My favourite genre for books and television would have to be sci-fi and fantasy. The shows listed below are some of my favourite shows on Netflix that happen to be in the sci-fi realm and because of this, I have watched them several times. Even if sci-fi isn’t quite your thing, I still believe you will at least like one of these shows because each one is so unique. With their heartfelt, crazy, and funny storylines, you’re guaranteed to get hooked.
The OA
We are first introduced to the main character in this show, Prairie Johnson (or “The OA”), with a scene of her jumping off a bridge. She then wakes up in a hospital and seems quite confused, and when her parents come in, she doesn’t even recognize them until she touches their faces. The reason for this is because before she disappeared, she was blind. The rest of the show follows “The OA” as returns to her old home and struggles to let go of what happened to her while she was “missing” for several years. The only thing that helps her navigate her new life and allow her to open up is the 5 people she meets at night consistently in an unfinished house down the road. What’s amazing about this show isn’t just the sci-fi aspects of it but also that it teaches you to be kind and understanding even to those who you do not understand. This show is at the top of my list because it can be serious and relatable; it shows people who have real problems that we all can resonate with. It also has incredible heart that is what makes it special.
Sense8
If I could have two number one spots, both the OA and Sense8 would occupy them. This is one of my favourite show for so many reasons that I wouldn’t even be able to put it all into words but I will still try. This series starts out with 8 people having a psychic connection after a woman named Angelica kills herself in order to escape capture by someone named “Whispers”. Before she ends her life, she gives “birth” to the 8 and their lives are now connected in unimaginable ways. It is later discovered that this group of 8 are called “sensates” who are able to speak to each other and feel each other’s emotions and even see what each other can see because of their emotional and mental connection. They even share their knowledge, language and any skills that they may have. The show displays how each person navigates through their very different lives and reminds us that no one’s life is perfect no matter how it might seem. As they learn more about “sensates” and about themselves, they encounter various dangerous situations where they all need to help each other in order to get out of it. I barely scratched the surface of how amazing and complicated this show is but I can’t stress enough that this is a show that you must watch even if it sounds a little weird. I GUARANTEE (or I at least hope) that you will like this show.
3%
When I first watched this show, it reminded me a little bit of The Hunger Games. It centres around people who live “Inland” and those who live “Off Shore”. Those who live “Inland” are poor and each year every 20 year old has a chance to compete in “The Process” where the top 3% of candidates will be able to live care free in the “Off Shore”. This show reveals how far people are willing to go to gain a better life and how people can become desperate when it seems like their only chance is slipping away. This show also shows the struggles that people have every day like the fear of being inadequate and the want to provide for your family. A very cool aspect of this show is that it’s in Portuguese and it’s fun to see a show that feature a language that you may not hear all the time. (Of course you can change the audio to English if you would like but I think the original language makes the show much better)
Final Space
This is the only cartoon on this list but I had to include it because it’s another show that I consider to be great. This show centres around Gary Goodspeed, an arrogant astronaut, who is working off the last days of his 5 year sentence. He encounters an alien, who looks harmless but is actually a deadly weapon, that he soon befriends and names Mooncake. They go on an adventure across the universe all the while trying to escape enemies and making more friends along the way. This show is not very serious and is actually quite funny but what really makes the show great is the original story line and ultimately, the loving relationships that are shown throughout. It’s definitely a great show to watch when you’re feeling for something light but also hilarious.
Dirk Gently Holistic Detective Agency
This show is definitely the most confusing and mysterious show on this list. It centres around two main characters, the first of which is Todd Brotzman who is an ordinary bellboy who is struggling because of his lack of money but seems to have an overall normal life. That is until he discovers Dirk Gently, who is a holistic detective, randomly (or not so random, according to Dirk) in his apartment. From that moment on, Todd follows Dirk down a surprising investigation that upends his life but also changes it for the better. This journey helps Todd become a better person and create better and more meaningful relationships with the people around him. This show is very weird. From the start you have no clue what is going on so you’re in the same position as Todd and you make the same discoveries as he does at the same time. But this is also what makes it great; you are included in the show because you want to figure out why all these weird things are happening just as much as the main characters do.
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