The latest sci-fi release usually leads Apple TV’s global streaming chart. But with the conclusion of the hit MonsterVerse series, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, the next sci-fi show, For All Mankind, has failed to reach the needed viewership to claim the top position. The recently concluded series barely cracked the top five throughout its run. This has led to the domination of non-sci-fi shows like Your Friends & Neighbors, Margo’s Got Money Troubles, and Widow’s Bay. However, Apple TV always has the next big hit lined up, and the latest one is on its way to becoming a sensation.
The show is described as a “paranoid thriller,” set during the Space Race era. If it sounds similar, it’s because Star City, as it’s called, is an offshoot of For All Mankind. It’s a retelling of the events explored in the early seasons of For All Mankind, but they never got the attention they deserved because of the flagship show’s storyline flow. Star City arrived with a bang, getting a stamp of approval from critics with a 100% debut score on Rotten Tomatoes that has since settled at 96%. Streaming data from FlixPatrol shows that the series is also receiving significant attention from subscribers, ranking third globally at the time of writing.
This ranking reflects the show’s relatively short run, with only a handful of episodes released. It could very well get to the number one position as more episodes come out, the two dominating shows wrap up, and its word of mouth leads more people to check it out. Star City is a relatively new experiment for Apple TV, and its success could inform the streamer’s franchise ambitions.
Collider Exclusive · Sci-Fi Survival Quiz Which Sci-Fi World Would You Survive? The Matrix · Mad Max · Blade Runner · Dune · Star Wars
Five universes. Five completely different ways the future went wrong — or sideways, or up in flames. Only one of them is the world your instincts were built for. Eight questions will figure out which dystopia, galaxy, or desert wasteland you’d actually make it out of alive.
💊The Matrix
🔥Mad Max
🌧️Blade Runner
🏜️Dune
🚀Star Wars
01
You sense something is deeply wrong with the world around you. What do you do? The first instinct is often the truest one.
02
In a world of scarcity, what resource do you guard most fiercely? What we protect reveals what we believe survival actually requires.
03
What kind of threat keeps you up at night? Fear is useful data — if you’re honest about what you’re actually afraid of.
04
How do you deal with authority you don’t trust? Every dystopia has a power structure. Your approach to it determines everything.
05
Which environment could you actually endure long-term? Survival isn’t just tactical — it’s physical, psychological, and very much about where you are.
06
Who do you want in your corner when things fall apart? The company you keep is the clearest signal of who you actually are.
07
Where do you draw the line — if you draw one at all? Every survivor eventually faces a moment that tests what they’re actually made of.
08
What would actually make survival worth it? Staying alive is one thing. Having a reason to is another.
Your Fate Has Been Calculated You’d Survive In…
Your answers point to the world your instincts were built for. This is the universe your temperament, your survival instincts, and your particular brand of stubbornness were made for.
The Resistance, Zion
The Matrix
You took the red pill a long time ago — probably before anyone offered it to you. You’re a systems thinker who can’t help but notice the seams in things.
You’re drawn to understanding how the system works before figuring out how to break it.
You’d find the Resistance, or it would find you — your instinct for spotting constructed realities is the machines’ worst nightmare.
You function best when you have access to information and the freedom to act on it.
The Matrix built an airtight prison. You’d be the one probing the walls for the door.
The Wasteland
Mad Max
The wasteland doesn’t reward the clever or the well-connected — it rewards those who are hard to kill and harder to break. That’s you.
You don’t need comfort, community, or a cause larger than the next horizon.
You need a vehicle, a clear threat, and enough fuel to outrun it — and you’re good at all three.
You are unsentimental enough to survive that world, and decent enough — just barely — to be something more than another raider.
In the wasteland, that distinction is everything.
Los Angeles, 2049
Blade Runner
You’d survive here because you know how to exist in moral grey areas without losing yourself completely.
You read people accurately, keep your circle small, and ask the questions others prefer not to answer.
In a city where humanity is a legal designation rather than a feeling, you hold onto something that keeps you functional.
You’re not a hero. But you’re not lost, either.
In Blade Runner’s world, that distinction is everything.
Arrakis
Dune
Arrakis is the most hostile environment in the known universe — and you are precisely the kind of person it rewards.
Patience, discipline, and political awareness are your core strengths — and on Arrakis, they’re survival tools.
You understand that the long game matters more than any single victory.
Others come to Dune and are consumed by it. You’d learn its logic and earn its respect.
In time, you wouldn’t just survive Arrakis — you’d begin to reshape it.
A Galaxy Far, Far Away
Star Wars
The galaxy far, far away is vast, loud, and in a constant state of violent political upheaval — and you wouldn’t have it any other way.
You find meaning in being part of something larger than yourself — a cause, a crew, a rebellion.
You’d gravitate toward the Rebellion, or the fringes, or whatever pocket of the galaxy still believes the Empire’s grip can be broken.
You fight — not because you have to, but because standing aside isn’t something you’re capable of.
In Star Wars, that willingness is what makes all the difference.
Based on critics’ reception, Star City is up there with Apple TV’s sci-fi heavyweights like Silo and Severance. If you were fatigued by the expansive soap opera that For All Mankind became, Star City represents a complete shift. The setting alone makes for a tense show. Collider’s Carly Lane praised the show for trying to differentiate itself. “Star City‘s distinct visuals, sharp performances, and compelling narrative that pulls back the curtain on the mysteries surrounding the Soviet position in the Space Race all combine for a spin-off that doesn’t necessarily need to match For All Mankind‘s longevity to be gripping in the moment,” she wrote in her review of Star City Season 1.
Her sentiments were echoed by other critics, like CBR‘s Katie Doll, who called it “dark, twisted and, dare to say, bolder than what For All Mankind has been putting out in its Mars era.” Star City has the ability to deliver twists and developments from left field, so one can’t guess what’s coming next, and ScreenRant‘s Ben Gibbons appreciated its ability to “keep you guessing.” The series sounds perfect for viewers interested in the crippling authoritarianism of the Soviet Union and the thrilling space expeditions.
New episodes of Star City stream on Apple TV on Fridays. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
