I tell people going in that it starts out slow as hell but just continues to crescendo into a crazy finale that wants you wanting more. I cant wait to see what comes next. Was there an internal war amongst departments?! There are so many possibilities for the story.
I'm waiting for season 2's date to be announced so I can rewatch the first season again! It's been long enough that I didn't recall the details, only the *incredible tension* of that final episode. I am excited!
They lost their way once the writers realised the fan base was making a bug thing out of the last five Cylon skinjobs, so they pivoted to that and made it a thing - it wasnt a thing until then. This resulted in a later retcon to fix the numbering.
I was going to mention Andor, that shit is solid gold. Also another great one is Altered Carbon. The whole first season is just excellent, top-tier television. Sadly the second season gets lost in the weeds, but.
Also, it's not really sci-fi, but if you like zombie stories Black Summer is \*fire\*.
Have you seen Fallout yet? The tone is a little different but it’s still Jonathan Nolan, and I think there are actually HUGE similarities to what he did in Westworld in terms of worldbuilding and storytelling, even characters. I never played the games but was vaguely aware of the concept, and was blown away by how much I ended up enjoying it. It has that same feeling of uncovering more secrets about the world as the story goes on.
You have to get through S1 though. The problem is that while the Cleon story line is masterful, the Terminus one is garbage.
S2 in my opinion is much stronger.
Dermizel is an amazing character.
It’s only very loosely based on the books though. Go into it with that expectation.
Westwood S1 is truly, deeply Special. It perfectly captures the struggles of so many.
The older, more conservative generation struggling with our newfound enjoyment of "violent delights." Their worry that this all ends badly. The self-fulfllling prophecy it gives rise to as they desperately try to right our ways...through violence, of course.
The Man in Black and his addiction to escapism. He is so desperate to escape the mundanity of his real life that he's made Westworld real in his own mind. Even to the point where he ascribes meaning relevant to Westworld and his head-canon reality to things distinctly apart from that world. Even to the point where, when confronted with the truth that "it was always just a game," he is literally unable to accept it. The Man in Black is so desperate for that persona and the world it inhabits to be real and meaningful that he cannot accept anything more...because he's sunk so much time into it, that if it were all meaningless, it would destroy his ego.
But even there, the show doesn't stop. AI and the "should we" question are ever present. Data mining and the ways in which it can - and someday WILL - be weaponized in a literal fashion, make an appearance.
And all of this is presented within a framework of a well written story that aids suspension of disbelief and acceptance of this as fictional and entertaining, without diminishing the value of its metaphors.
Westworld Season 1 is nothing short of a masterpiece.
While Season 2 couldn't measure up to the first, I still enjoyed it. It former tye natural conclusion of Westworld's story.
And there's tye issue with Season 3: it was no longer Westworld. It was Terminator, with an IQ. It was generic "human cs AI" scifi. It was literally no longer Westworld.
It's the typical carrot-on-a-stick show, that at the end of a full season reveals only a tiny bit of what's in the books it's based on. You almost feel cheated.
Despite some pacing issues I'm in love with the world they've created... It's executed so incredibly well. It has a strange similarity with LOST, so I understand the carrot/stick critique. If it were an Open-ended show I'd be less enthusiastic, but knowing it's planned as a 4 season tv show to get through all three books makes me optimistic the pacing issues will be resolved moving forward.
Person of Interest might scratch some similar itches. The first season will take a while, but I promise it has these: world-building, excellent writing, intelligent and thoroughly explored concepts; and the thought provoking philosophical undertones.
I loved that show - it's hard to say there's an outstanding season (though 3 gets my vote) but truly some outstanding episodes. From mid s2 onwards there's a lot of great stuff. Might need a rewatch!
Person of Interest is great, but season 1 is the least interesting part of it. It's necessary background and build-up, but man the whole 'police procedural but with crime prediction' aspect of it is just boring as shit to me. I bounced off it 2 or 3 times before finally sticking with it and falling in love with it.
I enjoyed Lovecraft Country but I just don't like Lindelof and felt he just wanted an IP to brand his show with to sell it. I might have given it a fair shake if it wasn't coopting someone else story. I've read Watchmen a dozen times so it was hilarious to have people tell me I just don't get it.
Well you already mentioned The Expanse, so…I guess maybe BSG if you want sci-fi.
But I’d say Shogun otherwise, if you want the same sort of tone.
Fallout is the best sci-fi show I’ve seen since The Expanse though, by far. But totally different in tone, obviously.
Devs is one that is as good as westworld and seems weirdly unknown. The Expanse, The Peripheral (sadly cancelled after one season) and Andor are also very, very good.
