In June 2018, President Donald Trump made an announcement that confused the country, and quite possibly, the whole world. For the first time since 1947, a new service branch would be in the United States Armed Forces: the U.S. Space Force.
“It is not enough to merely have an American presence in space, we must have dominance in space,” Trump said at the announcement in the White House. “I’m hereby directing the
Department of Defense and Pentagon to immediately begin the process necessary to establish a Space Force as the sixth branch of the Armed Forces. That’s a big statement!”
The announcement drew a mix of laughter and confusion, but it also raised important questions. Specifically, what is this Space Force going to do? And why?
The creator of the American version of The Office, Greg Daniels, took inspiration from the mystery surrounding the announcement to launch his own interpretation of what this military could look like in his new Netflix series Space Force.
The show is centred around Mark Naird — played by Steve Carell, co-creator of the show — who is a highly experienced and decorated U.S. Air Force general. Naird is promoted from three-star general to four-star. With his appointment, he is excited about the possibility of becoming the new Chief of Staff of the Air Force.
Ahead of meeting with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he finds out that the president announced the creation of the Space Force, and that he will be the first Chief of Space Operations. With this new appointment, Naird must move from Washington to Colorado with his wife and daughter.
Months after the announcement, we learn that Naird’s wife, Maggie — played by Friends star Lisa Kudrow — is serving a 40 to 60-year sentence in a Colorado prison for a crime that the show never explains. Naird’s teenage daughter, Erin — played by Diana Silvers — is unhappy about leaving Washington and misses her mother.
However, Naird stays focused on his job. Throughout the show, he and his chief scientist, Dr. Adrian Mallory — played by John Malkovich — navigate their ways through the president and Secretary of Defense’s orders, prove their worthiness to Congress and the Joint Chiefs, and eventually, deal with the threat of potential space warfare.
I really enjoyed watching this show. It is funny, but it might not be relatable to everyone. If you are a member of the Canadian Forces or you have worked for the Department of National Defence, the countless jokes based on military culture and bureaucracy will be hilarious to you. Without giving away the plot, some of these jokes include military officials and scientists debating over whether they should bomb a Chinese satellite, and loading a lunar module with assault rifles in case the Space Force has to go to war on the moon.
One of my favourite episodes is when General Naird and Dr. Mallory travel to Washington to testify at a congressional budget hearing to explain why the Space Force deserves increased funding. There, Naird must first defend the Space Force’s reputation versus the Air Force Chief of Staff, who wants Naird out of a job. The show portrays a hilarious rivalry between all of the chiefs; notably, the Coast Guard Commandant is ruthlessly mocked by the other five chiefs because they do not consider the Coast Guard as a ‘real’ service branch.
When Naird and Dr. Mallory testify in congress, they have to face tough questions from committee members. The congress members are parodies of real-life members, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer. The funniest of the committee members is a Republican member of congress who supports the military, but believes the Earth is flat. I see this congressman as a parody of Republicans who believe climate change is a hoax or more recently, that COVID-19 is not serious.
Despite enjoying the show, I feel there are some areas where Space Force is rightfully the subject of criticism. Specifically, I do not understand why the show put Naird’s wife in prison for an unexplained crime. While I can understand including a struggling marriage as a part of the main character’s personal conflicts, I feel that having his wife in prison was an unnecessary distraction that took away from the enjoyability of the show.
If you are a fan of Steve Carell as Michael Scott, be prepared for the fact that this show does not match The Office’s classic moments and crazy humour. Space Force is not as relatable as The Office, and the humour is mostly catered to people who have a military connection.
Although Space Force has its flaws, it is worth remembering that The Office almost got cancelled after its first season. It had to make changes ahead of its second season, which led it to become one of the most beloved shows of all-time.
Space Force got off to a good start, but it needs work. I want this show to come back for a second season. Hopefully, they will hire some additional writers who can make the humour more relatable for a wider audience.
No matter who you are, you probably will still enjoy Space Force. While most of the jokes require a somewhat advanced understanding of defence policy and bureaucracy, the show still serves as a fun version of what might be going on in the United States Space Force.
Featured graphic by Sara Mizannojehdehi.
