Streaming services have been chock full of wonderful speculative fiction series for several years now. Have we entered a new golden age of science fiction and fantasy on the screen? Are there more spectacular years to come? Or has the best speculative fiction already been streamed?
I won't try to answer such high-minded questions. But I will give my opinion on a few shows I've watched recently.
The wife and I watched this with our younger son. He didn't appreciate the story but did find the lightsaber battles top drawer. Overall, the wife and I found The Acolyte a bit, well…meh. It was a huge disappointment because I thought the trailers looked awesome. BUT…everything was slightly askew: the acting was too stilted, the action was too little, and the plot was too predictable.
I don't want to give too much away, but there is a reasonably well-done twist at the end that I think is supposed to send the series in a whole new direction for the second season. I might watch the second season if there is one. I don't know, but I'm certainly not pining for it.
Addendum: since writing and scheduling this post, I have learned The Acolyte was canceled. I am not surprised by this turn events and it's probably for the best.
I already have a post about this series based on the book by George R.R. Martin. Suffice it to say the second season did not live up to the promise of the first. This is mostly due to pedestrian pacing.
Like the previous seasons of The Boys, the latest season is not for the faint of heart or the young. In this dark, often humorless comedy/spoof of the superhero genre, the superheroes aren't all that super and definitely not heroic. But if you can stomach vulgar, frequently highly sexual humor and have the fortitude to watch some of the more disturbing scenes of torture, season four is entertaining. I have yet to finish it because this is a show I have to watch by myself. It's an acquired taste at best but highly enjoyable nonetheless.
The wife and I are thoroughly enjoying the final season of this series. Season four might be my favorite. Maybe I appreciate the humor more nowadays. If you enjoy sibling drama and misfit superheroes, this is a show to watch. The final season is great, and I hope it ends the series with a bang.
So, are we living in a golden age of sci-fi and fantasy? I'm not sure. Maybe? There are many shows, practically something for everyone, but it's hit and miss like many things in life.
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