Apollo 24 has problems while heading for the moon and Apollo 25 tries to help. It all goes south and astronauts are injured, die or are left drifting through space
This episode provides examples of:
- The Chains of Commanding: Margo decides to abandon Molly in order to save two astronauts while abandoning one to her fate.
- Drowning My Sorrows: Subverted. Gordo sits at The Outpost, alone... stone cold sober drinking a Ginger Ale.
- Due to the Dead: Ed builds a cenotaph to honor Shane on the moon.
- Foreshadowing: When Apollo 24's booster fails to ignite, Harrison Liu remarks to Deke and Ellen that at least they're not dead. Little does he know at the time that the attempt to fix the booster would end up killing both him and Deke.
- Hope Spot: Just when you think they are finally getting ahead of the issues of the disaster that has been Apollo 23 and the two subsequent missions, the engines of Apollo 24 fire uncommanded killing Harrison Liu, injuring Deke and leaving Molly stranded in space.
- Military Maverick: Gordo goes against Margo's orders. Tracy goes against Margo's and Molly's orders - all to save Molly. It works.
- Odd Friendship: When Karen can't bear to be in her own home with her supposed friends, where does she go? To Wayne Cobb of course. And she tries weed for the first time.
- Stepford Smiler: Karen's facade finally breaks down.
- Stock Foreign Name: Ed keeps calling the Soviet Cosmonaut "Ivan".
- Tempting Fate: When the trans-lunar injection fails, Harrison says "Well, we're not dead." He dies up there.
- Ten-Second Flashlight: Molly's flashlight goes out just at the worst possible moment.
- Title Drop: After the trans-lunar-injection fails they call it a "Bent Bird".
- We Hardly Knew Ye: Harrison Liu does not get all that many lines or screentime before being unceremoniously killed off.
- Wham Shot: The Soviet cosmonaut is in the airlock, has removed his suit and can finally breathe... And Ed depressurizes the airlock...
- Witch Hunt: The "investigation" at NASA continues and continues to fail to find anybody who actually did anything wrong, but manages to lead to the deportation of Aleida's dad.
