10 sci-fi, fantasy and history shows to binge over Thanksgiving break
By Dan Selcke
The Mandalorian
Even if you’ve never watched The Mandalorian, you’ve probably heard of it. It’s the show with Baby Yoda. Did that clear things up?
Streaming on Disney+, the first-ever live-action Star Wars series is better than it has any right to be. The show follows the mysterious title character, who is on a quest to return the Child (aka Baby Yoda, the name the internet has given him whether Disney likes it or not) to its own kind.
Visually splendid, the show has an episodic structure that makes it easy to pick up and put down at will. The episodes are also shorter than your average prestige genre drama, so watching it never becomes a job; the thrills are straightforward and simple, but the filmmakers leave lots of clues and easter eggs for those who want to dive deeper. The Mandalorian tries to have a little something for everybody.
The show is currently in the midst of its second season. The new episode comes out Friday, making it the perfect binge for that post-Thanksgiving lazy haze.
The Last Kingdom
Okay, we’re back to British history, but this is nothing like The Crown. It’s set centuries earlier, long before the British royal family became well-dressed figureheads. The lords and ladies battling for control of the throne in The Last Kingdom do it with swords, shields and back-room deals. It’s a gritty, dirty show about the brith of Britain.
Actually, the show is set so early in history — the ninth century, over one thousand years ago — that there isn’t even one throne to fight over yet. There are a bunch of separate kingdoms that King Alfred (David Dawson) has made it his life’s work to bring altogether, enlisting the help of conflicted main character Uhtred of Bebbanburg (Alexander Dreymon) to get it done.
We’re four seasons in now, and the show hasn’t stopped delivering pulse-pounding battles, complex characters, and carefully constructed storylines that build as they go. Think of it like Game of Thrones, but without the dragons. It’s available to stream right now on Netflix.