Star City
- Sacha L. Roy
- 3 hours ago
- 4 min read
The For All Mankind universe just got bigger. But is Star City simply a spinoff riding on the success of its predecessor, or does it tells a good story of its own?
RECAP
The series starts with the Soviet Union landing first on the Moon. The mission was kept completely secret, with only a select few knowing about it on a need-to-know basis. The achievement is only made public after the successful landing, giving the Soviet Union a major victory in the space race.
Following that victory, the Chief Designer wants to keep pushing the boundaries of space exploration, with Venus as the next target. But when plans for the Soviet Moon base end up in American hands, the higher-ups become even more paranoid about security. Instead of focusing on Venus, they order Star City to put all its efforts into launching the Moon base as quickly as possible.
Star City isn't just about controlling what happens in space; everything is carefully curated to maintain the regime's image. When Anastasia Belikova, the first woman to set foot on the Moon, goes off script during the text she delivers after the historic landing, she's reprimanded as soon as she returns to Earth and is forced to marry fellow cosmonaut Sasha Polivanov before going on a publicity tour.
To protect those secrets, everyone working at Star City is being watched and listened to. A team of analysts monitors the lives of the people working there, reporting anything that could be considered suspicious. One of those analysts is Irina Morozova. She's young, talented and quickly catches the attention of Colonel Raskova, who sees potential in her.
As part of her work, she's assigned to monitor cosmonaut Valya Mironov and his wife Tanya Mironova. But after a security breach occurs during a mission to the Moon, Irina is also tasked with uncovering the insider working against Star City.
Irina isn't completely ruthless yet. She goes against protocol and gets closer to Tanya, and the two develop a genuine connection. And ironically, that connection is what ultimately allows Irina to uncover the bigger truth about what's really happening inside Star City — and the identity of the mole.
Meanwhile, the Chief Designer refuses to abandon his dream of reaching Venus. He secretly recruits people he trusts, including the incredibly talented engineer Sergei Nikulov. He also brings in new hire Lakshmi Chadha specifically for her research into an oxygen system that could be crucial for the Venus mission. With the government tightening security, he begins preparing the mission behind their backs.
Eventually, the team manages to work around the increased security, following the security breach, and launches the secret Venus mission, putting their careers and potentially their lives at risk in the process.
Strength
For me, the biggest strength of the series is the story itself. As a spinoff, Star City could have easily mirrored For All Mankind Season 1, just from the Soviet perspective. But instead, it tells its own story while still fitting perfectly within the For All Mankind timeline and universe. We get compelling new characters, plenty of political intrigue, and a story that kept me invested from episode to episode.
The inclusion of familiar characters was a really nice touch. Getting to see a young Sergei Nikulov and Irina Morozova, and learning more about their backstories and personal development, was really interesting. Even though we already know where their stories eventually lead, and that they have some plot armour around them, it doesn't take away from their role in this series.
The pacing is another strength. There are definitely a few slower moments, but the fact that this is an eight-episode season really works in its favour. The story doesn't have much time to drag, and throughout the season, I had sooo many of those “OMG!” and “Whaaaat?!” moments.
I also enjoyed how the show handled its characters. Even someone as objectively despicable as Raskova gets moments where we see a more human side of her. It makes the characters feel more complex than simply being good or evil.
Finally, the overall production quality is just impressive. The sets and locations really enhance the storytelling, and the soundtrack is fantastic throughout the season. Overall, there’s a lot to like here, and the quality of the series is definitely one of its biggest strengths.
Weakness
There’s honestly little to say in terms of weaknesses for this series. That said, for me, the hype and energy toward the end of the season doesn’t quite match what we got at the end of Episode 6. Don’t get me wrong, the last two episodes aren’t filler. They deliver a compelling resolution and a genuine race against time, but the impact just doesn’t reach the same level as Episode 6.
About the finale, someone needs to explain to me how Belikova manages to get back from the space station to Earth and then somehow make it to the border area in time! The timeline feels incredibly compressed. At some point, you just have to suspend a lot of logic and go with it.
Acting
The casting as a whole was very well done. All of the main cast get the most out of their characters with the material they’re given. That said, here are my top three character and acting combinations from the season.
Third star — Adam Nagaitis as Valya Mironov
Second star — Rhys Ifans as the Chief Designer
First star — Agnes O’Casey as Irina Morozova
Final Verdict
Overall, Star City delivers a captivating story set in the For All Mankind universe, but one that stands on its own rather than simply being an extension of For All Mankind. For that, I applaud the creators and everyone involved in bringing this series to life.
It’s most certainly worth your time. As of the latest news, we still haven’t received confirmation of a renewal for a second season, but I’m definitely hopeful.
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