in upcoming spin-off Star City, which is set to take us back in time to show the Space Race from an alternative point of view.

Of course, all of this is speculation at this stage. As to what will happen to Ed, only time will tell.

For All Mankind season 5 is airing on Apple TV. Seasons 1-4 are available to stream on Apple TV, sign up now with a 7-day free trial.

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