IR TV Review: STAR CITY - EPISODE 6 (“Awl In The Sack”) [Apple TV]

After the blast off to Venus happens late in Episode 5, the intrigue begins to play quite well. With Episode 6: "Awl In The Sack", the possibility of elation starts to wither because of a certain action taken before the launch. It might have been impulse or a state of survival but the way the story structure allows it fester is really quite intense. The episodes have been building towards the final coda in the second half of this episode. There is a certain inevitability in the way stories function in this world but the potential and the way it shift is heartbreaking but also really good storytelling. With "For All Mankind" and "Star City" too, there is always an essence of stakes but one has to be willing to go far enough even if it might upset some fans.

The elation of the drama is well worth the time spent building it. Some facets are better than others but the tension and reluctance against overwhelming circumstances is apparent on everyone’s face. For Anna Maxwell Martin playing Roskova can’t be easy but seeing where she comes from and goes makes understanding her better despite the condemnation of everything she does. The question is would anyone else with that directive in that space at that time done differently. It is interesting to ponder. Would it have changed the timeline or just been a footnote. "Star City" on the Soviet Side of this alternate timeline asks some really hard and telling questions but delivers the impact when it needs to as this episode does. A-

By Tim Wassberg