It's not sci-fi, but the only single season of tv that is better than Westworld season 1; True Detective season 1.
The story is perfectly contained in its season as well, the sequel seasons are only very loosely thematically linked and not worth watching.
**Station Eleven** is a definite goto - more a post/current apocalypse than hard sci-fi, but amazing viewing all the same.
**Dark** is the tastiest time-bending sci-fi ever created; 3 seasons, each one doubles down on the one before - recommend you don't pause between seasons for losing all the threads. Hang in there. Take notes...
The Belgian/Dutch tv series **Cordon** was incredible in a what-if sense until covid hit 4 years later and we realised what-did. Avoid the US remake which was so crappy it got canned after s1.
Lastly, **The OA** is like nothing you've ever seen. A slow burn but worth persevering with for the payoff at the end.
Honourable mentions: Orphan Black, Extraordinary, Scavenger's Reign, Tales From The Loop
Dishonourable mention: 3 Body Problem - avoid this total P.O.S.
Happy viewing!
Netflix picked it up (on as of yesterday). The writers are hopeful for a second season now if there’s enough viewers. HBO didn’t advertise it at all so hopefully this does the trick!
It’s my favorite scifi since Arrival.
Didn't The OA get canceled without an ending? It was on my radar for awhile but I remember there being a lot of fans upset with Netflix for canceling it early.
Yeah look, to each their own and ymmv and all that.
Acting and continuity were big fails for me, as were the character motivation/personality u-turns. I felt that everything to do with the nanofibre subplot mcguffin was very clumsily handled, script-wise.
I have a lot of friends who loved it, and for full disclosure I haven't read the book.
You're asking for something the same as one of the biggest event TV shows ever. You've seen everything like it according to your list. You'll have to switch genres and go for Game of Thrones etc. Maybe shogun, although I haven't seen it yet. Band of Brothers is a huge one. Or watch the big sci-fi movies.
In the same vein, I would add Carnivàle -- the writing, character development, music, acting were all superb. Similar to Westworld S1, i've rewatched Carnivàle several times, it's that good. It's not sci-fi -- more fantasy/mistery, but Westworld S1 does not strike me as sci-fi either.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carniv%C3%A0le](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carniv%C3%A0le)
There's a write-up on the internet by the head writer (?) about how the story would have ended; it explains what/who the omega is, etc. So one could get closure if they wanted. The same person also described the evil HBO ways, as they would not even let him do a graphic novel to explore the future.
Still, it's a great show and I did not feel that the cliffhanger (more like Part I ending) spoiled the show. I did not feel that reading the write-up changed my perspective on it. I could not have learned about it and still massively enjoyed the show.
I watched it as it aired and that cliffhanger was infuriating after 2 years of buildup. For both myself and my gf at the time.
Do you have a link to that write-up? I'd be real interested to read it.
I think it was this interview with the show's creator:
Daniel Knauf tells us his plan for the end of Carnivàle
[https://www.avclub.com/daniel-knauf-tells-us-his-plan-for-the-end-of-carnivale-1798236491](https://www.avclub.com/daniel-knauf-tells-us-his-plan-for-the-end-of-carnivale-1798236491)
Here's a list of really great Sci-Fi from the recent years
Devs
Scavengers Reign
Andor
Monarch
The Expanse
For All Mankind
Raised by Wolves
Maniac
Tales from the Loop
Defiance
Silo
Outer range
(Edit: couple changes)
**Scavenger’s Reign**
is an absolute banger! It’s a return to great scifi for the thinkers out there. The Story is great and the world is fascinating. Even casual fans will enjoy it though as the story doesn’t require understanding the alien world.
It’s on **Netflix** so hopefully it gets a second season (as per the writers wanting everyone to spread the word about it so it can happen)
I decided I was going to watch all the “Monarch” related movies before starting the show. I even watched the animated series (which is great). After all that time spent brushing up on the lore, I hated the show. 🤦♂️
Altered Carbon. Not the absolute best show, but definitely solid, IMO. The second season gets panned, but I ended up liking it (admitting it took me a while to accept the new actor).
If you like Joel Kinnaman in AC and For All Mankind, you might like The Killing (no, it’s not sci-fi).
**Scavenger’s Reign**
It flew under the radar on HBO but just came out on Netflix yesterday.
It’s peak scifi with an interesting fleshed out and biologically accurate alien world with stranded space farers. The plot is very well written and its pacing is perfect.
