Science fiction is a genre that lends itself wonderfully to re-watches, often more so than any other. After all, these are stories that are often mind-bending, full of foreshadowing and Easter eggs, and intricately complex in both their plotting and their thematic work. As such, re-visiting such works can be an incredibly rewarding experience that reveals new details, a higher appreciation of the directors and writers’ craftsmanship, and a better understanding of the whole narrative.
There are plenty of sci-fi shows out there that are even better the second time around, from groundbreaking space operas like Babylon 5 to mind-twisting time travel shows like Travelers. Whether it’s because their stories are difficult to understand on one’s first go, because they’re so thematically complex that a second watch makes them feel even more powerful, or because they’re simply too entertaining to watch only once, these are sci-fi masterpieces that demand further visits.
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‘Falling Skies’ (2011–2015)
Image via TNT
One would think that a post-apocalyptic sci-fi series executive-produced by Steven Spielberg and starring Noah Wyle would still be deeply entrenched in the sci-fi pop culture conversation in the midst of a decade as sci-fi-loving as the 2020s. But for some bizarre reason, Falling Skies aired for a pre-planned five-season run and then disappeared from the conversation.
It’s one of the most groundbreaking sci-fi shows that everyone forgot. Successfully bringing the massive cinematic scale of a Spielberg-esque alien apocalypse story to American cable television, the show delivered a hard-hitting, character-driven, gritty tale of survival and resilience. It deserves infinitely more love than it typically gets nowadays, and plenty of re-watches are in order.
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‘Battlestar Galactica’ (2004–2009)
Image via SyFy
There are plenty of great sci-fi shows that should never get remade, but if there was a classic sci-fi series that was begging for a reimagining, it was 1978’s <em>Battlestar Galactica</em>. After 2003’s miniseries of the same name, one of the best sci-fi miniseries in history, came the 2004 full-length series. Likewise, it’s one of the best sci-fi TV shows in the genre’s history.
There are twists, profound philosophical and ethical questions, and complex character arcs in Battlestar Galactica that demand one or two re-watches in order to be fully appreciated. It’s a series whose narrative is built on deep foreshadowing, hidden motivations, and many clues that are best enjoyed when you already know how everything is going to play out.
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‘Babylon 5’ (1994–1998)
Image via PTEN
In the history of American television, there’s a “before Babylon 5” period and an “after Babylon 5” period. Quite unusually for American broadcast television at the time (science fiction or otherwise), this show was designed from the start as a sort of novel for television, with five pre-planned seasons serving as one chapter in the story each. This sort of highly serialized storytelling completely revolutionized the medium.
Indeed, Babylon 5 is one of those sci-fi shows that would have been great during the streaming era—but thankfully, it’s still abundantly easy to watch today. The kinds of narrative payoffs and bits of foreshadowing that were thrown into Babylon 5‘s engrossing story become even more enjoyable on re-watch, and the series’ highly bingeable nature makes it even easier to revisit multiple times.
