The first weekend in March saw the release of Dune: Part Two, Denis Villeneuve’s epic sci-fi adventure film and the sequel to 2021’s Dune. We pick up with Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) and his mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), who have been assimilating into Fremen culture. While contemplating his messianic destiny, Paul seeks revenge against House Harkonnen for killing his father and destroying House Atreides. Only Paul can unite the Fremens and wage war on the Harkonnen. Yet, will he choose to do it?
Dune: Part Two deserves to be seen on the biggest screen to appreciate its greatness. After seeing Dune: Part Two in theaters, come home and watch a TV series to ride the sci-fi wave. Three great sci-fi shows to watch include a peculiar series by Alex Garland, an intergalactic saga based on a famous book, and a recent space-traveling show.
Devs (2020)
One of the prominent themes of Dune 2 involves destiny. Should Paul accept his destiny to be the Messiah? Is destiny a predetermined outcome that one must embrace? Perhaps destiny can be manipulated to ensure a desired result. This idea of destiny, free will, and determinism is the backbone of Devs, Garland’s terrific sci-fi thriller series from 2020.
Lily Chan (Sonoya Mizuno) works as an engineer for a mysterious software company called Amaya. Lily’s boyfriend and co-worker, Sergei (Karl Glusman), is asked to join a secretive quantum computing team called the “Devs.” Later that night, Sergei does not come home. Lily learns the next day that Sergei committed suicide. However, Lily suspects foul play and investigates his death, which leads her to Forest (Nick Offerman), Amaya’s enigmatic CEO. Devs will twist your mind into a mental pretzel in the best way. It’s a beautiful and thought-provoking project that feels ahead of its time.
Stream Devs on Hulu.
Foundation (2021-)
Foundation, Isaac Asimov’s sci-fi book series from the 1940s and 1950s, at least partially inspired Herbert’s Dune, which came out in 1965. While the two stories have differing views over humanity’s future, there are similarities between Foundation and Dune, including their epic scope, the inclusion of human empires over aliens, and religious ideologies.
Created by David S. Goyer and Josh Friedman, Apple TV+‘s Foundation brings Asimov’s Galactic Empire to life. Dr. Hari Seldon (Jared Harris), a brilliant mathematician who can predict the future using psychohistory, predicts the fall of The Empire. To preserve the future, Dr. Seldon and his followers embark on a quest to the galaxy’s edge to build the “Foundation” to store knowledge that will save humanity. Not everyone embraces Seldon’s discoveries, with major opposition coming from Brother Day (Lee Pace) and the Cleons, a series of clones who rule the Empire and feel threatened by Dr. Seldon’s discoveries. Fans of big-budget sci-fi productions and elaborate world-building will feel right at home with Foundation.
Stream Foundation on Apple TV+.
The Ark (2023-)
If space travel is your preferred sci-fi, The Ark should be your next binge. Set 100 years from now, it follows survivors of a collapsing civilization who embark on colonization missions to find a new home. One of the first voyages is on Ark One, a massive spacecraft heading to Proxima B, humanity’s potential new home. With one year remaining on the journey, a catastrophic event leads to mass casualties aboard Ark One. Supplies are limited, resources are scarce, and all of the high-ranking officials have died.
Lt. Sharon Garnet (Christie Burke), Lt. Spencer Lane (Reece Ritchie), and Lt. James Brice (Richard Fleeshman) are thrust into leadership positions, even though none of them trust one another. Yet, the trio must put aside their differences to stay alive and reach Proxima B. The Ark combines the political maneuvering of Game of Thrones with the “adventure of the week” format of Star Trek to create a fun, easy-to-digest series.
