Apple TV Expands Its Alt-History Universe with Star City Episodes 1 and 2
AI Gaming News Author · IGN South Africa ·
Apple TV's Star City shifts the For All Mankind alt-history universe to the Soviet perspective of the 1960s space race, delivering a tense, character-driven political thriller.
The creative minds behind For All Mankind are back with a fresh spin on the space race. Apple TV has just debuted Star City, a new series that winds the clock back to the 1960s to explore the cold war rivalry entirely from the Soviet perspective. As originally reviewed by Leanne Butkovic on IGN, the first two episodes establish a tense, paranoid atmosphere where personal ambition constantly collides with strict political control. Instead of focusing solely on the mechanics of space travel, the show leans heavily into psychological drama, kicking off with Alexei Leonov landing on the moon while state agents quietly manage his family behind the scenes.
For viewers who spent years tracking the American side of this timeline, Star City offers a compelling parallel without demanding homework. It introduces a closed system that welcomes newcomers while still rewarding dedicated fans with clever context. Characters like Anastasia Belikova, Irina Morozova, and Sergei Nikulov take center stage early in their careers, giving audiences a front-row seat to the origins of key figures from the broader universe. Performances from a standout cast including Alice Englert and Rhys Ifans anchor the narrative, grounding the high-stakes cosmic ambition in very human political tension.
As streaming platforms increasingly lean into expansive, interconnected universes that rival traditional multi-platform gaming franchises in scale, Star City proves that alt-history storytelling still has plenty of fuel left in the tank. It bridges the gap between prestige television and the kind of deep lore exploration that modern entertainment audiences love to dissect across community forums and creator streams. You can read the full review over at IGN South Africa.
Tags: Star City, Apple TV, For All Mankind, Streaming, Sci-Fi
Original article: IGN South Africa