Original Coverage & Source Attribution: movieweb.com
As the world continues to mourn the tragic passing of Patrick Stewart (who died October 28, 2026), it will be interesting to see whether Ronald D. Moore pays tribute to the legendary Star Trek actor on television. Moore, who wrote for several Star Trek series before reimagining Battlestar Galactica, has a great opportunity to pay homage to Stewart in the Apple TV original sci-fi series that many have likened to a spiritual successor to Star Trek.
Moore co-created For All Mankind, a hard sci-fi show about space exploration that launched on November 1, 2019. Although it frames its story through an alternate-history lens and takes place in a more polluted version of Earth, it shares many themes with Star Trek.
The show’s creators have even addressed the parallels and whether the similarities were deliberate. The upcoming sixth and final season has been confirmed, making For All Mankind a must-see as it nears its finale.
Ronald D. Moore Created ‘For All Mankind’ Following His ‘Star Trek’ Legacy
Ronald D. Moore created Apple TV’s For All Mankind with Matt Wolpert and Ben Nedivi. From its inception, the goal was to run for about seven seasons. The story is set in an alternate history in which the 1960s space race never ended after the Soviet Union became the first nation to lead a manned mission to the moon. The United States and NASA vow to catch up with the Soviets, with each season jumping ahead by a decade to show the vast progress made.
Moore began his career as a writer, script editor, and producer for Star Trek: The Next Generation. He also wrote and co-executive produced Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager, becoming one of the franchise’s most influential figures. On the big screen, Moore also wrote screenplays for Star Trek Generations and Star Trek: First Contact.
Although Moore branched out into other popular sci-fi TV shows like Roswell, Battlestar Galactica, Caprica, Helix, Electric Dreams, and Outlander, Star Trek will always be his defining franchise. However, given his experience and Apple TV’s vast resources, For All Mankind continues what Moore started decades ago: an optimistic view of the future.
‘For All Mankind’ Shares Hopeful Themes With ‘Star Trek’
At its core, For All Mankind is hopeful for a better tomorrow. The excellent Apple TV sci-fi series uses the Space Race as a catalyst to unite humanity through space exploration and advance as a species. It may not be as campy or heavy-handed in its allegorical messaging, but both series view cosmic expansion as an opportunity for humanity to leave its petty in-fighting behind and cooperate to build a better future.
Both For All Mankind and Star Trek envision a progressive society where science and space exploration drive positive social change. Both series champion issues of civil rights, gender equality, and inclusive diversity. The difference is that Star Trek imagined an idealistic glimpse of the future, while For All Mankind uses history to comment on how humanity can improve.
Beyond the social justice themes, For All Mankind shares many of the technological dilemmas that defined Star Trek‘s thrilling adventures. Climate change, controlled carbon dioxide emissions, the adoption of electric vehicles and fusion power, and other problems lead to international cooperation that appeals to the better angels of our nature.
For instance, NASA’s top astronauts, Ed Baldwin (Joel Kinnaman) and Danielle Poole (Krys Marshall), grapple with the kinds of moral quandaries that Captain Picard and other Starfleet leaders faced in Star Trek. In Season 3, the crew en route to Mars must decide whether to divert limited fuel and oxygen to save one member, risking others’ lives in the process.
Ronald D. Moore Addresses ‘For All Mankind’s Parallels With ‘Star Trek’
Star Trek will always reign supreme in the annals of sci-fi television. The franchise’s longevity, TV and movie spin-offs, and iconic characters can’t be erased from pop culture. However, when compared to For All Mankind‘s dazzling visuals and impeccable production design, Star Trek feels grossly outdated.
The Apple TV hit has run for five seasons and 50 episodes so far, earning a 91% Rotten Tomatoes score (as of November 1, 2026). The sixth and final season has been confirmed and is expected to premiere in 2027, although a release date has not been given.
When the series returns for its final chapter, it will be interesting to see how much it continues to mirror Star Trek. When discussing For All Mankind Season 4 with Collider, Moore admitted the parallels between Star Trek were deliberate, stating:
“We certainly talk about, thematically, (functioning) as a Star Trek prequel. Like, you know, how do you get to the optimistic kind of world that Star Trek lives in. You know, that kind of future. And that matters to us.
Star Trek had posited this amazing future we all kind of want to be a part of. But how do you get there? And so the show (For All Mankind) set out to lay out the groundwork of how you get there.”
After laying the groundwork to expand its themes, For All Mankind spawned a spin-off, Star City, which launched in May 2026.
Watch this if
- You’re a big fan of Ronald D. Moore’s sci-fi projects
- You want to a see a spiritual successor to Star Trek
Skip this if
- You’d rather wait until the show is complete
Will you watch this?
YesNoAlready seen
- Release Date
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2019 – 2027-00-00
- Network
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Apple TV
