AceShowbiz - For All Mankind is preparing for its sixth and final season, but the show will say goodbye to a pivotal character in a deeply emotional way. Joel Kinnaman, who portrays Ed Baldwin, offers insight into the profound experience of filming his character’s final episodes.

Warning: This article contains major spoilers for Season 5, Episode 3, titled "Home." If you have not yet watched this episode, please proceed with caution.

In the aftermath of a harrowing mission on Mars, Ed Baldwin (played by Joel Kinnaman) loses consciousness near the end of Season 5's second episode. While this might have seemed like a heroic exit, the story unfolds differently in "Home." Instead of a dramatic space tragedy, the episode explores Ed's quiet confrontation with a cancer diagnosis, revealed to his adopted daughter Kelly (Cynthy Wu).

The narrative moves between the present and flashbacks to Ed’s time in the Korean War—a pivotal yet previously unshown chapter of his life. This dual timeline allows viewers to witness Ed’s reflections on his past as he reconnects with his grandson Alex (Sean Kaufman) in a bar, before peacefully passing away. Having conquered the cosmos, Ed’s journey concludes with a contemplative transition to the afterlife.

Joel Kinnaman shared how filming this poignant episode deeply affected him. He described the emotional weight of saying goodbye to a character and a cast that had become like family. "As actors, our life is that we create these short-term families. We all fall in love and then we say goodbye," he explained. However, the finality of this farewell hit him unexpectedly hard, comparing the impact to being struck by a "Mack truck."

Throughout the last week of filming, Kinnaman revealed he was often moved to tears on set. "Every day on set, I was crying. I was getting so moved by it," he said, acknowledging the complex feelings stirred by the experience.

Ed Baldwin is the longest-running role of Kinnaman’s career, both in production time and character lifespan. The character initially drew inspiration from real-life astronaut Thomas Stafford, commander of the Apollo 10 mission, but as the show progressed through decades, Ed’s story evolved far beyond its origins.

Over the series, Ed has endured personal loss and grown into a legendary figure within the Mars colony. His journey—from NASA recruit to Mars explorer and citizen—has been marked by both triumphs and struggles, including family tensions, political conflicts, and the challenges of leadership in an isolated community.

Filming his final scenes coincided with a major life transition for Kinnaman himself: moving from a home he had lived in for nine years to a new one. This parallel of closing chapters enhanced the actor’s connection to the themes of endings and new beginnings explored in the show.

"It was so clearly one chapter ending and a new chapter beginning," Kinnaman reflected. He connected Ed’s aging and mortality with his own contemplations about life stages, saying, "Seeing myself in all of these different stages of life... it just feels like there was a life ending in a way."

In the closing episode, Kinnaman portrays an 82-year-old Ed, the same age as his own father. The character’s farewell to his daughter and grandson brought a flood of emotions for the actor, who described the experience as deeply affecting.

Beyond the personal impact, Kinnaman expressed a strong affection for the show’s ethos. He admired its optimistic yet realistic portrayal of humanity’s future, praising how it balances complexity with a calm, genuine tone. "It’s not glossy or shallow," he said. "I feel so grateful."

One of the highlights for Kinnaman was filming flashbacks featuring castmates Shantel VanSanten (Karen Baldwin) and Michael Dorman (Gordo Stevens). These scenes explored Ed’s past relationships and added emotional layers to his story.

Kinnaman recalled his close friendship with Dorman off-screen, noting how their characters’ bond translated into real-life camaraderie. When Gordo’s character died in Season 2, the actors shared a heartfelt moment symbolized by a deck of cards, underscoring how storytelling can blur the lines between fiction and reality.

"It seeps into you and reality and story intermingles in this strange way," Kinnaman said. "It’s a deep experience that I’m still maybe it’ll take me a while to figure it out."

Co-creator Matt Wolpert highlighted the unique challenge of directing Ed’s death scene. Meera Menon, the episode’s director, described it as a rare opportunity to depict a non-violent death on television, a story often overlooked in the medium today.

Wolpert explained that Ed’s initial vision of dying heroically in a fiery spaceship crash was intentionally subverted. Instead, the episode presents a more intimate and quiet passing that reflects Ed’s acceptance of mortality, contrasting with his dream of a dramatic end.

"The way he winds up dying is kind of his nightmare on some level," Wolpert said, praising the episode’s blend of narrative and performance. He credited Joel Kinnaman for delivering a "brilliant performance," noting his range as both a comedic and emotional actor who convincingly portrayed the physicality of aging.

Co-creator Ben Nedivi added that the show gave Ed his heroic sendoff early in the season, then allowed a quieter, more realistic farewell later. The presence of Alex during Ed’s final moments underscored the importance of family and acceptance in the story’s resolution.

Nedivi also emphasized how crucial Kinnaman was to the series. His absence in episodes after Ed’s departure was felt profoundly by the creative team. "It was honestly strange to move on without him," Nedivi admitted, describing Kinnaman as a grounding force and a true leader on set.

The co-creator praised Kinnaman’s understanding of the show’s unique tone and structure, noting his dedication to challenging makeup and filming schedules. "He not only never complained, he embraced it," Nedivi said, highlighting how the actor contributed to a positive and inspiring environment behind the scenes.

Joel Kinnaman’s farewell to For All Mankind marks the end of an era for the series. His portrayal of Ed Baldwin has left a lasting impact, bringing depth, warmth, and realism to the story of humanity’s reach for the stars and the intimate struggles that come with it.

As the show moves forward into its final chapters without Ed, fans and creators alike will remember the character’s journey and the actor’s heartfelt performance that made it possible.