Which of these 11 epic fantasy/sci-fi shows will emerge triumphant in 2024?

5. House of the Dragon season 2 (summer 2024, HBO and Max)

As we established, the first season of House of the Dragon took home the title for best sci-fi/fantasy show in 2022. Season 2 premieres in the summer of 2024. Will people still be interested?

If the second season is as good as the first, I think they will be, however long it's been since we last saw Rhaenyra, Daemon, and the rest of the dragon-riding Targaryen family snipe at each other over the right to sit the Iron Throne. Now that the battle lines have been drawn, season 2 will feature more outright action than season 1, along with plenty of dramatic twists. So far as I'm concerned, the crown is House of the Dragon's to lose. We'll see if they make the most of that position or get cocky and trip up.

6. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 (2024, Amazon Prime Video)

And here's House of the Dragon's old nemesis, back for seconds. Back when the first season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power aired, we heard a lot about how it was the expensive show in TV history. You could see a lot of that money up onscreen, but clearly the money wasn't enough to buy a sharper story that held people's interest over a whole season.

l liked plenty about the first season of The Rings of Power, but there was definite room for improvement. If the writers make smart choices about the characters and their journeys, they could have a redemption arc in season 2. We already know they can break the bank when it comes to special effects and set pieces. Now the challenge is to make us care about characters like Galadriel, Elrond and Elanor Brandyfoot.

Let's hope Amazon rises to the occasion. And if they don't, at least The Rings of Power could be fun to dunk on again.