The first substantial look at Star City reveals the For All Mankind spinoff looks set to be incredible. Although it has retained at least some of the same vibe that makes its parent show so compelling to watch, it largely feels like a completely separate project. There are a few reasons for this, and one of them must have stemmed from something that was undoubtedly very tricky to resist.
As incredible as For All Mankind has been since it launched with Apple TV in 2019, the generational space opera still doesn’t have much of a notable public profile.
Other sci-fi projects on the same platform, like Severance and Silo, are highly celebrated, while For All Mankind just ticks along in the background with its small but passionate fan base. So, it’s somewhat surprising that a spinoff got the green light at all, as it’s usually a move reserved for only the biggest shows. On a certain level, I think the writers know this, which could explain one of the most notable revelations about the recent trailer.
Star City looks almost nothing like For All Mankind (& that’s good)
If For All Mankind were the cultural phenomenon it deserves to be, it might not have taken the best part of a decade for a spinoff to happen. Furthermore, if said spinoff did happen sooner, I think it’s reasonable to assume it would have looked and felt far more like its parent show than it currently does. After all, franchises quite often share a lot in common so that returning fans don’t feel too isolated. Star City hasn’t followed that trend, and I’m sure it’s the result of a string of logical decisions.
Even though it's set alongside For All Mankind season 1, Star City’s upcoming premiere will focus on the Soviets’ point of view when it comes to the Space Race they won in the franchise’s alternate version of 1969. While the victory has been largely assumed as a cause for celebration within the USSR, the Star City trailer casts the same doubts and concerns on the Soviets’ space program as NASA routinely faces. However, the lack of returning For All Mankind cast members, and the shift in overall perspective and visual tone make Star City almost feel like a standalone project.
There are already too many spinoffs that don’t separate themselves enough from their respective parent programs, and while Star City isn’t exactly a trailblazer in this respect, it’s a relief to see these more interesting creative choices being made. There will inevitably be times when the two shows will essentially be forced to cross over, but it at least seems like these instances will only occur when necessary, be tasteful, and offer up something new without relying on retreading the same ground and the gimmicky use of unnecessary For All Mankind cameos.
Star City has only revealed one key way it will crossover with For All Mankind (beyond the obvious)
As mentioned, Star City won’t be able to completely avoid references to important stories and characters from For All Mankind, and it’s equally important that these instances are done well to avoid feeling tiresome. Thankfully, the spinoff has already assuaged my fears in this respect. One of the biggest milestones in For All Mankind is the USA establishing an outpost on the moon called Jamestown Base. Star City can't ignore this, and so it isn't.
The moment is celebrated in the original show as a pivotal moment in American history, and everyone involved is heavily praised. Given that the series is told from an American perspective, this makes complete sense, and there’s been no reason to doubt the ingenuity of the minds behind Jamestown. Star City has brilliantly found a way to enhance that storyline. The trailer confirms, or at least strongly suggests, that the designs for Jamestown weren’t entirely the work of American minds. Instead, the spinoff seems to be setting up a fascinating twist that sees the U.S. plant a spy at Roscosmos, who leaks the designs for what would become Jamestown back to NASA.
What was once an uncontested achievement in For All Mankind season 1 now has an unexpected layer of intrigue, and it’s done in such a way that it doesn’t necessarily harm the parent show. All it does is strike up a debate about who the real villains are in the saga at large, if there even are any. I, for one, can’t wait to see what else Star City has in store, and I’m more confident than ever that it won’t all just be the same rehashed scripts and story points from For All Mankind.
Apple TV's Star City premieres two episodes at once on May 29, the same day that For All Mankind season 5 ends.
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