In 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first man to land on the moon. In Apple TV's sci-fi drama For All Mankind, which premiered in 2019, creators Ronald D. Moore, Matt Wolpert, and Ben Nedivi imagine what might have happened if the Soviet Union had actually beaten the United States to the moon. The series, which will enter its sixth and final season in 2027, imagines a very different America than we know. Now, in the new spinoff series Star City, a tense, polished paranoid thriller, Moore, Wolpert, and Nedivi travel behind the Iron Curtain to explore their alternate universe from the perspective of the Soviet space program. Impeccable performances (despite the odd accent) and plenty of intrigue make Star City a dark, gripping, and utterly captivating series. It stands alone beautifully, even without prior knowledge of For All Mankind. Sergei Korolev, the godfather of the Soviet space program, died in 1966, and as a result, the Soviet lunar project failed. In Star City, Korolev lives on as the chief designer (Rhys Ifans). However, this story doesn't begin with the architect of the cosmonaut training center. Instead, it begins with two different women. It's 1969. A terrified woman is awakened by a knock on her apartment door. After telling her young child to go back to sleep, she dresses and gets into her car, which sets off a terrifying chain of events. As she leads her down a dimly lit corridor, she begins to plead with the soldiers accompanying her, assuring them that her husband, Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov (Sam Wilkinson), is loyal to his country. Just as panic begins to consume her, she finds herself in the control room, where the chief designer is waiting. He points to a screen where a woman watches in awe as Alexei steps onto the moon, becoming the first human in history to do so. Some time later, Irina Morozova (Agnes O'Casey) hurries through the apartment complexes of Star City to get to work. After passing security and negotiating endless corridors, she hurries to her desk. Irina is a new employee in Star City's surveillance department, headed by the evil Lyudmila Raskova (Anna Maxwell Martin), head of the KGB's surveillance division. Recently moved from Moscow with her young daughter Zoya (Eidie Johnson), Irina is assigned to monitor the home of renowned cosmonaut Vali Mironov (Adam Nagaitis) and his wife Tanya (Ruby Ashbourne Serkis), a former professional pianist who feels the walls of Star City closing in on her. Eavesdropping on a couple's conversations isn't the most appealing job for an ambitious young woman, but she begins to feel a connection with Tanya, whom she meets through her espionage work. Inventive engineer Sergei Nikulov (Joseph Davies) also feels constrained by his role, but a dangerous new venture gives him cause for optimism. Leonov's lunar landing, as the center of space engineering, should have been a celebratory event for everyone working and living in Star City. Unfortunately, tensions are high, and intrigue is rife. Although the chief designer, himself forbidden from leaving the Soviet Union, is focused on new missions, he is tasked with focusing exclusively on the moon. It's a male-dominated program, but the female cosmonauts, including the outspoken and confident Yana Akhmatova (Niamh Algar) and the anxiety-ridden Anastasia Belikova (Alice Englert), wonder if they will ever get their chance to step into the spotlight. Meanwhile, talented Indian-born scientist Chada Lakshmi (Priya Kansara) finds herself trapped in a corner of a dilapidated laboratory. Finally, Sasha Polivanov (Solly McLeod), a rebellious cosmonaut, irritates Valya with his carefree attitude despite the seriousness of the situation. Although the plot constantly revolves around space, science, and the orbits of spaceships, "Star City" is gripping because of its characters. For fear of sabotage, death, or worse, no one in Star City can reveal their true nature. Instead, viewers are offered glimpses of the truth that act as puzzle pieces throughout the first season's eight episodes. (Five episodes were sent to reviewers.) Shrouded in bleak, gray tones that evoke a prison-like atmosphere, Star City depicts not just a suffocating world, but a world on the brink of self-absorption, its genius undone by tyranny and terrifying cruelty. Star City is a gritty, thought-provoking drama that draws viewers deeper into its narrative as it unfolds. It may be a reimagining of history, but it's also a reminder of humanity's most beautiful and terrifying aspects. This isn't just a story about the race for cosmic domination; it's a story about risk, chance, and every sacrifice made to achieve immortality.
The first two episodes of Star City will premiere on Apple TV on May 29, with the remaining episodes airing weekly on Fridays.
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