We’re all used to a genre like science fiction getting tangled in its own ambition. A show with a fascinating premise becomes a lavish, multi-season story, and though a lot of great shows find their footing and fulfill the promise of a long narrative, others become weighed down by filler and the pressure to keep a story running indefinitely.

There are great sci-fi stories that have been told in a short, well-focused narrative. They build complex worlds, explore mind-bending concepts, and deliver great character development, all without a single wasted moment. Each of these is a complete, self-contained masterpiece proving that sometimes, the most profound journeys are the shortest ones. These are the nine greatest sci-fi shows with eight episodes or fewer.

1

‘Childhood’s End’ (2015)

Image via SYFY

Childhood’s End was based on Arthur C. Clarke‘s classic novel, and the adaptation is a stunning and faithful rendition of the story, told through a miniseries. The production design is gorgeous, and the show’s willingness to embrace the story’s philosophical nature makes it one of the most compelling sci-fi shows you’ll ever see. It’s a haunting, thought-provoking exploration of sacrifice and evolution, with characters you can easily empathize with and an ending that is as satisfying as it is sad.

Childhood’s End shows a seemingly peaceful alien invasion, where a mysterious alien race called “Overlords” arrives on Earth and ushers in an era of utopian peace, eliminating war, disease, and poverty. However, their true purpose turns out to be far more complex and terrifying than a simple conquest. Led by a compelling performance from Charles Dance as the alien leader Karellen, the three-episode miniseries excels in slow-burn dread, leading to an ending that feels inevitable and tragic. Childhood’s End proves that a powerful idea, done with love and precision, doesn’t need any more than a few hours to leave a permanent mark.

2

‘The Lost Room’ (2006)

Image via SYFY

The Lost Room is pretty much a cult classic of the genre, and longtime fans know all about this stunning, lore-heavy miniseries. It’s a brilliantly weird and original piece of sci-fi that feels like an urban legend that’s come to life. This miniseries has three episodes, each with a runtime of around 90 minutes, showing a perfect understanding that the best sci-fi doesn’t need to explain everything — it just needs to make the ordinary and mundane feel a lot more magical. The Lost Room has gained a devoted following over time, with promises of a comic book continuation that never came to life but was welcomed with lots of excitement.

The Lost Room follows detective Joe Miller (Peter Krause), who, while investigating a crime scene at a rundown motel, discovers a key that opens any door — and not just any door at the motel, but any door in the world. He soon learns that the key is just one of a hundred everyday objects from Room 10 of the Sunshine Motel that gained impossible powers after a mysterious event in 1961. Some of those objects include a comb that stops time, a pair of scissors that can spin objects, and a bus ticket that transports you to New Mexico. Beautiful and haunting, The Lost Room is a perfect time capsule that will evoke the 2000s perfectly, but at the same time, it’s a timeless piece of sci-fi that’s still relevant two decades later.

3

‘Bodies’ (2023)

The Netflix miniseries Bodies has a brilliant premise that hooks you instantly — the same dead body investigated across multiple timelines. Based on Si Spencer‘s DC Vertigo graphic novel, Bodies is a beautiful genre-bending series that starts as a gritty police procedural and expands into a dystopian sci-fi thriller. The story includes some intriguing time-travel dynamics, which can be confusing at times, but that’s why Bodies is also a perfect series to rewatch.

As mentioned, Bodies is about a dead body that appears in the same alley in London in four different years: 1890, 1941, 2023, and 2053. Four detectives from four different eras investigate the same murder, and as their cases intertwine, they uncover a conspiracy that involves one sinister man. The performances across the different timelines are uniformly excellent, with each detective bringing a unique perspective to the central mystery; a valuable addition to the roster is Stephen Graham, who portrays the mysterious Elias Mannix. Bodies is a perfectly paced, eight-episode puzzle box that rewards careful attention; it’s a brilliant, twisty ride.

4

‘The Silent Sea’ (2021)

Image via Netflix

The Silent Sea is a South Korean Netflix gem, and it’s a tight, claustrophobic thriller set in a dystopian near-future where Earth’s water supply has almost completely disappeared. The show is an adaptation of director Choi Hang-yong‘s short film The Sea of Tranquility, and he also wrote and created The Silent Sea. If you like sci-fi mysteries and thrillers, this show feels the most similar to Alien but borrows from the genre’s greatest hits and becomes a unique amalgamation of ideas and concepts.

Bae Doona stars as Dr. Song Ji-an, an astrobiologist who joins a hand-picked team on a dangerous mission to the Moon. Their destination is the abandoned Balhae Lunar Research Station, where all the station’s researchers died five years earlier under mysterious circumstances. Gong Yoo co-stars as Captain Han Yun-jae, the mission’s stoic leader. Their retrieval mission starts pretty straightforward, but it quickly unravels into a nightmare of environmental horror, unveiling a disastrous biological secret. The Silent Sea is a tense, cerebral, and visually stunning entry that might help you venture away from a well-known English-speaking landscape.

