Somehow, the year that was January is over. On the fantasy and science fiction television front, the year got off to a pretty good start, with a number of promising shows making their debut while others let the curtain fall on epic finales. But there's always more television to watch, and new shows coming down the pipeline!
From the return of Apple TV's Monarch: Legacy of Monsters to the finale of the latest Game of Thrones spinoff A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, we'll have plenty to keep us busy in February. It may not be as stacked of a month as January or March, but the shows that are airing are good ones. Here are four you need on your radar.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy — Currently airing (Paramount+)
Starfleet Academy is the newest Star Trek series, a spinoff of Star Trek: Discovery that sees the titular bastion of learning re-open its doors after a long stretch of dormancy. It walks a fine line between the classic Trek formula, a coming-of-age drama, and the slicker, character-focused storytelling of Discovery.
The result has been pretty fun so far, and its latest episode was one of the best yet. Starfleet Academy drops new episodes every Thursday on Paramount+, and since it's season finale doesn't air until early March, you can safely plan on spending time every week in February with your Trekkie crew.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms — season finale airs February 22 (HBO Max)
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is the latest series in HBO's Game of Thrones franchise, but don't let that fool you: this show is a lighter, funnier affair that eschews the politics of high lords and ladies to follow a down-on-his-luck hedge knight and his squire as they go on adventures around Westeros. Season 1 sees Ser Duncan the Tall and his diminuitive companion Egg head for a tourney at Ashford Meadow, and it's been an absolute blast to watch so far.
As of the start of this month, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is speeding toward the halfway point in its six-episode season. Things are about to change in a big way for our hedge knight. This may be a dramedy set in Westeros, but I have a strong feeling its final run of episodes are going to remind us that we're in the world of Game of Thrones, with all the perils that entails.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres new episodes Sundays at 10:00 p.m. EST on HBO and HBO Max, until its season finale on February 22.
Paradise season 2 — Premieres February 23 (Hulu)
Paradise is a murder mystery thriller series set in the post-apocalypse. After the world was seemingly destroyed, a group of privileged political players fled into an underground bunker. There they remained for three years, until the assassination of the president during season 1. That death was pinned on Sterling K. Brown's secret service agent Xavier Collins, who had to unravel the bunker's mysteries in order to clear his name.
Season 2 sees Xavier head to the surface in search of his wife, who he believed was dead. And it turns out there's more on the surface than he'd imagined, and the world isn't quite as destroyed as it seemed. If you enjoy series like Apple TV's Silo, this is another show to add to your queue.
Paradise premieres its first three episodes February 23 on Hulu. New episodes will follow every Monday for the rest of its eight-episode run.
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters season 2 — Premieres February 27 (Apple TV)
The big new sci-fi show releasing in February is the second season of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Apple TV's kaiju series starring Kurt and Wyatt Russell as the same character in two different eras. If that genius casting alone isn't enough to tempt you, then how about Godzilla? King Kong? Battles between giant kaijus while the humans on the ground deal with familial drama and romance? Monarch is a show that contains multitudes.
The first season of this series explored how the titular organization that monitors giant beasties around the Earth was formed, splitting its focus between the 1950s and the 2010s. It's part of Legendary Pictures' Monsterverse franchise, so not only does it have a compelling story on its own, but if you're into that wider universe of kaiju movies, there's even more to love about this show.
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters premieres February 27 on Apple TV, with new episodes following every Friday until its season finale on May 1.