Why For All Mankind's Big Molly Cliffhanger Might Not Be As Bad As It Seems

Sonya Wagler as Molly Cobb in For All Mankind.

Spoilers ahead for For All Mankind's Season 2 finale, "The Grey."

The Season 2 finale of Apple TV+'s drama, For All Mankind, left one astronaut living on borrowed time. And while Molly Cobb is well on her way to going blind thanks to being exposed to a lethal dose of radiation after a "moonwalk from hell," it might not be all bad news, at least according to executive producer Ronald D. Moore.

With two major characters already killed off ahead of Season 3, fans may not have to worry about Molly’s future. Ronald D. Moore was careful to tell TVLine that although it’s not a death sentence, there are still a few question marks when it comes to two key aspects of Molly's situation -- the radiation and technology:

I don’t know that she’s had a death sentence per say, because we are also positing advances in technology. We were careful to never really say exactly how much radiation Molly did absorb during her sojourn out on the lunar surface; she wasn’t wearing her dosimeter badge.

As far as what fans can expect in Season 3 of For All Mankind, Ronald D. Moore confirmed Molly’s status but didn’t explain what else could happen. How Sonya Walger, who portrays Molly, will move forward in the series and how she will go about this new change will be interesting to see, and a definite challenge for her as an actor:

[Molly]’s going blind, and we’ll just kind of see where that takes us in the third season.

When For All Mankind returns for Season 3 next year, the series will be jumping ahead another decade, which means that a lot can take place between then. With Molly already going blind by the time Season 2 ends and Season 3 taking place a full 10 years after those events, this raises the question of whether or not Molly will be fully blind by then. However, since it will be the '90s and technology was ever-advancing back then, it’s highly possible she will still have some sight, even if it is deteriorating.

There's no telling what will happen with Molly in Season 3 and whether her going blind will play a big part in the season. Anything can happen in a decade, a lot can change, but it may not be all bad. Even though For All Mankind won’t be coming back until sometime next year, that gives fans plenty of time to theorize what could happen to Molly and the rest of the crew, especially after losing two of their own in the finale. Many shows that include time jumps prove successful, and it gives the actors room to do more things with their characters and dive deeper into their backgrounds. Whatever happens to Molly, fans will just have to find out in Season 3.

Megan Behnke
Freelance TV News Writer

Passionate writer. Obsessed with anything and everything entertainment, specifically movies and television. Can get easily attached to fictional characters.