As an adult, there are fewer things sweeter than having an entire weekend with nothing to do. You successfully avoided making plans with friends, family, or coworkers, so you can become the isolated hermit you were always meant to be. For a glorious two and a half days, it’s just you, your favorite snacks, and whatever TV show you want.
But in the age of streaming, it can be hard to reach a decision on what to watch. You know you have a hankering for science fiction. You want to expand your imagination with far-out worlds and existential questions regarding new technology. But where do you even begin? After all, you know you have this weekend free, but you may be busy all next week. You don’t want to commit to some long-running series you may not be able to finish until months down the line.
Fortunately, we’ve assembled a list of the 10 best sci-fi shows you can binge in one weekend. Assuming you start Friday night and give yourself ample time for sleep and meals, all of these shows can be reasonably finished within a standard work week break. When you go back to work on Monday, you can tell your coworkers all about this great sci-fi show they absolutely have to watch next.
Station Eleven
Art is often the best antidote when you’re feeling down in the dumps. But when you’re in the pits of despair, “Station Eleven” is bound to revive your spirits. The post-apocalyptic story presents two plotlines: We follow a young Kirsten (Matilda Lawler) who witnesses one of the first of many deaths to take place as a pandemic takes hold of the world. Then, 20 years after this pandemic, we check back in with Kirsten (Mackenzie Davis), who’s now part of a traveling theater company, keeping the arts alive in a society that has been annihilated.
“Station Eleven” isn’t just about surviving in an apocalyptic landscape. It’s about overcoming trauma of undergoing a complete overturning of the status quo. Kirsten actually has an idea of what the world was like before the pandemic, so she knows precisely what’s been lost. That’s what makes her occupation as a performer so important. She literally has a connection to the past, both in terms of doing something she loved pre-pandemic and keeping the works of William Shakespeare alive in trying times.
There are only 10 episodes of “Station Eleven,” each one under an hour long. Honestly, if you really tried, you could finish the entire miniseries in a single day. If you’ve been having a hard time finding meaning in an increasingly chaotic world, it’s a different type of sci-fi story and a great pick-me-up.
Pantheon
Artificial intelligence feels all-consuming in this day and age. But it can get so much worse, as “Pantheon” shows when AI reaches its singularity. In “Pantheon,” two tech giants are trying to perfect mind-uploading technology, so human beings can theoretically live forever, and neither one is afraid of getting unethical in order to achieve this ultimate goal. The animated series follows three protagonists from very different backgrounds who become intertwined in this global conspiracy that could change what it means to be human.
With a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score, “Pantheon” is ideal for “Black Mirror” fans who enjoy ethical quandaries with their science fiction. There’s plenty of hard science fiction within “Pantheon,” including ideas surrounding transhumanism, which tends to get pitched as some sort of platonic ideal where everyone is happy and healthy forever. But as we see in “Pantheon,” there’s a good chance it would only be useful for the richest, most successful individuals. Sure, anyone might be able to live forever, but is it worth it if you’re confined to be a laborer until the heat death of the universe?
“Pantheon” ran for two seasons for a total of 16 episodes, each one about 40 minutes long. There are a ton of heady sci-fi concepts you won’t want to overlook, so “Pantheon” definitely isn’t something you should watch while simultaneously scrolling on your phone.
Maniac
“Maniac” brings together different tones and aesthetics through its hallucinatory journey, as Annie (Emma Stone) and Owen (Jonah Hill) sign up for the same pharmaceutical study where they’re forced to confront their various traumas as well as mental illnesses. Annie suffers from borderline personality disorder while Owen has schizophrenia. However, the core of many issues presented in “Maniac” comes down to loneliness. All 10 episodes came out in 2018, and those ideas of isolation have only grown more prominent in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, where it’s easier to feel more alone than ever before.
But much of the series takes place within their subconsciouses where they take on different personalities. It’s a real actor’s showcase for Stone and Hill, who portray an eclectic mix of characters. It’s fascinating seeing them go on their respective hero’s journey and learn what it means to truly be human. But “Maniac” fleshes out an entire retro-futuristic world. Advertising is everywhere (even more so than in our real world), and there’s an AI system who begins suffering from depression.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew
“Star Wars” has a tendency to touch on some really interesting ideas or show off some cool new character, only to promptly discard them for fan service and getting things back to the Skywalker family. Even “The Mandalorian,” which was largely its own thing for the first season, fell into nostalgia traps with season 3, though it still delivered some “Star Wars” goods. Fortunately, “Skeleton Crew” remains its own thing during its entire eight-episode run.
It boasts a fun, throwback aesthetic, clearly taking inspiration from “The Goonies” and other ’80’s-style adventure films where kids were in peril but ultimately came out on top. The series sees four youngsters accidentally hitching a ride on a spaceship and needing to find their way back home. All the while, they meet a suspicious someone who can wield the Force, Jod Na Nawood (Jude Law), and must decide whether he’s trustworthy.
Cowboy Bebop
You can pick and choose to watch the best “Cowboy Bebop” episodes, but with only 26 total, you’ll soon find yourself wanting to watch every single one to continue staying in this world. It’s a gorgeously rendered anime with so much color and life coming out of every frame. Its inclusion of fight scenes set to jazz music gives the show an inexplicably “cool” vibe, and it doesn’t feel like it’s aged a day since it first came out in the 1990s.
Devs
Alex Garland is known for his philosophically heavy works. “Annihilation” points to humanity’s penchant for self-destruction, while “Ex Machina” shows how very wrong things can go with humans try to play God. While movies need to wrap up such musings in about two hours, Garland had a chance to really expound on ideas of determinism (and how free will could be an illusion) within his series, “Devs.”
Firefly
When it comes to TV shows unfairly cancelled too soon, “Firefly” is one of the best shows on the list. Even if you’ve gone all this time still without seeing it, it’s never too late to give it a shot.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
“Cyberpunk 2077” had a horrific rollout. The highly anticipated video game launched with numerous bugs that nearly made it unplayable. It’s difficult to get engrossed in a futuristic world when characters and vehicles around you are constantly glitching. If you avoided watching “Cyberpunk: Edgerunners” on Netflix due to “Cyberpunk 2077” leaving a bad taste in your mind, let this be a sign to finally press play.
Tales From the Loop
Despite dropping in April 2020, when the world would’ve been in lockdown from the COVID-19 pandemic, it doesn’t seem like many gave “Tales From the Loop” a chance. It’s understandable enough, as the show isn’t like many other sci-fi series. It doesn’t use the threat of aliens, robots, or AI to have cool action sequences. This is a quieter series that uses odd technologies to examine the ennui of the human condition.
Watchmen
“Watchmen” creator Alan Moore hates the HBO series of the same name, which technically serves as a sequel to his seminal comic book work. Given his history with DC Comics and “Watchmen” being overly commercialized, it makes sense why he’d be wary of what seems like yet another cash grab. But for fans of the graphic novel, they’ll find this is the most faithful interpretation of Moore’s work.
Source: Read original