13 sci-fi and fantasy shows you should watch this summer

Summer: a time for fun and frivolity. Beach volleyball, waterskiing, camping, catching fireflies as the sun sets on another sticky sweltering day spent in the sweaty embrace of mother nature.

OR, you could hole up in your air-conditioned home and sling back episodes of TV. And if you wanna do that, you have a lot of options, because there’s a tidal wave of great television coming your way in the next few months, particularly if you’re a fan of sci-fi and fantasy fare.

What exactly is in store? Let the hit parade begin:

Stranger Things — May 27 and July 1 on Netflix

The long-awaited fourth season of Stranger Things comes out on May 27, which already causes a bit of a hitch because summer doesn’t officially begin until June 21 (and doesn’t end until September 22). But also: whatever, I’ve worn shorts and flip-flops multiple times over the past couple weeks and that’s summer enough for me.

With that out of the way, fans have waited three years for new episodes of Stranger Things, and creators Matt and Ross Duffer are determined to make it worth the wait. Stranger Things season 4 is packed with super-sized episodes and a sky-high budget. The story, once contained pretty much exclusively within the borders of one small Indiana town, is sprawling everywhere, from California to Siberia to the Upside Down. The young cast members are growing up and going through the trials of young adulthood.

Let it never be said that Stranger Things isn’t afraid to change; it’s one of the rare non-franchise shows to become very popular and it’s not wasting its opportunity. A new season of Stranger Things is always an event and this could be its biggest moment yet.

And Netflix must know it has some special on its hands, because for the first time in the show’s history it’s releasing the new season in chunks: the first batch of episodes will premiere on May 27 with the rest to follow on July 1. This is definitely one to watch.

Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi — May 27 on Disney+

Disney is well underway to creating a Star Wars Cinematic Universe for itself on TV. We’ve already seen The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. The next entry is the (hopefully) more self-contained Obi-Wan Kenobi, which will see Ewan McGregor return to the title role after nearly two decades away.

When last we left Obi-Wan in Revenge of the Sith, he was on the run from the Empire after besting his pupil Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) in a heated lightsaber duel. But Anakin didn’t die; rather, he was rather reborn as the iconic Darth Vader. Christensen will also be back for this series, making it a real treat for fans of the Star Wars prequel films.

We’ll pick up with Obi-Wan as he’s living in self-imposed exile on the planet of Tatooine, watching over young Luke Skywalker as he grows up even as his former padawan learner tracks him down. The trailer makes this look pretty exciting. With the always-likable McGregor in the lead, Obi-Wan Kenobi could be a nostalgia trip worth taking.