Apollo 23 explodes on the launchpad, killing Gene Kranz and a bunch of people we never learn the names of. This and a series of mishaps with Apollo 24 leads to Apollo 22 getting stuck on the moon longer than they planned for.
This episode provides examples of:
- A Father to His Men: Von Braun points out that he knew every single one of the eleven men who died together with Gene Kranz, and he mourns the death of each and every one of them. Shame he wasn't half so fatherly during World War II.
- Alternate History:
- The Equal Rights Amendment passes in 1974. Despite multiple attempts, it has yet to pass in our timeline.
- An interesting subversion—Richard Nixon is still pardoned for his role in Watergate, but by a Democratic President, Ted Kennedy.
- Anyone Can Die: Gene Kranz, the legendary and iconic NASA flight director, is abruptly killed when Apollo 23 explodes.
- As You Know: Gene Kranz's promotion as the new director of Johnson Space Center is shoehorned into a conversation he has with the crew of Apollo 23.
- Allohistorical Allusion: Michael Collins, the man most famous for being the one member of Apollo 11 never to set foot on the moon is finally given command of a lunar lander. He even promises to "do a better job of landing" than Neil and Buzz - in the show's alternate timeline that landing had been a near-disaster
- Bait-and-Switch: When Weisner announces the appointment of the first female flight director, one could be excused for thinking Margo got the job... turns out, he is describing Irene Hendricks instead. Margo is very bitter to have been passed over.
- Blackmail: Margo claims she made a copy of Von Braun's report that will be leaked to the newspapers unless she's made flight director. Whether it's a bluff or not, she gets the job.
- The Bus Came Back: Von Braun gets one last scene on this show
- Butterfly Effect: Due to the events of the pilot, Ted Kennedy is elected President in 1972. This leads to the Equal Rights Amendment being ratified in 1974.
- Call-Back: Neil Armstrong's "skin of his teeth" landing on Apollo 11 is mentioned in the opening scene
- Calling the Old Man Out: Margo's conversation with von Braun is both an airing of her grievances with him and with her deceased father
- Cold Open: The entirety of the sequence of events leading to Kranz's death happens before the opening credits roll
- Death by Adaptation:
- Gene Kranz is killed when Apollo 23 explodes. In real life, he's still alive as of April 2021.
- Subverted with Michael Collins, who died in April 2021. Despite having 2 million liters of rocket fuel exploding underneath him, Collins and his fellow astronauts survive when the escape tower launches and carries the command module away. However, they're all severely injured when the capsule lands on the beach instead of the ocean, which presumably ends Collins's career.
- Did You Actually Believe...?: Von Braun in so many words asks if Margo really believes NASA and Congress are going to release the full report of the truth behind the Apollo 23 explosion given its political implications.
- Foreshadowing: This episode gets loads of it. Whether it is about the potential problems of a Soviet and an American moon base so close to each other, the Stevens's marriage or Karen lying to Ed about their son.
- Gilligan Cut: "I won't stay for dinner" says Margo to von Braun. In the next scene she is seen eating dinner with von Braun.
- I Gave My Word: Why does Von Braun go to such lengths and put Margo through such a ridiculous ordeal? He gave his word to her deceased father to tell Margo about his involvement in the Manhattan Project
- Jerkass Has a Point: As much as Margo hates to admit it, Von Braun is right about every single point he raises in their conversation - including about the corruption inherent in every system
- Killed Mid-Sentence: Gene Kranz dies while discussing lunch plans.
- Like Brother and Sister: Danielle and Gordo come to see each other as this.
- Master-Apprentice Chain: We are reminded how von Braun served as a mentor to Margo way back when and she in turn takes Aleida under her wings.
- Missing White Woman Syndrome: A variation as Bill relates how, had just one astronaut died with Apollo 23, the entire nation would be in mourning. As it is, while shocked, the country has moved on quickly from the deaths of a dozen NASA technicians.
- Passed-Over Promotion: Margo does not get her dream job despite having been with NASA since 1966.
- Red Scare: Of course the explosion of Apollo 23 cannot possibly have been some freak accident. So the FBI leads a witch hunt into supposed Soviet spies.
- "Shaggy Dog" Story: Michael Collins is given command of his own mission and will finally have the chance to walk on the moon...and then Apollo 23 explodes. He survives, but is hinted to suffer a Career-Ending Injury.
- There Are No Coincidences: In this episode, Apollo 23 explodes on the launchpad, and the Equal Rights Amendment passes. Margo soon discovers those two events are linked.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: To get the ERA passed, Kennedy agreed to have a NASA contract be given to a company in Illinois that fell in a needed congressional district. That company was not able to produce the valve to the same standards as the previous company, and Apollo 23 exploded. In short, a couple of politicians needing a political quid pro quo led to the disaster.
- What Measure Is a Mook?: Bill Strauser discusses the deaths of the 11 people who died along with Gene Kranz. Their names are never mentioned and it would appear NASA does not particularly care about their deaths.
- Witch Hunt: The search for Soviet spies within NASA cannot possibly find any (because they do not exist), but it will turn up a lot of dirt about random innocents.