5

‘The Peripheral’ (2022)

Image via Amazon Prime Video

Based on William Gibson‘s novel, The Peripheral was released on Prime Video, and it’s a slick, mind-bending thriller that perfectly captures Gibson’s signature blend of high-tech paranoia and noir mystery. The show is a visual feast, with executive producers Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy and director Vincenzo Natali crafting a world that feels both futuristic and remarkably familiar. The show was canceled after one season, but mostly because the conversation about its renewal was meant to happen at the same time as the 2023 SAG-AFTRA and Writers’ Guild strikes.

The Peripheral stars Chloë Grace Moretz as Flynne Fisher, a young woman in a near-future American rural community who makes ends meet by testing VR games. She stumbles into a simulation that is actually a portal to a future London, where she becomes entangled in a deadly conspiracy involving quantum computing, time manipulation, and powerful corporate factions. Despite its single-season run, The Peripheral delivers a gripping, eight-episode ride that rewards fans of dense, intelligent sci-fi with a rich world that they’ll love to explore and get into.

6

‘Constellation’ (2024)

Image via Apple TV+

Constellation is a fairly unknown Apple TV series, mostly because it was canceled after one season. It’s a haunting and visually stunning psychological thriller that lingers long after the credits roll, doubling as a meditation on grief and identity; it also tackles the many-worlds interpretation of quantum physics. Constellation is a favorite for some well-known names and faces, too: Stephen King praised the show, calling it almost perfect and giving it his seal of approval. The cinematography is breathtaking, the atmosphere is tense and palpable, and the central mystery is interesting enough to make you binge-watch the show over a weekend.

Constellation stars Noomi Rapace as Jo, an astronaut who survives a catastrophic disaster on the International Space Station and returns to Earth with no memory of some parts of her life. As she desperately tries to reconnect with her daughter, she learns more about the true nature of her return and existence, getting sinister visions of a life she’s unsure is her own. While the true nature of the show’s cancellation isn’t exactly known, Constellation remains a self-contained miniseries and a must-watch for fans of cerebral and emotionally resonant sci-fi.

7

‘Tales from the Loop’ (2020)

Image via Prime Video

Tales from the Loop was based on the evocative retro-futuristic art book of Simon Stålenhag; it was created and written by Nathaniel Halpern (Legion, Outcast), and it’s a sci-fi show unlike any other on this list. While its sci-fi premise obviously tries to describe the story as a futuristic narrative that uses tech to its advantage, deep down, the show is about human connection and the wonder and melancholy that define our lives. It’s a slow, meditative, and deeply emotional masterpiece that proves sci-fi can be gentle, poetic, and human underneath the layers of polished machinery.

Tales from the Loop is set in the small town of Mercer, Ohio, which sits on top of “The Loop,” a massive underground machine built to unlock the mysteries of the universe; it’s comprised of eight episodes presented as an anthology that follows interconnected stories about the people living in the shadow of The Loop, in particular the couple Loretta (Rebecca Hall) and George (Paul Schneider), and their sons, Cole (Duncan Joiner) and Jakob (Daniel Zolghadri). The sci-fi elements are beautiful and strange, and the human stories are relatable; it’s a stunning series, or as The Verge‘s Joshua Rivera describes it, “so pretty it breaks your heart.”

8

‘Years and Years’ (2019)

Image via HBO

Russell T. Davies‘s prophetic six-part miniseries, Years and Years, is an interesting mirror to the real world that is less about predicting the future and all of its technological advancements than it is about holding a mirror to our present anxieties and how, despite a fairly advanced world, many of our worldviews still linger in a past life. This BBC and HBO collab is an eerily plausible and emotional drama that feels more like a documentary from a parallel timeline than a work of fiction. It’s one of the most underrated but most praised miniseries of the past decade.

Years and Years follows the Lyons family in Manchester throughout the years; it begins in 2019 and ends in 2034, showing the family navigating a world rapidly descending into political chaos, economic collapse, and authoritarianism. Emma Thompson is chilling and fantastic as a populist politician who rises to power on a wave of nationalism and fear (mirroring some familiar faces from real life). Years and Years is a scathing critique, a family saga, and a warning, all wrapped in a tight, six-hour package that will leave you shaken and profoundly moved.

9

‘Devs’ (2020)

Image via FX

There is rarely a more perfectly constructed, intellectually daring, and visually stunning sci-fi miniseries than Alex Garland‘s Devs. Garland employs his signature slow-burn narrative in both writing and directing to create a hypnotic world of cold, brutalist architecture and spiritual seeking; the characters seek God through technological advancement, even playing God to stave off regret and loneliness that creeps up on them every single day. It’s a show that challenges, unsettles, and ultimately offers a strange, beautiful kind of hope.

