🔗 Share this article

How would you do if you had boundless control? This is a core question explored by all finest science fiction and fantastical narratives. What if you possessed extraordinary powers? Or discovered a life-altering drug? What about every other person became dedicated to your personal satisfaction? Could you use that power for good, or would you succumb to your own baser instincts?

The series listed below each confront that very dilemma in distinct ways (with one notable exclusion). Presented here is our ranking of the ten most outstanding installments of science fiction & fantasy TV from the past year.

10. Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man

Despite more than six decades of history, Spider-Man continues to be reinvented by fresh creative voices. Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man offers a refreshing look at the hero's formative days, cleverly merging classic source material elements with ideas from the broader Marvel universe to craft something that feels simultaneously fresh and deeply engaging.

Instead of being alone or Iron Man as a mentor, this version of Peter Parker develops a complex partnership with the future Green Goblin, who here is still just the CEO of Oscorp. Across their dynamic, Peter becomes his own man, learning the iconic lesson of power and great responsibility.

9. Hazbin Hotel Season 2

Showrunner Vivienne Medrano's boldly transgressive mature musical-comedy show, which sprang from a crowdfunded pilot, truly found its footing in its second season. Following the climactic revelations of the first season, the story broadens significantly, centering on the scheming TV demon Vox as he seizes control of the narrative, sparking a chain of ever-more dramatic conflicts that naturally end in elaborate musical numbers.

While it may lack a single viral hit quite like the first season's "Loser, Baby," this is due to each element in this season being increasingly ambitious. The action, character development, and especially the score and songs are collectively elevated. The story moves the main storyline forward while delivering no shortage of weird, wild, and simply entertaining fantasy.

8. Daredevil: Born Again

As a successor to the acclaimed Netflix series, this series had immense shoes to fill. After well-documented development issues, the resulting show proves to be worth the effort. The story follows Matt Murdock after his secret identity as Daredevil is exposed, making him vulnerable to foes from his history and present in a refreshed take of his well-known world.

The first episode is a thrilling return to form, capturing the intense feeling fans loved from the prior series. While the middle chapters venture into certain new territory, the season finishes powerfully, leaving viewers keenly anticipating a second installment.

7. Common Side Effects

A unexpected this year's gem, this series is essentially a crime saga filtered through the humor of King of the Hill. Created by an Adult Swim veteran alongside writer Steve Hely, it tells the saga of a mild-mannered fungi expert who finds a miraculous mushroom and soon finds himself hunted by forces including ruthless Big Pharma CEOs to government agents.

Far from being a spoof, the narrative plays out with the serious intensity of a classic paranoia thriller. Accentuated by trippy visuals and an eerie musical soundtrack, the plot explores deeper questions about the mushroom's full effects. It's a intelligent, visually striking, and completely gripping ten-episode season.

6. Fallout Season 2

The hit adaptation based on the popular video game franchise came back with a new season of stories that deepened its epic lore and expanded its post-apocalyptic world. Although it ventures toward the legendary location of New Vegas, the story is not a direct adaptation of that title; instead, it continues to examine ideas of authority and freedom.

The show expertly balances multiple narrative threads and points of view, from the protagonist's quest for justice to a knight's struggle with the dogma of the his faction. The result is a rich layered and wholly engaging addition to the expanding wasteland mythology.

5. Invincible Season 3

The visceral and emotionally charged adult animation show continues its winning streak in its third outing. Mark Grayson confronts tremendous pressure on all fronts: training for a coming alien threat, mentoring his powered sibling, and battling with the secretive GDA. The story also features some of the most intense fight scenes the series has yet delivered.

The protagonist's bodily and emotional endurance are constantly tested. He must contend with foes more powerful than himself, the aftermath of his battles, and the ethical weight of his choices. Standout storylines for key cast members like Cecil Stedman and Rex Splode complete a superb installment.

4. Peacemaker Season 2

James Gunn's irreverent anti-hero show returned with elevated importance within the new DC universe, and season 2 executes on that count. While it successfully establishes foundations for future DCU projects, it also presents a powerful and self-contained {