Blue Sky Metropolis

Episode 2

The Big Chill

The Cold War and Pentagon dollars fund the explosive growth of modern Los Angeles and create the military-industrial complex. Entire suburbs such as Lakewood are built in record time to house defense industry workers, while also restricting non-white races from living there. Fear of nuclear annihilation spawns the science-fiction genre for Hollywood.

Episode 3

A Space Odyssey

The triumphant and tragic Space Race unfolds in the first-hand accounts of those who pioneered the technology and built the hardware that made possible mankind's greatest achievement: landing on the moon. Meantime, the military-industrial complex expands unchecked.

Episode 4

Back to the Future

The end of the Cold War brings massive layoffs, but tech billionaires choose Southern California to launch their space companies, injecting new vigor to the industry in the region. Though committed to the "democratization" of space, SpaceX and Virgin Orbit include the Pentagon as a major customer.