Its probably a common answer, but “Measure of a Man” from Star Trek: The Next Generation. It makes me hope for a future like that, where people can settle their problems by talking it out and debating, and even change their minds. Whenever I think about what Star Trek is really about, I think about Measure of a Man. Its such a shame Paramount’s Picard show disrespected it so badly.
I’ll start: my personally favorite sci fi that that I wish more people knew about is Orphan Black. It features Tatiana Maslany really showing off her acting prowess. Basically, she plays a street rat who encounters an identical but well off version of herself who jumps in front of a train. In discovering this apparent twin’s life, she realizes there’s yet more of her and that they’re being killed off.
The cast, both Tatiana and not-Tatiana, are really good at embodying their characters and the world is neat at showing something that could actually be happening under our noses this second.
Absolutely adored Orphan Black!!
- First episode of Battlestar Galactica after the mini series.
That was groundbreaking for a sci fi television show. People were, tired, angry, scared and drunk. So much different than anything than anything that had come before it.
Also, seeing real physics and sounds in a space battle was rad.
BSG was such a good show and they covered some pretty controversial topics (The occupation episodes especially).
I was however very disappointed with how it ended.
I am such a sucker for stressed out people in some kind of command center who are seeing overly simplified representations of what’s happening. Seeing scanning screening with little simple dots representing some massive space battle and the unease of not actually seeing it. It creates such a claustrophobic atmosphere.
Oh, so Star Trek. Not everybody thinks of Voyager when they think about top episodes but for me ‘Living Witness’ is not just the best Voyager episode, but the best Trek episode.
It’s amazingly well acted both with the Doctor in the dramatic lead, and the snippets of the evil Voyager crew being fun. That all supports an episode that has a message that really speaks to me about not turning history into a narrative, especially an agenda pushing narrative. Letting history be learned as honestly as possible rather than using it to gain some cynical personal gain.
The Expanse was consistently amazing. Some of the episodes were so good they left me speechless.
The part where they flipped around and fired their railgun made me actually yell out “HOLY SHIT!”
I miss Miller.
Doors and corners kid.
Strongly agree, The Expanse is a top tier show for so many reasons. For newcomers, the first episode is a bit overwhelming because it’s introducing worlds of information on how humanity has progressed on Earth, Mars, and the stations in between on the asteroid belt (The Belt). But the end of the first episode will really grab you and at least send you into the second one, where it becomes a non-stop thrill ride until the end.
There aren’t many sci-fi shows working to be realistic representations of physics, and none are perfect, but no epic works harder at being realistic than The Expanse. It takes its science seriously enough to be incredibly satisfying in that regard.
What I absolutely love is that the authors of the books are actual writers for the show, so it is very close to the source material in a lot of ways, deviates in other ways that make it work better for TV, and stays true to its original ideas even when it does.
For those that haven’t seen it, check out a few episodes and see if it intrigues you! I found myself along for the ride and simply enjoying that thrill a lot early on, but really felt like I understood the story universe and was invested in the characters themselves by the end of the first season. For those that have seen it, oy Beltalowda, sa sa ke?
Someone has to mention Firefly and “Our Mrs. Reynolds.” It features such incredible lines as
“If you take sexual advantage of her, you’re going to burn in a very special level of hell. A level they reserve for child molesters and people who talk at the theater.”
“I see that my days off not taking you seriously have come to a middle.”
Not to mention the fantastic Christina Hendricks as Saffron.
Can i suggest a British classic? No not that one, the other one!
Red dwarf isn’t even thought of as Sci fi to a lot of people in the UK, but it served as my introduction to comedy sci fi and even just a lot of Sci fi concepts in general.
Hilarious, clever, thoughtful, interesting are some words I’d use to describe Red Dwarf and I’ll recommend it to anyone who wants to watch the classic British comedy Sci fi
“No not that one, the other one!” - ha!
I grew up on Tom Baker era Doctor Who. It wasn’t until decades later that I discovered that the best British sci-fi from that period was actually Blake’s 7.
I just realised I’d made a post about one of my favourite shows just before seeing yours.
Space: Above and Beyond which is available on YouTube these days.
A really solid show.
I’m also very much enjoying The Orville at the moment.
Stargate SG-1 when O’Neill and Teal’c are stuck in a groundhogs day loop. Seriously fun episode.
Also throwing a shout out to Stargate Atlantis, the episode where McKay is stranded at the bottom of an ocean in a puddle jumper and starts hallucinating. Some of the best acting I’ve seen in a while in that one.
