I just had a paranoid thought that Ronald Moore has done a deal with Paramount so that when For All Mankind hits the 2020s in Season 6, we’ll get the Bell Riots and the start of World War III, then jump ahead through the war years until we introduce the character of Zefram Cochrane, with the last shot of Season 7 being Bozeman, Montana and the shimmering of a transporter effect, to the tune of “Oobie Doobie”.
I think I drank too much coffee.
That's how I've explained it to friends -- "It's the Star Trek prequel series you actually want to watch."