Abhiroop Das
Co-created by Ronald D. Moore, Ben Nedivi, and Matt Wolpert, Apple TV’s ‘Star City’ reflects on the world set up in ‘For All Mankind’ from the other side of the Iron Curtain. While the space race is perpetually fueled by one nation’s advancement over the others, there are also several internal battles that are played out on a daily basis, often without any physical weapons whatsoever. One such battlefield turns out to be the eponymous Star City, a military settlement designed to train cosmonauts and advance space research. However, between locked borders and constant surveillance, the many bright minds who live in this town cannot help but feel dimmed out.
One such character is Irina Morozova, a new recruit in the surveillance department, whose role is to listen in on the cosmonauts’ conversations. Fans of ‘For All Mankind,’ however, know her as the legendary KGB handler who once ruled over the Roscosmos and is presently on Mars. Through this spinoff sci-fi drama series, we are introduced to a version of Irina that hasn’t been seen before. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Star City Shines a Light on Irina Morozova’s Elusive Past With the KGB
Irina Morozova, introduced in the ‘Star City’ premiere, is indeed the same person as her ‘For All Mankind’ counterpart, only several decades apart. In 1969, Irina is still far from becoming the iron fist that steers much of the world’s geopolitics in the 2000s and early 2010s. The person we meet instead is still new to surveillance and covert operations and even less certain about what it takes to climb the KGB ladder. Neither of these things works to her detriment, however, as her earnest efforts soon grab the attention of Lyudmilla Raskova, head of intelligence at Star City, who goes on to become her mentor.
The events of ‘Star City’ help contextualize how Irina came to attain and consolidate power, and perhaps more importantly, how that affected her psychologically. Though she is far from an amoral character in ‘For All Mankind,’ it’s clear that she’s largely been desensitized to the horrors of this world. The seeds for this mindset are already being planted early on in this spin-off series, which is likely to lead up to Irina’s involvement in a major twist regarding Sergei Nikulov, who is also a character in both shows.
That said, Irina’s fairly telegraphed arc of becoming an intelligence mastermind is being overshadowed by a larger mole mystery in Star City, and this might just become the test that she has to pass to make her presence felt in a ruthlessly cold system. The show also introduces a major difference from its predecessor’s take on Irina by revealing that she has a young daughter. The fact that this person is never brought up in ‘For All Mankind’ is open to a lot of interpretations, all of which seem to invite more chaos into Irina’s life. The real mystery is whether that chaos is simply thrust upon her over the years and, eventually, the decades, or whether she chooses to embrace it.
Agnes O’Casey Carries the Torch as Irina Morozova in Star City
While actor and professor Svetlana Efremova essays the role of Irina Morozova in ‘For All Mankind,’ actor Agnes O’Casey portrays a younger version of Irina in ‘Star City.’ Although the differences in age and timeframes undoubtedly play into this transition, a fresh face for Irina also opens the room to more experimentation with her character. Agnes’ performance carries over some of the foundations laid out by Svetlana in the prequel series but still finds its original footing, complete with new mannerisms and expressions for Irina that come with the ever-shifting narrative.
In an episode of ‘The Screenster Podcast,’ Agnes described playing Irina as her biggest role to date, which made her equal parts nervous and excited. She recalled almost not sending her audition tapes in due to a series of mishaps, but a close friend convinced her to continue with the process, and the rest is history. In preparing for the role, Agnes spent a lot of time in KGB museums, especially in Lithuania, where the show is filmed. She explained, “I’d, like, go and sort of take a lot of, like, a mental scan of how my body felt, ’cause it’s quite, like, physically affecting (…) being in those spaces and the, the fear of it.” This experience went a long way in helping Agnes lose herself in the character while bringing some of the most intense scenes to life.
‘Star City’ is not Agnes’ first go-around with the world of acting, as she has firmly established herself as one of the most reliable up-and-coming presences in the industry. She’s perhaps best known for her work in ‘Lies We Tell,’ where she plays Maud. Additionally, Agnes, who has dyslexia, is also famous for her roles in television series such as ‘Ridley Road,’ ‘Dangerous Liaisons,’ ‘Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light,’ and ‘Black Doves,’ where she essays Vivien Epstein, Emelie, Meg Douglas, and Dani, respectively.
Read More: Where Was Apple TV’s Star City Filmed?
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