7.348 minSeason 1 • Episode 8
LatestAfter Shepard’s dramatic voyage to space, he feels underwhelmed and restless. Heeding Glenn’s advice, Shepard attempts to quell his ambition with gratitude for his wife and children. While Shepard’s marriage somehow remains intact, Gordo and Trudy’s may never recover. Meanwhile, when JFK publicly issues a challenge for NASA to send a man to the moon, Glenn’s drive to top Shepard is reignited.
At the height of the Cold War, newly formed NASA selects seven of the military’s best test pilots to become astronauts. Competing to be the first in space, these men achieve the extraordinary, inspiring the world to turn towards a new horizon of ambition and hope.
Production
Period-perfect 1960s aesthetic that cost too much, obviously.
Acting
Patrick J. Adams makes John Glenn insufferable in the best way.
Writing
The wives steal every scene, no notes.
Creator
Mark Lafferty
Jake McDorman
Alan Shephard
Patrick J. Adams
John Glenn
Colin O'Donoghue
Gordon Cooper
Eloise Mumford
Trudy Cooper
James Lafferty
Scott Carpenter
Nora Zehetner
Annie Glenn
Eric Ladin
Chris Kraft
Patrick Fischler
Bob Gilruth
Aaron Staton
Wally Schirra
Michael Trotter
Gus Grissom
Micah Stock
Deke Slayton
Shannon Lucio
Louise Shepard
Jackson Pace
Glynn Lunney
Josh Cooke
Loudon Wainwright
Kaley Ronayne
Dee O'Hara
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The real Annie Glenn had a severe stutter and became an advocate for disability rights — the show captures this beautifully in episode 4.
This adaptation deliberately sidelined Chuck Yeager (the book's centerpiece) to focus on the Mercury Seven's media circus, reflecting how 2020 audiences consume celebrity over substance.
US