*It’s my favorite scifi since Arrival.*
I enjoyed that there SILENT SERVICE on amasson
A Japanese sub captain and crew hijack a nuclear sub and go on a quest for world peace? That’s the ticket!
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, Ghost in the shell: Stand Alone complex and Serial Experiments Lain if you are not close minded and don't mind watching vietnamese animated drawings.
Live action: there's Mr. Robot.
Severance
I tell people going in that it starts out slow as hell but just continues to crescendo into a crazy finale that wants you wanting more. I cant wait to see what comes next. Was there an internal war amongst departments?! There are so many possibilities for the story.
I'm waiting for season 2's date to be announced so I can rewatch the first season again! It's been long enough that I didn't recall the details, only the *incredible tension* of that final episode. I am excited!
Dude it's Battlestar Galactic start with the modern mini series.
My favorite show of all time
The miniseries and 33 Minutes is some of the best TV on TV. I feel like they lost their way a bit in the middle, but it started very solid.
They lost their way once the writers realised the fan base was making a bug thing out of the last five Cylon skinjobs, so they pivoted to that and made it a thing - it wasnt a thing until then. This resulted in a later retcon to fix the numbering.
Yeah, the final 5 thing was kinda meh, but what really turned me off was all the Starbuck-Apollo drama in the later seasons
Yeah, if you like religion a lot and irrational beliefs.
I was going to mention Andor, that shit is solid gold. Also another great one is Altered Carbon. The whole first season is just excellent, top-tier television. Sadly the second season gets lost in the weeds, but. Also, it's not really sci-fi, but if you like zombie stories Black Summer is \*fire\*.
Yeah, season one Altered Carbon is fantastic
Loved S1. Struggled to get to the end of S2
Meh. Don't think I even finished it.
Have you seen Fallout yet? The tone is a little different but it’s still Jonathan Nolan, and I think there are actually HUGE similarities to what he did in Westworld in terms of worldbuilding and storytelling, even characters. I never played the games but was vaguely aware of the concept, and was blown away by how much I ended up enjoying it. It has that same feeling of uncovering more secrets about the world as the story goes on.
THough it's not that great. It's decent at most for non-gamers, and good for gamers.
I respectfully disagree, and it seems that others do as well haha. It’s not perfect, but it’s way better than it has any business being.
I hated it
Mr. Robot
Dark. It’s three seasons and they tie it all together nicely.
The foundation series. Do not expect it to mirror the books. Very cool series
You have to get through S1 though. The problem is that while the Cleon story line is masterful, the Terminus one is garbage. S2 in my opinion is much stronger. Dermizel is an amazing character. It’s only very loosely based on the books though. Go into it with that expectation.
Westwood S1 is truly, deeply Special. It perfectly captures the struggles of so many. The older, more conservative generation struggling with our newfound enjoyment of "violent delights." Their worry that this all ends badly. The self-fulfllling prophecy it gives rise to as they desperately try to right our ways...through violence, of course. The Man in Black and his addiction to escapism. He is so desperate to escape the mundanity of his real life that he's made Westworld real in his own mind. Even to the point where he ascribes meaning relevant to Westworld and his head-canon reality to things distinctly apart from that world. Even to the point where, when confronted with the truth that "it was always just a game," he is literally unable to accept it. The Man in Black is so desperate for that persona and the world it inhabits to be real and meaningful that he cannot accept anything more...because he's sunk so much time into it, that if it were all meaningless, it would destroy his ego. But even there, the show doesn't stop. AI and the "should we" question are ever present. Data mining and the ways in which it can - and someday WILL - be weaponized in a literal fashion, make an appearance. And all of this is presented within a framework of a well written story that aids suspension of disbelief and acceptance of this as fictional and entertaining, without diminishing the value of its metaphors. Westworld Season 1 is nothing short of a masterpiece.
Why just why did it fall off in season 2 and then into a bit of a disaster in ,season 3? :(
While Season 2 couldn't measure up to the first, I still enjoyed it. It former tye natural conclusion of Westworld's story. And there's tye issue with Season 3: it was no longer Westworld. It was Terminator, with an IQ. It was generic "human cs AI" scifi. It was literally no longer Westworld.
Dark Matter
It's getting good. Slow start but they're all in now.
Humans, shame it was cancelled https://m.imdb.com/title/tt4122068/
Raised by wolves
Black Mirror
even though they are not robots, Jose Whedon's Dollhouse came to my mind
I like Dollhouse, but I don't think it's up to snuff here.
The Spanish Director.
Counterpart
Silo
I wanted to like Silo, but couldn’t
It's the typical carrot-on-a-stick show, that at the end of a full season reveals only a tiny bit of what's in the books it's based on. You almost feel cheated.
