First of all, I’d like to note that the costume and hair and makeup people REALLY went out with a bang here, in the show’s finale. The clothes were BEYOND. You should flip through this slideshow even if you don’t read a word. Second, I’d like to direct your attention to The Mid-Century Menu, which is going behind the scenes with the show’s food stylist for EVERY episode; it’s awesome. Third: Farewell, Astronaut Wives Club, you did not live up to your potential, but this week at least you brought us a whole lot of turbans. This week, in fact, gets us to the moon — we never meet ANY of those wives — and through Apollo 13 (in literally five minutes) and then into the future. There is an interesting bit of a plotline involving Xavier — who is, along with other Berkeley students — protesting that the money being spent on the space program might be better used to help the poor, and who is briefly rescued by Annie Glenn when the riot police begin to beat him, but after she rescues him and looks thoughtful, we NEVER SEE HIM AGAIN and nothing happens with that so….the show went out as it began, getting distracted in the middle of something interesting because it had too much ground to cover. Let’s wrap it up:
Annie and John: Annie’s stuttering is cured and she goes on to be a spokesperson for method which cured it, and worked for the Stuttering Foundation. He eventually became senator, and went back into space, and also, in this show, is super hot.
Trudy and Gordo: Eventually get divorced because she wants to expand her Lady Flyer Courier Business (which she eventually does) but he thinks it’s a bad time for his career, but then HE gets bumped from whatever flight he was angling to get on because he’s been distracted by, as Deke puts it: “With the car racing, and the boats, and the treasure hunting business.” WHAT TREASURE HUNTING BUSINESS? I want to see Gordo Cooper’s Treasure Hunters, please. Trudy IS really helpful to everyone when Apollo 13 is happening, because she’s basically the only person who knows what’s going on.
Louise and Alan: Make out A LOT more now that his ear is fixed. In fact, this episode gives us Alan Shepard at his most likeable — he asks Widowed Betty to dance, he’s nice to Louise, he gets an awesome car — so, way to go, you two. Louise is reunited with Max Caplan: Reporter and HE LOOKS INSANE and I laugh every time I see him, and she’s really glad she didn’t nail him because HER life turned out great, eventually, and he’s like, “oh.”
Betty: Sues North American Aviation for damages in Gus’s death and wins. She never marries again but she DOES wear a lot of patterns.
Jo and Wally: Wally does Astronaut TV now and everyone is very happy. Tennis is played.
Rene and Scott: Rene talks about diaphrams on TV; Scott wears a ruffly tuxedo and is mostly still trapped under the ocean. They get divorced, just like 23 out of 30 of the Asto-Couples. That is not a good rate of marital success.
Marge and Deke: Deke gets to go back into space and is REALLY relieved when Tom Hanks and the rest of Apollo 13 make it back to earth safely. They continue to be pretty awesome.
Everyone Else: We have literally no idea what happens to any of the other wives EXCEPT Marilyn Lovell, who is distraught in the five minutes we cover Apollo 13 and then is presumably cool again.