Devs follows Lily (Sonoya Mizuno), a software engineer at a quantum computing company, Amaya, owned by the reclusive CEO Forest (Nick Offerman). Lily’s boyfriend is hired into the company’s secretive “Devs” division, and one day after clocking in, he apparently dies by suicide; Lily doesn’t believe it, so she begins her own investigation into the event. Devs is a mesmerizing, slow-burning philosophical thriller that explores determinism, free will, and grief through a hard sci-fi lens. Offerman delivers a career-best performance as a man plagued by loss and obsession, while Mizuno proves worthy of taking the lead in such an ambitious show. Devs is probably the greatest short-form sci-fi series ever made, but it will test your patience often.

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Devs

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Release Date

2020 – 2020-00-00

Showrunner

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Alex Garland

Directors

Alex Garland

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Harry Styles gave fans a brief scare during his latest Wembley Stadium performance after a routine concert moment appeared to go wrong. The singer was captured on video choking on water before falling to the stage during his signature “whale” spit interaction with fans, leaving concertgoers worried as London battled record-breaking June temperatures. While Harry Styles quickly recovered and continued performing, footage of the incident quickly spread across social media, with many fans expressing concern for the star.

In footage shared on TikTok, Styles could be seen preparing for his well-known “whale” spit moment when he suddenly appeared to choke after spraying water into the crowd. The singer then dropped to the stage floor while continuing to cough for several seconds before eventually sitting upright and regaining his composure.

One concertgoer told the Daily Mail, “As Harry ran down the stage for the final time in preparation for his famous whale, he sprayed the crowd before he then started to cough. Managing to suppress his chokes, he performed the whale before falling to the floor, where he lay on his back and continued to cough and splutter. It was quite worrying, but he quickly got up to continue with the gig.”

The Wembley Show Took Place During A Historic Heatwave

London was experiencing unusually high temperatures at the time of the performance, with the UK recording its hottest June day for a third consecutive day. According to reports, temperatures reached 99.5°F in the capital, creating difficult conditions for both performers and fans packed inside Wembley Stadium.

Another attendee noted just how intense the heat was during the show. “After the first two songs, he took off his jacket and his shirt was already soaked with sweat,” they recalled. “And he was like ‘oh god look at that! I’ve only done two songs!’”

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Harry Styles Previously Urged Fans To Stay Hydrated

Just days before the incident, Styles had addressed the soaring temperatures during another Wembley concert, encouraging fans to prioritize their health throughout the show.

“We’re going to look after each other, please try and stay hydrated. If you need anything at any point, please let me know, we can stop at any time,” he told the crowd. “It’s all good. We’re gonna look after each other, have fun, dance, get sweaty, sing, scream if you wanna go faster.”

Wembley Stadium also relaxed its water bottle policy during the heatwave, allowing concertgoers to bring reusable bottles into the venue while offering discounted water and free sunscreen to attendees.

Despite the frightening moment, Styles appeared unharmed and continued with the remainder of the concert, much to the relief of the 80,000 fans in attendance.

Harry Styles’ Record-Breaking Wembley Residency Continues To Draw Massive Crowds

The onstage scare comes as Styles continues his hugely successful 12-night residency at Wembley Stadium, which sold out in record time. For the tour, the singer has divided the show into five distinct acts, taking fans through a carefully curated setlist that spans both fan favorites and newer material.

Styles typically opens the first act with “Are You Listening Yet” before closing the section with an emotional performance of “Fine Line” accompanied by a live string ensemble. The pace then picks up during the second act, featuring songs such as “Italian Girls,” “American Girls,” and a shortened version of “Keep Driving.”

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Fans are also treated to a more intimate experience when Styles moves to the X-Stage, while tracks including “Season 2 Weight Loss,” “Carla’s (Satellite) Song,” and “Aperture” have become staples of the show’s A-Stage performances.

Zoë Kravitz Fuels Harry Styles Engagement Buzz With Massive Diamond Ring

Off stage, Styles has been making headlines for his relationship with Zoë Kravitz. While neither Kravitz nor Styles has publicly commented on their reported engagement, the actress once again put the sparkling diamond on display during a recent appearance in London.

The “Blink Twice” director co-hosted a Summer Solstice celebration alongside jewelry designer Jessica McCormack, stepping out in a flowing off-white midi dress paired with silver accessories and layered diamond jewelry. However, it was the eye-catching ring on her left hand that quickly drew attention.

Kravitz was first spotted wearing the diamond while out in London earlier this spring, and sources later confirmed to PEOPLE that she and Styles had gotten engaged.

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Fans on social media are arguing that Kylie Jenner could not have been unaware of the alleged mistreatment of staff at her home.

A chef who previously worked for Jenner has become the latest former employee to file a lawsuit against the beauty mogul in recent months. The cook alleged that she suffered a miscarriage while carrying out physically demanding duties during her employment with Jenner.