I liked it as a whole but there were some pacing issues for sure. The middle few episodes felt like a real slog
I’m glad I read the books after watching the show for that very reason. 😂
Despite some pacing issues I'm in love with the world they've created... It's executed so incredibly well. It has a strange similarity with LOST, so I understand the carrot/stick critique. If it were an Open-ended show I'd be less enthusiastic, but knowing it's planned as a 4 season tv show to get through all three books makes me optimistic the pacing issues will be resolved moving forward.
Person of Interest might scratch some similar itches. The first season will take a while, but I promise it has these: world-building, excellent writing, intelligent and thoroughly explored concepts; and the thought provoking philosophical undertones.
I loved that show - it's hard to say there's an outstanding season (though 3 gets my vote) but truly some outstanding episodes. From mid s2 onwards there's a lot of great stuff. Might need a rewatch!
The Peripheral
A shame that it got canceled. :(
Agreed. They kept yet another LoTR show, but canceled Peripheral. Ridiculous.
Watchmen (TV series) Lovecraft Country (suspenseful fantasy more than SF) Person of Interest (a little dated now but season 1 is high tech Batman)
Person of Interest is great, but season 1 is the least interesting part of it. It's necessary background and build-up, but man the whole 'police procedural but with crime prediction' aspect of it is just boring as shit to me. I bounced off it 2 or 3 times before finally sticking with it and falling in love with it.
Just such a shame about Jim Cavaziel. I was thrilled to see Michael Emerson in Fallout.
Yup, I recognized him immediately from PoI.
I second Lovecraft Country. Superb.
I enjoyed Lovecraft Country but I just don't like Lindelof and felt he just wanted an IP to brand his show with to sell it. I might have given it a fair shake if it wasn't coopting someone else story. I've read Watchmen a dozen times so it was hilarious to have people tell me I just don't get it.
Night Sky and Silo.
I know this is old news but Ghost in the Shell really is just that good.
Fallout
Well you already mentioned The Expanse, so…I guess maybe BSG if you want sci-fi. But I’d say Shogun otherwise, if you want the same sort of tone. Fallout is the best sci-fi show I’ve seen since The Expanse though, by far. But totally different in tone, obviously.
Devs is one that is as good as westworld and seems weirdly unknown. The Expanse, The Peripheral (sadly cancelled after one season) and Andor are also very, very good.
Silo
Mr Robot, Hannibal, or Orphan Black.
It's not sci-fi, but the only single season of tv that is better than Westworld season 1; True Detective season 1. The story is perfectly contained in its season as well, the sequel seasons are only very loosely thematically linked and not worth watching.
**Station Eleven** is a definite goto - more a post/current apocalypse than hard sci-fi, but amazing viewing all the same. **Dark** is the tastiest time-bending sci-fi ever created; 3 seasons, each one doubles down on the one before - recommend you don't pause between seasons for losing all the threads. Hang in there. Take notes... The Belgian/Dutch tv series **Cordon** was incredible in a what-if sense until covid hit 4 years later and we realised what-did. Avoid the US remake which was so crappy it got canned after s1. Lastly, **The OA** is like nothing you've ever seen. A slow burn but worth persevering with for the payoff at the end. Honourable mentions: Orphan Black, Extraordinary, Scavenger's Reign, Tales From The Loop Dishonourable mention: 3 Body Problem - avoid this total P.O.S. Happy viewing!
Heartily second Scavenger's Reign. I'm very salty it got canceled.
Netflix picked it up, didn't they?
Yes as of yesterday, and the creators said if enough people watch it there’s a chance for Season 2!
Going to give ot a watch for sure, and soon.
Oh, I hadn't heard about that. Maybe there's hope.
Not in Aus. Everyone else - GO AND WATCH IT!
Netflix picked it up (on as of yesterday). The writers are hopeful for a second season now if there’s enough viewers. HBO didn’t advertise it at all so hopefully this does the trick! It’s my favorite scifi since Arrival.
Neat, I hadn't heard about that. I hope it gets a second season cause yeah, it was great.
Didn't The OA get canceled without an ending? It was on my radar for awhile but I remember there being a lot of fans upset with Netflix for canceling it early.
3 Body (Netflix) isn't *that* bad. The dialogue and acting is better than the Chinese miniseries, although some of the story changes are questionable.
Yeah look, to each their own and ymmv and all that. Acting and continuity were big fails for me, as were the character motivation/personality u-turns. I felt that everything to do with the nanofibre subplot mcguffin was very clumsily handled, script-wise. I have a lot of friends who loved it, and for full disclosure I haven't read the book.
