Official Trailer
Rating: 0/10 | Genre: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Drama | Seasons: 1 | Episodes: 8 | Status: In Production
Starring: Rhys Ifans, Anna Maxwell Martin, Agnes O'Casey, Alice Englert, Solly McLeod
I just finished binging Star City and I’m honestly torn. It’s ambitious, well-acted, and definitely interesting, but it also feels like it’s still figuring out what it wants to be. Not bad at all. Just uneven in ways that kept me from fully falling in love with it.
The show rides on the For All Mankind universe and takes the smart approach of showing us the space race from the Soviet side. That’s a great angle. We’ve seen the American perspective done to death. Getting behind the Iron Curtain with cosmonauts and engineers actually trying to beat the US to the Moon feels fresh. The problem is that the show doesn’t quite know if it wants to be a tight political thriller or a sprawling character drama, and sometimes that confusion shows.
Season 1
So Season 1 kicks off with the Soviets making their big Moon push. The opening episode, “The Eyes,” does a solid job of setting up the stakes. There’s this sense of danger that feels real. Not just danger from the space program failing, but danger from the system itself. Living under Soviet control while trying to push the boundaries of technology creates this constant tension that works.
Things pick up momentum in the middle episodes. “A Bear on a Chain” introduces Anastasia into the mix and suddenly there’s this whole new layer about what it means to be the face of Soviet achievement. The episodes start clicking better once they stop trying to explain everything and just let us live in the world for a bit.
But here’s where I got frustrated. Some of the episode plots feel thin. “Bad Dancer” tries to do too much in too little time, and there are moments where you can feel the story straining to hit its marks. The pacing gets choppy in the back half, like the writers weren’t totally sure how to balance the personal stories with the larger political stuff.
Rhys Ifans carries a lot of the show as a high-ranking official caught between ideology and pragmatism. He’s the kind of actor who can make a scene about bureaucracy actually matter, and he proves that here. Anna Maxwell Martin plays against type a bit and does some of her best work. But honestly, Agnes O’Casey as Irina is who I kept wanting to see more of. She’s got this quiet intensity that makes every scene feel like something’s about to break.
The show looks great. The production design nails the Soviet aesthetic without being cartoonish about it. The space sequences are genuinely impressive, and there’s something about watching Moon landings through a Soviet lens that makes them feel new even if we’ve seen this story before.
By the end of the season you’re left wanting more, which I guess is the job of a finale. But I also felt like some of the threads got dropped or unresolved in ways that felt less “cliffhanger” and more “we ran out of time.” It’s not a deal-breaker, but it’s noticeable.
If you like For All Mankind, you should absolutely check this out. It’s not going to blow your mind, but it’s solid television that respects your time and delivers on its premise. The acting is top-notch and the world-building actually matters. Just go in knowing that Season 1 is still finding its footing. Some episodes soar and some feel like they’re just checking boxes. Once it settles into what it really wants to be, I think this could turn into something special.
Have you started watching yet, or are you still deciding if it’s worth the commitment?
Episode Guide
Season 1 (8 Episodes)
Episode 1: The Eyes
The Soviet Union reignites the race to the Moon—but this time, with a daring mission to send a woman.
Episode 2: A Bear on a Chain
Anastasia is thrust onto the world stage. Lyudmilla tries a new tactic to get information.
Episode 3: Bad Dancer
Irina has an unexpected encounter. The Soviets scramble to maintain dominance on the Moon.
Episode 4: Dark Forest
Episode 5: Bite Your Elbow
Episode 6: Episode 6
Episode 7: Episode 7
Episode 8: Episode 8
Where to Watch
Streaming availability varies by region. Check your favorite streaming platform to see if this title is available in your country.