Night Sky - To the Stars

The opening episode of the Amazon series Night Sky introduces us to Irene (Sissy Spacek) and Franklin York (J.K. Simmons), a couple late in life who, many years ago, discovered a strange chamber buried in their backyard which can transport them to an observation station light years away on a deserted planet. Facing the struggles of advanced age, and concern for their well being from both family and doctors, the pair have carefully guarded their secret for decades but now must consider the possibility of leaving the wonders found across the universe behind.

Aside from showing us the unusual chamber and the short scenes looking out on the deserted alien landscape, there's not much sci-fi on-screen in "To the Stars." Instead what we get is a bit of a character study between the loving couple of Simmons and Spacek, some foreshadowing concerning a missing son they don't often speak of, and a decision by Irene which will alter the status quo in ways neither may be prepared for. We also get a nosy neighbor (Adam Bartley) and a granddaughter (Kiah McKirnan), both unaware of what the couple are hiding but knowing there's something that Irene and Franklin are keeping secret. The show also introduces Lily Cardone and Lowrey Brown as a younger version of the couple, allowing us to see how the pair met, and who will return in future episodes likely to fill in some of the gaps in the story such as the discovery of the chamber and their first trip to the stars.

• Title: Night Sky - To the Stars
• IMDb: link