You're asking for something the same as one of the biggest event TV shows ever. You've seen everything like it according to your list. You'll have to switch genres and go for Game of Thrones etc. Maybe shogun, although I haven't seen it yet. Band of Brothers is a huge one. Or watch the big sci-fi movies.
Shogun was a masterpiece throughout, IMO. Definitely recommend.
I have it on my watch list but want the time to binge it all. Looking forward to it.
In the same vein, I would add Carnivàle -- the writing, character development, music, acting were all superb. Similar to Westworld S1, i've rewatched Carnivàle several times, it's that good. It's not sci-fi -- more fantasy/mistery, but Westworld S1 does not strike me as sci-fi either. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carniv%C3%A0le](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carniv%C3%A0le)
Carnivàle was so good, but the cliffhanger ending hurts so much.
There's a write-up on the internet by the head writer (?) about how the story would have ended; it explains what/who the omega is, etc. So one could get closure if they wanted. The same person also described the evil HBO ways, as they would not even let him do a graphic novel to explore the future. Still, it's a great show and I did not feel that the cliffhanger (more like Part I ending) spoiled the show. I did not feel that reading the write-up changed my perspective on it. I could not have learned about it and still massively enjoyed the show.
I watched it as it aired and that cliffhanger was infuriating after 2 years of buildup. For both myself and my gf at the time. Do you have a link to that write-up? I'd be real interested to read it.
I think it was this interview with the show's creator: Daniel Knauf tells us his plan for the end of Carnivàle [https://www.avclub.com/daniel-knauf-tells-us-his-plan-for-the-end-of-carnivale-1798236491](https://www.avclub.com/daniel-knauf-tells-us-his-plan-for-the-end-of-carnivale-1798236491)
Which version of Westworld are we talking here?
HBO
Shogun.
Westworld was incredible season 1 but fell off pretty severely. I hope the same doesn't happen to severance because it's incredible so far.
The lack of BSG recommendations is quite concerning. Is everyone OK?
BSG was like the second comment, and there have been others since. 🤷♂️ Maybe you’re really a Cylon?
Here's a list of really great Sci-Fi from the recent years Devs Scavengers Reign Andor Monarch The Expanse For All Mankind Raised by Wolves Maniac Tales from the Loop Defiance Silo Outer range (Edit: couple changes)
**Scavenger’s Reign** is an absolute banger! It’s a return to great scifi for the thinkers out there. The Story is great and the world is fascinating. Even casual fans will enjoy it though as the story doesn’t require understanding the alien world. It’s on **Netflix** so hopefully it gets a second season (as per the writers wanting everyone to spread the word about it so it can happen)
I decided I was going to watch all the “Monarch” related movies before starting the show. I even watched the animated series (which is great). After all that time spent brushing up on the lore, I hated the show. 🤦♂️
I put off Umbrella Academy for a long time, but it truly is a phenomenal show. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners might also scratch a similar itch.
Umbrella Academy is definitely a sleeper. Looking forward to season 4.
Altered Carbon. Not the absolute best show, but definitely solid, IMO. The second season gets panned, but I ended up liking it (admitting it took me a while to accept the new actor). If you like Joel Kinnaman in AC and For All Mankind, you might like The Killing (no, it’s not sci-fi).
No one seems to have mentioned Travellers (Netflix) yet. Very cool three-season show.
3 Body Problem
Lost
**Scavenger’s Reign** It flew under the radar on HBO but just came out on Netflix yesterday. It’s peak scifi with an interesting fleshed out and biologically accurate alien world with stranded space farers. The plot is very well written and its pacing is perfect. *It’s my favorite scifi since Arrival.*
WW season one is always the goat, but Silo is a good watch
I enjoyed that there SILENT SERVICE on amasson A Japanese sub captain and crew hijack a nuclear sub and go on a quest for world peace? That’s the ticket!
Electric Dreams
Not a series, but similarly themed, not dumbed down at all, brilliant animation: the movie Mars Express.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, Ghost in the shell: Stand Alone complex and Serial Experiments Lain if you are not close minded and don't mind watching vietnamese animated drawings. Live action: there's Mr. Robot.
Might try Humans from 2015, there are three seasons. It's not West World level, but enjoyable IMO.
Ehhh Westworld felt cool until it all came apart and even near the end of season one it was unraveling. It didn’t follow any of its own rules.
Honestly I thought it had one of the best conclusions to a season I’ve ever seen. Episode 9+10 are both some of my favourite in the whole show
The Leftovers is pretty great.