The reality personality has already faced lawsuits from two other former housekeepers.

As reported by The Times, Jenner’s former private chef claimed that on New Year’s Eve in 2024, a supervisor instructed her to “lift and transport heavy food items across the street and uphill without assistance.”

Her lawsuit stated that she was three months pregnant at the time and that her supervisors, whom she describes as hostile, ignored her condition despite her informing them when she was hired that she “required reasonable accommodations to protect her health and pregnancy.”

The cook further alleged that the strenuous physical work caused her to become dizzy, choke, and struggle to breathe. She also noted that the incident was serious enough for security personnel to intervene, including providing her with water and other assistance.

Two Former Housekeepers Also Sued Jenner

In recent months, two other former staff members have also filed lawsuits against Jenner.

One of the women, who worked as a cleaner, claimed she was repeatedly subjected to harassment and discrimination by several of Jenner’s other employees.

The second woman made similar allegations, claiming she also suffered abuse from fellow staff members.

However, her lawsuit included the additional claim that she attempted to reach Jenner directly to inform her of the situation.

She even wrote a letter to the reality star asking for help in stopping the alleged bullying, but claims her plea was ignored.

Both accusers are seeking compensation from Jenner, including unpaid wages, meal and rest period premium pay, unreimbursed business expenses, unpaid sick leave, and other compensation they claim was unlawfully withheld.

Fans Say Kylie Jenner ‘Had To Know’ About Staff Treatment

On social media, fans have been quick to reject any idea that Jenner could have been unaware of the alleged treatment of her staff.

“At the very least, she would’ve been informed at the time the first and second suit were filed,” one commenter argued on Reddit, adding, “There is no scenario on earth where she’s kept in the dark about all of this.”

Another wrote, “Yeah, there’s no way she didn’t know. The boss is the one who sets the tone.”

Others pointed to the filing’s claim that a supervisor allegedly told the worker, “Stop it, just stop it. You are upsetting Kylie. You are making her depressed.”

One user reacted, “So, Kylie was fully aware of miscarriage, and instead of offering any support, she told her staff supervisor to reprimand the woman for being sad…” while another simply labeled it “villainous behavior.”

Chef Claimed She Broke Down At Party

Elsewhere in her lawsuit, Jenner’s former chef shared details of a second incident that allegedly occurred on Feb. 1, 2025.

At the time, she was assigned to work at Jenner’s child’s birthday party in Palm Springs and was once again given a heavy workload despite being five months pregnant.

She claimed that she again appealed to her supervisors for a reduced workload because of her pregnancy, but her requests were reportedly ignored.

The chef alleged that she went on to suffer “exhaustion and overwhelming physical strain” while carrying out her duties, ultimately breaking down emotionally in the bathroom during the event.

“That evening, [she] experienced extreme physical exhaustion and heaviness throughout her body as a result of the prolonged and intense workload,” the suit also read.

Kylie Jenner’s Accuser Details Miscarriage Claims

Hours after her emotional breakdown in the bathroom, Jenner’s accuser reportedly began suffering severe hemorrhaging. She was rushed to the hospital, where doctors allegedly informed her they could not detect her baby’s heartbeat and that she had lost her unborn child.

What followed was equally difficult for the former chef, who claimed she was “falsely accused of leaving the kitchen and refrigerator in disarray” after the Palm Springs event.

She further alleged that her miscarriage left her suffering from severe depression and emotional distress. According to the lawsuit, her supervisors telling her, “Stop it, just stop it. You are upsetting Kylie. You are making her depressed,” was an attempt to “play the Jenner card.”

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Related: Bye, Sneakers! Martha Stewart Wore This Comfy-Chic Sandal Style Instead

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Low fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy that refers to monsters or aspects of magic that intersect with the real world. A good example of this is the Harry Potter series. The series is set in the British Isles, on the same planet we call Earth, albeit in a very different version of it where an entire magical world exists, yet is hidden from non-magical folk.

Most times, these shows feature magic systems, albeit they aren’t always heavily elaborated on. Or at least, not the same way that they would be if it were a high fantasy TV show. Still, these magic systems do exist in low fantasy shows, and they definitely deserve more attention. These are the best magic systems in the low fantasy subgenre.

‘Carnivàle’ (2003–2005)

Image via HBO

Carnivàle is a TV show that is unapologetically weird, but it does it so well. The series is set in the U.S. Dust Bowl of the 1930s. As if the Great Depression weren’t making things hard enough, the Dust Bowl made it so that crops were having a hard time growing. The story follows a traveling carnival, and draws upon heavy inspiration from Christian folklore, especially the mystery surrounding the Knights Templar.

Magic can only be accessed by people known as Avatars, but it isn’t free. Each magical action must be supported by an equal and opposite reaction. For example, if an Avatar wanted to heal a mortal wound, they would need to kill somebody else in order to balance it out. This is true whether the Avatar serves the Light or the Darkness. This is such a great system because it has clearly established rules, and is based on actual laws of physics. It also means that each magical action has actual gravity and weight to it — magic can’t be used all willy-nilly like it can in other series.

