[TV] Star City Pilot Review: What If the Soviets Won the Space Race?

The premise of this show immediately caught my attention. We're so used to historical narratives being told strictly through the eyes of the victors. The Space Race is a prime example—we all know the US beat the Soviet Union by landing the first man on the Moon, but what would the world look like if history had played out in reverse?

Star City is a sci-fi series built on that exact "what if?" scenario: the Soviets are the first to put a man on the Moon, and they keep pushing their lunar missions forward. The pilot episode was intriguing, though it's still a bit unclear who will ultimately be the central protagonist driving the narrative. First, we're introduced to the Chief Designer (Rhys Ifans) of the entire space program, who is already starting to clash over how he's treated and how the government responds to his demands to take space exploration to the next level.

Then there's analyst Irina Morozova (Agnes O'Casey), whose job is to eavesdrop on everyone in the program—pilots, engineers, and bureaucrats alike—all wiretapped by the KGB to catch anyone leaking state secrets. She’s new to the job and clearly comes from a well-off family. While she's genuinely committed to the Marxist cause, she also shows a grounded sense of empathy and concern for the well-being of others.

The pilot also introduces who I assume will be the main antagonist: Lyudmilla Raskova (Anna Maxwell Martin), the embodiment of the Soviet regime's iron fist. She oversees security for the space program, making sure no intel leaks to the US government. Cold and ruthless, she makes it crystal clear in this first episode that she won't tolerate a single mistake, and that her absolute loyalty belongs to the Marxist cause.

It's definitely a compelling setup. While alternate history stories where the Soviets come out on top aren't entirely new, focusing specifically on them winning the Moon landing gives it a fresh angle. So far, the show shapes up to be a story about fighting for your dreams under the weight of an oppressive regime—a high-stakes spy thriller set inside a fascinating fictional timeline.

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