5 Most Underrated Apple TV Sci-Fi Shows

Since Apple is one of the biggest tech giants in the world, it’s hardly surprising that Apple TV is the best streaming service for sci-fi fans. But just because some of its sci-fi shows haven’t won Emmys or Golden Globes doesn’t mean they’re not still brilliant.

At this point, it isn’t radical to say that projects like “Severance,” “Pluribus,” and “Foundation” are genius shows that push the boundaries of the genre. In fact, there are a number of great shows streaming on Apple TV in general.

However, there are a handful of truly underrated Apple TV sci-fi shows that aren’t talked about enough by audiences and critics alike. These aren’t exactly small projects either. All of them feature ambitious storytelling starring some of the biggest names in Hollywood. One is even a spinoff from a major blockbuster franchise. So, here are the five most underrated Apple TV sci-fi shows.

First up is the Colin Farrell-led “Sugar.” The mystery thriller series about John Sugar (Colin Farrell), a private eye who is tasked with tracking down the granddaughter of a Hollywood producer. That might not sound like a sci-fi show, but a late twist in the first season transforms the show completely, forcing the audience to realize they’ve been watching something different the entire time.

The twist was so shocking that many viewers instantly went online to reveal it, but if, by chance, it hasn’t been ruined, “Sugar” is worth watching just to discover what all the fuss is about. The sheer audacity from creator Mark Protosevich has to be admired, and it’s impressive that Apple TV let him take such an ambitious swing in what could’ve just been a straightforward mystery thriller.

What’s equally refreshing is how it flips the noir stereotype of a jaded detective on its head. Instead, Sugar is a kind and compassionate person, who often helps people simply because he can. One episode in particular shows him supporting a homeless man and encouraging him to reconnect with his sister, and although it doesn’t end in the best way, Sugar’s kindness is a breath of fresh air.

How would the world respond to a race of aliens who share a telepathic hive mind? Not well. “Invasion” is one of those underrated Apple TV sci-fi shows that arrived without much fanfare, but is very rewarding for subscribers who invest in it. It follows a handful of characters around the world as they scramble to figure out strange phenomena unfolding at the start of — you guessed it — an alien invasion.

While most stories like this would opt for flashy blockbuster action and huge warring armies, “Invasion” aims for a much more character-driven direction. One storyline in particular stands out, as London teenager Caspar Morrow (Billy Barratt) has medical issues that are a sign of his unexpected connection to the aliens. He becomes an integral part of the mystery, and Billy Barratt’s tortured performance is one of the best in the series.

Aside from cities being wiped out and toxic spores flying everywhere, it’s interesting to see the social impact of the aliens’ arrival. A dangerous cult is even formed as some people believe the aliens are trying to better humanity and the Earth. “Invasion” is slower than the usual alien invasion storylines, but it’s worth giving it a chance.

Yes, the “Godzilla” show is actually far better than sci-fi fans might think. TV shows that are a spinoff from a Hollywood franchise can get a bad reputation for simply being filler, or even to be homework for the main project. But “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” adds fresh context to the mysterious organization investigating the huge creatures, and does so by getting the audience invested in its characters first.

It helps that real-life father-son duo Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell play two versions of Colonel Lee Shaw in the present day and in flashbacks. In the movies, the Monarch group is essentially like S.H.I.E.L.D. in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and their narrative function is to just provide exposition about the monsters. Here, the underrated Apple TV sci-fi show manages to make you care about why it was created in the wake of World War II through Shaw and his partners: Bill Randa (Anders Holm) and Keiko Miura (Mari Yamamoto).

Meanwhile, in the present timeline it slots in shortly after the 2014 “Godzilla” movie and before the sequels. It follows teacher Cate Randa (Anna Sawai) as she goes searching for her father, who she discovers is secretly a Monarch scientist. Through well-written characters and actual story arcs, the MonsterVerse changes Monarch from a faceless organization to a team the audience cares about. Plus, the visually stunning monsters cause chaos wherever they go, so that helps.

“Dark Matter” is a multiverse story about Jason Dessen (Joel Edgerton) a teacher whose parallel universe doppelgänger forcibly steals his life. The second Jason is a world-famous physicist, but he isn’t married to the love of his life, Daniela (Jennifer Connelly) and they don’t have kids.

That version of the world is where Jason #2 leaves Jason #1, and he has to somehow find his way home. Essentially, the show is a parable about trying to be happy with the version of the life you have. It’s a cliché as old as time, but Jason doesn’t know what he has until it’s gone. It’s all wrapped in an ambitious plot which has a domino effect, creating even more versions of Jason.

But amid all the mind-boggling sci-fi babble, “Dark Matter” is about a man trying to get back to his wife and kids. Great sci-fi should always tell a very human story wrapped in grand ideas, and “Dark Matter” has plenty.

“Silo” is an Apple TV show that deserves a much bigger audience, not only because of its ambitious story, but because it boasts fierce performances from its entire cast. There are plenty of other post-apocalyptic shows to watch if you like “Silo,” but there’s only one starring Rebecca Ferguson. She plays Juliette Nichols, an engineer-turned-sheriff who investigates the truth behind humanity’s sheltered existence in the years following a nuclear war.

The first season of “Silo” follows Juliette when she’s reluctantly called into service when the current sheriff mysteriously exiles himself to the outside world. His willingness to go outside into the toxic wasteland matches his wife’s own decision to leave the silo — and Nichols is determined to find out why. The conspiracy forces her to reckon with the powers that be who rule the underground colony. Stunning performances aside, it’s also bleakly gorgeous thanks to its sprawling sets and some gorgeous cinematography from Mark Patten and Baz Irvine.

“Silo” isn’t the cool, high-tech dystopian future that audiences have seen in other sci-fi shows — this is a grimy world that feels more akin to Bong Joon Ho’s “Snowpiercer” movie or Netflix’s “The Rain.” Throw in a surprisingly timely twist, and “Silo” is quietly one of the best sci-fi shows on Apple TV that deserves far more attention.