‘Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell’ (2015)

Image via BBC One

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is a miniseries set in an alternate version of the Napoleonic Wars, which occurred at the beginning of the 19th century. In this alternate version of the world, magic isn’t just speculation — it’s an established reality that it does exist, yet its usage is highly discouraged by society and is rarely used in practical settings. So while it does exist, it’s still seen as taboo due to established religious customs.

While the details of the magic system aren’t elaborated upon too, too much, what is revealed is pretty interesting. It’s almost treated like a science. It’s documented in books, kept in archives, and experimented on by professionals, much like how labs would carry out scientific experiments on newly-discovered chemicals. All that is known about it to the audience is that it is tied to the English language, and to the land of England itself. This show presents a fascinating take on magic, as most fantasy shows will revere magic users, but in this one, they are shunned.

‘A Discovery of Witches’ (2018–2022)

Image via Sky One

A Discovery of Witches, believe it or not, is about witches. Naturally, this means a lot of magic is going to come into play here. The story is about a forbidden relationship between a witch and a vampire, who bond over a newly-rediscovered manuscript, one which could determine the fate of the world if it were to fall into the wrong hands.

There are two ways magic works in this series. The first concerns a group known as the Weavers. Weavers can create spells from scratch, pretty much at will, using the elements of air, fire, earth, and water. They twist and pull the elemental threads, tying them into knots to create a spell or conjure a familiar. On the other hand, traditional spell-casting relies on spells already established by Weavers, which can be cast by speaking an incantation. However, this has its limits, as if the threads degrade or another witch binds the magic, its effect will not be as powerful. This is such a great magic system because there are actual limitations, and there seems to be a clear-cut picture of how it actually works.

‘Talamasca: The Secret Order’ (2025)

Image via AMC

Talamasca: The Secret Order is the third series in the newly-emerging multiverse of TV shows based on the works of Anne Rice. This one is about a psychic who is invited to join the secret order of Talamasca, an ancient covenant that monitors and controls immortal beings and the undead, including vampires, ghosts, and werewolves.

The magic in this show isn’t anything explosive or traditional. There are no spells to cast, no magical incantations, and no familiars to conjure. Instead, magic is performed via telepathy and psychic mind control, using the undead as tools to carry out deeds. It is also used in elaborate rituals, which are often multistep processes and difficult to execute. This one might not be clearly defined or rigid, but it’s cool because it shows that magic does have limitations. It can be used to control a ghost or communicate telepathically, but don’t expect to be able to turn anyone into a frog.

‘American Gods’ (2017–2021)

Image via Starz

American Gods is about a group of magic users called Old Gods. The Old Gods are having a bit of an existential crisis, because they are quickly being replaced by New Gods, in the form of rapidly-advancing technology and mass media. Desperate to defend their existence, the Old Gods must band together, despite their differences and disagreements.

Magic in this show isn’t based on an inherent ability — that’s only part of it. While the Old Gods might be able to use magic, their inner strength is directly tied to their followers. Their power begins to wane if they lose followers, or don’t have people sacrificing things for them. This is the reason the whole plot happens: because people are stopping their worship of the Old Gods, their power is beginning to decrease, paving the way for the New Gods to come in. It’s an interesting concept, one that’s pretty unique, considering most magic systems are dependent either on external, inanimate sources like energy, or on one’s innate strength. It’s also great because it addresses a real-world theory that many people follow: that gods only have the power that their followers give them.

‘The Magicians’ (2015–2020)

Image via SYFY

The Magicians is a forgotten fantasy series about a student who enrolls at a university with the intention of becoming a magician. Mind you, this is the realistic form of a magician, meaning he is basically there to learn how to do card tricks and pull rabbits out of hats. Once he gets there, though, he discovers that actual, proper magic is real, and that the magical world is in a precarious spot, with the fate of humanity hanging in the balance.

The magic system in this show is another classic one that isn’t particularly unique. Spells are cast by speaking the incantation in a dead language, usually Old Slavonic or Latin, and then performing a specific hand gesture. Because of this, using magic doesn’t only require intellect; it requires physical dexterity and emotional fortitude, as well. The source of the magic comes from the Wellspring, a cosmic reservoir outside the known bounds of the universe. Magicians just act as catalysts for this Wellspring, tearing a hole in the fabric of reality itself to bring the power of the Wellspring forth. Like many low fantasy magic systems, it’s simple, and not particularly original, but there’s a reason they worked in the first place.

‘Merlin’ (2008–2012)

Merlin is about Arthurian legend, specifically about the eponymous wizard, played by Colin Morgan. Normally, movies or shows about Arthurian legend depict Merlin as a grouchy old fuddy-duddy with a long, silvery beard, blue robes adorned with stars and moons, and a matching tall, pointy hat. In this show, though, Merlin is a much younger individual, who is just discovering his magical prowess.

