626. Star City Season 1 Review (with John Joseph Adams, Sara Lynn Michener, Rafael Jordan)
Summary
David Barr Kirtley hosts a panel with John Joseph Adams, Sarah Lynn Mishner, and Raphael Jordan to discuss season one of Star City, the Apple TV+ spinoff of For All Mankind. The group analyzes the alternate history premise where the Soviet Union wins the space race, praising the show's dark, espionage-driven tone and complex characters like Irina and Sasha. They also touch on the realistic depiction of 1960s surveillance technology and the dramatic license required for the plot. The episode concludes with a call to support the show's renewal and promotes John’s Lightspeed Magazine Kickstarter.
Topics discussed
Introduction and Star City spoiler warning
Guest introduction: Sarah Lynn Mishner
Announcements: Raphael's movie 'Soulmate'
Announcements: Kickstarter and John Scalzi newsletter
Initial impressions and comparison to Chernobyl
Expectations from For All Mankind team
Soviet surveillance culture and first episode brutality
The false accusation and execution of a cosmonaut
Character introductions: Sasha, Valya, and the bear
Character development and casting of Sergei
Irina's calculated nature and spy savvy
Soviet forgiveness of treason and chief designer
Colonel Raskova and the bootleg records detail
Anastasia Belikova's forced marriage and grounding
Korolev's death and the Venus mission politics
Speculating on Irina's backstory and training
Tanya's connection to Brezhnev and historical figures
The American mole and the Venus mission escape
Colonel Raskova's villainy and Tanya's sympathy
The cabin fire, lesbian hints, and Venus landing
Dramatic tension in prequels and Tanya's sexuality
Season 2 speculation and the escape sequence critique
Arranged marriage trope and final scene analysis
Surveillance aesthetics and the spy/normal intersection
Emotional finale moments and art direction praise
Production challenges and direction quality
Final thoughts and hope for Season 2
Outro and Patreon support
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