Since it arrived in the streaming market, Apple TV has been quietly carving a unique reputation for establishing itself as the premier destination for prestige, high-concept sci-fi shows. Gems like Silo, Foundation, and Severance proved that the platform doesn’t kid when it comes to this genre. But with its newest release, Star City, the streamer has delivered what critics are already calling a 10/10 masterpiece and arguably the defining television event of 2026.
Star City serves as a spinoff to the hit Apple TV series, For All Mankind. But here comes the best part: you don’t need to watch a single episode of the original series to enjoy this spinoff. While its predecessor looked up at the stars, Star City keeps its gaze locked firmly, grippingly on the ground.
The core premise of For All Mankind began with a simple “what if”: What if the Soviet Union landed on the moon first?
Star City takes us right back to that pivotal moment in the 1970s, but completely flips the perspective. We step behind the Iron Curtain to witness the story from the inside of the Soviet space program. The narrative focuses on the cosmonauts, engineers, and intelligence officers who won the first leg of the Space Race, only to find the pressure to maintain their lead escalating to dangerous levels.
By rewinding the clock, the show introduces us to the origins of key figures that For All Mankind fans will recognise, like Sergei Nikulov (played by Josef Davies) and Irina Morozova (played by Agnes O’Casey). It functions simultaneously as a rich backstory for die-hard fans and a perfectly accessible entry point for newcomers.
What elevates Star City from a standard space drama into something extraordinary is its seamless genre-blending. This is a paranoid, slow-burning espionage thriller dressed in a silver spacesuit.
The show paints a chillingly effective portrait of a tense, authoritarian police state. In Star City, the real-life, highly secretive military facility outside Moscow where cosmonauts trained, everyone is watching everyone. Trust is a liability, and a single misstep or stray comment can result in immediate imprisonment.
The series has drawn immense praise for its pacing and its phenomenal ensemble cast. Yes, there is some criticism regarding the choice of British and Irish actors for Russian characters, but the overall show makes up for it.
One of the best things about Star City is that it doesn’t just ride on the success of its acclaimed predecessor, it also manages to stand on its own.
It establishes its own identity as a dark, thrilling exploration of humanity operating under the thumb of an uncompromising regime. By combining the scale of premium sci-fi with the claustrophobic dread of a Cold War spy novel, Apple TV hasn’t just expanded a universe, they’ve perfected it.
Stream Star City on Apple TV+! Stay tuned for more updates.
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