The magic system in this show is pretty classic. Spells can only be cast by sorcerers, who are born with their gift. To cast a spell, one must speak the incantation, which is in the language of the Old Religion, similar to Old English. In order to learn these spells, sorcerers must study grimoires extensively. Not everybody can use magic, however. Those who aren’t born with the ability will never be able to learn it, so it’s only a select few who can use it. It might be an old and not very unique magic system, but it’s a classic for a reason. It’s simple, but it feels arcane and ancient in all the right ways.

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Merlin

Release Date

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2008 – 2012

Network

BBC One

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Showrunner

Julian Jones

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Directors

Jeremy Webb, Alice Troughton, David Moore, Justin Molotnikov, Ashley Way, Alex Pillai, James Hawes, Metin Hüseyin, Ed Fraiman, Stuart Orme

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With Daredevil: Born Again Season 3 currently in production, some set photos have recently emerged that should build even more excitement for the show’s return. While Finn Jones has already been confirmed to be reprising his role as Danny Rand, aka Iron Fist, the new images reveal Jones’ Danny alongside Mike Colter‘s Luke Cage as well as Luke’s daughter, Danielle. While the reunion of the Defenders in Daredevil: Born Again Season 3 is thrilling on its own, the reaction of fans should be a signal to Marvel that it might be time to revisit the idea of a potential spin-off for these characters.

‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Season 2 Brought Two MCU Heroes Back Into the Fold

It may have taken some time, but Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 doubled as a revival for Marvel’s Netflix shows with the return of the superpowered private investigator, Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), as well as Colter’s Luke Cage, who appears via cameo in the Season 2 finale, “The Southern Cross.” The episode reveals that the character’s absence was the result of classified undercover work for the CIA at the behest of the morally ambiguous Mr. Charles (Matthew Lillard), but Charles released Luke from his obligations, replacing him with the volatile Benjamin Poindexter, aka Bullseye (Wilson Bethel). Season 2 additionally confirms that not only have Luke and Jessica rekindled their romance, but they also have a daughter named Danielle.

Luke and Jessica’s final scene in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 also ends with Jessica officially reopening her business, Alias Investigations, in Hell’s Kitchen. Pair that with the long-awaited return of Jones’ Danny Rand, first revealed in previous Season 3 set photos as reported by Entertainment Weekly, and Marvel TV has the perfect recipe for a spin-off series that could serve as a direct sequel to 2017’s The Defenders.

A ‘Heroes for Hire’ Spin-Off Could Fill In Even More Gaps From Marvel’s Netflix Era

In Marvel Comics, Heroes for Hire was a licensed small business run by Luke and Danny, where the duo offered their own brand of investigative and protective services. Besides being the perfect way for Colter, Jones, and Ritter to reprise their respective roles, a potential spin-off could fill in many narrative blanks — like what brought Jessica and Luke back together. Although the one-time couple did make amends in The Defenders, the Jessica Jones Season 3 finale, “A.K.A. Everything,” seemed to indicate that they’d elected to remain on more platonic terms. Obviously, a great deal transpired with Luke and Jessica in the gap between the end of Jessica Jones and Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, so a Heroes for Hire spin-off could flesh out those details via flashbacks.

Similarly, a spin-off could reveal what Jones’ Danny Rand has been up to ever since Iron Fist ended after its second season in 2018. The last fans saw of him, he was searching for an individual named Orson Randall, who previously held the title of Iron Fist in the comics. Has Danny regained the mantle, or does it still belong to Colleen Wing (Jessica Henwick) after she gained the powers of the Iron Fist from Davos (Sacha Dhawan) in Season 2?

Finn Jones’ Danny Rand Can Finally Suit Up in ‘Heroes for Hire’

Image via Netflix

A Heroes for Hire spin-off could also finally deliver on something else MCU fans have wanted for years: Danny Rand donning the Iron Fist costume for the first time in live-action. There were some teases and allusions to the costume in the character’s Netflix series, but over two seasons, Danny never had the chance to wear his full Iron Fist regalia. Other set images for Daredevil: Born Again Season 3 have revealed that Bullseye will wear his most comic-accurate suit yet, so Heroes for Hire could follow suit with a comics-accurate Iron Fist costume for Danny.

Marvel Television hasn’t officially announced any plans for a spin-off, but the concept makes all the sense in the world. With the original leads of Marvel’s Netflix shows now reassembled for Daredevil: Born Again Season 3, a Heroes for Hire series represents both the perfect payoff to their original arcs and a satisfying continuation of their stories in ways that fans have been waiting for.

