Chris Connor reviews Apple TV’s Star City…
For All Mankind has been one of Apple TV’s flagship shows since 2019 (although still feels underseen), telling the story of an alternate reality in which the Soviet Union were the first to the Moon, escalating the space race and human society. The show, which recently concluded its fifth season, now births the spin-off, Star City, which focuses on a similar timeframe to the first season of For All Mankind, the 60s and 70s, but from the Soviet perspective. The difference in tone couldn’t be starker.
It is immediately apparent that this is a different beast, full of dread and paranoia. For All Mankind celebrates the best of humanity, often painting a flattering picture of a cooperative future with the races to the moon and subsequently to Mars at the forefront. This couldn’t be further apart in terms of style. We do revisit some moments from the other side’s perspective, but the show feels less like a science fiction project and more of a paranoid thriller or espionage show. The Soviet state is spying on anyone it sees as suspicious, even its own astronauts. The cutthroat nature of the space programme makes NASA’s look like child’s play.
The show has quite the cast, even though it has made the bizarre decision to go for an almost uniformly British ensemble, retaining their own accents. Rhys Ifans’ chief designer is cold, driven and singularly ambitious, while Anna Maxwell Martin is worlds away from Motherland, the despicable and fearsome Lyudmilla Raskova, the KGB’s eyes and ears within Star City, someone who doesn’t miss a beat.
The tension is constantly high, making Star City a thrilling watch. The choice to go for such a radically different tone feels earned and makes the universe feel enriched. It could easily have been a copy-and-paste job of moments from the previous show, but here we get to know the characters and how the nature of the Russian space programme affects those within it.
The recreation of 60s/70s Moscow is first-rate, the cold conditions a far cry from the often sunny weather shown in For All Mankind. The tension and cold-hearted nature also make the hour episodes fly by.
Star City is a more than worthy addition to the For All Mankind universe. This is certainly a template other franchises considering spin-offs should adhere to, bringing something meaningful to the table and enhancing its predecessor in the process.
Chris Connor
