Pratik Handore
Apple TV’s ‘For All Mankind‘ is a sci-fi series that explores the space race in a new and exciting manner. The show’s third season tackles the race to Mars as several candidates try to reach the Red Planet. In this race, Karen Baldwin (Shantel VanSanten) finds a new purpose for herself and joins Dev Ayesa at Helios.
She leads the Helios Mars Mission in a new direction and is poised to become the company’s CEO. However, a grim fate awaits Karen in the season finale. If you are looking for answers about Karen’s fate and actress Shantel VanSanten’s future on the show following the devastating season 3 finale of ‘For All Mankind,’ here is everything you need to know! SPOILERS AHEAD!
Karen Baldwin’s Fateful End
In the third season, Karen Baldwin joins Helios after the failure of her space tourism company, Polaris. Dev Ayesa and Karen prove to be a solid team, and together they create the Helios Mars Mission with Karen’s ex-husband, Ed Baldwin, leading the charge. However, Karen soon grows weary of Dev’s methods and charts her own course within the company. Eventually, Karen is asked to take over as CEO, and she breaks the news to Dev in the season 3 finale, titled ‘Stranger in a Strange Land.’
In the episode, Karen is at the Johnson Space Center working with NASA to bring back their astronauts from Mars. She runs into Jimmy at the base. Unbeknownst to Karen, Jimmy and his anti-NASA friends have plotted a sinister move. The group has planted explosives in a van parked outside the Johnson Space Center. In the end, Karen saves Jimmy but is unable to escape before the explosion. She is stuck underneath the rubble and gravely injured in the blast. Karen breathes her last as Jimmy holds her hand.
Shantel VanSanten’s Departure from For All Mankind
In ‘For All Mankind,’ actress Shantel VanSanten essays the role of Karen Baldwin. The actress is arguably best-known for playing the role of Patty Spivot in the superhero drama series ‘The Flash’ and Becca Butcher in ‘The Boys.’ VanSanten has been a series regular throughout all three seasons of ‘For All Mankind.’ Her character is an important part of the storyline involving Ed Baldwin and Kelly Baldwin. Moreover, Karen’s own story arc is complex and multi-faceted. She goes from the worrying housewife of an astronaut to a capable entrepreneur.
With the death of Karen, it seems like VanSanten’s time on the show has concluded. Karen’s death is a tragic moment that highlights the character’s selfless nature. Moreover, it wraps up the character’s arc while providing new emotional conflicts for Ed and Kelly. While the makers or the actress are yet to officially confirm VanSanten’s departure from the series, it seems unlikely that she will return in future episodes.
The series has already been renewed for a fourth season, but VanSanten is unlikely to be involved. The actress is slated to next appear in the crime drama film ‘American Murderer’ and features in a recurring role as Special Agent Nina Chase in the police drama ‘FBI.’ Hence, viewers can look forward to seeing more of VanSanten in these projects. As things stand, VanSanten is set to exit ‘For All Mankind’ following the season 3 finale.
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