Here's a Hidden Gem Sci-Fi Series to Binge This Weekend
With so many new TV shows and movies to watch, sometimes you just want to retreat away from all the pressure and watch something you know you're going to love. Maybe you're not looking for a super-old TV series, but perhaps something a little bit contemporary that you missed, and maybe you need a sci-fi adventure that is binge-worthy in the extreme. There are several hidden gem sci-fi TV series floating around out there, but if you need a weekend binge, which will likely take you into the rest of the week, here's one to fire up: 12 Monkeys.
No, this isn't the famous 1995 film of the same name directed by Terry Gilliam and starring Bruce Willis, Brad Pitt, and Madeleine Stowe. It's the reboot TV version of 12 Monkeys, perhaps the greatest time-travel TV series of all time, which is currently streaming all four of its seasons on Prime Video.
This show largely comes from the creative mind of producer-writer-director Terry Matalas, who more recently helmed Star Trek: Picard Season 3 in 2023, and is running the show with Marvel's VisionQuest later in 2026. Developed with writer Travis Fickett, this version of 12 Monkeys aired on SyFy from 2015 to 2018, and lasted a total of four seasons. If you think you know what this show is like, you're already dead wrong. While the show recreates some of the story beats from the film, the time travel puzzle in this series is much bigger and more complex than it seems at first.
The show begins with a seemingly simple premise: A time traveler from the 2040s named James Cole (Aaron Stanford) is sent back to the present to kill a man who begins a deadly plague that wipes out nearly the entire human race. He quickly teams up with Cassandra Railly, a virologist from the past who becomes wrapped up in Cole's quest to save the future.
But that's really only the beginning of the journey. Season 1 focuses on Cole, Cassie, and the unlikely ally of Jennifer Goines (Emily Hampshire, famous for Schitt's Creek), all trying to prevent the plague, but by the end of the first batch of episodes, you'll start to realize there's a much bigger picture. Season 2 expands the mystery to include a bigger and more sinister time travel scheme, which gets more complicated and personal by Season 3. In Season 4, various mysteries have been revealed, but the actual ending of the story is epic as hell.
For some, Season 1 might start a little slow, but be aware: Every single detail matters. Small mentions of dates and random characters you haven't met yet will all connect later. Even some random details uttered once in Season 2 become huge plot points in Season 4.
Tonally, 12 Monkeys might seem bleak at first, but as the series goes along, you'll realize this is an action-adventure time travel thriller with a ton of heart. The adventure starts from a dark place, but ultimately, it becomes an uplifting show about hope and how the past isn't quite what we assume.
That said, there are a lot of criss-crossing timelines to keep track of. If you binge this one with a notebook and a pencil, we won't judge.