Never a fan of burying the lead, the shows discussed here are:

The Peripheral (IMDB): a woman discovers a secret connection to an alternate reality as well as a dark future of her own.

The Expanse (IMDB): a group of humans untangle a vast plot which threatens the solar system’s fragile state of détente.

West World (IMDB): at the intersection of the near future and the reimagined past, waits a world in which every human appetite can be indulged without consequence.

And Honorable Mention goes to, “For All Mankind” but I honestly haven’t watched enough of it to give it a full-throated recommendation. Also, it is very much an Alt-History sci-fi – or fan-fiction which can leave the viewer (if you are like me) rather hot or cold, or just very cold.

So, there you have it – if you enjoy sci-fi and looking for shows to binge – give any of the three above a go.

Would you like to know more?

What makes these series worth watching, yes?

Let’s get into it –

The Peripheral

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The Peripheral is “inspired by” the novel of the same name, written by the old lion of cyberpunk William Gibson.  There are a lot of plot elements that have been moved about and resequenced.

What’s Good About It

This is arguably the first competent translation of Gibson’s work. Two failed feature films have been attempted. The first starring Keanu Reeves and the second directed by Abel Ferrara. Both these films are easy to be found but not recommended for anyone but completionists. Neither had the tone of Gibson or felt like a mature translation of his work. The Peripheral feels like it is attempting both. The success of this series is arguably one reason the Neuromancer series has been greenlit by Apple.

There is more action represented in the series than in the novel and the series is smart enough to reward the readers of Gibson and yet walk newer viewers through the challenging story structure and plot threads.

What’s Do People Not Like About It

The series is by no means the book.

For clarity of story and for budgetary reasons the story has been changed – rather dramatically. High minded Lit-Crit lovers of sci-fi and Gibson will never openly admit to appreciating the show due to these story alterations. Also, similar to Mamet, Tarantino, and Sorkin – Gibson’s dialogue is a challenge to land right from page to screen. In truth some of it could be off-putting. The hard edges of his clipped dialogue from the novel has therefore been smoothed out.

In The End

Gibson has tweeted that he is enjoying the show. It is a smart thoughtful science fiction series that attempts to tip its hat to the novel and it works more than not. The budget feels like it allows for the series to go to most of the scenes that Gibson created. And the more successful intelligent sci-fi shows there are, the more we will get.

The Expanse

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Based on novels that I have not read – the series is a good and true science fiction space opera that includes space pirates, asteroid miners, and Martian space marines. One of the primary inciting events involves a woman gone missing and a private-eye hot on her trail.

What’s So Great About It

This is a large story and the series for the most part seems to have done it justice. The battle sequences are tight and try to err on the side of proper physics. In that regard, this isn’t your grandpas Star Wars. There are space ship tactics and battle maneuvers that just might leave you gasping in awe.

The character interplay is wide and deep. Viewers not familiar with a solar sized cast and multi-threaded storyline might need a notepad to keep track of everything. The good news is almost every storyline is rewarding and involving.

What’s Do People Not Like About It

Not much, to be honest. Visiting the Reddit sites that covered The Expanse the overwhelming request is to start the second arc of the books – which carries a different cast and is set a decade or more ahead of the first seasons.

On a personal note there was one season near the end of the run that felt locked into one storyline that could have been resolved in just a few episodes. It did feel like a waste and slow slog but the show righted itself in the next season.

In The End

The series carried itself clear to the end of the multi-book, multi-season story arcs and resolved itself on very strong notes. and left most wanting more.

West World

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The most controversial and arguably the most challenging of the three series listed here. West World starts challenging and never flinches in it’s attempt to ask big questions and show even bigger ideas.

West World starts in a future playground for wealthy humans to use and abuse humanoid robots all set in a cowboy world. Be aware – the violent mature content rate up there with the first seasons of Game of Thrones.

The show follows the lives of the humanoids, the humanoid designers, and the humans themselves – all in an intertwined mess of a story structure maze that drove away and intrigued others. Because of this, season 1 has a very strong fan base. It is challenging stuff, or it might be directionless, it is all dependant on the viewer.

What’s So Great About It

The entirety of the series worked for me. After Season 1 my big fear was that we were going to get a Gilligan’s Island style show where the desire to get off the (West World) island is never resolved. On NO! The showrunners keep shifting gears and to pose big questions. The world building is intense and never ending – all from this viewers perspective to the betterment of the series.

The push-pull between the humans and the androids continues season to season but never feels like a rehash. The take on Artificial Intelligence feels smarter than most other forms of entertainment that attempt to ask similar questions like, how will humanity survive AI? West World takes us there and pushes through to show us one possibility for the other side of the so-called Singularity.

This is challenging thoughtful storytelling that is rewarding for those who held on to the end. There was one more season scheduled as an end-cap that was cancelled but the show holds up without it.

What’s Do People Not Like About It

The storytelling left many viewers scratching their brain-folds and wishing the showrunners would just slap on some cowboy hats and go back to the World of the West. Many viewers wanted more of the Season 1 puzzles, horses, and violent delights.

The show (and the showrunners) had other plans.

In The End

The weird West World storylines and season structures that bounce the viewers about feels more like a William Gibson novel than even the series The Peripheral.

Of all three shows listed, West World is the series that carved out new territory and told it’s own story – asking questions about AI that will grow ever more prescient as the world becomes ever more digital. It almost feels proper to leave the story incomplete and never reveal to us the answers we had been asking since season 1.