Overview of The Watch
This episode of The Watch is a two-part conversation: Andrew Greenwald first runs through the latest Emmy nominations and what they say about the TV landscape, then he sits down with Star City co-creators/co-showrunners Ben Nedivi and Matt Wolpert to discuss the Apple TV+ show’s season finale, its For All Mankind roots, and how they built a Soviet-era space thriller that doubles as an espionage drama.
Emmy Nominations: Apple TV+ Breaks Through
Andrew’s big takeaway is that Apple TV+ has fully arrived in the awards conversation.
- Apple scored 89 nominations, making it a major player alongside HBO Max and Netflix.
- He argues that Apple has moved from “niche streamer” to a real awards powerhouse by backing expensive, high-profile, well-regarded shows.
- He notes that the streamer’s shows are still relatively small in audience terms, but they are clearly resonating with Emmy voters.
Notable winners and patterns
- The Pitt led the pack with 25 nominations.
- Hacks followed closely with 24 nominations.
- Widow’s Bay emerged as a huge surprise/standout with 19 nominations.
- Pluribus, Slow Horses, and Your Friends & Neighbors also helped make Apple’s showing especially strong.
- Andrew points out that HBO Max remains dominant overall, but Apple’s rise is now impossible to ignore.
Snubs and surprises
- He flags some notable omissions, including:
- Industry
- The Lowdown
- Task in some major categories
- Anthony Starr for The Boys
- He also comments on the oddity of The Bear still being nominated in comedy while some of its actors were not.
- His overall view: the Emmys are a useful snapshot of industry taste, but never a perfect reflection of what people actually love.
Star City: What the Show Is Really Doing
A spinoff with its own identity
Nedivi and Wolpert explain that Star City began as research into the Soviet space program while they were working on For All Mankind.
- They were fascinated by how little is publicly known about the Soviet side of the space race.
- The more they researched, the more they felt there was a full show hiding there.
- Crucially, they did not want to make a simple mirror image of For All Mankind.
- Instead, they leaned into a new genre: a Cold War espionage thriller set inside the Soviet space program.
Why the show works
The creators say the secrecy of the Soviet system gave them narrative freedom.
- Viewers don’t know exactly what’s coming, because the historical record is so murky.
- The show is less about flashy spy action and more about:
- surveillance
- paranoia
- loyalty to the state vs. loyalty to human beings
- the emotional cost of living under authoritarianism
Andrew praises the finale as “jaw-dropping” and says the show balances familiar TV drama with things he’s “never seen on screen.”
Craft, Production, and Authenticity
Filming in Eastern Europe
A major part of the conversation is how they made the show feel real.
- They shot in Lithuania, drawing inspiration from Chernobyl’s production model.
- Local crew members helped with period-specific authenticity:
- set details
- wallpaper
- bathroom layouts
- Soviet-era aesthetics
- The location wasn’t just practical; it shaped the show’s tone and atmosphere.
Accents and performance style
They discuss the challenge of language and accents.
- They considered filming in Russian but ultimately passed.
- They landed on a broader European accent strategy, including Welsh and British accents, to avoid distracting accent work.
- Their goal was authenticity without forcing the actors into something unnatural.
Character Themes and Emotional Core
Indignity, surveillance, and human cost
A recurring theme is the emotional degradation of living under a system that watches and controls everything.
- The creators talk about building scenes around indignity and the slow erosion of dignity.
- They wanted the show to capture the psychological toll of being observed, manipulated, or made invisible by the state.
- But they also wanted moments of pride and human achievement, even inside a brutal system.
Key thematic contrast
They highlight a powerful idea that runs through the season:
- On one hand, the state diminishes people.
- On the other, people still manage to accomplish something meaningful, and that matters.
That tension gives the show its emotional weight.
Standout Performances and Casting
Anna Maxwell Martin
They praise Anna Maxwell Martin for playing a terrifying, layered Soviet official.
- She avoids caricature and brings humor, intelligence, and menace.
- The creators emphasize that they wanted a villain with real depth, not a flat antagonist.
Alice Englert
They’re equally enthusiastic about Alice Englert’s performance.
- Her character starts off quiet, backgrounded, and easy to overlook.
- Over the season, she grows in confidence and power.
- The creators admire how she conveys a lot of interior life with very little obvious display.
Writing Process and Showrunning Philosophy
A two-person writers’ room
Nedivi and Wolpert describe how they work together:
- They function as a room of two, constantly checking each other’s instincts.
- They push each other to go bigger when needed, but also keep each other grounded.
- They often don’t know the ending until they’re deeply into production.
Embracing uncertainty
They say some of their best work comes from pressure.
- The fear of time running out can sharpen decisions.
- They’re willing to make bold structural choices, like time jumps or season-ending pivots.
- Sometimes they realize an episode that was supposed to be a midpoint is actually a finale-level climax.
What’s Next
More Star City?
They can’t confirm anything, but they clearly hope to continue.
- They’d like future seasons to stay in the immediate timeline rather than making big time jumps.
- They’re excited by the audience response and want to keep telling the story.
Back to For All Mankind
They also note they’re heading back to Bulgaria to continue work on the final season of For All Mankind.
Bottom Line
Andrew’s recommendation is simple: watch Star City.
- It’s a smart, visually rich, emotionally tense show with a distinct identity.
- The finale delivers on the slow burn.
- The Emmy discussion reinforces a larger point: Apple TV+ is no longer an outsider—it’s now a serious force in prestige television.