Apple TV’s Star City offers a brilliantly executed alternate-history plot

📺🚀 What if the Soviets had won the space race back in 1969? That is the question answered by Apple TV’s longest-running original show, For All Mankind (FAM). When Americans first landed on the moon, the space race came to an end on account of dissipating urgency, high costs, and a slew of other factors. In FAM, the showrunners explore a timeline in which America’s loss to the Soviets triggers a colossal investment in space exploration, ultimately changing the world as we know it.

Seven years later and one year prior to the series finale of FAM, the showrunners are turning back time to explore the same story again with Star City … from the other point of view. Whereas FAM is told through an American perspective, Star City explores the events that led to the Soviet Union’s triumph through a narrative that masterfully showcases the reality of life in twentieth-century Soviet Russia.

Do you need to watch FAM to get into Star City? No, but you definitely should. Despite Star City being essentially fan service for FAM loyalists, you don’t need to watch the parent show to enjoy the spin-off. Star City provides enough context to get you hooked, even with no prior exposure to the franchise.

The plot: The Apple original starts off with a bang. The Soviets have just outshone the Americans, and the political landscape has never been more intense. After landing the first man (and later, the first woman) on the moon, the Russians are working overtime to ensure they maintain their momentum — even if that means murder, torture, and all that jazz.

Irina Morozova (Agnes O'Casey) is a newbie in the KGB’s surveillance department, tasked with spying on the cosmonauts in the Soviet Union’s space program. Irina’s ambitions lead her to take initiative to rectify an error made by a colleague — a feat that impresses her superior officer, Colonel Raskova (Anna Maxwell Martin), who sees promise in Irina and pushes her moral boundaries.

The verdict: Star City isn’t a show for the faint-hearted. Expect gruesome scenes, stomach-churning sequences, and one heck of an emotional roller coaster. With only three episodes now live, Star City has already established itself as another great Apple TV original, with stellar, gloomy cinematography, a haunting score, and brilliant performances from both veteran actors — such as House of the Dragon’s Rhys Ifans — and new faces who keep up.

WHERE TO WATCH- You can stream Star City on Apple TV — episodes drop weekly on Fridays. Watch the trailer on YouTube (watch, runtime: 2:01).