Apple TV+’s new sci‑fi series Star City drops viewers into 1969, centering on Anastasia Belikova, a cosmonaut‑in‑training whose path to the Moon is meant to be historic. The Soviet program appears to have beaten America to the lunar target, and the premiere pulses with a high‑stakes spacewalk that tests both skill and nerve. The tension builds as danger narrows and every decision carries weight.
Two forces govern the story off the ship. On one side, the Chief Designer— unnamed on screen but central to the operation—combines practical care for his crew with a stubborn belief in progress. On the other, Lyudmilla Raskova, head of the surveillance unit, keeps a roomful of analysts scanning behaviours and whispers, defending the regime with relentless vigilance.
Two leads and a nerve-wracking ascent
Irina Morozova, newly introduced to the space office, embodies curiosity and moral complexity, while Anastasia’s predicament underlines the season’s stakes. The show leans on a female-led ensemble, with the occasional male presence rarely rising to the same intensity.
Star City’s sound design and visuals give the Soviet setting a crackling presence, though some choices pull you out of the moment. The dialogue for the Russian characters is in English, which may feel incongruous to some viewers and dampen the sense of place. More broadly, the series carries the burden of living in the shared orbit of For All Mankind, which both anchors and constrains its world‑building.
The creators— Ben Nedivi, Matt Wolpert, and Ronald D. Moore—bring a familiar pedigree and a clear plan to carve out new corners within this universe. When Anastasia slips into peril in the opening sequence, the suspense lands hard, even as the show’s connective tissue to the original series invites inevitable comparisons. The question, as with any ambitious spinoff, is whether Star City can sustain that momentum over time.
Star City premieres Friday, May 29 on Apple TV+ with two episodes. New installments arrive weekly, guiding the story toward its finale on July 10.
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