Two weeks ago, the legendary Steven Spielberg finally returned to the sci-fi genre after almost a decade with Disclosure Day. Opening at #1 at the North American box office and turning in just shy of $100 million, the film surprised many and is a hit with critics and audiences, albeit not without its detractors. The film stars the likes of Emily Blunt (A Quiet Place), Josh O’Connor (Challengers), and Colin Firth (The King’s Speech), and is based on a story by Spielberg and a screenplay by David Koepp.

Likely to be one of the best sci-fi movies of this summer, Disclosure Day is yet another reminder of how the genre and the cinematic form go together like salt and pepper. Back in 2015, one of the best sci-fi movies of the decade was released courtesy of Alex Garland, defining the early era of A24 in the process. Starring the likes of Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, and Alicia Vikander, Ex Machina earned just shy of $40 million at the box office against a reported budget of just $13 million, becoming the highest-grossing A24 movie of all time worldwide, although this record has since been broken several times.

Ex Machina became an instant hit with critics, with Collider’s Perri Nemiroff one of many who saw just how special this sci-fi gem was. In her review of the movie at SXSW in 2015, Nemiroff said, “Ex Machina is a strong feature and a huge achievement in a number of ways.” She added, “There’s a surprising amount of very effective humor courtesy of Isaac’s character, there’s an extremely riveting scenario at the core of the film, and there’s also tons of stunning visual work to admire as well.” Next month, you can try this masterpiece for free, as it becomes available to stream on Plex on July 1.

A Sci-Fi Movie Joined the Box Office Race This Weekend

Described as “a big science fiction epic film” by producer James Gunn, Milly Alcock’s debut as Supergirl flew onto global screens this weekend, after receiving a hugely mixed reception from critics. Based on Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, the 2021–2022 comic series by writer Tom King and artist Bilquis Evely, hope was high that all involved could follow on from the success of the David Corenswet-led Superman. Alas, if first reviews are to be believed, this will go down as one of the most underwhelming box office blockbusters this summer.

Ex Machina will be available to stream on Plex this July. Make sure to stay tuned to Collider for more streaming stories.

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Release Date

April 24, 2015

Runtime

108 minutes

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Director

Alex Garland

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Writers

Alex Garland

Producers

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Allon Reich, Andrew Macdonald

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Angelina Jolie is reportedly ready for the next chapter in her years-long legal battle with ex-husband Brad Pitt. Despite Pitt recently scoring several courtroom victories in the ongoing dispute over their French winery, Château Miraval, a member of Angelina Jolie’s legal team says the actress remains confident as the case heads toward trial in 2027.

According to a statement provided to PEOPLE, Jolie’s attorney insisted that Pitt’s recent legal wins have not changed the core of the case. “Have made no impact on the merits of the case, and certainly has no impact on Ms. Jolie’s case,” the lawyer said.

Instead, Jolie is reportedly focused on bringing the lengthy dispute to a close. The attorney added that the actress is “looking forward to defeating the case at trial next year so that their family can finally focus their energies on healing and moving on.”

Brad Pitt Scores Key Legal Victory In Winery Battle

Jolie’s comments come after Pitt secured a significant win in the ongoing fight over Château Miraval, the French estate and winery the former couple once owned together.

A California appeals court recently ruled that Russian-born billionaire Yuri Shefler can be pulled further into the lawsuit after previously arguing he had little involvement in the 2021 deal that saw Jolie sell her stake in the winery. Pitt has long maintained that he and Jolie had an agreement that neither would sell their share without the other’s consent. Jolie has disputed that claim.

The actor originally filed suit in 2022, alleging that Jolie secretly sold her interest in the winery to Shefler’s company despite knowing he opposed the transaction. As part of the latest ruling, members of the Stoli Group, which is connected to the purchase, are expected to sit for depositions later this year.

Angelina Jolie Sold Her Share Of Château Miraval In 2021

The legal dispute stems from Jolie’s decision to sell her stake in Château Miraval to Tenute del Mondo, the wine division of the Stoli Group. Pitt has alleged that the sale damaged the business and brought in an unwanted partner.

“The wine business associated with the French château has also suffered, as the business has been stymied by the dispute between the château’s indirect shareholders and by Stoli’s repeated efforts to interfere with, and gain control of, the château,” the court docs claim.

Meanwhile, in previous court filings, Jolie’s legal team accused Pitt of waging a “vindictive war” over the winery and attempting to maintain control of the property. The estate has become one of the final unresolved issues between the former spouses following years of legal battles.

The Former Couple Finalized Their Divorce, But Not Their Legal War

Pitt and Jolie married in 2014 after years together and separated just two years later. Although the pair were declared legally single in 2019, negotiations surrounding their divorce continued for years. In late 2024, reports confirmed the former spouses had finally reached a divorce settlement, ending one of Hollywood’s longest-running divorce battles.

“More than eight years ago, Angelina filed for divorce from Mr. Pitt. She and the children left all of the properties they had shared with Mr. Pitt, and since that time she has focused on finding peace and healing for their family,” Jolie’s lawyer James Simon told PEOPLE in a statement. “This is just one part of a long ongoing process that started eight years ago. Frankly, Angelina is exhausted, but she is relieved this one part is over.”

