Key Highlights
- ‘Star City’ is a spinoff of ‘For All Mankind,’ set in the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
- The show blends throwback excitement with paranoid thriller elements.
- Characters like Lyudmilla and Irina drive the narrative, adding depth to the story.
- ‘Star City’ delivers engaging personal drama and intrigue, reminiscent of its predecessor but with a darker tone.
The Spinoff That’s Not Just an Easter Egg
‘Star City,’ the latest addition to Apple’s For All Mankind universe, is not just another rehash. It’s a darkly compelling take on the space race, but this time through Soviet eyes.
Throwback Excitement Meets Cold War Thrills
The premiere of ‘Star City’ feels like stepping back into the early episodes of its parent show, For All Mankind. A spaceship takes off—everything goes well until it doesn’t. Engineers scramble in a command center while astronauts navigate their fate.
It’s tense and oddly moving, classic For All Mankind with a twist.
However, ‘Star City’ veers away from the hopeful sci-fi saga of its predecessor to become a paranoid Cold War thriller. This combination proves to be a winning formula for both longtime fans and newcomers alike. While it hasn’t yet reached the heights of its predecessor, the five hours (of eight) sent to critics satisfy as both a companion series and one capable of standing on its own.
The Soviet Perspective
‘Star City’ recounts events from an alternate history where the U.S. lost the space race, from the perspective of the Soviets. The show’s early chapters are shrouded in secrecy and bureaucratic jargon, capturing the tenor of life behind the Iron Curtain through a gray and grainy 1970s-style filter.
Characters like Lyudmilla, who oversees teams of young women listening to hours of recordings captured by bugs embedded on apartments, add layers of intrigue. These elements combine with personal drama and ethical dilemmas, delivering explosive results.
Engaging Personal Drama and Ethical Dilemmas
The show’s storylines are a mix of intimate personal moments and tense intrigue. Irina, Lyudmilla’s protégé, and Valya, a cosmonaut, form an unexpected bond as she listens in on their lives. Anastasia spirals into despair as she conforms to Soviet expectations for space travel.
These characters evolve from initial impressions: the ruthless Lyudmilla or the kindly engineer Sergei. However, as the series progresses, they become more complex and relatable, drawing audiences in despite the bleak environment.
A Bleak but Compelling Space Race
If For All Mankind’s early seasons laid out an optimistic fantasy of space travel, ‘Star City’ offers a much darker vision. It makes for a bleak time—but some very compelling drama. The show never allows us to forget the pervasive paranoia that characterizes life in this alternate Soviet world.
From time to time, audio switches over to the recorded versions Irina and her colleagues listen to, or is cut out entirely where it’s been erased. Everything pure or holy is crushed under the weight of a state only interested in its own self-perpetuation.
Star City’s story delivers an engaging mix of personal drama and intrigue, making for a series that will keep audiences engaged through its five-hour runtime.
