Netflix has a habit of throwing a wet blanket on a good show just when it starts getting interesting. Stranger Things collapsed after season 3. The OA ended on a cliffhanger that never got resolved. But some shows on the streamer never dip below the line. Polygon has rounded up nine sci-fi titles on Netflix that stay good from start to finish.
11.22.63: Time Travel Meets JFK
Based on the book by Stephen King, 11.22.63 is an eight-episode miniseries about a time traveler trying to stop the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. James Franco plays Jake Epping, an ordinary English teacher tasked with the mission. He makes plenty of mistakes along the way, growing too attached to the people he meets in the past.
The show blends classic sci-fi elements with one of the most famous moments in American history. The standout is the sense that time itself is “pushing back” on Jake’s actions, as though what’s about to happen is meant to happen and his mission may be hopeless.
Maniac: Hill and Stone Go Deep
Maniac is a darkly comedic miniseries created by Patrick Somerville, who also worked on The Leftovers. It’s based on a Norwegian series from 2015. Jonah Hill and Emma Stone star as two strangers with severe mental disorders who volunteer for a new medical trial of an experimental treatment.
Over 10 episodes, the show follows a three-day drug trial that sends Hill and Stone’s characters into shared fantasies. Some are domestic, like a married couple. Others are other-worldly, like an elf fantasy epic. The show is weird and trippy, but it lands on self-acceptance.
Bodies: A Dead Body Across Four Eras
Bodies is based on a DC graphic novel by Si Spencer. The show spans four points in history: 1890, 1941, 2023, and 2053. In each era, the same dead body is found at the same place in London. The investigations eventually become intertwined.
The show mixes time travel with film noir detective elements. It’s dense across its eight episodes, but rewarding in the end.
The Tick: Two Shows, One Hero
There are two live-action series based on The Tick on Netflix. Both are incredibly, and consistently, funny. The Tick is a big, dumb superhero with super strength and near-invulnerability. His sidekick is a weak, cowardly average human named Arthur who wears a moth-themed flying suit that looks more like a bunny.
The first show stars Seinfeld’s Patrick Warburton as the Big Blue Bug of Justice. It lasted just nine episodes before it was canceled by Fox. The second series began its run on Amazon in 2016 and ran two seasons totaling 22 episodes. It focuses more on Arthur, played by Griffin Newman, who becomes a deeper, more three-dimensional person with all kinds of issues and insecurities.
“Both series are excellent, but if you’re going with only one, the second is better because each of its two seasons tells a consistent, funny story with lots of heart.”
Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous
Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous is a kids’ show set on Isla Nublar during the events of the movie — and well afterwards. A group of kids attend a camp on the island when dinosaurs start breaking out. Chaos erupts, and the two camp counselors are forced onto an evacuation boat while the kids are left behind.
The show fits the pre-existing Jurassic Park and Jurassic World lore with surprising care. It explores Henry Wu, whose role is complicated in the new movies, and gives love to dinosaur species neglected in the main films, like Ankylosaurus and Carnotaurus. It lasted five seasons totaling 50 episodes and stays consistent throughout.
What the List Leaves Out
Polygon’s full list runs nine entries long. The remaining entries include The OA, which ended on a cliffhanger that never got resolved, and several other sci-fi titles that the outlet describes as great from start to finish.
The Contrast Between Adult and Kids’ Sci-Fi
The list pairs an adult sci-fi drama like 11.22.63 with a kid-friendly dinosaur show like Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous. That contrast is the whole point. The adult shows demand attention and reward it with foreboding. The kids’ show demands patience and rewards it with consistent storytelling.
Polygon’s full ranking is at polygon.com.
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