However, their fight over Château Miraval remains ongoing.

The Couple’s Children Have Largely Distanced Themselves From Brad Pitt

The former couple share six children: Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, and twins Vivienne and Knox.

Their eldest son, Maddox, reportedly took steps in 2026 to formally remove “Pitt” from his legal name. Daughter Zahara also made headlines after filing paperwork earlier this year to drop the surname, while Shiloh legally removed “Pitt” from her hyphenated last name shortly after turning 18.

The couple’s youngest daughter, Vivienne, has also appeared to embrace her mother’s surname professionally, opting to be credited as “Vivienne Jolie” during her work on Broadway. Meanwhile, twins Knox and Vivienne have generally been viewed as being closer to Jolie amid the family’s ongoing tensions.

Pax is reportedly the only one of the former couple’s children who still maintains some contact with members of Pitt’s extended family and continues to use the double surname.

More than 30 years after Nicole Brown Simpson‘s murder shocked the nation, a man who once loved her is shedding new light on what he claims many people already knew about O.J. Simpson behind closed doors. Joseph Perrulli, who dated Nicole in 1992 following her separation from O.J., is opening up about his relationship with Nicole in a new book, claiming he witnessed the lasting fear she lived with amid allegations of abuse involving O.J. Simpson.

Joseph Perrulli recently reflected on their relationship and claimed the former NFL star’s alleged abuse was widely known throughout Hollywood. “I had people in the [movie] industry telling me about, you know, informing me about his abuse, so I knew,” Perrulli told Page Six.

According to Perrulli, there was a sense that few people were willing or able to challenge Simpson at the height of his fame. “We were all powerless,” he explained. “He was still a spokesperson for a very big company [Hertz], a rental car company, and he was still a sportscaster. So, you know, everybody was powerless, and it seemed like he could do what he wanted. And he did.”

Perrulli claimed Nicole confided in him about the violence she allegedly experienced during her relationship with Simpson. According to the businessman, Nicole told him she feared for her safety after being beaten so severely by her ex-husband.

The pair began dating after Nicole’s split from Simpson, whom she married in 1985 and with whom she had two children: daughter Sydney and son Justin. Although Nicole and O.J. divorced in 1992, their relationship remained complicated, and they later reconciled.

Perrulli said he was deeply in love with Nicole but became increasingly alarmed by Simpson’s behavior during their relationship.

A Disturbing Dream Marked The End Of Their Relationship

Among the experiences Perrulli says convinced him to step away from the relationship were allegations that Simpson monitored him and Nicole while they spent time together. He claimed he learned that the former football star had watched them at Nicole’s Brentwood home and had even followed them while they were jogging. Still, Perrulli said the defining moment came in the form of a disturbing dream.

According to his account, he dreamed that he and Nicole were driving together when their vehicle plunged off a cliff, killing them both. The following morning, he gathered keepsakes from their relationship, placed them in a briefcase, hid it, and began distancing himself from Nicole. Despite his feelings for her, he said he felt he had no other choice.

Their Final Meeting Happened Months Before Nicole’s Death

Perrulli said the last time he saw Nicole was during the Christmas season in 1993 at a holiday gathering hosted by the Jenner family. “She wanted to be friends,” Perrulli explained. “It was very difficult to be friends with her when I was in love with her, trying to maintain a platonic relationship like that.”

The reunion was especially uncomfortable because Nicole attended with Simpson. Still, Perrulli believed they would eventually reconnect. “I would see her again. I would apologize, but I got the phone call six months later that she’d been murdered.”

Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman were killed outside her Los Angeles home in June 1994.

O.J. Simpson’s Legacy Remains Tied To The Case

The former Buffalo Bills star was arrested and charged with the murders, but was acquitted in the highly publicized criminal trial in 1995. A year later, a civil jury found Simpson liable for the deaths.

Long before Nicole’s murder, police had responded to multiple domestic violence incidents involving the couple. During a 1989 incident, Nicole reportedly told officers she feared Simpson was going to kill her. Simpson later pleaded no contest to spousal abuse.

He died in 2024 at the age of 76.

Why Joseph Perrulli Decided To Tell His Story

Perrulli has now chronicled his relationship with Nicole in a book titled “The Forgotten Briefcase.” He said he never intended to write about their time together, but changed his mind after rediscovering the briefcase in 2024.

“I spent close to four hours on the stairs rediscovering this woman and and and realizing who she was,” he shared. “All these little mementos. I’d say they humanized her. She was a victim. And because of the way we broke things off, I. I ignored how much I loved her.”

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For Perrulli, the memories ultimately inspired him to revisit a chapter of his life that ended in tragedy and to share a side of Nicole Brown Simpson that he believes the public never truly knew.