Star City Episode 1 and 2 Recap: What Is the Threat to the Soviet Union?

Star City launched on Apple TV with two episodes full of espionage, space exploration, and politics set in an alternate-history Soviet Union. By imagining a world in which the USSR won the race to the Moon, this historical fiction introduces a new kind of story while retaining the prestige of its parent series, For All Mankind. The spinoff presents a more ruthless and calculating view of humanity than For All Mankind.

With the first two episodes now out, we’ve gotten two hours of multiple storylines running parallel to one another, all while setting up a high-stakes conflict across the Soviet Union. There appears to be a threat bubbling beneath the surface, with the Americans smuggling something unknown into the USSR. Knowing that the Americans already possess internal design documentation, how will the government proceed?

Before we dive into expectations for Episode 3, let’s revisit our protagonists and the interconnected web of issues that feel more “grounded” than those in For All Mankind.

DetailInformation

Title	Star City
Genre	Alternate history sci-fi, paranoid thriller, drama
Premiere Date	May 29, 2026 (first 2 episodes)
Platform	Apple TV (exclusive)
Season 1 Episodes	8 episodes (60–62 min each)
Release Schedule	Weekly episodes on Fridays; finale July 10, 2026
Creators	Ben Nedivi, Matt Wolpert, Ronald D. Moore
Main Cast	Rhys Ifans (as Chief Designer, based on Sergei Korolev), Anna Maxwell Martin (as Col. Lyudmilla Raskova, KGB boss), Adam Nagaitis (as Valya Mironov)
Status	Season 1 ongoing
IMDb rating (as of June 3, 2026)	6.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes score (as of June 3, 2026)	96% / 77%

Star City Episode 1: Space and Espionage Thrills

The Eyes is the first episode of Star City, and it debuts as a ferociously thrilling ride that blends multiple genres we’ve seen before. The episode is well-paced, allowing the characters to be introduced with more of a show-don’t-tell approach while the moon mission is being planned.

Star City clearly establishes that the Soviet state controls not just space, but the truth as well. With a man on the moon and his wife watching from Earth, the broadcast becomes a vehicle for promoting the Marxist-Leninist way of life to the public.

Setting the tone from the beginning, we are introduced to the fearsome Colonel Lyudmilla Raskova, a stoic USSR official who is utterly loyal to the state and believes that the ends justify any means. The “hero” we’re introduced to is the Chief Designer, whose genius made the moon mission possible.

Forced to play politics, he is repeatedly exploited by the state, which interferes in all of his actions. He wants to pivot to other planets in the global space race, but the government refuses. The focus shifts entirely to putting the first woman on the moon: Yana.

Another central character is Irina Morozova, a surveillor who listens to private recordings to determine whether all the cosmonauts are as loyal as they claim to be. Her colleague listens in on a wiretap in which Yana appears to be referring to a brother believed to be featured in an American underground magazine.

Yana is tortured by the USSR and confesses to being a traitor, and this is where things kick up a notch. Irina listens to another conversation that changes the narrative: Yana is actually innocent, as her brother died young. The intimidating Raskova has to cover this up because the Soviets cannot be seen making mistakes.

Irina is brought to the place where Yana is being held, and Raskova wants Irina to kill the cosmonaut. After refusing, Raskova does it herself in the most brutal and cold manner. The mission now officially needs another woman to go to space.

Who is the New Cosmonaut in Star City?

A new cosmonaut, Anastasia Belikova, is introduced as Yana’s replacement just three days before the launch to the moon. Anastasia is not well received by anyone, including the Chief Designer.

His conflict with the Soviet leadership centers on the last-minute addition of Anastasia, an untrained cosmonaut. Unfortunately, the stress lands him in the hospital. He is told that if he continues to put this much strain on himself, he will die.

Despite failing multiple tests, Anastasia is still placed on the rocket. Before landing on the moon, the episode delivers one of its most tense moments in space, as she is forced to spacewalk across the rocket while the CO2 in her suit rapidly rises.

At this critical moment, the Chief Designer steps in and proves himself an effective leader. After listening to the staff at ground control, they decide to go with the young engineer Sergei’s plan to puncture Anastasia’s suit and release the excess CO2.

With help from ground control, Anastasia manages to do so and successfully lands on the moon. However, after becoming the first woman on the moon, she goes off-script and names all the patriots who came before her. As the state grows furious over this turn of events, everyone is suddenly in danger.

Star City Episode 2: Loyalty Tests and New Alliances

A Bear on a Chain picks up immediately after Anastasia’s speech. Returning to Earth proves difficult, but with the Chief Designer’s guidance, the crew lands safely on a Siberian plateau. A roaring bear appears before Anastasia’s copilot shoots it.

The real danger, however, is the ruling party. After the state brings Anastasia back to home base, we learn that she can easily be replaced if she cannot be controlled. Forced into the ideal image of the Soviet woman, she is told she must be married while carrying out her victory tour.

The partner chosen for her is none other than the cocky Sasha, someone we’ve already seen pulling pranks and refusing to take anything seriously. Even the Chief Designer tells him that the price of moving up the ranks is total commitment to the USSR, meaning his marriage is crucial.

Meanwhile, the Chief Designer is being forced to fast-track a mission to build a lunar base within three months, despite his engineers saying it will take fifteen. This next phase of the space race puts the USSR in a difficult position, as its competitors are now even more determined to surpass the Soviets. Wanting to pursue his own ambitions, the Chief Designer secretly recruits Sergei for a clandestine project to put the Soviets on Venus.

Anastasia is sent to Paris on her celebratory tour alongside Sasha. So far, neither of them is comfortable with being betrothed to the other, but in an intimate private moment, they grow closer than expected.

Escaping the Paris celebration, Anastasia and Sasha head to an underground club to blow off some steam. In the bathroom, a Soviet spy is sent to test Anastasia’s loyalty, and she passes with flying colors. The episode ends with Anastasia and Sasha taking part in a staged wedding event, where we learn that she will never fly again.

At the same time, Irina is being tested by Raskova. Hired as a German translator, she is pulled away from her usual duties to interrogate a spy. During the interrogation, Irina becomes a torturer herself and forces the German spy to reveal secrets.

What Do the Secrets Mean for Star City?

What is the threat to the Soviet Union? The secrets brutally extracted from the spy set up the events of the next episode. It turns out that the German spy’s real objective was not just to smuggle something out of Star City, but to bring something into it. Raskova listens to Irina’s conversation with the spy, while Irina remains unaware that she also speaks German.

Like Anastasia, Irina passes her loyalty test, but a larger threat is on the horizon. Star City is now under attack and must tighten its security to prevent something, or someone, from infiltrating the Soviet system.

Star City doubles down on its paranoid games of espionage, setting up a thriller for the episodes to come. The Americans and Germans are probing the USSR, and Raskova must do whatever it takes to keep the nation moving forward without leaks or disruption.

By the end of the episode, Irina undergoes a dramatic transformation from a mild-mannered employee into someone capable of violence. Raskova has been positioned as her patron within the show, shaping her into the kind of person the Soviet Union desires.

We can’t wait for what’s in store. What about you?

Star City is streaming on Apple TV.